Orange Bowl Pawn in Iowa Cable Dispute

I’m curious whether or not DIRECTV and Dish Network can handle a couple hundred thousand calls on New Year's Day for requests to get their services.

Sure, it likely won’t happen, but you have to wonder what it would be like for those answering the phones. For those not in Iowa, you may be asking why this is? Here is a quick rundown...

Sinclair Broadcasting, which owns the Fox stations carried by cable provider Mediacom Communications, is threatening to pull the plug on Jan. 1 if a new agreement for more cash isn’t settled. A mediation yesterday was unsuccessful in bringing the two sides to an agreement.

Caught in the middle are the Iowa Hawkeye fans who want to watch the Orange Bowl on Fox. Sinclair has a scroll at the bottom of the screen during programming telling Mediacom customers to get one of the satellite options. Mediacom tells its customers that Sinclair is being a bully and the reason they won’t get to watch the game.

But, it really doesn’t appear that the dispute is going to get that far. If you read between the lines of what Mediacom Communications director Phylis Peter has to say, it sounds like Mediacom will end up folding in the end...

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“I just think there’s a lot of drama, pulling this out to the last minute,” Peters said . “Because that means we’ll have to cave in to the highest demands, instead of some middle ground.”

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Uh...YEAH! That is how these things work. How it is not supposed to work is telling the biggest paper in the state (Des Moines Register) that you are going to cave in.

I really don’t know how they could not cave anyway. Beside the bowl game you are looking at 24, American Idol (yeah, I watch it...so?), House and the NFC Playoffs coming up.

So anyway, the satellite companies could be getting quite a few calls. As for me, I will watch the game at my favorite sports bar down the street...and then call Dish Network if it isn’t resolved before Jack Bauer is set to kick some...