Cox customers could lose Tucson CBS station

SIERRA VISTA — Subscribers to cable provider Cox Communications may find themselves with one fewer channel on Thursday as the company remains locked in negotiations with Tucson station KOLD. If negotiations between the two are not settled, Cox will no longer broadcast the station beginning Jan. 1,  2009, said Michael Dunne, director of public relations, in a statement Tuesday.

“Local broadcast stations must grant Cox Communications permission to deliver their signal on Cox,” Dunne said. The CBS affiliate station is making “unreasonable demands that will burden our customers,” he said.

Citing the ongoing negotiations, Dunne would not elaborate on the demands being made by KOLD. KOLD channel 13, CBS News 13, Now channel 87 and HD channel 713 will no longer be available to Cox customers beginning at 12 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2009 unless an agreement is reached, he said.

Representatives for KOLD parent company Raycom Media were unavailable for comment Tuesday.