Verizon removes Bloomberg Television in dispute

Bloomberg television Verizon Communications pulled Bloomberg Television from 4.6 million of its pay-TV customers after the financial news provider asked the carrier to pay it for its content for the first time ever.

Jessica Toonkel of Reuters reports, “Verizon said it took down the news network last month because it did not want to pay for it when viewers can access it for free online. It remained unclear whether the companies could come to an agreement allowing the network to return to Verizon’s customers.

“‘Bloomberg is proposing that we pay for content that they make available to all consumers for free on their website and mobile app,’ the company said in its alert to Verizon’s FIOS TV customers about the removal of Bloomberg TV.

“Verizon is advising customers to go to Bloomberg’s website and app to watch Bloomberg TV, a Verizon spokeswoman said.

“A spokesman for Bloomberg declined to comment.”

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Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.