Big Ten Network exec: Next few weeks ’vital’ in Mediacom talks

SEAN KEELER • REGISTER STAFF WRITER • July 25, 2008 Chicago, Ill. — While talks between the Big Ten Network and Iowa’s largest cable distributor remain at an impasse, network president Mark Silverman said he hopes to pick up the pace of negotiations with Mediacom in August. “We have three big deals to get done — (with cable providers) Time Warner, Charter and Mediacom. We’re talking to all three right now. We (see) the next few weeks as vital in making progress on those deals,” Silverman said this morning during the final interview session of Big Ten Media Days in downtown Chicago. “And is it important to the success of the network? Absolutely.” Silverman stressed that negotiations with all three companies are continuing simultaneously and “don’t impact each other. We want to get them all done. There’s three of them left, and... [read full story]