Time Warner Cable Pulls 17 Channels From iPad App, Citing High Demand (Updated)

Time Warner Cable removed access to 17 live cable network streams from its iPad app claiming overwhelming demand forced it to temporarily scale back the service -- leaving 15 in place -- while it also appears several programmers demanded the MSO remove their channels from the app.

According to BTIG Research analyst Richard Greenfield, the channels TWC yanked out of rotation from the TWCable TV app were: ABC Family, Disney Channel, Lifetime Movie Network, Animal Planet, MTV, Nick, Comedy Central, BET, Spike, VH1, CMT, FX, National Geographic, AMC, Univision's Galavision, Travel Channel and Hallmark Channel.

The 15 that remain are CNN, HLN, Discovery, TLC, A&E, History, Fox News, Food Network, HGTV, and NBC Universal's Bravo, CNBC, E!, MSNBC, USA and Syfy.

TWC last fall struck a deal with ESPN to offer simulcasts of ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU online to computers. ESPN expects to add access to tablets and other mobile devices in the future.

According to the No. 2 cable operator, the TWCable TV app for the iPad is available only in a subscriber's home over Wi-Fi and therefore is covered under existing carriage agreements, because the iPad is simply another outlet in the home. But an executive with a large cable programming group asserted that the MSO's move is out of bounds.

Update:
Time Warner Cable restored the full 32-channel lineup a short time before 1:45 p.m. Eastern March 16, 2011.