Comcast acquisition of Time Warner Cable could undermine CBS deal

The new distribution contract CBS signed with Time Warner Cable last summer after a bitter fight could be a casualty of Comcast's proposed acquisition of TWC.

According to people familiar with the deal, it does not include provisions protecting all the terms of the pact should Time Warner Cable be acquired by a distributor with a sweeter arrangement. These people requested anonymity because the agreement is confidential. Terms of the CBS-Time Warner Cable pact were never publicly disclosed, but Comcast, which signed a 10-year distribution agreement with CBS in 2010, is believed to be paying a lower fee to carry the network's TV stations. Should Comcast get regulatory approval of the Time Warner Cable purchase, it can carry CBS under its current deal.