Food Network, GAC threatened for Time Warner customers

Add Great American Country to the list of channels that could go dark for Time Warner Cable customers at midnight.

Scripps Networks is the parent of that channel as well as the Food Network. Both channels are in a last-minute contract dispute with Time Warner Cable. Losing the Food Network would be a blow over the New Year's weekend, when the channel's fans want an alternative to football games.

This Sunday's big "Super Chef Battle" episode was to feature Michelle Obama and a special White House Garden showdown between Emeril Lagasse, left, Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and White House Chef Cristeta Comerford.

"We are in negotiations with Time Warner as we speak," said Scripps spokeswoman Cindy McConkey. "We are not going to make any comment while we're proceeding with negotiations."

If a resolution isn't reached by midnight, Time Warner Cable has lined up replacement programming for those channels, said spokeswoman Melissa Buscher.

Fans also can visit the Food Network and GAC Web sites for updates and to find programming.

Time Warner Cable also is fighting with News Corp. over the fees it pays to broadcast programming. Time Warner Cable has said channels such as FX, Fox Soccer and Fuel could get pulled at midnight. Fox 50 and Fox News aren't affected.

Earlier reports indicated that the Weather Channel and HGTV were also threatened, but those channels are not affected.

Time Warner Cable has about 2 million Carolinas customers, including 800,000 from Raleigh to the coast.