CBS lawsuit over failure to pay bills may be precursor as stations struggle
In what could be the first of more such lawsuits to come in the syndication 
world, CBS Television Distribution last week filed suit against Global Broadcasting, owner of WLNE Providence, alleging that it failed to pay license fees on CTD-distributed shows Dr. Phil, Inside Edition, Rachael Ray, The Insider and Entertainment Tonight.
The suit comes at a time when TV station groups are facing some of the biggest financial challenges of the industry’s 70-plus-year history. Several station groups and their parent companies—including Tribune, Ion, Young, Granite, Equity and Pappas—have declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and are now reorganizing their debt, selling off assets or going out of business entirely.
