Exec: Fox affiliates 'on board' with pay TV plan

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Television stations that relay Fox programming are “on board” with a threat to transition the over-the-air network to cable and satellite TV if Internet startup Aereo keeps reselling Fox’s signal without paying for rights, the chairman of a Fox group said Tuesday.

Fox’s parent company, News Corp., owns just 27 of the 205 stations that carry Fox shows such as “American Idol” and “Glee.” The rest are affiliates that are independently owned or are part of chains of station owners. Steve Pruett, the chairman of the Fox affiliate board of governors, spoke about the stations’ support in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday at the annual gathering of broadcasters, the NAB Show.