City Section expresses disappointment with Time Warner Cable

John Aguirre, the commissioner of the City Section, said Monday that his section, along with the San Diego Section, “are not totally pleased with the way things are progressing” with a Time Warner Cable contract that gives TWC exclusive coverage of section events and championships.

Since Time Warner Cable cut its entire local staff last January, City Section coverage has come to a virtual halt and third-parties are not able to televise events without TWC approval, Aguirre said. TWC did televise championships in basketball but has made no commitments so far this spring, Aguirre said.

Aguirre said he and San Diego Section Commissioner Jerry Schniepp plan to join CIF Executive Director Roger Blake in discussions with TWC to possibly modify the agreement. The City Section is in the second year of a five-year deal with TWC. A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday to discuss spring scheduling.

“They had assured us they would make an effort to do as many games as possible,”Aguirre said. “Right now for the spring, we have no indication of any games being televised.”

Blake said he last met with TWC officials in February, and “they assured us they are committed to high school sports,” he said.

TWC has exclusive rights for state championships and has been televising state events.

A spokeswoman for Time Warner Cable said, “We’re meeting this week to set our CIF spring championship game schedule and expect to televise as many spring championship games as we have in previous years.”

Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com