In American television in 2018, notable events included television show finales, cancellations, and information about controversies and carriage disputes.
Notable events
January Date Event Source 1 Starz and its related channels (including Starz Encore and Movieplex) are removed from Altice USA-owned cable systems, including Optimum and Suddenlink. The removal of the premium services follows "numerous attempts" between Altice and Starz parent Lionsgate to secure a new carriage agreement. In a statement, Altice representatives said that it did not make sense to charge a high fee to its subscribers to carry Starz and its sister channels as the network maintains a standalone over-the-top streaming service, particularly because "their viewership is declining and the majority of our customers don't watch Starz." The dispute ends on February 13 after Starz Inc. and Altice come to a new agreement, though the networks returned a month later, on March 1 (over-the-top access to the Starz website and apps was returned for the interim period). Frontier Communications drops CBS affiliate KIRO-TV/Seattle from its Frontier FiOS systems in western Washington state, after failing to reach a new carriage agreement with KIRO parent Cox Media Group. Frontier representatives stated that Cox Media was asking for the provider to increase its carriage fees for the station's main feed and its GetTV- and Laff-affiliated subchannels by more than 80% over the next three-year contractual period. NuLink (a cable provider owned by WideOpenWest) drops the Meredith Corporation-owned duopoly of CBS affiliate WGCL-TV and independent station WPCH-TV from its systems in five Atlanta-area suburbs, after the two parties failed to agree on terms to renew the stations' contract. 2 NBC News announces that Hoda Kotb will assume the weekday co-anchor chair of Today permanently with Savannah Guthrie, filling the seat held by Matt Lauer before his November 29 termination from the network due to inappropriate sexual behavior, and after a month where Today exceeded ratings expectations despite Kotb's previous interim status. Though not the first time two women have headed an American morning program (Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer co-hosted ABC's Good Morning America from 2006 to 2009), it is the first time two women are the leading hosts for Today. Kotb will also continue to host the lighter 10:00 a.m. Today hour with Kathie Lee Gifford. 3 CBS News fires political director Steve Chaggaris, after allegations of past "inappropriate behavior" were disclosed to division management over the prior two weeks. Neither the nature nor extent of the allegations against Chaggaris – who joined CBS in 1999, and was appointed as its senior political editor upon returning to the network following a two-year hiatus in 2010, before being promoted to political director in March 2017 – were disclosed. 4