STOCKS NEWS US-Viacom may pull TV networks off Time Warner Cable

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U.S. stock market report [.N] 0819 ET 31Dec2008-Viacom may pull TV networks off Time Warner Cable ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Viacom Inc (VIA.N) late Tuesday said that if it doesn't reach a carriage fee deal with Time Warner Cable (TWC.N) by Jan. 1, it will pull its cable television networks off Time Warner.

Among the networks in question are Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and MTV. Viacom said it was seeking a fee increase of less than 25 cents per subscriber per month. [ID:nN30361800]

Viacom shares closed Tuesday at $19.26 while Time Warner shares ended at $21.76.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0800 ET 31Dec2008-Futures flat ahead of 2008's last session ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

U.S. index futures were flat on Wednesday, ahead of the last session of 2008, a year many investors would no doubt like to see end. Impacting the futures was a further decline in crude oil prices, as well as the news that the Federal Reserve will move forward aggressively with an effort to lower mortgage costs by buying $500 billion in mortgage-backed securities by mid-2009. [ID:nLV427865]

Dow Jones industrial average futures DJc1 rose 15 points while S&P 500 futures SPc1 were up 2.5 points and Nasdaq 100 futures NDc1 were down 0.25 points.

Reuters Messaging: ryan.vlastelica.reuters.com@reuters.net 0750 ET 31Dec2008-AIG seeks to relax disposal rules: FT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------