A dispute over retransmission fees has pushed WPIX-TV off Cablevision.

The Tribune-owned station was dropped from the area cable provider's channel lineup over what Cablevision called "anti-consumer demands" by the WPIX parent.

But WPIX said it had hoped to keep the station on air while negotiations continued.

In a statement, Tribune wrote that "without warning, Cablevision unilaterally removed four Tribune stations in four markets from its cable systems. Cablevison took this action despite our offer of an unconditional extension of the current carriage agreement with no change in terms while negotiations continued."

Cablevision, meanwhile, fired back, arguing that Tribune was trying to solve its financial problems "on the backs of Cablevision customers."

Other Tribune-owned stations also went dark in south New Jersey and in Connecticut.

Editor's note: Patch has a partnership with PIX 11, called "Patch on PIX," where the station features major stories from Patch sites in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.