For the second time this week, CBS stations have gone dark for Time Warner Cable customers in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and other major markets. The two companies yet again failed to reach an agreement on retransmission fees that allow the cable operator to carry CBS programming. After a very brief blackout early this week, CBS and TWC agreed to lengthen their negotiating timetable to today at 5PM ET, but comments from both sides suggest a deal remains nowhere in sight.

"CBS has refused to have a productive discussion," a Time Warner Cable spokesperson tells The Verge. "It’s become clear that no matter how much time we give them, they’re not willing to come to reasonable terms. We thank our customers for their patience and support as we continue to fight hard to keep their prices down." Naturally CBS has a very different view on things, telling Variety, "We deeply regret this ill-advised action, which is injurious not only to our many affected viewers, but also to Time Warner Cable itself." CBS accuses the cable company of negotiating "in a combative and non-productive spirit" while "maintaining antiquated positions no longer held by any other programming distributor in the business."

Apart from CBS, Showtime, TMC, FLIX, and the Smithsonian channel are also being removed in the affected markets. Last time, the disruption was reversed in short order, though today's removal could easily go on for much longer.

Update: CBS is also blocking TWC internet subscribers from accessing web episodes.