Local cable TV system operators on Monday stopped relaying high-definition programs from terrestrial TVs to households nationwide after negotiations over the cost of digital broadcasting retransmissions broke down.

They replaced the HD programs with lower-level standard-definition programs, causing inconvenience to the country's approximately 4 million digital cable TV subscribers.

Cable TV system operators have been in a feud with the nation's
three regular TV operators -- KBS2, MBC and SBS -- over how much
they should pay monthly for relaying the terrestrial TV programs. (Yonhap News)