A CBS affiliate in rural Maryland lost thousands of cable subscribers on New Year’s Day and there isn’t anything they can do about it.

WBOC based in Salisbury, Md., was dropped by cable operator Breezeline in a southwest section of the Delmarva Peninsula.

The area is considered outside WBOC's home market, but the station still covers news in that area. “We were very surprised because we serve that area,” said Craig Jahelka, President of Draper Media, owner of WBOC. “We cover news here every day.”

Breezeline’s carriage decision cost WBOC access to about 9,400 cable subscribers. Viewers have been calling the station and using email and social media to express their dissatisfaction.

“They miss us. We are their local station,” Jahelka said.

WBOC has placed a banner on its homepage with a message to Breezeline subscribers explaining its position on the carriage drop. They told viewers on the site, “Please understand this is not a carriage dispute. Breezeline stated it dropped WBOC because we are an "out of market" station to the communities they serve, which are in the Baltimore viewing area as defined by Nielsen Media Research.”

“What I was told … was that [Breezeline] made a decision to end carrying all out-of-market stations as a cost-cutting measure,” Jahelka said.

This ends a 15-year relationship between the station and the cable company.

H/T Policyband