A continuing disagreement between the state's largest cable TV provider, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, and CBS affiliate KGMB 9 will prevent cable customers from watching CBS broadcasts of National Football League games in the increasingly popular HDTV format.

"Not yet," said Rick Blangiardi, KGMB president and general manager, when asked if an agreement had been reached. "We have different business strategies."

The NFL's preseason games begin tomorrow with the New Orleans Saints playing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame game. CBS' first game comes the following Friday with Buffalo at New Orleans.

KGMB is the last major local network affiliate whose signal is not regularly available in high definition on cable. That's because KGMB wants to be compensated for providing Time Warner Inc. with added HD programming. But Time Warner doesn't want to pay for HD programming.

The two sides temporarily settled their differences in February so that cable subscribers could watch the Super Bowl in high definition. That deal failed to lead to a permanent agreement.

"We have had no conversations since last year's Super Bowl," Blangiardi said.

Alan Pollock, vice president of marketing for Time Warner Oceanic Cable, confirmed that there were no plans to add an HD-version of KGMB to its line-up.

KGMB is slated to carry about a dozen preseason, regular and postseason NFL games.

The NFL's regular season will begin Sept. 6. Football fans will be able to watch more NFL games in high definition this season on cable, just not on CBS. During the regular season, Monday night games will be aired by ESPN, while Sunday games will be aired by NBC, Fox and CBS. This season's Super Bowl will be broadcast by Fox.

Oceanic also has no near-term plan to add the NFL Network to the local lineup, Pollock said.

When last year's NFL season started, both Fox affiliate KHON and CBS were not carried in high definition by Oceanic. KHON subsequently signed a deal mid-season allowing Oceanic subscribers to watch an HD version of KHON2.

Some homes can still catch KGMB digital programming via over-the-air broadcasts. However, most homes in Hawai'i get their TV signals from cable in part because local topography makes it impossible for Windward and valley residents to receive some broadcast TV signals. Oceanic is the dominant TV provider, with about 400,000 Hawai'i customers.

In addition to cable, satellite service Dish Network now carries HD versions of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in Hawai'i under a federal mandate. Congress passed the mandate in 2004 amid perceptions that TV viewers in Hawai'i and Alaska were underserved by satellite companies.

Dish Network competitor DirecTV has yet to comply with the mandate, which took effect in June. The company has notified the Federal Communications Commission that it plans to offer Hawai'i customers local affiliates in high definition by June 30, 2008. DirecTV blamed the delay on damage to a satellite launch platform that occurred Jan. 30. That resulted in the delayed launch of a new DirecTV satellite.

"The whole situation with the satellite companies, the cable company and the broadcasters disgusts me," said Bob Gould, a retired airline pilot and HDTV owner in Kane'ohe.

Gould said he is disappointed that KGMB and Oceanic can't work out their differences. Gould, who blames KGMB for being inflexible, said none of the available TV alternatives are particularly attractive from a customer service and pricing point of view.

"I'm not happy with any of them," he said.

Reach Sean Hao at shao@honoluluadvertiser.com.