LEWISTON – Time Warner subscribers could lose CBS programming come the New Year if the cable TV company can’t cut a deal with WGME-13’s parent company, Sinclair Broadcasting Group.

“It’s important for our public to know just how significant the risk is,” said Barry Faber, vice president and general counsel for Sinclair. “There could be a lot of disappointed people on Jan. 1. This affects a lot of popular programs.”

He urged fans of the CBS affiliate to contact the cable company and complain. Failing that, he urged them to find an alternative way to get the channel’s signal.

“There are alternatives,” he said. “They can put up an antenna or go to a competitor.”

National competitors include DirectTV and the Dish Network. Lewiston-Auburn also has a second cable franchise, Oxford Networks.

The negotiations affect roughly 700,000 Time Warner subscribers nationwide – mostly in bigger markets such as Buffalo, N.Y., Columbus, Ohio and Lexington, Ky.

In Maine, the negotiations affect about 180,000 customers, all of them former Adelphia cable subscribers.

The problems center on how much Time Warner will pay for Sinclair programming. Speaking on a national conference call, Faber said the cable company offered a proposal earlier this month. He would not discuss the details of the offer, however.

“From our perspective, the offer they made was better than nothing – but not a lot better,” Faber said. Sinclair made a counter-proposal last week, he said.

“Our biggest concern now is that we won’t reach an agreement before the old one ends,” he said.

Time Warner New England spokesman Peter Dewitt said most New England subscribers have access to other CBS affiliate channels. Those include WBZ in Boston, WCAX in Vermont and WABI in Bangor. Time Warner subscribers in the Waterville area have access to both WABI and WGME programming.

“That means that two-thirds of our subscribers can get the same shows,” he said.

Extending the Bangor station’s range to include more of Maine – such as Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin counties – is not an option at this point.

“That would involve more negotiations,” Dewitt said.

CBS programs airing on the WGME station include the NFL games, the “CSI” programs, “Survivor” and “Without a Trace.” CBS is also carrying the Super Bowl on Feb. 4.