Scripps just cutoff in the middle of a prime time program

It's not ABC the network, it's the affiliate's owner Scripps. They own different affiliates in different markets. In some it's ABC, in others it's NBC, CBS, or Fox. Some of their channels are independent. Sadly, this one might be a long one. 

https://cordcuttersnews.com/comcast-subscribers-lose-some-local-abc-cbs-fox-nbc-stations/

Industry analysts described the impasse as a classic retransmission consent dispute, a recurring feature of the pay-television ecosystem. Under federal rules established decades ago, local broadcasters negotiate fees with cable and satellite providers for the right to carry their signals. Scripps, which operates more than 60 television stations following years of acquisitions and consolidations, has increasingly sought higher compensation to offset rising production costs, digital investments, and competition from streaming platforms. Comcast, facing pressure from declining traditional subscriber numbers and its own content expenses, pushed back against what it viewed as excessive demands during recent renewal talks. The disagreement escalated quietly over several months before the contract lapsed at midnight on Tuesday. Neither side extended the previous terms, resulting in the immediate removal of the signals.

Thanks for the link. But if the contract lapsed at midnight, why did the channels cut off in the afternoon? And why was there no warning either from Comcast or the Scripps stations? Greedy companies, arg.