CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves said on Monday he remained engaged in "difficult" negotiations with Time Warner Cable Inc. ahead of an afternoon deadline to agree on fees the cable company pays to carry the broadcast network.

Moonves, speaking at a Television Critics Association meeting, said he hoped to reach an agreement and avoid a blackout of the highest-rated broadcaster on cable systems in markets such as New York and Los Angeles.

Should no deal be reached, the blackout would occur some time after Monday's 5 p.m. EDT deadline.

"It's a very difficult negotiation," he said at the meeting in Beverly Hills. "We feel like we should be paid for our programming."

"I hope we don't go dark," he added.

Last week, the two sides agreed to extend their talks until 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, keeping CBS and summer hits like "Big Brother" and "Under the Dome" on the air.

A Time Warner Cable spokeswoman said in response that CBS is "already paid for their programming and we've offered an increase in CBS fees."