Sky has released two signed letters from its chief executive, James Murdoch, to Virgin Media chief executive, Steve Burch, stating that Sky was "fully prepared to negotiate" with the cable broadcaster.
Sky said in a statement: "Over the past two months, Sky has reached out to executives at Virgin Media to encourage talks to restore the Sky basic channels to Virgin Media customers. Sky has also worked with the National Consumer Council to try to find a solution."
The broadcaster said that in an effort to break the stalemate it had proposed to "split the difference" between each network's final offer, before negotiations broke down.
In a letter sent to Burch, dated May 10, Murdoch states that Sky is concerned at the "apparent reluctance" to negotiate with the broadcaster and that the lack of negotiation signalled a "willingness on Virgin Media's part to deprive cable viewers of Sky's basic channels indefinitely."
The channels include Sky One, Sky News and Sky Sports News.
In a second letter to Burch dated today, Murdoch goes on to attack Virgin Media's PR strategy: "Our preference has always been to conduct negotiations in private, Virgin Media has, however, consistently sought to use the media to portray an inaccurate and one-sided version of events that we cannot allow to go uncorrected indefinitely.
"Given the high level of consumer interest we have no choice but to make it known more widely the extent of the efforts we have made to resolve the situation."
The proposal suggested that both companies compromise equally and simply meet in the middle. Sky's proposal amounted to an increase of less than £5m per year on Virgin Media's last offer to Sky, and an equal ceding of value by Sky from its last offer position.
Sky said that it had hoped Virgin Media would agree to the compromise, which it said would have seen Sky's basic channels back on-air "within days". According to Murdoch's letter, yesterday evening Burch confirmed in writing Virgin Media's rejection of Sky's proposed solution, and gave no indication of the terms Virgin Media would be prepared to accept. Sky said that Virgin Media has put forward no new offers or proposals to Sky since February 22.
Sky said that as a result, it believes that there is now "little prospect" of Virgin Media agreeing to restore Sky basic channels to its network, at least for the foreseeable future.
The broadcaster expressed regret at this outcome and the disappointment caused to viewers in cable homes by Sky's "failing to persuade Virgin Media to resolve this impasse".
Virgin Media is now in a legal fight with Sky, after its filing at the High Court last month accused Sky of anti-competitive behaviour.
The cable broadcaster alleged that Sky more than doubled the asking price of the rights for Virgin to carry its basic channel package and also threatened to pay nothing to Virgin for its channels, which include Bravo and Living TV.
The loss of the basic package has deprived 3.3m Virgin Media customers of hit shows, such as 'Lost' and '24', after Sky removed them from Virgin Media at the end of February.
Virgin Media was unavailable to comment on the letters released by Sky.
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