WASHINGTON—Following failed retransmission consent negotiations that led to Deltavision Media's WSYT Fox affiliate in Syracuse N.Y. being dropped from Verizon’s programming lineup, the pay TV-backed group, American Television Alliance (ATVA), has accused Deltavision of demanding an “exorbitant rate hike – one of the steepest Verizon has ever seen” in the talks.

As previously reported, the contract between the two companies expired in June. They then agreed to extend talks until July 30 but no agreement was reached and the Deltavision stations are currently blacked out in the market on Verizon.

In a statement Verizon said that “our contract with Deltavision Media, LLC expired on July 30, 2026. Deltavision owns and operates WSYT in Syracuse, NY (FOX, MyNetwork, COZI TV, Dabl channels). We haven’t reached a new agreement with Deltavision, so we temporarily lack the rights to broadcast their channels. We share your frustration. We are working hard to reach a fair deal, but Deltavision is demanding extreme price increases that would unreasonably raise your bill…We appreciate your patience and support as we continue to negotiate reasonable pricing on your behalf, and hope Deltavision will restore its channels to our lineup soon.”

TV Tech has reached out to WSYT and will add their response when we receive one.

“Deltavision Media has chosen a stunning debut in the broadcasting business: benching nearly 20,000 consumers to demand an unprecedented retrans rate hike,” said ATVA spokesman Hunter Wilson. “This is exactly the kind of marketplace abuse that underscores the need for retransmission consent reform. Consumers should not be used as leverage chips in fee disputes – especially when the stakes include access to critical local news coverage.”

ATVA has been aggressively lobbying for changes in the rules governing retransmission consent negotiations and has also been a vocal opponent of changing ownership caps for station groups, arguing that larger more powerful broadcast station groups would force consumers to pay more for programming.

With the end of the World Cup approaching and the start of football season coming up in August, DirecTV and E.W. Scripps have announced a new multi-year agreement that will return 54 local broadcast stations owned and operated by the station group to DirecTV’s streaming, satellite, and U-verse customers.

The agreement ends a five-week blackout affecting millions of customers across 36 Nielsen DMAs, including Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Nashville, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Tampa-St. Petersburg, and others.

“These agreements recognize the enduring value of local television stations as essential infrastructure for American communities,” said Adam Symson, Scripps’ president and CEO. “Our stations save lives with severe weather alerts, provide critical emergency information during natural disasters, deliver local news that informs and holds power in check, and unite communities through live sports that no other platform can replicate."

“Fair compensation from distribution partners ensures we can sustain these essential public services for millions of Americans who depend on us for accessible, trusted connection to what matters most in their daily lives," he added.

While the agreement ends the dispute, DirecTV continued to criticize the process of negotiating new retransmission consent agreements with station groups.

“[W]e are frustrated that broadcasters use blackouts as a tool to force us to accept unwarranted rate hikes that consistently exceed normal, inflationary increases, and by a lot,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer at DirecTV. “At a time when affordability matters more than ever, families are too often asked to pay more while receiving less…[A]s ownership becomes concentrated among a handful of ever-larger broadcasters gaining stations across new and within their existing markets, those expanded stations become increasingly powerful and further unbalanced negotiating tools. The more markets and major network affiliations a broadcaster controls, the greater its ability to withhold programming from the very communities it is meant to serve.”

“Consumers should never lose access to essential local television because of a carriage dispute,” he added. “It's time to modernize the system so it rewards service to local communities—and not consolidated market power—by returning to the original purpose of broadcasting of putting viewers’ interests first.”

Separately, DirecTV is part of an antitrust lawsuit in California seeking to block the Nexstar/Tegna merger that would further consolidate the industry.

Broadcasters have long argued that consolidation is necessary to help them compete with big tech companies who already dominate the ad and streaming businesses.

In the latest retransmission consent battle, 40 stations owned by E.W. Scripps were dropped from Comcast’s Xfinity pay TV service after the two sides were unable to reach a new retransmission consent agreement on March 31.

In a statement on its website, the pay TV operator said that “Comcast pays programmers to bring customers the entertainment, information, and sports they want. Comcast works to negotiate fair terms in order to ensure the greatest value for customers, given all the ways content can be accessed today. A number of reasonable offers have been made that E. W. Scripps hasn’t accepted. Comcast continues to work towards making this programming available again with fair pricing and terms for our customers.”

Comcast said that E. W. Scripps owns and operates 40 broadcast stations nationwide in the Comcast footprint, including, 19 Big Four stations (e.g., ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC), and 21 non-Big Four stations (e.g., Independent).

In a statement, Scripps said that “"Scripps has been negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that reflects this value and is fair for both parties and viewers. We hope Comcast recognizes the critical value we play for our communities and restores our stations' signals so we can continue to serve their customers. Until then, Xfinity customers can still find our local news and sports programming for free over-the-air, on our station websites, streaming apps and on other locally available cable and satellite providers."

BURBANK, Calif.—The Walt Disney Company and YouTube TV have reached a new multi-year distribution agreement, ending a carriage dispute that had blacked out ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned channels on the vMPVD since the end of October.

As usual in these carriage agreements, financial terms were not disclosed.

“This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch,’’ said Disney Entertainment co-chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro. in a statement “It recognizes the tremendous value of Disney’s programming and provides YouTube TV subscribers with more flexibility and choice. We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football.”

Disney said that key elements of the agreement included:

• Carriage of Disney’s full linear portfolio including all the ESPN networks, ABC, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX Networks, and the National Geographic channels
• ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service (Unlimited Plan) to be made available at no additional cost to YouTube TV subscribers
• Access to a selection of live and on-demand programming from ESPN Unlimited inside YouTube TV
• Select networks to be included in various genre-specific packages
• The ability to include the Disney+, Hulu Bundle as part of select YouTube offerings

The contentious contract negotiations between The Walt Disney Co. and YouTube TV have resulted in a blackout of Disney-owned programming on the pay TV operator. That will leave subscribers without access to high-profile NFL, college football, NBA and other sports and entertainment programming until a new carriage deal is concluded.

The blackout includes ESPN; ABC broadcast programming; and other Disney-owned networks. The channels were removed from YouTube TV Thursday evening.

As usual in these negotiations, both sides blamed each other for the impasse.

YouTube TV attacked Disney for insisting on terms that would push up prices for pay TV subscribers, while Disney complained that “with a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor.”

The dispute comes as pay TV operators have been trying to control prices as a way to slow subscriber losses from cord-cutting, and as large programmers like Disney have been launching direct-to-consumer streaming services that allow consumers to access high-profile programming outside the pay TV ecosystem.

In a statement, YouTube said: “Last week, Disney used the threat of a blackout on YouTube TV as a negotiating tactic to force deal terms that would raise prices on our customers. They’re now following through on that threat, suspending their content on YouTube TV. This decision directly harms our subscribers while benefiting their own live TV products, including Hulu + Live TV and Fubo.

“We've been working in good faith to negotiate a deal with Disney that pays them fairly for their content on YouTube TV,” the vMVPD said. “Unfortunately, Disney is proposing costly economic terms that would raise prices on YouTube TV customers and give our customers fewer choices, while benefiting Disney’s own live TV products—like Hulu+Live TV and, soon, Fubo. Without an agreement, we'll have to remove Disney’s content from YouTube TV and if it remains unavailable for an extended period of time, we will offer subscribers a $20 credit.”

In response, a Disney spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter: “Unfortunately, Google’s YouTube TV has chosen to deny their subscribers the content they value most by refusing to pay fair rates for our channels, including ESPN and ABC. Without a new agreement in place, their subscribers will not have access to our programming, which includes the best lineup in live sports—anchored by the NFL, NBA and college football, with 13 of the top 25 college teams playing this weekend. With a $3 trillion market cap, Google is using its market dominance to eliminate competition and undercut the industry-standard terms we’ve successfully negotiated with every other distributor. We know how frustrating this is for YouTube TV subscribers and remain committed to working toward a resolution as quickly as possible.”

Fox and YouTube TV have agreed to a "short-term" extension in their carriage talks as they try to replace the existing agreement that expired on August 27 at 5 pm ET.

The two companies did not say how long of an extension they had agreed to. Such disputes right before the start of football season have become increasingly common in recent years.

"We have reached a short-term extension with Fox to prevent disruption to YouTube TV subscribers as we continue to work on a new agreement," YouTube TV reported in a blog. "We are committed to advocating on behalf of our subscribers as we work toward a fair deal and will keep you updated on our progress."

Separately, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr urged the two parties to resolve their differences before the weekend's big game between Texas and Ohio State. "Get the deal done Google!" he posted on X.

IRVING, Texas, and NEW YORK—After exchanging increasingly pointed barbs in recent weeks, Nexstar Media Group, Inc. and Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS) reached a new distribution agreement that immediately restored all Nexstar stations and programming to Altice USA’s Optimum TV customers on Jan. 18.

Nexstar stations and its cable news network NewsNation were dropped from the Optimum lineup on Jan. 10 after the parties were unable to reach a new deal. The blackout involved 63 Nexstar-owned stations in 42 markets and NewsNation on cable systems owned by Altice around the country.

As usual in these agreements, financial terms were not disclosed.

With cord-cutting and the decline of the pay TV industry already wreaking havoc on regional sports networks, analysts at Lightshed Partners say the blackout of MSG Networks on Altice USA’s Optimium systems could push MSG Networks into bankruptcy, making it the latest casualty of declining RSN ecosystem.

“We do not expect a resolution anytime soon, if at all,” of the MSGN blackout that began on Jan. 1, analysts Brandon Ross, Richard Greenfield and Mark Kelley wrote in a note to investors. “This could set off a bankruptcy for MSG Networks, which would have an impact on SPHR [Spere Entertainment, the parent company of MSGN], MSG Sports and the wider sports media ecosystem.”

Altice’s decision to drop the MSG and MSG Sportsnet channels is part of a wider trend across pay TV, “as RSN pricing became strongly divorced from viewership and MVPDs have become focused on video’s standalone profitability,” the analysts argued. “MSG Networks, at a cost of $10-plus per subscriber, has been one of the largest overearners. With alternatives such as Gotham Sports App (MSG+), there is little reason for distributors to lose money. Indeed, if you follow the QR code on MSG Networks Optimum feed, they suggest the Gotham app or Fubo (with a discount).”

The MSG and MSG Sportsnet networks carry games involving the NBA’s New York Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils to Optimum subscribers in the New York City market.

Altice has also been putting together new packages of content, pushing RSNs out of the bundle.

This puts MSGN in a difficult position, given that “MSGN has already been in workout with lenders on its debt, which was already due and MSGN cannot repay,“ the Lightshed analysts said. “Lenders are now facing a two-front war with Altice and Sphere (MSGN’s parent). Without Altice carrying MSGN, we estimate that segment becomes EBITDA breakeven leaving nothing for interest payments. Plus, we believe there is a renewal with Charter coming at the end of 2025. The result seems to be heading toward Chapter 11, even as Dolan has likely tried to avoid that scenario, hoping to work something out with his relationship banks.”

Bankruptcy would improve Sphere Entertainment’s balance sheet but would hurt MSG Sports in the near term, the analysts said.

The analysts also argue this will have a larger impact on the NBA, which has been looking to centralize local OTT rights. “The biggest impediment to that is the deals from some large-market teams, especially the Knicks and [Los Angeles] Lakers,” the analysts wrote. “Perhaps a MSGN bankruptcy could catalyze those ambitions.”

BURBANK & EL SEGUNDO, Calif.—Over the weekend on Sept. 14, DirecTV and The Walt Disney Company announced that they have reached an agreement in principle for a new distribution deal. The two companies also agreed to restore Disney’s full linear suite of networks, ending a black out that started on Sept. 1, to DirecTV, DirecTV  Stream and U-verse customers while both parties work to finalize a new, multi-year contract.

The new agreement will cover ABC Owned Television Stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks and the  National Geographic channels as well as Disney’s streaming services and the upcoming ESPN DTC service. 

In a joint statement, the two companies commented: “Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration,  DirecTV and Disney are giving customers the ability to tailor their video experience through more  flexible options. DirecTV and Disney have a long-standing history of connecting consumers to the  best entertainment, and this agreement furthers that commitment by recognizing both the  tremendous value of Disney’s content and the evolving preferences of DirecTV’s customers. We’d  like to thank all affected viewers for their patience and are pleased to restore Disney’s entire portfolio  of networks in time for college football and the Emmy Awards this weekend.” 

The two companies said they had agreed on these key points: 

• Continued carriage at market-based terms of Disney’s entertainment, sports and news  programming from its comprehensive linear portfolio, which includes the ABC Owned Television  Stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks and the  National Geographic channels. 
• The opportunity to offer multiple genre-specific options -- sports, entertainment, kids & family -- inclusive of Disney’s linear networks along with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. 
• Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming services (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) to be included in select DirecTV packages under a wholesale agreement, and also to be made available on an a la carte basis.  
• The rights to distribute Disney’s upcoming ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service upon its  launch at no additional cost to DirecTV customers. 

In what is becoming an annual tradition, another potential blackout at the start of football season is looming, this time involving Disney and DirecTV who have yet to hammer out a new programming distribution deal. If no agreement is concluded Disney-owned ABC stations, ESPN and other Disney channels could go dark in DirecTV homes on Sept. 1. 

In an interview with Variety published on August 28, Justin Connolly, president of Disney Platform Distribution said “[a]t the moment we’re far apart.” 

Such blackouts have become increasingly common as pay TV operators struggle with rapidly declining subscriber numbers and have been responding by pushing for lower programming costs and more flexibility in their programming packages so they can offer more appealing packages.  

In a blog published August 21,  Rob Thun, chief content officer, DirecTV didn’t address the specifics of the Disney negotiation but stressed that pay TV providers need more flexibility in their programming offerings if they want to compete with the direct-to-consumer streaming services that have seen rapid growth in recent years. 

“Unfortunately, while DTC offerings have evolved, pay TV packages have remained largely unchanged,” Thun wrote. “Instead of allowing distributors like DIRECTV to also develop smaller, more tailored packages at prices that reflect the value they get from the content, programmers have continued to impose and enforce strict bundling requirements through exorbitant minimum penetration rates – the minimum proportion of a distributor’s subscribers required to access a channel. These antiquated requirements force pay TV customers to subscribe to many channels they may not watch, which have yielded ‘fat bundles.’ At the same time, programmers have reserved flexible genre-based offerings solely for themselves, eroding the price-value proposition for pay TV customers by shifting the best programming to DTC services while raising programming fees on pay TV.”

In response, Thun said they want, the ability to create: “Flexible Packages. Consumers want the ability to choose from genre-based programming without piecing together and purchasing an extensive lineup of channels that don’t meet their desires.”

Thun also said they needed: “Lower-Priced Alternatives. Consumers want price points closer to the DTC options they are familiar with and the ability to pay for all their programming through one platform” as well the ability to offer an “Aggregated Experience. Consumers want access to their favorite shows and sports and the ability to discover new content in one complete experience – live ‘linear’ TV or on-demand content from DirecTV or a third party – instead of through numerous disjointed entry points while managing multiple individual subscriptions to those products.”

ATLANTA and ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Cox Media Group and Dish have ended a dispute over retransmission fees that lasted nearly a year and a half with “a new multi-year agreement that will restore all CMG stations on Dish, effective immediately,” the two companies said in an extremely brief statement. 

“Dish and CMG greatly appreciate the patience of their subscribers and viewers," the statement concluded. 

The impasse, which started on Nov. 28, saw Dish pull the plug on 12 CMG stations in 9 markets after retransmission negotiations broke down. 

During the dispute Cox accused Dish of then issuing an “inaccurate” press release that included “knowingly false statements” about its decision to pull the CMG local broadcast stations from its own customers and issued a cease-and-desist letter to Dish demanding the satellite provider retract what it said about the dispute. These statements were “designed to mislead viewers and thereby harm the reputation of CMG in the marketplace,” according to the attorneys’ letter.

Ten million DirecTV subscribers around the country lost access to 159 Nexstar local TV stations and Nexstar’s NewsNation cable channel at 7 p.m. on July 2 after the pay TV operator and the station group were unable to reach a new retransmission consent deal. 

The disruption in service affects DirecTV, Uverse and DirecTV Stream subscribers.  

Nexstar said that DirecTV rejected Nexstar’s offer to extend the current agreement to October 31. 

DirecTV responded by contending that Nexstar was asking more than double the fees DirecTV currently pays. 

“Nexstar has a long track record of forcing programming outages in an effort to unnecessarily raise prices for everyone at the expense of the communities they are licensed and entrusted to serve," said Rob Thun, chief content officer of DirecTV. “We will continue to work with Nexstar to reach an agreement and will take all necessary actions to provide our customers access to their favorite programming while protecting them from unwarranted price increases.”

In a press release, Nexstar responded by saying: “Nexstar has been negotiating tirelessly and in good faith in an attempt to reach a mutually agreeable multi-year contract with DirecTV since May, offering the same fair market rates it offered to other distribution partners with whom it completed successful negotiations in the past year.  Nexstar routinely reaches amicable retransmission and carriage agreements with its cable, satellite, and telco partners—in the last three years alone, the company has  successfully completed agreements with more than 500 distribution partners.”

“Following DirecTV’s actions, subscribers in 113 Nexstar markets including Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver, have lost access to thousands of hours of vitally important local news, just as the summer storm season is raging,” Nexstar added. 

The blackout widens an already bitter legal and regulatory spat between DirecTV and Nexstar.  On Friday June 30 as the deadline for concluding a new retransmission agreement loomed, both sides traded barbs, accusing each other of not negotiating in good faith and of making unfair demands. 

DirecTV also has an ongoing carriage dispute with Mission Broadcasting and White Knight that has kept stations from Mission and White Knight off DirecTV since October. 

DirecTV filed a March legal suit against Nexstar and the other broadcasters, complaining that Nexstar has prevented the completion of a fair deal because it controls retransmission negotiations for Mission and White Knight. Nexstar has denied it has any involvement in those negotiations.   

In the runup to the blackout, DirecTV also filed an "informal complaint" with the FCC on June 30 alleging that Nexstar continues to violate media ownership and other rules by having de facto control over stations owned by Mission Broadcasting and White Knight, including in 25 markets where Nexstar also owns a top 4 local broadcaster. 

The June 30 FCC filing is available here.

The dispute also comes at a time when summer viewing is traditionally down, a factor that could prolong the dispute, and pay TV operators are faced with massive cord cutting that makes it difficult to raise prices.  

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish Network Corporation has announced it reached a new carriage agreement with Tegna Inc. and that local stations have been immediately restored on Dish TV.

"We're pleased to have reached an agreement in time for the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl that benefits all parties, especially our customers," said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. "I want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we worked through the negotiations."

The agreement provides Dish TV subscribers nationwide the ability to tune in to Tegna-owned programming, including news, entertainment and sports.

In a separate statement, Lynn Beall, executive vice president and COO, media operations at Tegna said, “we are pleased to announce that we have reached a new agreement with DISH, restoring our valuable and important live local news, live local and national sports and highly popular network content to DISH TV subscribers. We appreciate the patience of our viewers while we worked toward reaching an agreement.”

The agreement includes retransmission consent for all 64 Tegna-owned stations.

The stations were dropped from the Dish lineup in October of 2021 when Tegna and Dish were unable to agree on a new carriage deal. 

The blackout had impacted viewers of various ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CW, MNT and TDO stations in 53 markets nationwide.  

NEW YORK—Tegna local stations were dropped from Verizon Fios TV on Tuesday January 5, after the two companies were unable to reach a new retransmission consent agreement. 

The two companies extended the deadline to January 5 after the old agreement expired last week but were unable to reach a new deal. 

In a statement, Tegna said: 

“We have been working for months to reach a fair, market-based agreement with Verizon based on the competitive terms we’ve used to reach deals with other major providers. We even offered Verizon an extension that kept our stations available to viewers through the holiday weekend. We are especially disappointed that Verizon has pulled access at a time when local broadcast stations are a lifeline, connecting people to the news, information, and entertainment they need and want most. We hope that Verizon realizes how important our stations are to their subscribers and works with us to reach a fair agreement.” 

The majority of the subs impacted are in the D.C. market, with Buffalo, Norfolk, Harrisburg and Hartford also affected. 

Verizon said the following channels were impacted: 

• WUSA CBS (509 HD / 9 SD) in Washington D.C.
• WPMT FOX (504 HD / 4 SD) in York/Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon, Pennsylvania. 
• WVEC ABC (513 HD / 13 SD) in Hampton/Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• WGRZ NBC (502 HD / 2 SD) in Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York and Toronto/Niagara Falls, Ontario. 
• WCCT CW (491, 516 HD / 16 SD) in Waterbury/Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut.

In a statement, Verizon apologized for the disruption and said “We are trying our best to reach a reasonable deal with Tegna and hope Tegna will restore its channels to our lineup soon.” 

Verizon also noted that “This is not the first time that Tegna has removed their content from a TV provider. Tegna has a track record of removing their content when a TV provider refuses to accept their demands for unreasonable rate increases.”

Tegna stations have still not been restored to Dish subscribers after a carriage dispute that began in the fall. 

There has also been a blackout of Tegna stations impacting Mediacom customers since December 31, 2020.  

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish has filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against Tegna accusing the station group of bad faith during failed negotiations for a new retransmission consent agreement that resulted in Tegna’s local stations being removed from Dish’s channel line-up in 53 markets across the country.

"Tegna turned its back on its public interest obligation and failed to engage in good faith retransmission consent negotiations with Dish," said Andy LeCuyer, Dish senior vice president of programming. "Tegna's demands were both unreasonable and inconsistent. This behavior negatively impacts Dish subscribers, and we expect Tegna's bad behavior to only get worse as the programmer looks to sell its stations to the highest bidder. As a result, we have filed a formal complaint with the FCC to address Tegna's blatant disregard of the Commission's rules."

In the complaint, Dish cites a number of examples of what it calls bad faith, including appearing to demand that Dish pay for all subscribers in a local market whether they purchase local programming from Dish or not, and appearing to demand that Dish pay for viewers who are no longer subscribers of Dish. 

Tegna's demands would have totaled nearly a billion dollars in fees, Dish asserted. 

Dish's complaint against Tegna Inc. can be found here.  

In response, Tenga issued a statement saying, "Dish’s complaint is utterly baseless and without merit. Tegna welcomes a chance for the FCC to review Dish’s conduct over the course of this negotiation. Perhaps a close examination of Dish’s conduct will cause them to come to the table to negotiate free from their consistently unproductive tactics and public misrepresentations."

"The real issue at hand is the need for Dish to stop short-changing their customers by serially dropping valued stations and instead reach fair, market-based deals with programmers like Tegna," the station group also noted. 

"The unfortunate reality is that Dish dropped more than 230 channels last year alone and is now repeating that pattern by refusing to reach an agreement with Tegna, depriving its customers nationwide of some of the most valued programming on TV. Through it all, Tegna has been steadfast in insisting that all we want is to reach a fair deal, and we have worked constructively to achieve that goal by offering Dish terms and conditions that reflect the marketplace and have served as the foundation for deals we have reached with other cable and satellite providers.

"Tegna made a comprehensive proposal to Dish months ago and has updated its proposal multiple times, including a reduction in rates," Tegna explained. "Dish has refused to counter – it has not proposed rates in more than three weeks."

ATLANTA & DALLAS—With the clock ticking toward the kickoff of Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, Cox Media Group and AT&T announced that they had reached a new multi-year retransmission deal that would return Cox stations in 20 markets to AT&T/DirecTV customers.

The blackout of these stations began in the early hours of Feb. 2, impacting 26 stations in total. In five markets the impacted stations were the local CBS affiliate, which would have made Super Bowl LV unavailable to watch over traditional broadcast for AT&T customers in those markets.

The American Television Alliance (ATVA) had been extremely critical of the timing of the blackout, claiming that Cox has used the prospect of withholding the Super Bowl as a tactic in other retransmission negotiations.

Terms of the new agreement were not disclosed.

Here are the markets that had their CMG stations returned on Feb. 7:

• Alexandria, La. 
• Atlanta 
• Binghamton, N.Y. 
• Boston
• Charlotte, N.C. 
• Dayton, Ohio
• Eureka, Calif. 
• Greenville-Greenwood, Miss. 
• Idaho Falls-Pocatello, Idaho 
• Jacksonville, Fla. 
• Medford, Ore. 
• Memphis, Tenn. 
• Orlando, Fla.
• Pittsburgh 
• Seattle
• Spokane, Wash. 
• Syracuse, N.Y. 
• Tulsa, Okla.
• Yakima-Tri Cities, Wash. 
• Yuma, Ariz. 

DALLAS—AT&T's federal relations staff was making its case on Capitol Hill Friday, Feb. 5, for why the company, and its video viewers, were the aggrieved parties in its retransmission consent dispute with Cox Media Group and parent Apollo Global Management.

According to a source, the two sides continued to negotiate as AT&T reached out to legislators and Hill staffers, specifically staffers in offices of legislators whose constituents were affected by the blackouts, as well as the appropriate members of the Senate Commerce and House Energy & Commerce Committees that oversee communications issues. 

According to a copy of an e-mail to those legislators and Hill staffers providing an "Update on Negotiations with Cox Media Group" obtained by TV Tech's sister publications Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, AT&T said that DirecTV customers in five Cox markets would lose their "preferred access" to the Super Bowl Feb. 7. (AT&T conceded that CBS and the NFL would both be live streaming it.)

AT&T said that did not have to be the case. "We are committed to continuing to negotiate with CMG to come to a resolution that is good for our customers," it said, but urged CMG in the meantime "to immediately return its local stations to our customers while we negotiate." 

Broadcasters argue that the rise in retransmission consent fees is because their high-value content is finally getting a market rate after years of being undervalued. They also argue that blackouts, or as they see them, the removal of a signal when the contract for its carriage expires without a new contract at a fair price, is a negotiating tool it would be unfair for the government to deny them.

"[I]n the midst of an ongoing pandemic and just before Super Bowl LV, CMG pulled its stations from our DirecTV, U-verse, and AT&T TV customers," AT&T told Congress.

The company said it had agreed to pay retroactively whatever rate they eventually agreed on in continuing negotiations (called a "true up") if CMG had continued to provide them the signal during those negotiations, but that, instead, "CMG put our shared customers into the middle of a private business matter by intentionally blacking out local stations in 20 markets," and "in the midst of an ongoing pandemic" as well as on the eve of the Big Game.

Given that legislators hear it from their constituents when there are blackouts that affect their districts, then let the companies hear it, AT&T wanted to make it clear that "without CMG’s consent, AT&T cannot retransmit its stations to our customers. ... We share our customers’ frustration and recognize it’s time to end this cycle of increasing fees and ongoing blackouts."

The letter cites National Association of Broadcasters President Gordon Smith, himself a former member of Congress, and assurances he gave during a C-SPAN interview that broadcasters “recognize the public responsibility to not have service interruptions during this time.” But Smith also said in that interview that it takes two and he hoped "the MVPDs share that same public spiritedness and give broadcasters fair value." 

"Stations owned by CMG and their parent company, Wall Street mammoth Apollo Global Management, have previously staged blackouts at the most inconvenient times for customers," AT&T told legislators. "But their decision to do so now – in the middle of a pandemic and just prior to the Super Bowl—represents a new low in the never-ending cycle of higher fees and blackouts."

WASHINGTON—The American Television Alliance (ATVA) is putting on an all-out blitz against Cox Media Group and its parent company Apollo Global Management after CMG stations went dark for AT&T/DirecTV customers in 20 markets on Feb. 2, including the CBS affiliates in five markets, Seattle and Dayton, Ohio, among them, just days before Super Bowl LV.

ATVA already highlighted what it says is a pattern for CMG to use the Super Bowl as a bargaining chip in retransmission negotiations, but the organization is continuing to criticize CMG and Apollo, describing the removal of stations as a “brazen assault on consumers and profiteering that defies any reconciliation with broadcast industry promises” to avoid service interruptions during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

It isn’t just the timing ahead of the Super Bowl that has drawn the ire of ATVA, it also is critical of pulling stations in markets like Yuma, Ariz., and Eureka, Calif., where it says Apollo controls multiple Big Four network affiliations, as well as Greenville, Miss., where Apollo controls all four national broadcast network feeds.

“So, with a flick of a switch, Apollo has not only cut off all national network programming to AT&T subscribers in the Greenville market, but also most local TV news in the midst of a public health crisis in one of the 15 states with the most confirmed COVID cases per residents,” said Jessica Kendust, ATVA spokeswoman.

ATVA calls on the FCC to take action to prevent such local consolidation, saying that groups like Apollo will take every advantage they can.

“Apollo’s out-and-out price-gouging shows why these rules must be protected, strengthened and actually enforced to eliminate a stampede of greed at American consumers’ expense,” Kendust added.

In its press release, ATVA points to comments made by NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, saying that “broadcasters don’t want to see service interruptions of any kind.”

ATVA counters that statement with the claim that 2020 saw a record number of blackouts (342) despite the impact of the pandemic.

CMG referred to a statement from Paul Curran, its executive vice president of Television, from the press release announcing the stations being dropped when TV Tech asked for a comment. Here is that statement:

“CMG viewers know our trusted local stations are there to deliver the news and information they need to make decisions for their families. Its disappointing that AT&T/DIRECTV has decided to deprive them of that access. We take pride in serving our communities and we will fight to continue to fulfill this responsibility.”

ATLANTA—After giving a warning to its customers late last week, Cox Media Group has announced that stations in 20 markets went dark to AT&T/DirecTV customers in the early hours of Feb. 2 as a result of the two sides failing to reach a retransmission deal.

The stations (confirmed on their websites) and markets impacted by the black out are:

• KLAX-TV (ABC), Alexandria, La. 
• WSB-TV (ABC), Atlanta 
• WICZ-TV (Fox), Binghamton, N.Y.
• WFXT-TV (Fox), Boston
• WOSC-TV (ABC) & WAXN-TV (Ind.), Charlotte, N.C.
• WHIO-TV (CBS), Dayton, Ohio
• KIEM-TV (NBC), Eureka, Calif.
• WABG-TV (ABC), Greenville-Greenwood, Miss. 
• Idaho Falls-Pocatello, Idaho 
• WFOX-TV (Fox) & WFOX2-TV (MNT), Jacksonville, Fla.
• KMVU-TV (Fox), Medford, Ore.
• WHBQ-TV (Fox), Memphis, Tenn.
• WFTV-TV (ABC) & WRDQ-TV (Ind), Orlando, Fla.
• WPXI-TV (NBC), Pittsburgh
• KIRO-TV (CBS), Seattle
• KAYU-TV (Fox), Spokane, Wash.
• WSYT-TV (Fox), Syracuse, N.Y.
• KOKI-TV (Fox) & KMYT-TV (MNT), Tulsa, Okla.
• KFFX-TV (Fox), Yakima-Tri Cities, Wash.
• KYMA-TV (CBS, NBC), Yuma, Ariz.

CMG says AT&T/DirecTV was the one to pull the stations, describing AT&T as unwilling to make a deal and “sacrificing” critical news and entertainment sources for their customers.

“CMG viewers know our trusted local stations are there to deliver the news and information they need to make decisions for their families. It’s disappointing that AT&T/DirecTV has decided to deprive them of that access. We take pride in serving our communities and we will fight to continue to fulfill this responsibility,” said says Paul Curran, CMG’s executive vice president of Television.

AT&T gave the following statement to TV Tech regarding the blackout:

"We’re disappointed Cox Media Group and Wall Street financier Apollo Global Management have intentionally put our customers into the middle of a private business matter. We want to get the Cox stations back into their local lineups, but Cox and Apollo alone have exclusive control over which homes are allowed to receive ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in certain cities. And even though broadcasters like Cox keep losing viewers and sponsors, by commanding that exclusivity, they can demand take-it-or-leave-it ultimatums, leaving consumers a more than $12 billion-and-rising bill just to keep their ‘free TV.’ Apollo-owned stations have an extremely long and disreputable history of either threatening or pulling the Super Bowl and other important events from Buckland Telephone Co., CableOne, Charter Spectrum, DISH Network, Frontier Communications, Suddenlink, Verizon Fios and our own customers. Broadcasters like Cox gin up these contrived blackouts at the precise time it hurts their viewers the most, extract higher fees, and then use their own news outlets to try to intentionally mislead people and skirt any accountability for their relentless and unwarranted price-gouging. That’s a shameless violation of the public trust—especially from a local news provider during a global pandemic. Now that there’s a new administration, it’s high time the FCC takes a fresh look at this broken retransmission consent system that encourages blackouts and skyrocketing rate increases at consumers’ expense. We continue to work with Apollo and Cox to get to these stations back and appreciate our customers’ patience while we do."

If a deal is not reached quickly, viewers whose impacted are CBS affiliates could not have access to Super Bowl LV, which airs on CBS on Feb. 7.

ATLANTA—Cox Media Group is warning DirecTV customers for 14 stations that they could lose access to their local station in the early hours of Feb. 2 if the two sides are unable to reach a retransmission deal. CMG shared the news on the websites of the potentially impacted stations.

CMG said in these announcements that AT&T/DirecTV “has refused to negotiate a fair deal that recognizes the value customers place” on their local stations. While CMG says that is continuing to negotiate with AT&T, if no deal is reached the channels will blackout for DirecTV customers, losing their local news, sports and entertainment programming.

AT&T issued a statement via the TV Answer Man blog, saying:

“We’re disappointed to see Cox Media Group put our customers into the middle of a private business matter. We want to keep the Cox stations in their local lineups, but Cox alone has exclusive control over which homes are allowed to receive ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in certain cities. Cox-owned stations have a long history of either threatening or pulling the Super Bowl and other important events from our customers and other providers. We continue to work with Cox to try to avoid any unnecessary disruption and appreciate our customers’ patience while we do.”

Cox just recently settled an 18-day blackout with Altice USA/SuddenLink.

As for the current negotiations with AT&T/DirecTV, should negotiations fail, these are the 14 stations that would be impacted:

• WSB-TV (ABC), Atlanta 
• WFXT-TV (Fox), Boston 
• WSOC-TV (ABC), Charlotte, N.C. 
• WAXN-TV (IND), Charlotte 
• WHIO-TV (CBS), Dayton, Ohio 
• WFOX-TV (Fox), Jacksonville, Fla. 
• WFOX2-TV (MNT), Jacksonville 
• WHBQ-TV (Fox), Memphis, Tenn. 
• WFTV-TV (ABC), Orlando, Fla. 
• WRDQ-TV (IND), Orlando 
• WPXI-TV (NBC), Pittsburgh 
• KIRO-TV (CBS), Seattle 
• KOKI-TV (Fox), Tulsa, Okla. 
• KMYT-TV (MNT), Tulsa 

UPDATED 1/11

ATLANTA—Ten Cox Media Group stations in six markets went dark on Friday night on SuddenLink channel lineups as the two sides were not able to reach a retransmission agreement.

The stations and markets impacted by this blackout are  in KOKI (Fox) in Tulsa, Okla.;  WHBQ (Fox) in Memphis, Tenn.; KAYU (Fox) in Spokane, Wash.; KIEM (NBC) and KVIQ (CBS) Eureka, Calif.; WABG (ABC), WXVT (CBS), WABG-DT2 (Fox) and WNBD-DT (NBC) in Greenville-Greenwood, Miss.; and KLAX (ABC) in Alexandria, La.

“Rather than reach a fair and reasonable deal with CMG, SuddenLink may instead choose to adversely impact their customers. Now, more than ever, viewers need daily access to important and evolving information on the pandemic, and social and political issues,” CMG said in its press release.

CMG says that SuddenLink customers can switch to another satellite, cable TV or streaming provider, or use an over-the-air antenna to access the station content that would be unavailable in the event of a blackout.

In its own announcement for the blackout, SuddenLink says CMG is responsible for pulling the channels and is seeking rates higher than any other broadcaster.

"Despite being in the midst of a pandemic when access to affordable news is incredibly crucial, Cox Media Group has pulled its channels from SuddenLink TV lineups in certain markets in an effort to extract an exorbitant increase in fees from us and our customers," SuddenLink said in its release. "With so many households across the nation struggling, we call on Cox Media Group to stop holding our customers hostage, return channels to our lineups and focus on working with us to negotiate a new deal that is fair to our customers."

BLOOMING GROVE, N.Y.—Just before the calendar flipped to 2021, 16 Tegna-owned stations across 11 markets went dark to Mediacom customers as the two sides were not able to reach a retransmission consent agreement before a Dec. 31, 5 p.m. ET deadline.

According to a statement on Mediacom’s website, it was ordered to stop carrying the Tegna stations, even though the company said it was offering to pay a “significant increase” for retransmission rights from the previous contract. “Under federal law, we can’t carry a station unless the owner grants us permission to do so.”

Mediacom says that Tegna is asking for “unacceptable” price increases, which it says are “uncalled for and unjustified” amidst the ongoing pandemic.

Tegna, in messages on its stations’ websites, says that it is seeking a “fair, market-based agreement,” and that it has deals in place with other distributors in the impacted areas.

“We are committed to reaching a fair, market-based agreement with all the video service providers in our area,” Tegna said via the station websites. “Our track record proves it. Over the past few years, we’ve reached hundreds of multi-year deals with cable and satellite companies all across the country …” 

Tegna offered this official statement as well:

“TEGNA has been working hard to reach a fair, market-based agreement with Mediacom. Unfortunately, Mediacom has not actively engaged in negotiations with us since last Thursday’s agreement deadline passed, and our stations went dark on their system. This means that Mediacom subscribers do not have access to our high-quality news, sports, weather and entertainment programming.  

While we remain hopeful this will get resolved quickly, Mediacom viewers should know our channels remain available on virtually every other service provider in their community, as well as many streaming services that offer instant access when viewers sign up. Viewers can also watch our newscasts live on our stations’ websites, Roku and mobile apps.”

Tegna, however, did just end a three-week blackout dispute with AT&T’s DirecTV just before Christmas.

Mediacom, meanwhile, has also been battling with other station owners, narrowly avoiding a blackout of Gray TV stations prior to the end of 2020.

Here is a list of all the stations impacted by the Tegna/Mediacom blackout:

• WQAD (ABC), Davenport, Iowa; Rock Island and Moline, Ill. 
• WOI (ABC), KCWI (The CW), WOID4 (COZI TV), Des Moines and Ames, Iowa 
• WZDX (Fox), Huntsville and Decatur, Ala. 
• WHAS (ABC), Louisville, Ky. 
• WMAZ (CBS), WMAZ2 (The CW), Macon, Ga. 
• KARE (NBC), Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. 
• WWL (CBS), New Orleans 
• WVEC (ABC), Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News, Va.
• KPNX (NBC), Prescott, Ariz. 
• KFMB (CBS), KFMBDT2 (The CW), San Diego 
• KSDK (NBC), St. Louis 
• KMSB (Fox), Tucson, Ariz. 

TYSONS, Va. & DALLAS—After a nearly three-week blackout, Tegna and AT&T have agreed to a new multi-year consent agreement that will bring Tegna-owned local broadcast stations to AT&T customers of DirecTV and U-Verse.

The agreement covers 64 stations in 51 markets, which had been dark for AT&T customers since Dec. 1. The markets impacted included Atlanta, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington, among others. The stations impacted by this blackout cover a reported 41.7 million TV households, representing 39% of the country.

The official agreement was announced on Sunday, Dec. 20. Stations were returned immediately to service, per the companies’ joint statement, in time for viewers to watch Sunday NFL football. 

No terms of the deal were disclosed.

“AT&T and Tegna regret any inconvenience to their customers and viewers and thank them for their patience,” the statement said.

TYSONS CORNER, Va.—Tegna says that it is continuing to work to return its stations to AT&T’s DirecTV and U-Verse services, saying that a deal would come if AT&T would negotiate in good faith.

“We are continuing to work hard to reach a fair, market-based agreement with AT&T,” Tegna said in a statement on Friday, Dec. 18. “We are committed to getting our stations back on AT&T’s systems as soon as possible. Our viewers shouldn’t miss another weekend of NCAA and NFL football, not to mention their local news, weather and sports updates and their favorite network programming. The solution to this situation is a fair deal based on the market. If AT&T is willing to negotiate in good faith, we are confident we can get a deal done quickly.”

Sixty-four Tegna stations across 51 markets, reaching 41.7 million households, were impacted by this blackout that began on Dec. 1, resulting from Tegna and AT&T not being able to reach a retransmission agreement. Both sides have pointed the finger at the other, with AT&T claiming that Tegna is asking for “unwarranted increases” to their fees.

The American Television Alliance also laid the blame at Tegna’s feet.

Tegna, however, says that it has been able to reach retransmission deals with other cable and satellite providers without disruption of services.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Dish and Cox Media Group have agreed to a multi-year deal that, in addition to carriage for local Northwest stations, will restore 14 Cox stations to Dish customers that have been blacked out since July.

The blackout occurred as the Dish and Cox Media Group, which is owned by Apollo Global Management, struggled to come to terms following Apollo’s acquisition of the Cox stations, which ultimately led to litigation that reached federal court.

Here are Cox stations that are returning to Dish:

• WSB-TV (ABC), Atlanta 
• WFXT-TV (Fox), Boston 
• WSOC-TV (ABC), Charlotte, N.C.  
• WAXN-TV (IND), Charlotte, N.C.  
• WHIO-TV (CBS), Dayton, Ohio  
• WFOX-TV (Fox), Jacksonville, Fla.  
• WFOX2-TV (MNT), Jacksonville, Fla. 
• WHBQ-TV (Fox), Memphis, Tenn.  
• WFTV-TV (ABC), Orlando, Fla.  
• WRDQ-TV (IND), Orlando, Fla. 
• WPXI-TV (NBC), Pittsburgh  
• KIRO-TV (CBS), Seattle 
• KOKI-TV (Fox), Tulsa, Okla. 
• KMYT-TV (MNT), Tulsa, Okla 

The terms of the agreement were not shared.

Dish is currently in another retransmission dispute, this one with Nexstar, which has resulted in 164 stations across 115 markets being blacked out for customers. 

DALLAS—AT&T's DirecTV and U-Verse have sent letters to the general managers of Tegna stations for permission to show subscribers college and NFL football games this weekend that would otherwise be blacked out in the companies’ retransmission fee dispute.

Tegna’s stations in 115 markets have been dark on DirecTV and U-Verse since Tuesday night.

AT&T is offering to pay the station a full-day’s retransmission fee in exchange for showing the three-hour game. The fee would be the higher fee agreed to when a new distribution deal is reached, according to the letter.

It is unlikely Tegna or its stations have the right to selectively cherry pick programming from a network feed and let a distributor carry it.

One of the letters, obtained by the Houston Chronicle, seeks permission from KHOU-TV in Houston to show Sunday’s Houston Texans game against the Indianapolis Colts broadcast over CBS.

The letter, from Rob Thun, executive VP and chief content officer at AT&T Communications, is addressed to KHOU GM Robert Springer. “While you may be relatively new to the region, you have no doubt witnessed firsthand the deep passion local Texans fans and the team’s many sponsors have invested firsthand, so would hopefully join us in allowing families already hard hit by the pandemic the simple pleasure of watching their favorite team, if only for a few hours.”

The letter also notes that the set top box used by many AT&T subscribers enables them to watch the station via Locast, which streams local station signals. AT&T has made financial contributions to Locast.

“We remain hopeful that we can maintain a productive, professional business relationship with Tegna in common service of the local Houston community and look forward to your immediate and affirmative response,” Thun says in concluding his letter.

In a statement, Tegna said: “We are eager for AT&T U-verse and DirecTV to return our stations to its systems, which is why we have been and remain dedicated to working around-the-clock to reach a fair, market-based agreement. We have made clear that we are prepared to reach a deal at rates that are competitive with the rates that we have agreed to with operators of all sizes over the past fourteen months. We are responding directly to the letter AT&T has sent to our stations, consistent with our efforts to engage throughout this negotiation. If AT&T is now willing to begin good faith discussions, we are confident we can get a deal done quickly.” 

AT&T said it sent similar letters to the GMs of Tegna’s stations in New Orleans, Indianapolis, Tampa, Columbus, Denver and St. Louis.

The letter to Michael Brouder, president and general manager of WTHR-TV, Indianapolis, AT&T seeks the rights to show Saturday’s game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Syracuse Orange. 

“We believe there is absolutely no public interest served by WTHR and its Virginia-based owner Tegna Inc. deliberately blacking out WTHR and intentionally inconveniencing thousands of Indianapolis homes that are ardent supporters of one of Indiana’s most prestigious universities,” AT&T’s Thun wrote. “As a longtime resident and adjunct faculty member at two competing Indiana universities, you have no doubt witnessed firsthand the deep passion local Irish fans and the team’s many sponsors have invested firsthand, so would hopefully join us in allowing families already hard hit by the pandemic the simple pleasure of watching their favorite team, if only for a few hours.”

In a press release, AT&T said it was offering Tegna a chance to give consumers their channels back and that AT&T stands ready to turn programming back on--Tegna just needs to give permission.

“Fans should not be used as pawns in a business negotiation,” said Celeste Boyd-Spear, VP and General Manager – AT&T Heartland States. “Tegna should set aside their differences for a single afternoon and allow everyone to enjoy this game.”

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & IRVING, Texas—Dish Network customers lost access to Nexstar TV stations at 7 p.m. ET on Dec. 2, as the two sides were not able to reach a retransmission agreement. Dish describes this as the largest local station blackout in TV history.

The blackout took 164 local TV stations across 115 markets off Dish's service, according to Nexstar. Dish says that 5.4 million of its customers are impacted.

Unsurprisingly, both sides are pointing at the other as who is the primary culprit in the negotiation failure, each citing the other’s greed during a pandemic when local stations provide key news and entertainment.

“Nexstar is demanding over $1 billion in fees for stations that are available for free over the air,” said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. “This shocking increase is the largest we have ever seen. While we work to keep subscribers’ TV bills as low as possible, Nexstar has no problem passing the buck on to American consumers. It has turned its back on its public interest obligation and is demanding significantly more money for the same programming.”

“Dish continues to propose rates that are less than fair market value for the broadcast network and local market programming content carried by Nexstar’s television stations,” Nexstar said in its release. “Dish also continues to exclude WGN America from its proposals. Since Dish proposals are not at all in line with the reality of current market rates, Nexstar is left with no choice but to reject any extension of the current agreement.”

Nexstar refers to other disputes that Dish has had in 2020, including dropping network or local programming offered by E.W. Scripps, Cox Media Group, Mission Broadcasting, the NFL Network and 21 regional sports networks.

Dish’s Neylon, meanwhile, said the company offered Nexstar an extension of the current contract to keep channels available to Dish subscribers while negotiations continue—twice—but he says that Nexstar never responded.

Both sides say they will continue to work toward a fair deal to return the Nexstar stations as soon as possible.

The American Television Alliance, in a statement reacting to the news, signaled out Nexstar as the primarily responsible part for the blackout.

“This record-breaking blackout is not only exploitative, but also an endangerment to the health and safety of countless Americans who rely on their local news for up-to-date coronavirus information,” said Jessica Kendust, ATVS spokesperson.

“We thought the ongoing global pandemic may have curbed big broadcast from leveraging consumer access during retrans negotiations. Unfortunately, two separate major blackouts this week alone have proven us wrong,” stated Kendust. 

The second blackout Kendust refers to is the one between Tegna and AT&T/DirecTV, which began on Dec. 1.

Here is the full list of impacted stations in the Nexstar-Dish blackout. 

WASHINGTON—The American Television Alliance is on the side of AT&T in the dispute with Tegna that led to the blackout of more than 60 local TV stations across the country as of Dec. 1 for DirecTV and U-Verse subscribers.

Tegna-owned stations—including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the CW—went dark for DirecTV and U-Verse subscribers at 7 p.m. ET on Dec. 1 because the two sides could not come to a retransmission agreement. ATVA had harsh criticisms for a situation it believes Tegna is primarily responsible for.

“It is alarming, albeit unsurprising, that Tegna is profiteering off the need for local news at a time as critical as during a national pandemic,” said Jessica Kendust, ATVA spokesperson.

“Following a self-reported revenue of $738 million in 2020’s third quarter, Tegna’s demand for astronomical retransmission fees on the backs of American consumers is baffling,” Kendust continued. “ATVA is disappointed that Tegna is ignoring the public interest  to weaponize blackouts as a negotiation bargaining chip.”

TYSONS CORNER, Va. & DALLAS—Tegna stations in 51 markets have gone dark for AT&T DirecTV and U-Verse customers, as the two sides were unable to reach a retransmission agreement. The blackout officially began at 7 p.m. ET on Dec. 1.

Tegna has 64 stations in the 51 markets impacted by this blackout, which reach 41.7 million TV households.

“Unfortunately, DirecTV AT&T U-Verse have not come to an agreement with Tegna to keep our stations on the air,” Tegna said via a statement on Twitter. The statement also instructed customers can still watch its stations on other local providers or streaming services, as well as for free over-the-air.

“We’re working to return the Tegna stations to our lineups as soon as possible, but by law, Tegna has exclusive control over which homes are allowed to receive either ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox or CW in certain cities, regardless of what provider they choose,” AT&T said in a posting about the blackout to customers.

AT&T says that Tegna is asking for “unwarranted increases over their already high fees” and accused the network of taking advantage of its viewers during a pandemic.

Tegna, inversely, says that it has been able to strike deals with other cable and satellite providers without disruption of services.

This is not the only retransmission dispute in danger of blacking out stations; Nexstar and Dish are currently on the brink of a blackout as well. 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & IRVING, Texas—Dish Network and Nexstar Media Group are pointing the finger at each other in what could be, according to Dish, the largest local station blackout ever over a failure to come to a retransmission agreement.

The blackout, which is on pace to begin on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. local time, would impact 164 Nexstar TV stations across 120 markets in 42 states and Washington, D.C.

Nexstar says that negotiations have been ongoing since July and that the terms it is offering Dish are the same it offered to other large distribution partners (Nexstar did not name the companies) in 2019 and earlier in 2020. Dish, however, said that Nexstar is using its position as the nation’s largest station owner to “strong-arm companies” into what it says are outrageous rates that would force increases onto customers, a strategy Dish says it used against DirecTV and AT&T U-Verse.

“Nexstar is demanding more than $1 billion in fees for its television channels,” said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. “This shocking increase is the highest we’ve ever seen. Nexstar is intentionally turning its back on its public interest obligation and instead demanding consumers pay significantly more for the channels they could receiver for free over-the-air.” 

In addition, Dish says that Nexstar is requiring that WGN America be carried by Dish as part of the deal, which Dish describes as a “low-rated channel” that Nexstar is trying to have “Dish customers to pay back this investment.”

In Nexstar’s statement, which came out after Dish’s, the station owner said that Dish is four-times the size of Nexstar (in stock market capitalization), “a fact that Dish fails to consider when making less than credible statements about Nexstar.” Nexstar also claims that Dish has a history of “holding its subscribers hostage during negotiations with content providers.”

Nexstar also said: “In Dish’s statement regarding its intention to black out subscribers from their local and network programming and content provided by Nexstar, the satellite provider failed to acknowledge that the expiring agreement with Nexstar was entered into at the end of 2016. Therefore, for the past four years, Dish has reaped the benefit of paying significantly under market retransmission consent fees to Nexstar while consistently instituting rate increases to its subscribers. Dish also disregards the fact that as a result of the advent of reverse comp (programming and content payments made by local broadcasters such as Nexstar to the networks), Nexstar’s network affiliated programming costs continue to increase. Furthermore, Nexstar has made continual ongoing investments for the benefit of its viewers and distribution partners through expanded local news and other programming in its markets, the acquisition of costly life-saving weather equipment and a broad range of other improved services in its local communities.”

Both sides say that they are continuing to strive for a fair deal that will not remove local stations at this time, which is heightened by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the event that no deal is reached, Nexstar says that it will educate affected customers on how they can access local content.

ATLANTA—For the first time in four months, this past weekend had live, meaningful team sports with the start of the 2020 Major League Baseball season. But as a retransmission dispute between Cox Media Group stations and Dish led to a blackout for many Dish subscribers, these games were nowhere to be found.

The dispute, which began last week and impacts 14 stations in 10 markets, came as a result of a court decision that lifted a restraining order on Apollo Global Management, Cox’s parent company, to interfere with Dish’s retransmission of the stations. Both sides place blame on the other in the ongoing dispute and the resulting black out.

Cox, however, has added that the loss of vital services—local news, weather and entertainment—now includes the inability to watch the return of professional baseball. 

Cox said that viewers in Boston, Jacksonville, Fla., Memphis, Tenn., and Tulsa, Okla., will not be able to watch MLB broadcasts on Fox.

“It is deeply disappointing that Dish customers will miss the games—especially during a time when watching sports and cheering on their favorite teams can offer a positive diversion,” Cox Media Group said in a statement. The company also shared that it currently has agreements in place with all other major cable and satellite providers in the U.S.

“Again, we implore Dish to restore the Cox Media Group stations and work with us to come to a fair agreement,” the statement concluded.

CINCINNATI—Dish has found itself in another retransmission dispute, this time with E.W. Scripps. Over the weekend, local TV stations in 42 markets owned by E.W. Scripps went dark for Dish subscribers as the two sides’ previous retransmission agreement expired without a new contract in place.

This is in addition to a separate retransmission dispute between Dish and Cox Media Group Stations.

According to Scripps, the impasse after five months of discussions is not centered on the rates that Dish pays, but “their inability to agree on other distribution terms.”

“Without an agreement in place, Dish subscribers are now missing out on our stations’ essential news, weather and entertainment programming,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Local Media for Scripps. “Dish’s refusal to negotiate to a fair agreement is preventing its customers from accessing pressing news during a global pandemic, a period of social unrest, an active political year and severe weather season for many parts of our country.”

Dish countered, saying that Scripps has been unwilling to negotiate and refused an offer to match the rates other pay-TV providers are paying for its stations before making a “take-it-or-leave-it” deal just prior to the contract’s expiration, Dish states.

“To be clear, Scripps chose to black out its own viewers,” said Andy LeCuyer, Dish senior vice president of programming. “We offered multiple extension options to keep the channels up while we continue to work toward reaching a deal during these unprecedented times, but they refused.”

Scripps claims that this is the first time since its founding in 1947 that their stations have gone dark with a pay-TV distributor.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & ATLANTA—A total of 14 Cox Media Group stations in 10 markets have gone dark to Dish subscribers, and both sides are pointing fingers at the other.

Dish says that it is in the middle of litigation with Cox Media Group parent company Apollo Global Management over whether Dish’s carriage agreement for the Cox stations was prematurely terminated after the stations were acquired by Apollo. A temporary restraining order that prevented Apollo from interfering with Dish’s retransmission of these stations was issued in January by the Cook County (Illinois) Circuit Court. 

However, the case has now been transferred to a federal court, which lifted the restraining order. Cox Media Group called the decision an end to “the latest misguided efforts by Dish to avoid agreeing to reach a fair market carriage agreement” for the stations.

In a press release announcing the court ruling and subsequent black out, CMG offered a statement from the federal court that said CMG “cannot prevent Dish from retransmitting the stations. They go dark only if Dish so chooses,” and that any blackout is a result of the provider not willing to negotiate.

Here are the stations currently blacked out on Dish:

• WSB-TV (ABC), Atlanta 
• WFXT-TV (Fox), Boston 
• WSOC-TV (ABC), Charlotte, N.C. 
• WAXN-TV (IND), Charlotte, N.C. 
• WHIO-TV (CBS), Dayton, Ohio 
• WFOX-TV (Fox), Jacksonville, Fla. 
• WFOX2-TV (MNT), Jacksonville, Fla. 
• WHBQ-TV (Fox), Memphis, Tenn. 
• WFTV-TV (ABC), Orlando, Fla. 
• WRDQ-TV (IND), Orlando, Fla. 
• WPXI-TV (NBC), Pittsburgh 
• KIRO-TV (CBS), Seattle 
• KOKI-TV (Fox), Tulsa, Okla. 
• KMYT-TV (MNT), Tulsa, Okla. 

Dish claims that it has offered Apollo to keep its current arrangement, with higher rates, to keep the stations on the air, particularly during the current COVID-19 pandemic, and continue negotiations, but they say Apollo has refused and demands a 40% increase to rates that were agreed upon last year.

CMG called Dish’s offers to keep the stations on air “feeble and disingenuous,” arguing that it preferred to use the courts in the dispute. It says that it wants a fair market deal for retransmission and meaningful negotiations to achieve a mutually beneficial agreement. CMG also said that Dish has unfairly targeted Apollo as the negotiations are related only to CMG.

Earlier this year, another 10 Cox stations were blacked out for Dish subscribers, but the two sides agreed to get the stations back on air because of COVID-19. None of those stations are the same as the ones being blacked out in this latest instance.

This story has been updated to include information provided from a Cox Media Group press release.

WASHINGTON—FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and all of his commissioners were in agreement that it is time to consider eliminating the 30-day window cable operators are currently required to provide customers of a potential change to their cable service.

Voted on during the FCC’s December Open Meeting, this decision results in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will seek comment on whether to change the rules that require cable operators providers to notify subscribers 30 days in advance in regards to service changes related to programming or retransmission issues (i.e. blackouts) to instead doing so “as soon as possible.”

In addition, the NPRM will also seek comments on removing what the FCC described as redundant rules regarding notifications cable operators must provide local franchise authorities.

Many retransmission deals are completed in the final hour before the previous agreement is set to expire. Pai believes that changing the notification time to as soon as possible would help eliminate confusion among customers.

However, though all commissioners supported the NPRM, Commissioner Geoffrey Stark did have some reservations.

“This NPRM proposes to amend our statutorily mandated consumer protection rules in a way that, I fear, could result in less information being shared with consumers and more unwelcome surprises in the form of blacked out channels and lost service,” said Starks.

Starks, according to his statement, decided to vote for the NPRM after Chairman Pai added questions about potential consumer harm that could result from a customer learning about a blackout after it had already begun.

The other commissioners supported the initiative and were able to add questions to the NPRM that they believe would provide more critical information.

No deadline for comments has been set as of yet.

For more information on the NPRM, visit the FCC website.

WASHINGTON—FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants to stop any premature panic among cable subscribers that they may be losing channels as a result of retransmission disputes, and to do so has proposed eliminating the required 30-day notification period cable operators must give in favor of doing so “as soon as possible.”

This new measure would be up for discussion and vote during the final FCC meeting of 2019 on Dec. 12.

With the current 30-day notice requirement, cable operators are often forced to let their subscribers know that they could be losing access to a channel or group of channels, only to then strike a deal at the last minute to keep the channels on air for those subscribers. Pai believes that by removing the 30-day requirement consumers can be more “accurately informed and not confused” about what is happening to their service.

“[W]e don’t want consumers to be inundated by premature and inaccurate notices about channel changes that never come to pass,” Pai wrote in a blog post. “And our rule begs the question whether the failure to reach an agreement in the 30 days before a contract expires is within a cable operator’s control. After all, as the saying goes, it takes two to tango.”

There have been multiple instances this year of cable operators and TV stations warning subscribers of the potential loss of channel, only to strike a deal before their contract expires.

By removing the 30-day in advance notification and instead allowing such warnings to go out “as soon as possible” will provide more accurate and clearer messages, according to Pai.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—A retransmission consent and carriage fees dispute between Dish Network and Fox has led to a blackout of Fox local stations and cable channels for Dish and Sling TV customers as of Thursday, Sept. 26.

The blackout impacts the local Fox stations of 17 markets across 23 states and Washington, D.C., while cable networks FS1, FS2, Big 10 Network, Fox Soccer Plus and Fox Deportes were also removed.

According to a press release from Dish, Fox is demanding a double-digit percentage rate increase to continue carrying its local channels, as well as to “force bundle” its local channels and unrelated cable networks.

“Taken together, Fox’s actions are profoundly anti-consumer,” said Andy LeCuyer, Dish senior vice president of programming. “Fox is raising prices and turning its back on its public obligation to provide channels to consumers for free. It’s clear that Fox cares more about padding its bottom line than serving its viewers.

“We ask Fox to stop punishing its own viewers so we can focus on reaching a fair deal,” Lecuyer concluded.

In a statement given to Jon Lafayette of TVT’s sister publication Broadcasting & Cable, a Fox Corporation spokeperson said: “Dish/Sling is at it again, choosing to drop leading programming as a negotiating tactic regardless of its impact on its own customers. Dish/Sling elected to drop Fox networks in an effort to coerce us to agree to outrageous demands. While we regret this is Dish/Sling’s preferred approach to negotiating, we remind our loyal viewers that the Fox services are widely available through every other major television provider.”

Dish also announced that its customers can still access Fox stations through alternative methods. The company said that as it works to reach an agreement with Fox it will offer digital over-the-air antennas to affected Dish customers at no cost so they can still access local Fox stations. Dish said it would also install an antenna for qualifying customers in the impacted markets based on their available reception.

With the blackout, Dish subscribers in the 17 markets will not be able to access college football or NFL games that are set to air on Fox, as well as all other Fox station programming.

A full list of the markets affected by the blackout is available here.

BURBANK, Calif.—2019’s record-setting blackout trend could continue, as the Walt Disney Co. has issued a warning to AT&T video services subscribers that local ABC channels, ESPN, Disney networks and Freeform could soon be taken off the air unless the two sides reach a new distribution agreement.

Disney’s contract covering these networks is set to expire soon and if it does would result in a blackout for viewers of ABC stations WABC, KABC, WTVD, KGO, KTRK, KFSN, WLS, WPVI and all markets for ESPN, Freeform and Disney networks.

Disney said in a statement that it is committed to reaching a deal and is hopeful that one can get done, but it has created a website to provide information to subscribers about the impact of the blackout.

“Over the past few years we reached dozens of multi-year deals with cable, satellite, telco and streaming service companies all across the country …” Disney wrote on the website. “Inf fact, we have had only ONE service disruption in our recent history due to a contract dispute. The terms we are discussing with AT&T are in line with recent marketplace deals we have reached with other distributors. So it has been disappointing that so far AT&T has refused to reach an agreement.”

The website also informs AT&T subscribers that these channels are available via other video service providers like Comcast, Verizon and streaming services like YouTube TV, PlayStation Vue and Hulu + Live TV.

AT&T issued its own statement in regard to the negotiations: “We’re disappointed to see The Walt Disney Co. put their viewers into the middle of negotiations. We are on the side of consumer choice and value, and want to keep Disney channels and owned-and-operated local ABC stations in eight cities in our customers’ lineups. We hope to avoid any interruption to the services some of our customers care about. Our goal is always to deliver the content our customers want at a value that also makes sense to them. We’ll continue to fight for that here and appreciate their patience while we work out this matter.”

This is not the first distribution issue AT&T has dealt with in 2019, as it recently ended a nearly two-month blackout of CBS and TV stations owned by Nexstar.

Some of the programs that would be unavailable to AT&T customers if a blackout were to occur would include local news, “Jeopardy,” “Modern Family,” and NFL and college football.

NEW YORK & DALLAS—Warnings of a blackout of CBS stations for AT&T/DirecTV customers came to fruition over the weekend, as at 2 a.m. ET on July 20 CBS-owned television stations in 14 markets went dark following the two companies inability to reach a retransmission consent deal.

DirecTV, DirecTV Now and AT&T U-Verse customers in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Tampa, Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore lost access to CBS-owned television stations, while another 117 CBS stations and affiliates were blacked out on DirecTV Now. The CBS Sports Network was also dropped nationally on DirecTV and DirecTV Now; the Smithsonian Channel was removed from DirecTV. In addition, AT&T Now customers nationwide can’t watch CBS.

The two sides are pointing blame at the other for the failed negotiations.

“Please know that we had no wish to see any local CBS stations removed from our service and had asked CBS to keep them available while we continue to negotiate,” AT&T told customers on its website. “CBS removed them instead. This is completely CBS’s decision.” AT&T also claims that it offered CBS the highest fee it offers to any major broadcast group.

CBS countered in a statement of its own, saying: “After months of negotiations, CBS is simply looking for fair value for its programming and is proposing economic terms similar to those that AT&T’s competitors have accepted in our recent distribution agreements. The DirecTV deal expiring [Saturday] was signed in 2012 and is nowhere close to today’s fair market terms for CBS content—to which AT&T’s competitors have repeatedly agreed.”

CBS and AT&T had already agreed to an extension earlier in July to continue negotiations. Similar to AT&T’s claim that it offered to keep CBS stations on-air, CBS said it offered an additional 30-day extension for negotiations, but AT&T declined.

This is another retransmission fight for AT&T, which is currently in the midst of ones with Nexstar and a group of smaller stations. With the CBS blackout, there are now 162 stations dark to AT&T video customers.

AT&T, however, is instructing its customers on how it can still access CBS content despite the blackout. In some cities, viewers can watch their local CBS stations through the Locast app; CBS stations can also be viewed through the CBS All Access platform or local stations can be viewed over the air, on stations websites or via cbs.com.

Blackouts have unfortunately common in 2019, as there have already been 213 instances of channels going off the air through the first seven months, tying the record for the entirety of 2017.

Despite a weekend meeting between AT&T and Nexstar to return Nexstar’s TV stations to AT&T’s DirecTV platform, the dispute continues.

On July 3, more than 120 Nexstar Media Group TV stations went dark for AT&T/DirecTV customers throughout the country as a result of failed retransmission negotiations. Stations in 97 markets were impacted by the blackout, which began at 11:59 p.m. on July 3. Both companies claim they are negotiating in good faith, however the failure from the weekend meeting didn’t stop them from continuing their war of words.

AT&T claims Nexstar wants to increase fees for carrying their local TV stations “far beyond their value.” Nexstar claims that AT&T—which recently dried the ink on an $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner—of using its newfound power within the pay-TV industry unfairly.

“A little more than a year after putting DirecTV together with Time Warner, AT&T appears intent on using its new market power to prioritize its own content at the expense of consumers, and insisting on unreasonable terms that are inconsistent with the market,” Nexstar said over the weekend.

AT&T claims that Nexstar is “reducing consumer choice” by pulling its stations from the DirecTV lineup, denying its subscribers to view free over-the-air television provided by broadcast networks that have “together lost about half their primetime audience over the past few years.”

Nexstar even accused AT&T of misrepresenting its role to regulators in past disputes with other pay-TV providers.

“The misinformation campaign began when AT&T indicated that “Nexstar pulled 120 of its local broadcast stations…” Nexstar said in a statement. “Nexstar did not pull its stations or ask for their removal from AT&T’s DirecTV, U-verse or DirecTV Now platforms. Rather, Nexstar’s offer for a 30 day extension would have allowed consumers in the affected markets to continue viewing their favorite network shows, special events, sports, local news and other programming while the parties continue negotiations.”

It also said that AT&T claimed that Nexstar had been involved in blackouts with Cox Cable, DISH Network, Charter Spectrum “and others.” “In fact, Nexstar has never had DISH Network or Charter Spectrum remove its stations from their consumer video offerings,” Nexstar said.

The dispute has prompted numerous calls from members of Congress to return the stations to DirecTV while the two companies negotiate. 

WASHINGTON—Just shy of a week ago, more than 120 Nexstar-owned TV stations went dark for AT&T customers in 97 markets, two of which included WTNH and WCTX in the Hartford-New Haven market of Connecticut, over a retransmission dispute between the two companies. Sen. Richard Blumentahl (D-Conn.), on behalf of his constituents in those areas, recently sent a letter to the heads of both companies asking that the stations go back on the air, at least temporarily.

When the blackout on DirecTV, DirecTV Now and UVerse TV initially took place on July 3 across the nation, Nexstar said that it had offered AT&T an extension until Aug. 2 to keep the stations on-air as negotiations continued, but AT&T declined. AT&T, meanwhile, has argued that Nexstar is asking for an unfair increase in retransmission fees despite viewership decline on the big four networks over the last five years.

In his letter, Blumenthal, while claiming not to take sides, writes that the denial of service from this blackout is “unfair and unnecessary” to Connecticut residents. He says the two sides should continue to negotiate in good faith and have the stations go back on-air at least until Aug. 2, as originally proposed in Nexstar’s extension.

“This extension will allow parties sufficient time to come to an agreement without barring AT&T/DirecTV consumers from viewing their local news coverage,” Blumenthal writes. “This cutoff seems to have the sole purpose of enhancing DirecTV bargaining leverage—with severe harm to Connecticut consumers.”

Blumenthal does go on to write that he understands that AT&T is reluctant to pay more for the same programming, but that Connecticut residents value their local journalism and broadcasting and that the public interest is best served by returning carriage of WTNH and WCTX “as early as possible.”

He also suggests that while the blackout is going on, DirecTV should refund those impacted by blackout a portion of their monthly bill that is “commensurate” with WTNH and WCTX’s value.

IRVING, Texas—On July 3, more than 120 Nexstar Media Group TV stations went dark for AT&T/DirecTV customers throughout the country as a result of failed transmission negotiations. Both sides lay the blame at each other’s feet, though AT&T reportedly rejected an extension that would have kept the channels on air through Aug. 2.

Stations in 97 markets were impacted by the blackout, which began at 11:59 p.m. on July 3. The blackout impacted the ability of customers to watch Fourth of July celebrations and the U.S. Women’s National soccer team win the FIFA Women’s World Cup this past Sunday.

“Nexstar has been negotiating in good faith to establish a mutually agreeable contract with AT&T/DirecTV and has offered AT&T/DirecTV the same rates it offered to other large distribution partners with whom it completed successful negotiations with in 2019 to date,” Nexstar expressed in a statement. “Nexstar would like to continue to try to reach a fair agreement with AT&T/DirecTV and allows its viewers to receive their local stations again.”

AT&T, meanwhile, refutes Nexstar’s claim and says on its website that it is asking for an unfair value, while also arguing that Nexstar threatens to pull or does pull stations from other distributors frequently in negotiations.

“We had hoped to prevent Nexstar from removing its stations from your TV channel lineup,” AT&T’s website reads. “We even offered Nexstar more money to keep their stations available. However, Nexstar simply said no and chose to remove them instead. By doing so, Nexstar has put you in the center its negotiations.”

AT&T dealt with another large station blackout in late May, early June of 2019, as 17 stations in 14 markets went black while in negotiations with a group of stations.

NEW YORK—CBS said that at 11:59 p.m. MT on Nov. 20 its stations were dropped by Dish as a renewal of their retransmission consent agreement had not been reached. The blackout also impacted CBS-owned CBS Sports Network, Pop and the Smithsonian Channel. Dish said that it offered to extend the current contract for the benefit of consumers while negotiations continued.

Read statements from both CBS and Dish on TVT’s sister publication B&C.

CHICAGO—The ongoing blackout between Tribune and Dish could soon effect the upcoming NFL season, at least for one market. Tribune has begun to run commercials warning its customers in the Indianapolis market that the blackout will impact their ability to watch Indianapolis Colts games during the upcoming 2016-2017 season unless they switch pay-TV providers. Currently both CBS and FOX affiliates in Indianapolis are blacked out by Dish, and without them Colts fans on Dish could miss up to 17 of the Colts 21 games (including preseason), per Tribune.

To read the full story, check out TVT’s sister publication B&C.