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DirecTV losing Tribune stations, WGN
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David
Mar 31, 2012, 11:04:51 PM3/31/12
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http://www.deadline.com/2012/03/directv-and-tribune-resolve-their-retransmission-spat/#more-251597
UPDATE: Tribune Stations Will Go Dark On DirecTV At Midnight
By DAVID LIEBERMAN
UPDATE, 7:50 PM: Tribune confirms that its stations and WGN America
will vanish from DirecTV at midnight in their local time zones.
Tribune “simply cannot get fair compensation from DirecTV and we
cannot allow DirecTV to continue taking advantage of us,” the
company’s broadcasting president, Nils Larsen, says. Tribune adds that
up to now DirecTV hasn’t paid a fee to carry the TV stations and says
that it “is asking for an agreement that is similar to those that
DirecTV already has in place with hundreds of other broadcasters and
program providers.” Larsen notes that DirecTV subscribers can still
watch the broadcast stations “for free in HD with a TV antenna or
through an alternative pay-TV provider.” DirecTV says that having the
stations go dark is ”the last thing we want to do but we have no
choice.” It asked Tribune to allow the satellite company to “keep the
channels up while we try and work this out, it’s the only right thing
to do for the customers and we hope Tribune will give us the OK to do
that.”
The announcements come as a surprise — particularly after DirecTV
prematurely announced this morning that it had a deal with Tribune.
Pay TV programmers and distributors frequently play a game of chicken
with retransmission consent negotiations, but typically settle before
things get out of hand. If the stalemate continues, then we can expect
to see lawmakers and the FCC become involved. Regulators are already
weighing proposals that might curtail blackouts when there’s a
contract impasse. And there’s sure to be an outcry from baseball fans
in several major cities as the season begins: Tribune stations
broadcast the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, the Philiadelphia Phillies,
the Washington Nationals, and the New York Mets.
UPDATE: Tribune Stations Will Go Dark On DirecTV At Midnight
By DAVID LIEBERMAN
UPDATE, 7:50 PM: Tribune confirms that its stations and WGN America
will vanish from DirecTV at midnight in their local time zones.
Tribune “simply cannot get fair compensation from DirecTV and we
cannot allow DirecTV to continue taking advantage of us,” the
company’s broadcasting president, Nils Larsen, says. Tribune adds that
up to now DirecTV hasn’t paid a fee to carry the TV stations and says
that it “is asking for an agreement that is similar to those that
DirecTV already has in place with hundreds of other broadcasters and
program providers.” Larsen notes that DirecTV subscribers can still
watch the broadcast stations “for free in HD with a TV antenna or
through an alternative pay-TV provider.” DirecTV says that having the
stations go dark is ”the last thing we want to do but we have no
choice.” It asked Tribune to allow the satellite company to “keep the
channels up while we try and work this out, it’s the only right thing
to do for the customers and we hope Tribune will give us the OK to do
that.”
The announcements come as a surprise — particularly after DirecTV
prematurely announced this morning that it had a deal with Tribune.
Pay TV programmers and distributors frequently play a game of chicken
with retransmission consent negotiations, but typically settle before
things get out of hand. If the stalemate continues, then we can expect
to see lawmakers and the FCC become involved. Regulators are already
weighing proposals that might curtail blackouts when there’s a
contract impasse. And there’s sure to be an outcry from baseball fans
in several major cities as the season begins: Tribune stations
broadcast the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, the Philiadelphia Phillies,
the Washington Nationals, and the New York Mets.
Charles Bishop
Apr 1, 2012, 9:05:35 PM4/1/12
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In article <2dhfn7dmk4dpfu2qh...@4ax.com>, David
There are ads here in the LA Times asking viewers of Channel 5 KTLA to
contact DirecTV to keep channel 5.
Would this be part of the same negotiations?
--
charles
contact DirecTV to keep channel 5.
Would this be part of the same negotiations?
--
charles
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