By George Stahl
Dish Network Corp. and Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. agreed to a
short-term contract extension that would allow the satellite-TV
provider to broadcast Sinclair's stations as the two sides
continued to negotiate a new retransmission agreement.
Specific details about the short-term extension were not
immediately available, but Dish said the extension preserves access
for its customers to 153 local Sinclair channels in 79 markets
nationwide.
The retransmission contract was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. EDT
Saturday, Dish said.
Meanwhile, Dish added that while the two parties continue to
negotiate, it is asking the Federal Communications Commission to
stay action on the complaint that the satellite-TV provider filed
Saturday against Sinclair. In the complaint, Dish had accused
Sinclair of failing to negotiate in good faith on the
retransmission contract.
Dish had alleged that Sinclair, one of the nation's largest
broadcast station owners, was refusing to discuss retransmission
consent for Sinclair's stations unless Dish also agreed to allow
Sinclair to negotiate for 32 stations that Sinclair doesn't control
and are in the same markets as Sinclair stations.
A Sinclair representative was unavailable for immediate comment.
In an earnings call earlier this month, Sinclair acknowledged that
it was in talks with Dish.
Sinclair also noted then that the retransmission rights for 75%
of its subscriber base was up for renewal over the next 12 months,
giving the company an opportunity to reset the fees it receives
under those deals.
According to Dish, no new contract with Sinclair could produce
the "largest local channel blackout in retransmission consent
history."
Write to George Stahl at george.stahl@wsj.com
Access Investor Kit for "Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc."
Visit
http://www.companyspotlight.com/partner?cp_code=P479&isin=US8292261091
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires