DISH Urges TEGNA to Extend Contract; Potential TEGNA Blackout Would Impact Millions
September 26 2015 - 6:49PM
Business Wire
- TEGNA threatens ahead of contract
expiration to blackout 51 stations in 39 markets nationally
- DISH offers to extend existing local
channel contract, with retroactive “true-up” for new rates, which
would keep local channels up for the benefit of consumers while
negotiations continue
DISH Network L.L.C., a wholly-owned subsidiary of DISH Network
Corporation (NASDAQ:DISH), issued the following statement in
reaction to TEGNA Inc.’s threat to block DISH customers’ access to
51 local channels in 39 markets nationwide.
“Only TEGNA can choose to black out its channels. DISH is
actively working to reach a deal before the contract expires,” said
Warren Schlichting, DISH senior vice president of Programming. “We
have offered a contract extension to TEGNA, including a retroactive
“true up” when new rates are agreed upon, to keep the channels
available to customers in the event that we are unable to reach a
deal by the deadline.”
The “true-up” would ensure that TEGNA was made whole at the new
rates for the period of any contract extension. TEGNA has not
accepted that offer. The contract is set to expire Sept. 30.
“Since we offered to retroactively true them up when new rates
were agreed upon, TEGNA has nothing to lose and consumers have
everything to gain from an extension of our existing contract that
would allow negotiations to continue,” added Schlichting. “Instead,
TEGNA has not accepted our offer and has chosen to use consumers to
gain leverage for the economic benefit of TEGNA, while potentially
causing substantial harm and disruption to the lives of those very
same consumers who ultimately will bear the brunt of the unfair
price increases sought by TEGNA.”
DISH and TEGNA have been making steady progress in their recent
negotiations, and DISH was hopeful that a mutual agreement would be
reached to renew carriage of the TEGNA local stations in due
course.
“DISH has successfully negotiated agreements representing
hundreds of stations in recent months that benefit all parties,
including our viewers,” said Schlichting. “We are unsure why TEGNA
decided to involve customers in the contract negotiation process at
a point when there is still time for the two parties to reach a
mutually beneficial deal.”
For a list of affected stations, visit
https://dishnetwork.newshq.businesswire.com/document-library/tegna-station-list.
About DISH
DISH Network Corp. (NASDAQ:DISH), through its subsidiaries,
provides approximately 13.932 million pay-TV subscribers, as of
June 30, 2015, with the highest-quality programming and technology
with the most choices at the best value. Subscribers enjoy a high
definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the
most international channels, and award-winning HD and DVR
technology. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 250 company.
Visit www.dish.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150926005055/en/
DISH Network L.L.C.Courtney Culpepper, 720-514-5351news@dish.com@DISHNews
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