DISH Network was unable to reach an agreement with Mission Broadcasting and dropped KODE several weeks ago, now another Joplin station in on the chopping block.
The company will drop the programming of KSNF and other Nexstar stations across the nation at 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 2.
That would mean that in addition to local news programming on KSN, DISH viewers would no longer be able to see such programs as Sunday Night Football, The Voice and the Today Show.
(From Nexstar Media Group)
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST) (“Nexstar”) announced today that DISH Network (“DISH”) (Nasdaq: DISH) subscribers in 115 markets are at risk of losing network and local community programming at 7:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, as DISH has yet to reach a new distribution agreement allowing the satellite television behemoth the right to continue to air Nexstar’s highly rated programming.
If the companies are unable to reach an agreement, DISH subscribers in 115 Nexstar markets from Los Angeles to Charlotte will lose access to thousands of hours of vitally important local news, just as the country prepares for an explosion in new coronavirus cases and a new President prepares to take office. DISH subscribers will also lose the ability to access the NFL and college football games scheduled for the weekend of December 5-6, and all of the entertainment programming provided by Nexstar’s network partners, CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, The CW and MyNet.
While Nexstar remains hopeful that a resolution can be reached today, should DISH fail to come to terms with Nexstar, Nexstar intends to actively educate consumers in affected markets on how they can continue to receive their favorite network programming, in-depth local news, other content and programming relevant to their communities, and critical updates in times of emergencies.
Consumers and viewers affected by DISH Network’s proposed blackout can contact DISH Network directly at 9601 South Meridian Boulevard, Englewood, CO 80112 and by phone at (800) 333-3474 or (303) 723-1000.
Nexstar Media Group, the largest local broadcast station owner in the nation, is threatening to black out DISH customers' access to 164 local channels in 120 markets across 42 states and the District of Columbia. The broadcast giant is trying to use its market power to demand unreasonable rate increases while intentionally using millions of Americans as pawns in their negotiations. This action by Nexstar would result in consumers being blacked out from the highest number of local broadcast stations in the nation's TV history.
In recent years, Nexstar went on a $12 billion local broadcast station buying spree to become the largest and most powerful station owner in the country. Now that Nexstar is the biggest in the industry, it is trying to strong-arm companies like DISH to pay outrageous rates and force unprecedented increases onto customers. The broadcaster continues to threaten to blackout its stations from DISH customers to gain negotiation leverage in an effort to line its wallet with viewers' hard-earned money — a tactic it used last year against DirecTV and AT&T U-verse.
"Since becoming the nation's largest local station owner, Nexstar has increased its annual revenue by $1 billion a year. Now, it has set its sights on DISH customers as their next big payday," said Brian Neylon, Group President, DISH TV. "Nexstar is demanding more than $1 billion in fees for its television channels. 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 receive for free over-the-air."
Nexstar is also forcing DISH to carry WGN America as part of this deal, a channel that has experienced declining viewership in recent years. Nexstar acquired this channel when it bought Tribune last year. Now, the broadcast owner is looking to DISH customers to pay back this investment. Nexstar is demanding a significant payment for this low-rated channel that airs syndicated reruns found on other DISH stations and features a news program that can be accessed for free online.
"With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect the nation and unemployment on the rise, subscribers need access to their local programming," said Neylon. "Nexstar's tactics are hurting millions of Americans at one of the most difficult times in recent history."
In an additional hit to customers, Nexstar announced that it is expecting to pay out over $100 million to its shareholders — this is the same money Nexstar is making on the backs of Americans nationwide.
"It's our goal to reach an agreement with Nexstar that is fair for all parties involved, especially our customers," added Neylon. "We will continue to fight on behalf of our customers to keep TV bills as low as possible, and we hope Nexstar sees how important it is to come to a deal that is beneficial for all."
DISH customers can visit DISHPromise.com for more information.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST) (“Nexstar”) announced today that DISH Network (“DISH”) (Nasdaq: DISH) subscribers in 115 markets are at risk of losing network and local community programming at 7:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, as DISH has yet to reach a new distribution agreement allowing the satellite television behemoth the right to continue to air Nexstar’s highly rated programming.
Millions of viewers across the country are in danger of losing the local news, traffic, weather, sports, and entertainment programming provided by Nexstar’s 164 television stations.
Since July, Nexstar has been negotiating tirelessly and in good faith in an attempt to reach a mutually agreeable multi-year contract with DISH, offering DISH the same fair market rates it offered to other large distribution partners with whom it completed successful negotiations in 2019 and 2020.
Since July, Nexstar has been negotiating tirelessly and in good faith in an attempt to reach a mutually agreeable multi-year contract with DISH, offering DISH the same fair market rates it offered to other large distribution partners with whom it completed successful negotiations in 2019 and 2020.
Despite generating nearly $11 billion in revenue during the first nine-months of this year and completing a billion-plus dollar acquisition of a wireless company, DISH has proposed rates that go significantly backwards and, in addition to risking the removal of Nexstar’s local broadcast stations, is threatening to also drop Nexstar’s cable network, WGN America, from its system.
In terms of size, DISH's stock market capitalization is approximately four times that of Nexstar’s, a fact that DISH TV fails to consider when making less than credible statements about Nexstar in DISH’s release yesterday.
DISH has a long history of holding its subscribers hostage during negotiations with content providers like Nexstar and the satellite provider’s recent slew of local blackouts is creating an enormous local news draught for many communities impacting millions of viewers during the pandemic and this critical time for the country. In 2020 alone, DISH has dropped network or local community programming offered by The E.W. Scripps Company, Apollo, Mission Broadcasting, and the NFL Network.
By contrast, Nexstar routinely reaches amicable retransmission and carriage agreements with its cable, satellite and telco partners and in the month of October alone, successfully completed agreements with nearly 200 distribution partners. In addition, since acquiring Tribune Media in September 2019, Nexstar has successfully completed agreements with distribution partners covering more than 50 percent of the Company’s nationwide footprint.
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.
Given the exponential viewership of the Nexstar programming relative to other programming that DISH over-spends for to the detriment of its subscribers, Nexstar’s request is reasonable and consistent with the cost of such programming in similar markets.
DISH has a long history of holding its subscribers hostage during negotiations with content providers like Nexstar and the satellite provider’s recent slew of local blackouts is creating an enormous local news draught for many communities impacting millions of viewers during the pandemic and this critical time for the country. In 2020 alone, DISH has dropped network or local community programming offered by The E.W. Scripps Company, Apollo, Mission Broadcasting, and the NFL Network.
By contrast, Nexstar routinely reaches amicable retransmission and carriage agreements with its cable, satellite and telco partners and in the month of October alone, successfully completed agreements with nearly 200 distribution partners. In addition, since acquiring Tribune Media in September 2019, Nexstar has successfully completed agreements with distribution partners covering more than 50 percent of the Company’s nationwide footprint.
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.
Given the exponential viewership of the Nexstar programming relative to other programming that DISH over-spends for to the detriment of its subscribers, Nexstar’s request is reasonable and consistent with the cost of such programming in similar markets.
If the companies are unable to reach an agreement, DISH subscribers in 115 Nexstar markets from Los Angeles to Charlotte will lose access to thousands of hours of vitally important local news, just as the country prepares for an explosion in new coronavirus cases and a new President prepares to take office. DISH subscribers will also lose the ability to access the NFL and college football games scheduled for the weekend of December 5-6, and all of the entertainment programming provided by Nexstar’s network partners, CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, The CW and MyNet.
While Nexstar remains hopeful that a resolution can be reached today, should DISH fail to come to terms with Nexstar, Nexstar intends to actively educate consumers in affected markets on how they can continue to receive their favorite network programming, in-depth local news, other content and programming relevant to their communities, and critical updates in times of emergencies.
Consumers and viewers affected by DISH Network’s proposed blackout can contact DISH Network directly at 9601 South Meridian Boulevard, Englewood, CO 80112 and by phone at (800) 333-3474 or (303) 723-1000.
(From DISH Network)
Nexstar Media Group, the largest local broadcast station owner in the nation, is threatening to black out DISH customers' access to 164 local channels in 120 markets across 42 states and the District of Columbia. The broadcast giant is trying to use its market power to demand unreasonable rate increases while intentionally using millions of Americans as pawns in their negotiations. This action by Nexstar would result in consumers being blacked out from the highest number of local broadcast stations in the nation's TV history.
In recent years, Nexstar went on a $12 billion local broadcast station buying spree to become the largest and most powerful station owner in the country. Now that Nexstar is the biggest in the industry, it is trying to strong-arm companies like DISH to pay outrageous rates and force unprecedented increases onto customers. The broadcaster continues to threaten to blackout its stations from DISH customers to gain negotiation leverage in an effort to line its wallet with viewers' hard-earned money — a tactic it used last year against DirecTV and AT&T U-verse.
"Since becoming the nation's largest local station owner, Nexstar has increased its annual revenue by $1 billion a year. Now, it has set its sights on DISH customers as their next big payday," said Brian Neylon, Group President, DISH TV. "Nexstar is demanding more than $1 billion in fees for its television channels. 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 receive for free over-the-air."
Nexstar is also forcing DISH to carry WGN America as part of this deal, a channel that has experienced declining viewership in recent years. Nexstar acquired this channel when it bought Tribune last year. Now, the broadcast owner is looking to DISH customers to pay back this investment. Nexstar is demanding a significant payment for this low-rated channel that airs syndicated reruns found on other DISH stations and features a news program that can be accessed for free online.
"With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to affect the nation and unemployment on the rise, subscribers need access to their local programming," said Neylon. "Nexstar's tactics are hurting millions of Americans at one of the most difficult times in recent history."
In an additional hit to customers, Nexstar announced that it is expecting to pay out over $100 million to its shareholders — this is the same money Nexstar is making on the backs of Americans nationwide.
"It's our goal to reach an agreement with Nexstar that is fair for all parties involved, especially our customers," added Neylon. "We will continue to fight on behalf of our customers to keep TV bills as low as possible, and we hope Nexstar sees how important it is to come to a deal that is beneficial for all."
DISH customers can visit DISHPromise.com for more information.
***
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Seems to me we should see the amount of money made off these transmissions and contracts to decide who is gouging the viewer. Out in the country, rural, we cannot receive these local stations without some kind of network. I also think that viewers suffering the loss; no matter who is at fault, cancel their Dish subscription and stop shopping at the advertisers on the affected stations. Maybe both would grow up and decide it might not be worth it. My main gripe is that Nexstar and Morrison seems to be quite flushed with money to buy out all these stations, much like some buttheads bought out local newspapers and either stopped their publishing or reduced it to a point of not needing it. Seems our communications system is suffering from what we knew about in the 50's, yes I am that old, and I personally do not like it one bit and what a sane solution quickly.
ReplyDeleteRetransmission money is the biggest reason that local stations have been able to delay cutbacks and station closings. Viewership is fading, and the networks put out nothing worth watching. Station ownership groups are staffed by oldschool thought with few willing to try the things needed to keep their business operating with streaming and youtube KILLING them.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, it will get bad, like newspapers and radio did.
The thing is, the clock is ticking, because people are dropping cable and satellite at huge rates, so you can demand more, but the people paying may go away quicker than they will be able to capture the funds needed.
In 5-10 years things will get bad, and in 20, tv stations as we know them will have either all but shuttered or completely reinvented themselves. Knowing how this went for radio and newspapers, I doubt the suits handle the decisions well in tv.
Coincidentally, Perry Sook of Nexstar is THE reason this started and the reason stations have been able to keep this ship from sinking faster.