KSN programming removed from DirecTV

DirecTV is no longer carrying KSNF programming as of 6 p.m. Sunday. The programming of KODE, which is managed by KSNF owner Nexstar Broadcasting, has not been carried on DirecTV since October.

The news releases of Nexstar Broadcasting and DirecTV are printed below:

(From Nexstar Broadcasting)

Tonight (Sunday) at 7 p.m. ET, DIRECTV removed from its satellite, cable, and streaming systems the network and local community programming provided to more than ten million of its subscribers by 159 local television stations owned by Nexstar Media Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST) (“Nexstar”). 

 The disruption in service affects DIRECTV, Uverse and DIRECTV Stream subscribers. DIRECTV and Nexstar were unable to reach a new distribution agreement allowing the DIRECTV the right to continue airing the highly rated programming on Nexstar’s local stations. In addition, DIRECTV rejected Nexstar’s offer to extend the current distribution agreement to Oct. 31, 2023.

As a result, millions of Americans across the country have lost their access to local news, traffic, weather, sports, and entertainment programming, critical updates regarding summer storms and tornadoes, as well as the upcoming battle in soccer for the Women’s World Cup, and Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game.

DIRECTV and Nexstar were also unable to reach an agreement to allow DIRECTV the right to continue carrying Nexstar’s national cable news network, NewsNation. Millions of DIRECTV subscribers have lost access to the news and analysis of such shows as “Elizabeth Vargas Reports,” “Cuomo,” “Dan Abrams Live,” and “Banfield.”

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. In addition, as a result of DIRECTV’s actions, subscribers will not be able to view Women’s World Cup Soccer, British Open golf, LIV Golf, MLB’s All-Star Game, and all of the entertainment programming provided by Nexstar’s network partners, CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, The CW and MyNet. If the interruption in service continues for a protracted period of time, DIRECTV subscribers are at risk of losing access to pre-season NFL Football, and perhaps the opening games of the 2023-24 football season.

Nexstar remains hopeful that a resolution can be reached quickly to return to viewers their favorite network programming, live sporting events, in-depth local news, and other local content relevant to their communities, as well as critical emergency updates for which DIRECTV is charging its subscribers.

Consumers and viewers affected by the blackout can phone DIRECTV at 800-531-5000.

(From DirecTV)

The nation's largest local broadcaster, Nexstar Media Group, is forcing the temporary loss of more than 200 stations for DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM and U-verse customers in more than 100 metro areas following the recent contract expiration. After denying Nexstar's demands for DIRECTV to pay more than double the previous fees for the same content, DIRECTV lost the rights to offer Nexstar-controlled ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CW stations in select markets, as well as NewsNation.

Since the end of 2022 alone, Nexstar has threatened or removed stations it owns or controls from DIRECTV (Oct. 2022), Verizon FIOS (Oct. 2022), Comcast Xfinity (Dec. 2022), DISH Network (Jan. 2023), FuboTV (Feb.-March 2023) and Altice USA-Optimum (March 2023).

"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."

Nexstar owns or controls many different combinations of multiple ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates serving the same communities across 36 different metro regions. Nexstar continues to manipulate loopholes to exceed the 39% national ownership cap, and has made public statements lauding its 68% reach across all U.S. TV households. That means viewers in many metro areas will temporarily lose several local broadcast stations at the same time. What's more, Nexstar also seeks to force the CW and less popular channels into DIRECTV lineups, which would only increase costs for customers.

These demands come at a time when, according to the FCC, pay TV viewers are already paying an estimated $200 annually for local station programming designed to be free over-the-air. Additionally, ratings for broadcast networks have continued plummeting 46% in total viewers since 2010, and Nexstar itself has acknowledged that the major networks have shifted key live sports and other popular programs online, making many of Nexstar's top-rated shows and events less valuable.

Nexstar has additionally been withholding 27 stations that it controls but does not own from Mission and White Knight Broadcasting across 23 of these very same metro areas from DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and U-verse homes since mid-October of last year. On March 15 DIRECTV filed an antitrust suit in federal court, and on June 30 DIRECTV filed a legal complaint with the FCC, describing how Nexstar and its sham sidecars are conspiring to manipulate the cost of retransmission consent to American consumers.

While DIRECTV continues negotiations to return Nexstar programming to DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM and U-verse, customers can access much of the news, sports and entertainment programming on both local station and national network websites and apps, streaming services, and over-the-air.

Ongoing information and status updates are available at www.tvpromise.com.