Tegna Removes Local Channels from DISH TV Customers Nationwide
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a news release from DISH:
Tegna Inc. today removed its local stations from nearly 3 million DISH TV customers in 53 markets across the country. The programmer is using customers as negotiation leverage, demanding a massive fee increase to nearly a billion dollars and holding viewers hostage during football season.
"We made a fair offer to keep Tegna stations available to our customers, but Tegna rejected it, forcing the removal of its channels," said Brian Neylon, group president, DISH TV. "Tegna is looking to sell its stations to the highest bidder and is simply trying to exploit DISH customers as a way to get the maximum price and further fatten their wallets."
"Tegna is demanding we pay for
In the early 2000's, broadcasters like Tegna began charging cable and satellite companies to deliver their "free" local station signals to the public. This new revenue stream for broadcasters totaled a few million dollars in 2006, but has grown to over
"We apologize to our customers and we're deeply disappointed in Tegna's decision to remove its channels from DISH in an effort to try and force an unjustifiable fee increase that directly impacts our customers," said Neylon. "We can't sit by and accept Tegna's unreasonable demands. We will continue fighting on behalf of our customers to come to a fair deal that is beneficial for all."
Affected Stations
Tegna's action affects viewers of various ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CW, MNT and TDO stations in 53 markets nationwide. For a full list of affected stations, click here.
DISH customers can visit DISHPromise.com for more information.
About DISH
DISH Network Corporation is a connectivity company. Since 1980, it has served as a disruptive force, driving innovation and value on behalf of consumers. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides television entertainment and award-winning technology to millions of customers with its satellite DISH TV and streaming SLING TV services. In 2020, the company became a nationwide U.S. wireless carrier through the acquisition of Boost Mobile. DISH continues to innovate in wireless, building the nation's first cloud-native, Open RAN-based 5G broadband network. DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ:DISH) is a Fortune 200 company.
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SOURCE DISH Network Corporation