54 local TV stations go dark
The rebroadcast battle between Scripps and DirecTV has escalated, with 54 local Scripps stations in 36 Nielsen-designated markets going dark on Sundays starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Both sides blamed each other for the blackout, which according to DirecTV took place just before several state and local primaries in June, as well as the upcoming NBA and NHL finals on ABC, and the US Open golf tournament on NBC.
DirecTV said Scripps is “demanding the highest rates DIRECTV has ever received from any channel group, which would continue to dramatically increase costs for consumers and businesses already struggling with affordability. After DirecTV rejected these demands and sought a more reasonable agreement, Scripps opted to remove its channels from viewers in several major markets nationwide.”
However, Scripps said it has “engaged in good-faith negotiations with DirecTV to reach an equitable agreement that serves both businesses and, most importantly, consumers. Unfortunately, DirecTV has chosen to remove the local Scripps stations from its lineup, employing the same heavy-handed tactics that have become synonymous with pay-TV operators who harm their own subscribers by using them as a bargaining chip in contractual disputes. Scripps stations, by contrast, have only come out of the closet twice.” since we started broadcasting in the 1940s.”
However, DirecTV noted that Scripps had just removed 40 stations from Comcast Xfinity in 19 markets for more than a month, starting April 1.
“We understand that customers are frustrated by temporarily losing their usual access to Scripps stations and the local news, network programming and live sports they offer,” said Rob Thun, chief content officer at DirecTV. “Unfortunately, Scripps is demanding the highest rates we have ever seen for programming that remains available for free over the air and through many third-party channel, network and streaming apps. We remain committed to protecting customers from arbitrary and unnecessary cost increases for less popular programming, while we still work to restore the stations that many viewers rely on.”
But Scripps said in their statement: “Scripps remains committed to reaching a fair resolution that returns our local channels to DirecTV’s paying subscribers. At stake is our viewers’ fundamental access to trusted local journalism, critical weather alerts, emergency information and live sports programming that strengthens community ties – all vital public interest content that Scripps makes substantial investments in every day.”
Markets affected by the retrans blackout include Baltimore, Boise, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Lexington, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Omaha, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Tampa-St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach, among others.
In the meantime, DirecTV suggested sports fans access programming through the ESPN app, while Scripps suggested free wireless with an antenna, or else Tablo TV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo or “other streaming and cable services.”
