Media General Stations pulled from Dish

[broadcastfan9751 140]

Broadcasting & Cable is reporting that Media General has pulled 18 of its stations from Dish after negotiations for a new retransmission consent contract fell through. Dish claims that it has attempted to reach a new agreement, but that Media General has remained immovable in it's demands. Dish also apparently proposed a short-term extension of the previous contract until their merger with Young Broadcasting is completed. It is also calling for reform of the retransmission consent process. It is the first retransmission blackout in Media General's history.

[Mrtraveler01 738]

 

Broadcasting & Cable is reporting that Media General has pulled 18 of it's stations from Dish after negotiations for a new retransmission consent contract fell through. Dish claims that it has attempted to reach a new agreement, but that Media General has remained immovable in it's demands. Dish also apparently proposed a short-term extension of the previous contract until their merger with Young Broadcasting is completed. It is also calling for reform of the retransmission consent process. It is the first retransmission blackout in Media General's history.

 

Dish is starting to be as bad as Time Warner Cable is with this stuff.

 

I can't figure out why Dish keeps getting themselves into this situation.

[Samantha 2902]

 

Dish is starting to be as bad as Time Warner Cable is with this stuff.

 

I can't figure out why Dish keeps getting themselves into this situation.

 

Two words: Charlie Ergen.

[Rusty Muck 4405]

I can't figure out why Dish keeps getting themselves into this situation.

 

Two words: Charlie Ergen.

This doesn't help, either.

[broadcastfan9751 140]

TVNewsCheck is reporting that Media General has asked Dish to restore WJTV in Jackson, MS, WHLT in Hattiesburg, MS, WKRG in Mobile, AL, and WVTM in Birmingham, AL in order to provide viewers with information on Tropical Storm Karen.

[Samantha 2902]

Classy move from Media General.

[broadcastfan9751 140]

Broadcasting & Cable reports that Dish has filed a Good Faith Negotiation complaint with the FCC against Media General, asking the FCC to require Media General to submit to third-party mediation.

[DirtyHarry 727]

Interesting how Google picks things up from the World Now sites. WCMH GM Dan Bradley gives his "Don't Drop WCMH" speech ... courtesy of the WFLA website.

 

http://www.wfla.com/story/22611323/dont-drop-wcmh

 

By changing the domain, I can turn it into a WVTM story:

 

http://www.alabamas13.com/story/22611323/dont-drop-wcmh

[DirtyHarry 727]

 

Dish is starting to be as bad as Time Warner Cable is with this stuff.

 

I can't figure out why Dish keeps getting themselves into this situation.

 

As someone with an interest in keeping my cable bill as low as possible, it's hard for me not to admire Time Warner for playing hardball. Everybody wants a piece of the cable money pool so its hard for me to fault them.

[tyrannical bastard 4036]

Dish is especially bad at these retrans standoffs. Their track record is horrible when compared to DirecTV and other cable companies. Being that this is the first time Media General has ever had a standoff with any pay tv provider...Dish is taking the low road parading around town telling you about how "CBS 5" and "ABC 6" (whatever your local MG station is) are taking away your right to watch them on Dish. When you add up the other companies they have had issues with... (Lin, Raycom, Hoak, etc....) you start to see where the problem really lies....

[Samantha 2902]

The Hoak one is still ongoing, I think.

 

The Hopper and Ergen, plus the retrans environment of today, do not help.

 

But even before the Hopper they had disputes. They had a long one with Fisher, I recall, and an unusually protracted one with a single station—WBRZ Baton Rouge. I think that one lasted at least a year.

[broadcastfan9751 140]

In a related story, Dish has submitted an objection Media General's merger with Young Broadcasting, saying that Media General is attempting to extend its retransmission consent terms to the Young stations when the deal is completed, which it says could be a violation of FCC rules.

[Thundershock MN 169]

 

In a related story, Dish has submitted an objection Media General's merger with Young Broadcasting, saying that Media General is attempting to extend its retransmission consent terms to the Young stations when the deal is completed, which it says could be a violation of FCC rules.

 

For the most part this is standard operating procedure. A WSJ article also pointed this out back in July stating "big station groups can apply the fee terms they’ve negotiated to smaller stations they buy, providing an immediate uplift in fee revenue." For example, let's say MG was able to negotiate 50 cents per station and Young only 25 cents per station. If this was a straight up acquisition of Young by MG the MG rates would then apply to the Young stations upon closing. Without knowing all the details I think the issue here is that it's a merger and not an acquisition. It looks like MG is trying to cover their bases and extend terms that wouldn't normally apply with a merger.