- Hearst pushes unreasonable
demands
- Hearst blacks out channels
to create negotiation leverage
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Sept. 8,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite DISH Network's efforts
to negotiate in good faith, Hearst Television, Inc. has forced a
channel blackout on DISH TV removing customers' access to 37 local
channels in 27 markets. DISH has been in discussions with
Hearst for months working to reach
an agreement to keep its channels on air for customers. Instead,
Hearst is demanding tens of
millions of dollars in rate increases that would affect customers,
while it devalues its product by making programming available
elsewhere, even as viewership declines.
"Hearst continues to raise its
prices despite its declining viewership and lower-quality content,"
said Gary Schanman, executive vice president and group president,
video services, DISH Network. "Demanding higher rates for the same
entertainment and news just doesn't make sense, especially as
Hearst's content is widely
available on other platforms. This hurts our customers in their
pocketbooks and their ability to watch the programming and content
they want. Unfortunately, Hearst,
like many other programmers, expects DISH and our customers to foot
the bill."
Hearst's unreasonable demands
for its current channels and programming on DISH, along with
declining viewership and sharing its content on other platforms,
further demonstrates the disconnect between programming providers
and distributors. Other recent examples of programmers using the
same anti-consumer tactics are Nexstar with DirecTV and
Disney with Charter.
"It's a broken system. As programmers continue to hold
distributors hostage, customers will end up being impacted the
most. We'll continue to negotiate for a fair deal to provide the
best value for our customers," added Schanman. "Hearst is an important long-term partner for
us, and we hope they'll come to a reasonable agreement and restore
their channels for our customers as quickly as possible."
Hearst's action affects viewers
of various ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MNT and IND channels across 27
markets.
Channels impacted by Hearst's
blackout include: Alburquerque, NM (KOAT), Baltimore, MD (WBAL), Birmingham, AL (WVTM), Boston, MA (WCVB & WMUR), Burlington, VT (WNNE & WPTZ),Cincinnati, OH (WLWT), Des Moines, IA (KCCI), Fort Myers, FL (WBBH), Fort Smith, AR (KHBS & KHBSD & KHOG),
Greensboro, NC (WCWG & WXII),
Greenville, SC (WYFF),
Harrisburg, PA (WGAL),
Jackson, MS (WAPT), Kansas City, MO (KCWE & KMBC),
Louisville, KY (WLKY),
Milwaukee, WI (WISN), Monterey, CA (KSBW & KSBWD), New Orleans, LA (WDSU), Oklahoma City, OK (KOCO), Omaha, NE (KETV), Orlando, FL (WESH & WKCF), Pittsburgh, PA (WTAE), Portland, ME (WMTW & WPXT), Sacramento, CA (KCRA & KQCA), Savannah, GA (WJCL), Tampa, FL (WMOR), West Palm Beach, FL (WPBF).
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 virtualized, O-RAN 5G
broadband network. DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) is a
Fortune 200 company.
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SOURCE DISH Network Corporation