DISH Asks Tribune to Agree to Binding, Baseball-Style Arbitration and End Blackout for DISH Customers; Touts Success of Free Over-The-Air Antenna Solution
"We want to return these local stations to our customers immediately, and binding, baseball-style arbitration offers a path to reach a fair deal and to serve the best interests of our customers," said Warren Schlichting, DISH executive vice president of Programming.
Tribune blacked out DISH customer access to 42 local channels in 33 markets early Sunday evening.
DISH continues to distribute tens of thousands of free over-the-air antennas to customers blacked out by Tribune Broadcasting. The offer remains active and DISH continues to fulfill orders.
"Our solution to offer free over-the-air antennas to impacted consumers has been tremendously successful, and provided consumers with a meaningful option to fight back against the unreasonable demands of broadcasters whose primary goal should be to serve the very consumers that they are using as pawns to gain negotiating leverage," said Warren Schlichting, DISH executive vice president of Programming.
At issue is the renewal of a new multi-year carriage agreement between DISH and Tribune. Tribune has asked for significant rate increases in the face of declining overall viewership.
In addition to asking for significant price increases for local channels, Tribune is attempting to "force bundle" an unrelated and low-performing cable channel, WGN America, with the media conglomerate's local broadcast stations.
- Tribune blocked DISH customers from its 42 local channels, WGN America on Sunday
- DISH proposes binding, baseball-style arbitration to reach a fair market-based deal and restore channels for the benefit of innocent consumers
- DISH fulfills tens of thousands of free OTA antenna requests as part of overwhelmingly successful program
"We want to return these local stations to our customers immediately, and binding, baseball-style arbitration offers a path to reach a fair deal and to serve the best interests of our customers," said Warren Schlichting, DISH executive vice president of Programming.
Tribune blacked out DISH customer access to 42 local channels in 33 markets early Sunday evening.
DISH continues to distribute tens of thousands of free over-the-air antennas to customers blacked out by Tribune Broadcasting. The offer remains active and DISH continues to fulfill orders.
"Our solution to offer free over-the-air antennas to impacted consumers has been tremendously successful, and provided consumers with a meaningful option to fight back against the unreasonable demands of broadcasters whose primary goal should be to serve the very consumers that they are using as pawns to gain negotiating leverage," said Warren Schlichting, DISH executive vice president of Programming.
At issue is the renewal of a new multi-year carriage agreement between DISH and Tribune. Tribune has asked for significant rate increases in the face of declining overall viewership.
In addition to asking for significant price increases for local channels, Tribune is attempting to "force bundle" an unrelated and low-performing cable channel, WGN America, with the media conglomerate's local broadcast stations.
