Dish Network Files FCC Complaint Regarding Sinclair Broadcast

By George Stahl 

Dish Network Corp. filed a complaint Saturday with the Federal Communications Commission, accusing station owner Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. of failing to negotiate in good faith on the next retransmission contract between the companies.

Dish alleged that Sinclair, one of the nation's largest broadcast station owners, is refusing to discuss retransmission consent for Sinclair's stations unless Dish also agrees to allow Sinclair to negotiate for 32 stations that Sinclair doesn't control and are in the same markets as Sinclair stations.

A Sinclair representative was unavailable for immediate comment. In an earnings call earlier this month, Sinclair acknowledged that it was in talks with Dish.

Sinclair also noted then that the retransmission rights for 75% of its subscriber base was up for renewal over the next 12 months, giving the company an opportunity to reset the fees it receives under those deals.

Dish said the retransmission consent contract between the two sides expires at 11:59 p.m. EDT Saturday. According to Dish, no new contract could produce the "largest local channel blackout in retransmission consent history" and block Dish customers' access to 153 local channels in 79 markets.

Until recently, Dish said, the two sides had been making steady progress in their negotiations.

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