Dish Network, Sinclair Broadcast Extend Contract Talks--Update

By George Stahl 

Dish Network Corp. and Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. agreed to a short-term contract extension that would allow the satellite-TV provider to broadcast Sinclair's stations as the two sides continued to negotiate a new retransmission agreement.

Specific details about the short-term extension were not immediately available, but Dish said the extension preserves access for its customers to 153 local Sinclair channels in 79 markets nationwide.

The retransmission contract was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. EDT Saturday, Dish said.

Meanwhile, Dish added that while the two parties continue to negotiate, it is asking the Federal Communications Commission to stay action on the complaint that the satellite-TV provider filed Saturday against Sinclair. In the complaint, Dish had accused Sinclair of failing to negotiate in good faith on the retransmission contract.

Dish had alleged that Sinclair, one of the nation's largest broadcast station owners, was refusing to discuss retransmission consent for Sinclair's stations unless Dish also agreed 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.

According to Dish, no new contract with Sinclair could produce the "largest local channel blackout in retransmission consent history."

Write to George Stahl at [e-mail]

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