Dish Network Proposes Arbitration to Tribune in Fee Dispute
June 16 2016 - 11:00AM
Dow Jones News
Dish Network Corp. is asking Tribune Media Co. to let an
arbitrator settle a dispute over a new distribution agreement and
end a blackout of Tribune's 42 television stations and WGN cable
channel to the satellite broadcaster's customers.
On Sunday night, roughly 5 million Dish subscribers in 33
markets across 34 states and the District of Columbia lost access
to local TV stations owned by Tribune. About 7 million weren't
receiving the WGN America network.
"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 programming executive in
prepared remarks Wednesday.
At issue are fees that Tribune is seeking for carriage of its
stations and WGN America.
Tribune previously has said the deal it offered Dish was the
same one it has with other pay-TV distributors. In a press release
on Wednesday, Tribune said Dish has been "totally unresponsive" in
negotiating a new contract and that it had heard nothing after
delivering another proposal Sunday at 11:50 p.m. New York time. A
Tribune Media spokesman wasn't immediately available to comment
further Thursday morning.
Dish Network has contended that Tribune is demanding an
unreasonable price increase for its local channels, which are
available free with an antenna. In addition, an increase for WGN
America isn't warranted because the channel no longer carries
Chicago Cubs games and its ratings are down in Dish homes, the
satellite broadcaster previously has said.
Such fights over distribution fees have become commonplace in
the television industry.
Write to Tess Stynes at tess.stynes@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 16, 2016 10:45 ET (14:45 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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