RSSKIMA, DISH Network in contract squabble
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Yakima residents watching television on DISH Network have lost access to the local CBS affiliate.
The DISH Network dropped KIMA-TV along with several other networks owned by Fisher Broadcasting at 11 p.m. Wednesday after the two parties failed to agree on a new contract.
The dispute is over how much DISH Network should pay to access the network signal.
“Despite Fisher’s good-faith efforts to negotiate a new agreement, we were unable to reach acceptable terms to ensure that DISH provides us fair compensation for the value they receive from broadcasting our stations, which have leading positions in their markets and consistently deliver highly viewed news and programming,” Rob Dunlop, Fisher’s senior vice president of operations, said in a statement released Thursday.
DISH Network, however, contends the fees sought by Fisher Broadcasting are unreasonable.
“Fisher has asked for over an 80 percent increase (in fees) from our customers, who should not be required to ‘bail out’ Fisher management for underperforming stations,” the company said in a statement Thursday.
KIMA-TV can still be accessed on free, over-the-air reception, on rival satellite provider DIRECTV, or on cable.
• Mai Hoang can be reached at 577-7685 or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.
What Mai Hoang fails to mention is that Fisher Broadcasting is wanting to increase their carriage rate by 82%.
Fisher can do whatever they want, but I think it's a bad move. People are having to move to digital, and most will probably be looking for cable or satellite, instead of getting a box. I would imagine that since DISH is cheaper, and the current economic conditions, more people would get DISH.
They are losing a good number of viewers by having DISH drop their broadcast. Less viewers equals less ad revenue.
Perhaps they are letting this happen on purpose so that Dish will cancel the contract before it is up and make way for a more lucrative deal with Direct TV? (Just throwing out another scenario as a possibility, but know nothing about it.)
Report ViolationOk, it's been a week now. Fisher, it's time to burst your huge ego and work out a reasonable deal with DISH. Stop being rediculous and greedy over a FREE channel!
Report Violation
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