When it comes to bitter, protracted retransmission consent stalemates, there is perhaps no broadcaster that has had as many “blackouts” as Northwest Broadcasting.
The company owned by Brian Brady has had its battles with Charter Communications and, twice, with DirecTV. They lasted months.
Now, with Northwest poised to become part of a new entity that combines the stations with those of Cox Media Group and the financial support of Apollo Global Management, a lengthy impasse between Northwest and DirecTV has suddenly ended.
In a message appearing on the Fox Syracuse website for WSYT-68 in Syracuse, N.Y., Northwest Broadcasting confirmed that a long-term agreement has been reached with AT&T.
This results in Northwest’s 18 stations in 10 markets being restored to the DirecTV line-up.
“Northwest regrets the inconvenience this has placed on our valued viewers,” it said.
It offered no further comment or apology for a bitter battle that forced DirecTV, by law, to block its subscribers from receiving any Northwest-owned channels as of Feb. 22, 2019.
Similarly worded messages appeared across all Northwest stations’ websites as of Noon Friday (10/11), noting that resumption of carriage may vary from market to market as it is at the discretion of DirecTV.
Northwest’s holdings are comprised of the following stations:
- CBS affiliate KSWT-13; Estrella TV, on KSWT-13.2; and NBC affiliate KYMA-11 in Yuma, Ariz.
- CBS affiliate KJRW-17 (formerly KVIQ); DT multicast channels with the market’s affiliates for The CW and MyNetworkTV; and NBC affiliate KIEM-3 in Eureka-Arcata, Calif. This impacted only Del Norte County and the town of Crescent City, Calif., area, as Altice USA-owned Suddenlink is the main provider serving Humboldt County.
- KFFX-11 in Yakima, Wash., the market’s FOX affiliate, and simulcast partner KCYU-LD 41 in Tri-Cities, Wash.
- FOX affiliate KMVU-26 in Medford-Ashland, Ore.
- KAYU-28 in Spokane, the market’s FOX affiliate.
- FOX affiliate WSYT-68 in Syracuse.
- NBC affiliate KPVI-6 in Idaho Falls-Pocatello, Idaho.
- FOX affiliate WICZ-40 in Binghamton, N.Y.
- Lost Coast Broadcasting’s KLAX-31 and KWCE-LP 27 in Alexandria, Va., acquired in September 2018. Some 50.1% ownership in the company is held by NBI Holdings LLC — a limited liability company that is wholly owned by Brian Brady.
- WABG (ABC), WABG-HD2 (FOX), WNBD (NBC), and WXVT (CBS), all stations serving the Greenville-Greenwood, Miss., DMA.
Northwest and DirecTV have had a difficult history. Northwest stations were prevented from reaching DirecTV customers in January 2011 and did not return until four weeks later, just in time for the Super Bowl. Then came a new impasse and “blackout,” in late August 2012.
In 2018, a bitter retransmission fee dispute with Charter Communications‘ Spectrum MVPD service lasted four months.
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