meredith and DISH - search results

Effective Dec. 18, certain Comcast Xfinity customers will be paying more to receive broadcast television stations serving their market. Rising retransmission consent deals are likely fueling the substantial jump in costs trickling down to subscribers. But, the percentage of impacted Xfinity consumers may be small.

The largest pay-TV providers in the U.S. – representing about 93% of the market – lost a whole lot of net video subscribers in Q2. And, the year-over-year increase in cord-cutters is a bit startling, new data from Leichtman Research Group show. Should broadcast TV worry?

The E.W. Scripps Co. saw a Q2 revenue gain that surpassed Wall Street estimates. A healthy retransmission fee rise was also seen in the quarter. But, Scripps' costs and expenses also increased. The result: a swing to a net loss. Investors were hardly pleased, sending SSP southward on Friday.

After nearly three weeks and much press attention, one of two protracted retransmission consent battles involving AT&T's television services platforms has ended. Full coverage for CBS has been restored across all DMAs. But, Nexstar-owned CBS stations remain dark.

Broadcast TV station owners, through retransmission consent agreements with DBS providers and MVPDs, get what they believe is a reasonable fee in exchange of allowing these services to profit from offering them to consumers. But, that fee is growing, and fast, Kagan data show.

NAB head Gordon Smith on Tuesday assailed the nation's DBS providers -- DISH and DirecTV parent AT&T -- for "purposefully withholding broadcast signals from viewers." The pro-MVPD American Television Alliance responded that "broadcasters are in need of a history lesson."

As expected, all CBS-owned TV stations on Saturday went dark on DirecTV, DirecTV NOW and U-Verse. This impacts 6.5 million paying subscribers, but the total number of Americans unable to easily view a local CBS station is even higher. Failed retransmission consent renewals are to blame.

A forthcoming cable TV services provider in what is considered an "orphan county" within a large DMA in the Gulf South region wanted a local TV market modification for two stations, including one owned by Gray Television. On Thursday, the MVPD got its wish from the FCC.

Should television viewers some 100 miles to the northeast of Atlanta that subscribe to DISH Network and AT&T's DirecTV be able to receive that market's TV stations? The government of rural Franklin County, Ga., says yes. That's why it filed a Petition for Modification of the Satellite Television Markets for four big Atlanta TV stations. On Monday, the Media Bureau rendered its decision.

Rep. Steve Scalise returned to work on Sept. 28 as the survivor of a shooting while at a Congressional baseball team practice three months earlier. Now, he's set to make himself known as the man who wants to do away with one of the thorniest matters facing broadcast TV companies and MVPDs of all shapes and sizes. The NAB isn't pleased. The American Cable Association and ATVA are.

In late June, Newsmax, the American Cable Association and the Parents Television Council each filed petitions to deny the merger of Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media with the FCC. Sinclair and Tribune have now responded with their joint filing of their "second consolidated opposition" to the petitions to deny their marriage.

FCC grants waiver allowing for deal to close even as Reverse Auction nears the end of Stage 4 on Friday