The latest broadcast TV retransmission consent fee impasse appears to be brewing — this time in the Keystone State and in New England communities where Verizon Fios customers have access to cable television packages.
Verizon has started to notify its customers that they may lose “some channels” in the coming days, because of “unreasonable demands” by the stations’ owner.
That would be Hearst Television.
In a formal statement sent to RBR+TVBR on Tuesday (12/29), Verizon confirmed that it has started warning some of its customers that Hearst-owned stations could be disappearing from local lineups soon.
And, it put the blame on Hearst, which it says is “demanding unreasonably large rate increases that might force customers to pay more to access the same content.”
Verizon was typically accusatory, as all MVPD tend to be when negotiations go bad.
“While millions of Americans are struggling in an ongoing pandemic, Hearst Television has demanded Verizon pay increases so high that it might force customers’ monthly bills to go up,” Verizon claims. “Verizon will not stand for that. This is in an effort to protect customers from unreasonable costs.”
Verizon’s statement further elucidates its position.
What does this mean for customers in impacted markets? Access to such channels as WBAL-11 in Baltimore, WGAL-8 in Harrisburg, WTAE-4 in Pittsburgh, WCVB-5 in Boston and WMUR-8 in Manchester, N.H. is in question, with a “blackout” in lieu of a new retransmission consent agreement possible come Jan. 1, 2021.
A Hearst spokesperson declined to comment when reached by RBR+TVBR.
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