ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Nov. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Nexstar Media Group, the biggest native broadcast station proprietor within the nation, is threatening to black out DISH clients’ entry to 164 native channels in 120 markets throughout 42 states and the District of Columbia. The printed big is attempting to make use of its market energy to demand unreasonable fee will increase whereas deliberately utilizing hundreds of thousands of Individuals as pawns of their negotiations. This motion by Nexstar would end in shoppers being blacked out from the best variety of native broadcast stations within the nation’s TV historical past.

In recent times, Nexstar went on a $12 billion native broadcast station shopping for spree to grow to be the biggest and strongest station proprietor within the nation. Now that Nexstar is the most important within the business, it’s attempting to strong-arm firms like DISH to pay outrageous charges and pressure unprecedented will increase onto clients. The broadcaster continues to threaten to blackout its stations from DISH clients to achieve negotiation leverage in an effort to line its pockets with viewers’ hard-earned cash — a tactic it used final yr in opposition to DirecTV and AT&T U-verse.

“Since turning into the nation’s largest native station proprietor, Nexstar has elevated its annual income by $1 billion a yr. Now, it has set its sights on DISH clients as their subsequent huge payday,” stated Brian Neylon, Group President, DISH TV. “Nexstar is demanding greater than $1 billion in charges for its tv channels. This surprising enhance is the best we have ever seen. Nexstar is deliberately turning its again on its public curiosity obligation and as a substitute demanding shoppers pay considerably extra for the channels they might obtain totally free over-the-air.”

Nexstar can be forcing DISH to hold WGN America as a part of this deal, a channel that has skilled declining viewership lately. Nexstar acquired this channel when it purchased Tribune final yr. Now, the published proprietor is trying to DISH clients to pay again this funding. Nexstar is demanding a big fee for this low-rated channel that airs syndicated reruns discovered on different DISH stations and contains a information program that may be accessed totally free on-line.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic persevering with to have an effect on the nation and unemployment on the rise, subscribers want entry to their native programming,” stated Neylon. “Nexstar’s ways are hurting hundreds of thousands of Individuals at some of the tough instances in latest historical past.”

In an extra hit to clients, Nexstar introduced that it’s anticipating to pay out over $100 million to its shareholders — this is similar cash Nexstar is making on the backs of Individuals nationwide.

“It is our aim to achieve an settlement with Nexstar that’s truthful for all events concerned, particularly our clients,” added Neylon. “We’ll proceed to combat on behalf of our clients to maintain TV payments as little as doable, and we hope Nexstar sees how essential it’s to come back to a deal that’s useful for all.”

DISH clients can go to DISHPromise.com for extra data.

About DISH
DISH Community Company is a connectivity firm. Since 1980, it has served as a disruptive pressure, driving innovation and worth on behalf of shoppers. By its subsidiaries, the corporate gives tv leisure and award-winning know-how to hundreds of thousands of shoppers with its satellite tv for pc DISH TV and streaming SLING TV companies. In 2020, the corporate grew to become a nationwide U.S. wi-fi service via the acquisition of Enhance Cellular. DISH continues to innovate in wi-fi, constructing the nation’s first cloud native, OpenRAN-based 5G broadband community. DISH Community Company (NASDAQ: DISH) is a Fortune 250 firm.