DIRECTV Could Lose 18 Local TV Stations

Washington, D.C. (October 13, 2011) -- DIRECTV is involved in a fee fight with broadcast Belo Corp. which could force the satcaster to remove Belo's 18 local stations by the end of the month.

That's according to an article by the Dallas Observer.

The publication reports that the current agreement between DIRECTV and Belo is scheduled to expire on November 1. DIRECTV's web site has noted that the two sides are still working on a new agreement and several newspapers in Belo markets have written articles telling their readers that they could lose their local signals on DIRECTV.

It has become commonplace for TV providers and broadcasters to paint worse-case scenarios during negotiations for new programming pacts. However, in several cases, the two sides could not reach a deal and viewers were suddenly denied access to their favorite channels.

Belo claims that DIRECTV underpays local broadcasters for the right to carry their channels, a charge that the satcaster denies. In fact, DIRECTV tells the Observer that Belo is engaging in scare tactics:

"Belo has decided to notify its viewers of our discussions, which is something they did during similar talks with Time Warner Cable and DISH Network last year. None of those customers ever lost access to Belo stations and we expect the same positive result here. Their TV commercials are nothing more than a routine approach to try and gain leverage in negotiations. DirecTV customers should ignore Belo's scare tactics and enjoy their DirecTV service as they always have," DIRECTV said in a statement.

The Belo stations that could be affected are:

Dallas (ABC)
Houston (CBS)
Phoenix (CW)
Seattle (NBC)
Portland (NBC)
Charlotte (NBC)
San Antonio (CBS)
Hampton Roads (ABC)
Austin (ABC)
Louisville (ABC)
New Orleans (CBS, My Network)
Tucson (Fox, My Network)
Spokane (CBS, CW)
Boise (NBC)
St. Louis (CBS)

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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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