Dish Looks To Lose LIN Stations On Friday

Unable to come to terms on retransmission consent agreement, LIN Media says 27 of the TV stations it owns or manages in 17 markets will likely be coming off Dish Network this Friday (March 4) at midnight when LIN’s current retrans contract with the satellite TV operators is set to expire.

At issue in such negotiations are the fees that broadcasters demand from cable and satellite operators for permission to carry their stations.

“Our highly-rated television stations are important assets to our communities and it is unfortunate that Dish does not recognize their fair market value,” added LIN Media CEO Vincent Sadusky in a prepared statement. “We look forward to continuing negotiations … to reach a deal before our contract expires.”

Affected markets: Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; Buffalo, N.Y.; Columbus, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Grand Rapid, Mich.; Green Bay, Wis.; Indianapolis; Lafayette, Ind.; Mobile, Ala.; New Haven, Conn.; Norfolk, Va.; Providence, R.I.; Springfield, Mass.; Terre Haute, Ind.; and Toledo, Ohio.