Daines says DirecTV, Cordillera to restore CBS programs

Sen. Steve Daines on Saturday announced that DirecTV and television station owner Cordillera Communications have reached an agreement to restore CBS programs and end a 10-day blackout of the network across much of Montana.

Daines, R-Mont., tweeted that the impasse was finally over: "Excited to share that DirecTV & Cordillera have found agreement to restore Montanans' CBS programming — just in time for tomorrow's game!"

DirecTV subscribers in Great Falls, Bozeman, Missoula, Billings, Butte and Helena were unable to receive CBS programming beginning Jan. 1 — the day after DirecTV's pre-existing retransmission contract with Cordillera Communications expired.

Minnesota-based Cordillera Communications, which owns six Montana television stations including KRTV in Great Falls, had been in negotiations with DirecTV over the payment of "retransmission consent fees" for the past several months.

The blackout was a result of the two companies' inability to reach agreement over the fees DirecTV pays Cordillera Communications to air its programing.

Both companies blamed the other for the stalemate.

Daines entered the fray on Friday with a letter directed to the two parties, urging both sides to end the conflict.

"These subscribers are missing local news, public affairs programing and emergency weather alerts that they have subscribed to and expect to receive," Daines wrote. "I urge both parties to come to a resolution on negotiations in a timely manner for the sake of Montana viewers."

The letter brought both companies to attention.

Dan York, DirecTV executive vice president and chief content officer, responded back to Daines in writing: "As one of the largest private employers in Montana, we share your concern and are ready to immediately restore these stations on DirecTV. We remain available to negotiate."

DirecTV spokesman Thomas Tyrer said that around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday that "Cordillera Communications and DirecTV have agreed in principle on a new agreement that will enable 10 local broadcast stations owned by Cordillera Communications to return into DirecTV local customers' homes immediately."

Heath Heggem, KRTV station manager, said Saturday that service had been restored to the nearly 9,000 DirecTV subscribers in the area who were affected.

"From our standpoint, we want to thank our viewers for their loyalty and support through this process," he said. Heggem, station manager.

On Saturday, Daines put out a news release praising the agreement.

"Thousands of Montanans rely on our local news stations for valuable local news programming and sports coverage. I'm glad to see that following my letter, DirecTV and Cordillera have found an agreement that will restore Montana subscribers' access to CBS programming," Daines stated.

Tyrer said that each station has already been re-authorized back into Montana homes and viewers should experience no further interruptions.

"We look forward to no one having any trouble accessing CBS across Montana for at least the next few years," Tyrer said.