Raycom Blasts AT&T Over Continued Blackout

Raycom Media stations in 23 markets went dark on AT&T U-Verse systems at 11:59 p.m. ET on March 15. With no new agreement forthcoming, Raycom today issued a new statement targeted at AT&T.

“This disruption of service with Raycom Media represents the fifth time that AT&T U-Verse has had a disruption of service with broadcasters since their merger with DirecTV. Prior to the AT&T merger with DirecTV, AT&T U-Verse had no signal disruptions during retransmission negotiations.

“AT&T U-Verse, now combined with DirecTV, appears to be using programming disruptions as an opportunity to switch AT&T U-Verse customers to its DirecTV service. When disgruntled AT&T U- Verse subscribers call to lodge a complaint, they are offered a subscription with DirecTV, the very same company as AT&T. In some instances, subscribers are also pushed to DirecTV NOW, a service that in many markets does not carry any local broadcast affiliates: a zero-sum game for subscribers.”

Pat LaPlatney, Raycom Media president-CEO, said: “Maintaining our connection to our local communities is always the goal in our negotiations. Raycom Media offered three extensions through this negotiation process in an effort to continue our negotiations without affecting our viewers on the AT&T U-Verse system. “In the last three years, Raycom Media has successfully negotiated retransmission consent agreements with 99.5% of operators without an interruption in service. It’s difficult to negotiate an agreement if that is not part of the AT&T U-Verse business plan.”

Raycom said it reached a total of 11 retransmission agreements with multichannel video programming distributors in 2016. The deals covered 41 Raycom Media markets, and maintained service to over 2.5 million subscribers with no disruption, representing over 15% of the total subscriber base that chooses to view Raycom Media programming via a MVPD.