WFMJ Youngstown Dropped From Dish

Earlier today Dish Network dropped NBC affiliate WFMJ Youngstown, Ohio (DMA 110). from its lineup in Youngstown after Dish and the station failed to reach agreement on terms for a new carriage contract. Under law, satellite and cable providers cannot carry television stations without an agreement in place.

Jack Grdic, WFMJ GM, said in a statement: “We are disappointed that Dish Network chose to drop WFMJ from its lineup. We have been negotiating with Sish for several months and have agreed to extend the old agreement several times. We made a last-ditch effort to avoid a service interruption this morning by substantially revising our offer in Dish’s favor. But Dish did not make a counterproposal. Instead, Dish close to let the old agreement expire.”

Grdic also said: “We are particularly surprised that Dish Network would choose to drop WFMJ, the NBC affiliate for Youngstown, just three weeks before the London Olympic Games. Fortunately, our viewers have many different optionos to receive WFMJ….” He said the station is being carried “by all other local cable and satellite distributors…and, of course, [it is] always available free over the air.”

He added: “We want to assure our viewers that we will continue to try to persuade Dish Network To carry WFMJ …, but we cannot predict if or when Dish will restore WFMJ.”