Failed Retrans Talks See Raycom Carriage Disruption on U-Verse
AT&T's U-Verse service is far more prone to blackouts since the company bought DirecTV in 2015, Raycom Media said Thursday after its stations were dropped from the U-Verse lineup in 23 markets due to an impasse in retransmission consent talks.…
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In a news release, Raycom CEO Pat LaPlatney said retrans agreements "are important free-market negotiations that sustain broadcast localism. It is unfortunate that AT&T U-Verse appears to be involving their customers in their broader business strategy.” In a statement, AT&T said Raycom "is deliberately preventing its stations from reaching their homes until Raycom receives a significant increase in fees even though the same people can still watch its shows for free over-the-air and, typically, online at each network's website or using those network's apps. We have asked Raycom repeatedly to allow our customers to watch [the NCAA Men's Division I basketball tournament] while we work this business matter out privately, but Raycom continues to refuse." Station-induced blackouts "are on a record pace in 2017 totaling more than 125 blackouts in 81 cities, and costing nearly 18 million families at least some temporary disruption," the telco said. American TV Alliance said 2017 already has had more than 125 blackouts, exceeding all of 2016. "As this surging blackout crisis rolls on, big network executives are not only raking in cash at new record highs, but local stations have shown little courage to stop gouging a much smaller number of American families who still continue to remain loyal," it said.