Cox Media Group said it reached a long-term carriage agreement with Verizon Fios, avoiding a blackout both sides had warned viewers about.
"This deal with Verizon, consistent with our long history of carriage agreements, reflects the value of our market-leading stations and commitment to delivering vital and award-winning news and entertainment programming," CMG said in a statement. "We’re pleased to have reached this renewal before our prior deal expired, exemplifying our commitment to reaching timely and fair-market agreements with partners that negotiate in good faith."
CMG said the deal was reached before Thursday night’s deadline.
"We’re pleased to continue offering Cox stations on Fios channels," Verizon said in a statement.
CMG’s stations remain blacked out in a dispute with satellite-TV Dish Network.
Verizon began warning subscribers earlier this week of a blackout that would affect Cox Media Group stations WFXT Boston, a Fox affiliate, and WPXI Pittsburgh, an NBC affiliate. The Pittsburgh Cable News Channel is also covered by the agreement.
Fios has said the station had "proposed an unacceptable rate increase" to continue to carry the stations.
"We have been negotiating productively with Verizon for several weeks and remain optimistic we will come to terms on a fair market deal to keep our award-winning local news, investigative journalism, and popular sports and entertainment programming on Fios TV," CMG had said in a statement. ■
