In the latest melee in the war over retransmission fees between pay TV
providers and broadcasters, Sinclair Broadcast Group's 70 stations in
45 markets are set to go dark for Dish Network at midnight Wednesday.Dish
claimed Sinclair, after months of negotiations, is demanding a "massive
price increase" that would force the satellite operator pay more than
it pays any other broadcaster.
In a statement late Monday,
Sinclair said it is continuing to negotiate with Dish on a new agreement
but that it "believes significant doubt exists as to whether or not a
new agreement will be reached with Dish." The companies' agreement
expires 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, Aug. 16.
Dish senior vice
president Dave Shull said in a statement, "We carry more than 1,800
local broadcast stations nationwide. Sinclair is asking for more than
any other station anywhere in the country. This goes beyond pure
corporate greed -- it's profoundly insensitive to the needs of the
public."
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