LIN TV, EchoStar Offer Joint Deal

LIN TV, embroiled in a retransmission-consent spat in Austin, Texas, with cable operator Suddenlink Communications, is offering a $50 prepaid MasterCard to new EchoStar Communications Dish Network satellite subscribers in markets where a LIN station is unavailable on cable.

LIN president and CEO Vincent Sadusky called Dish “a great option for multi-hannel television.”

LIN’s KXAN Austin went dark on the Suddenlink system New Year’s Eve after LIN and Suddenlink failed to reach a retransmission deal. A Suddenlink spokesperson said the cable operator would not pay “direct cash” for the right to air any broadcaster’s signal.

“Dish Network recognizes how important local stations are in the market, and we are pleased to provide an incentive for viewers to watch LIN TV’s premium local news, sports and entertainment programming on our satellite TV systems,” EchoStar senior vice president Eric Sahl said.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.