The American Television Alliance, which represents satellite and cable companies, said it is launching an ad campaign criticizing Cox Media Group, whose stations have been blacked out to AT&T pay TV subscribers in a retransmission consent dispute since Tuesday.
The ATVA ad blames Wall Street--CMG is owned by Apollo Global Management--for holding Sunday’s Super Bowl hostage in order to get higher fees from AT&T’s DirecTV, U-verse and AT&T TV.
Also Read: Top AT&T Exec ‘Demands’ Cox Return Station Signals
“Don’t let Wall Street Black Out Main Street. Call 212 515 3200 now. Tell Apollo to turn the game back on,” reads one of the ads. “You could see fuzz instead of football this weekend,” reads another.
Also Read: AT&T Makes Cox Retrans Impasse Pitch to Hill
The ads are running online in the five markets affected, including Seattle, and in Washington D.C., using social media as well as local sports, local news, politics and on trade and industry publications.
“ATVA’s campaign will help ensure consumers know this blackout is a contrived tactic being used by Wall Street giant Apollo Global Management to hold the Super Bowl hostage in order to boost their bottom line,” said ATVA spokeswoman Jessica Kendust.
Also Read: Congressman Jared Huffman Calls on Cox to Restore Channels
“Our campaign asks consumers to help stop this egregious service interruption by telling Apollo and their Cox stations not to let Wall Street black out Main Street,” Kendust said. “We also hope policymakers in Washington are taking notice of Apollo and Cox’s behavior and will advance consumer-first television reforms to crack down on this type of egregious price-gouging.”
