DirecTV, Belo Stations Reach Last-Minute Deal

Hours before a deadline, DirecTV said it reached a long-term retransmission consent agreement that avoids a blackout of the Belo TV stations.

"We have reached a long-term agreement with Belo that will allow our customers to continue to enjoy their favorite channels and shows," DirecTV said in a statement. "These disputes should never involve viewers and we appreciate our customers' patience as we worked to successfully complete this agreement."

Terms of the deal were not announced.

The agreement comes a day after DirecTV avoided a blackout of about 20 Fox cable channels including FX and National Geographic Channel. News Corp. and the satellite broadcaster came to an agreement that covered the 20 cable channels, plus Fox News Channel and the Fox broadcast network.

Belo did not respond for comment at press time.

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.