Dish Network and Citadel Communications said they reached a multi-year agreement for Dish to carry Citadel’s WLNE-TV in Providence, R.I., after a series of temporary extensions.
The previous retransmission agreement between the station and the distributor expired on Aug. 18. The station has remained available via satellite through a series of short, week-long extensions as negotiations continued.
Related: WLNE STays on DIsh
The companies issued a brief statement announcing the agreement, but did not disclose the terms.
When a blackout was a possibility, Dish handed out digital antennas so that its subscribers would be able to continue to watch the ABC affiliate over-the air.
“The fastest rising cost of almost any pay-TV bill is what broadcasters like Citadel charge for local channels, but they are available for free with a digital antenna,” said Dish executive VP of marketing, programming and media sales Warren Schlichting in a statement when the dispute became public. “While other pay-TV providers charge ‘Broadcast TV’ fees, Dish is asking, ‘Why pay for channels if you can get them with an antenna for free?’ ”
