Dish Network and Schurz Communications avoided a blackout of
the broadcasters' stations in six cities, reaching a retransmission consent
agreement just minutes before their old pact was set to expire.
Schurz stations KTUU (NBC) in Anchorage, Alaska; KY3 (NBC),
KCZ (The CW) and KSPR (ABC) in Springfield, Mo.; WDBJ (CBS) in Roanoke, Va,;
WSBT (CBS) in South Bend, Ind.; WAGT (NBC) in Augusta, Ga.; and KWCH (CBS) and
KSCW (The CW) in Wichita, Kan., were scheduled
to go dark at midnight on Dec. 21. Earlier, Dish had said Schurz was
demanding a five-fold rate increase and a surcharge for its ad-skipping DVR
service Auto Hop.
Schurz said on its corporate
website that "terms of the agreement are still being hammered out, but both
sides have agreed to keep stations on Dish to avoid any disruption to
consumers."
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