Today, Apollo Global Management blocked Cox Media Group’s local channels in 10 markets for DISH clients.
DISH and Apollo have been discussing Dish’s transportation agreement for Cox stations and the ongoing litigation ended when Apollo acquired the stations. According to an announcement sent by DISH today, in January, the Cook County (Illinois) Circuit Court issued a temporary restraining order that prohibited Apollo from interfering with DISH’s right to rebroadcast Cox stations under the original Cox settlement. . The case was later transferred to federal court, and earlier today the federal court dissolved the temporary restraining order.
In order for that restraining order, DISH requested that Apollo allow the stations to remain available to the customer, but the request was denied.
“We don’t understand why Apollo is choosing to put customers in the middle of their negotiations, especially during a global pandemic when customers need access to local news and programming,” said Andy LeCuyer, senior vice president of programming at DISH. “We have offered to apply our current agreement, with higher rates, to keep their channels available and avoid any interruption of service while we continue negotiating, but they refused, demanding a 40 percent increase to the rates agreed last year. We want to reach a long-term agreement that is fair to our clients. “
The blackout will affect the following local stations:
- WSB-TV, Channel 2 (ABC, Atlanta, GA)
- WFXT-TV, Channel 25 (Fox, Boston, MA)
- WSOC-TV, Channel 9 (ABC, Charlotte, NC)
- WAXN-TV, Channel 64 (IND, Charlotte, NC)
- WHIO-TV, Channel 7 (CBS, Dayton, OH)
- WFOX-TV, Channel 30 (Fox, Jacksonville, FL)
- WFOX2-TV, Channel 32 (MNT, Jacksonville, FL)
- WHBQ-TV, Channel 13 (Fox, Memphis, TN)
- WFTV-TV, Channel 9 (ABC, Orlando, FL)
- WRDQ-TV, Channel 27 (IND, Orlando, FL)
- WPXI-TV, Channel 11 (NBC, Pittsburgh, PA)
- KIRO-TV, Channel 7 (CBS, Seattle, WA)
- KOKI-TV, Channel 23 (Fox, Tulsa, OK)
- KMYT-TV, Channel 41 (MNT, Tulsa, OK)
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Jess Barnes 