DIRECTV and
AT&T U-verse subscribers no longer have access to WTWO-TV as AT&T and
DIRECTV did not accept our extension for continued carriage of WTWO-TV during
our contract negotiations to avoid disruption of service. Contact DIRECTV
and AT&T U-verse today at 855-937-9469 and demand that they “Bring back my
WTWO-TV!”
DIRECTV /
AT&T U-verse Customer Service – 855-937-9469
Q: What is happening?
A: DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse
subscribers no longer have access to WTWO-TV station as of midnight CST on July
3, 2019. DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse did not accept a contract extension
offer by Nexstar Media, parent company of WTWO-TV for the right to continue to
air your favorite news stories around the Wabash Valley. By rejecting an
extension for continued negotiations and to avoid a disruption of service,
AT&T and DIRECTV took away content that you pay for and was included with
your monthly subscription. They are no longer providing the content you
initially signed up for when you subscribed to their service.
Q: What other programming could
I miss?
A: You no longer have access
to your local news channel WTWO Local News That Matters, emergency service
updates, and your favorite shows such as This is Us, America’s Got Talent and
The Voice.
Q: Where will WTWO programming
still be available?
A: No other cable or satellite
company is affected; only DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse customers have had their
favorite news, comedies, dramas, and sports taken away. Unfortunately, we
are not alone in this as AT&T and DIRECTV have removed various other
stations across the nation in the past. Among the other providers
available that see the value in local content include DISH (855-898-6730) and
your local cable company.
Q: Are you still negotiating
with AT&T and DIRECTV?
A: We were negotiating and
offered to extend our current deal multiple times while we vigorously attempted
to provide both sides more time to reach a fair agreement. In the time
leading up to the expiration of the agreement with DIRECTV/AT&T, Nexstar
not only offered an extension until August 2, it also offered DIRECTV/AT&T
its availability “over the next 30 days to meet with you in-person on the
following dates: July 12, 13, 14, 15, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 as well as
August 1 and 2” adding, “We are willing to dedicate as many of these dates as
needed. Not knowing when you and your decision makers are available, to
avoid any disruption in service to your customers and our viewers in 97 markets
across the country, we propose an extension of the current agreement through
Friday August 2nd.” This extension was not accepted.
Q: Is this abnormal for
AT&T and DIRECTV to remove local programming from their lineup?
A: DIRECTV is routinely
involved in disputes with content providers and following its 2015 acquisition
by AT&T, it has dropped or threatened to black out various network and
local community programming. Between May 30, 2019 and June 10, 2019 alone,
viewers of at least 20 other non-Nexstar stations (owned by Deerfield Media,
GoCom Media of Illinois, Howard Stirk Holdings, Mercury Broadcast Group, MPS
Media, Nashville License Holdings, Roberts Media, Second Generation of Iowa and
Waitt Broadcasting) lost access to network and local content as a result
AT&T/DIRECTV’s refusal to accept fair market rates for the distribution of
leading non-AT&T programming.
Q: What can I do about this
situation?
A: You have choices and should
take action. Call 855-937-9469 and demand they bring back your favorite local
news source! You can also contact other local providers – including DISH
(855-898-6730) – and switch to make sure you are treated fairly and get the
programming you want. Don’t let your video provider dictate what
you watch! Demand they bring back the local station and content you want and
deserve!
AT&T/DIRECTV BLACKS OUT LOCAL TV STATIONS IN 97 MARKETS ACROSS
THE USA ON JULY 4th AFTER REJECTING NEXSTAR OFFERS TO EXTEND ACCESS FOR
CONSUMERS TO LEADING LOCAL CONTENT
DIRECTV/AT&T Once Again Holds its Subscribers Hostage Instead of
Negotiating in Good Faith and Reaching a Fair Market Rate Agreement with
Nexstar, Other Broadcasters and Content Providers
IRVING, Texas, July 4, 2019 – Effective 11:59 p.m. local time on July 3, direct
broadcast satellite service provider DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse unilaterally
dropped the network and local community programming for over 120 stations impacting
consumers and viewers in 97 markets across the United States. The action
follows DIRECTV ’s refusal to accept an offer of an unconditional extension of
the existing distribution agreement to August 2 to allow the stations’ owner,
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. (“Nexstar”) and DIRECTV/AT&T to reach a
new agreement allowing the direct broadcast satellite service provider (as well
as AT&T’s U-verse systems and its’ subscription streaming television
service, DIRECTV NOW) the right to continue to air the highly rated
programming.
With its long-term record of delivering exemplary service to the local markets
where it operates, Nexstar deeply regrets DIRECTV/AT&T’s rejection of the
extension as it deprives viewers in the affected markets of broadcasts of leading
network content from ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CW, and MyNetworkTV as well as local
news and other programming produced specifically for these local communities.
Viewers affected by the loss of service from DIRECTV have several alternatives
to continue watching their favorite shows including local cable providers,
DISH, over-the-air, certain subscription streaming television services, and
services such as Verizon’s FIOS.
The development is highly unusual for Nexstar but far more common for
DIRECTV/AT&T. Nexstar has established a long-term record of completing
hundreds of agreements with multichannel video programming distributors
(“MVPDs” or cable TV, satellite TV, telecom companies) for the carriage of its
television stations and is proud that it has never in its 23-year history had a
service interruption related to distribution agreements of the magnitude of the
AT&T/DIRECTV interruption. In contrast, DIRECTV is routinely involved in
disputes with content providers and following its 2015 acquisition by AT&T
has dropped or threatened to black out network and local community programming
from DISH Network, Viacom, SJL Broadcasting/Lilly Broadcasting, and others.
Between May 30, 2019 and June 10, 2019 alone, viewers of at least 20 other
non-Nexstar stations (owned by Deerfield Media, GoCom Media of Illinois, Howard
Stirk Holdings, Mercury Broadcast Group, MPS Media, Nashville License Holdings,
Roberts Media, Second Generation of Iowa and Waitt Broadcasting) lost access to
network and local content as a result AT&T/DIRECTV’s refusal to accept fair
market rates for the distribution of leading non-AT&T programming. Notably,
in addition to its ownership of DIRECTV, the nation’s largest direct broadcast
satellite service provider, in 2018 AT&T acquired Time Warner including
global media and entertainment giants Warner Bros., HBO, Turner and CNN.
Nexstar has been negotiating in good faith to establish a mutually
agreeable contract with DIRECTV. Significantly, Nexstar has offered DIRECTV the
same rates it offered to other large distribution partners with whom it
completed successful negotiations with in 2019 to date. While Nexstar believed
progress was being made in the negotiations, DIRECTV misled Nexstar as it
requested that viewers not be informed about the pending expiration as long as
negotiations were continuing to be constructive. Yet, with minutes to go before
the prior agreement was to expire, DIRECTV/AT&T did not accept Nexstar’s
offer for an extension which would have allowed viewers in the affected markets
to view their favorite network shows, special events, sports, local news and
other programming on the Fourth of July and until such time as a new agreement
can be reached. A little more than a year after putting DIRECTV together with
Time Warner, AT&T appears intent on using its new market power to
prioritize its own content at the expense of consumers, and insisting on
unreasonable and extreme terms that are totally inconsistent with the market.
In January, AT&T raised prices on DIRECTV and in April it put through a
price increase for its streaming subscription service, DIRECTV NOW.
Nexstar remains eager to complete an agreement with DIRECTV consistent with
those it has made with every other cable, satellite and telco provider in order
to end DIRECTV ’s action that is both unnecessary and punitive to its
subscribers. In this regard, in the time leading up to the expiration of the
agreement with DIRECTV/AT&T, Nexstar not only offered an extension until
August 2, it also offered DIRECTV/AT&T its availability “over the next 30
days to meet with you in-person on the following dates: July 12, 13, 14, 15,
23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 as well as August 1 and 2” adding, “We are willing to
dedicate as many of these dates as needed. Not knowing when you and your
decision makers are available, to avoid any disruption in service to your
customers and our viewers in 97 markets across the country, we propose an
extension of the current agreement through Friday August 2nd.” This is the
customary process when negotiations for distribution rights are not completed
when the current agreement expires. The only conclusion that can be drawn from
DIRECTV/AT&T’s refusal to accept Nexstar’s offer of an extension is that
rather than working on behalf of their subscribers, AT&T-DIRECTV continues
to raise prices while reducing channels and content offerings.
Nexstar is highly committed to consistently elevating the level of service
provided to local communities in the markets it serves across the United States
by making meaningful capital investments to expand local news, lifestyle,
sports, weather and other programming and enhancing station infrastructure,
production resources and technologies. Nexstar regrets that DIRECTV is willing
to hold its paying subscribers hostage because it won’t agree to fair and
reasonable terms for viewers’ favorite programming.
Consumers and viewers affected by DIRECTV/AT&T’s blackout can contact
DIRECTV/AT&T directly at 208 South Akard Street, Dallas, TX 75202 and by
phone at 855-567-1569 or 210-821-4105.
About Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.
Nexstar Broadcasting Group is a leading diversified media company that
leverages localism to bring new services and value to consumers and advertisers
through its traditional media, digital and mobile media platforms. Nexstar
owns, operates, programs or provides sales and other services to 174 full power
television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 100 markets
or nearly 39% of all U.S. television households. Nexstar’s portfolio includes
primary affiliates of NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV and The CW. Nexstar’s
community portal websites offer additional hyper-local content and verticals
for consumers and advertisers, allowing audiences to choose where, when and how
they access content while creating new revenue opportunities
Forward-Looking
Statements
This communication includes forward-looking statements. We have based these
forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about
future events. Forward-looking statements include information preceded by,
followed by, or that includes the words “guidance,” “believes,” “expects,”
“anticipates,” “could,” or similar expressions. For these statements, Nexstar
claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements
contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The
forward-looking statements contained in this
communication, concerning, among other things, future financial performance,
including changes in net revenue, cash flow and operating expenses, involve
risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various important
factors, including the impact of changes in national and regional economies,
the ability to service and refinance our outstanding debt, successful
integration of acquired television stations and digital businesses (including
achievement of synergies and cost reductions), pricing fluctuations in local
and national advertising, future regulatory actions and conditions in the
television stations’ operating areas, competition from others in the broadcast
television markets, volatility in programming costs, the effects of
governmental regulation of broadcasting, industry consolidation, technological
developments and major world news events. Nexstar undertakes no obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties
and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this communication
might not occur. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. For more details
on factors that could affect these expectations, please see Nexstar’s other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. “
NEXSTAR BROADCASTING,
INC.
