DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) and Quincy Newspapers have apparently resolved a business dispute that kept stations covering 10 Midwestern markets off the satellite service for much of Tuesday.
"Quincy Newspapers ended its unnecessary blackout of DirecTV customers' homes less than 15 hours after it had begun," reads a DirecTV statement. "We're pleased these families needn't endure any further inconvenience or disruption of their local channels."
It remains unclear as to whether the two sides hammered out a long-term renewal agreement on broadcast retransmission or just an extension. FierceCable has emails out to DirecTV on that one.
Of course, Quincy has a different viewpoint on how the matter unfolded, with the station management for WX0W-TV in La Crosse, Wis., noting, "DirecTV removed WXOW from their lineup Monday night as a result of the expiration of an extension which was in place while Quincy Newspapers was negotiating a new carriage agreement with them."
Meanwhile, as DirecTV patched things up with Quincy, indie programmer The Weather Channel carved out a long-term carriage agreement with Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH), which includes over-the-top rights for Dish's Sling TV service.
The deal with Dish comes as The Weather Channel remains blacked out on Verizon (NYSE: VZ). The programmer was also blacked out from DirecTV from January until earlier this month.
For more:
- read this La Crosse Tribune story
- read this Dish Network press release
Related links:
DirecTV blacked out by Quincy Newspapers in 10 Midwest markets
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