Dish Network in a major carriage dispute
November 21, 2017
By Chris Forrester
Charlie Ergen’s Dish Network is again digging its heels in over carriage fees. This time it is the giant CBS network which wants more cash.
CBS used Sunday’s 60 Minutes news and current affairs show to warn viewers that a blackout could occur in the next few days, and observers said CBS signals could go dark perhaps as early as November 21st. The last time a transmission agreement was struck was in 2014.
“Even as more and more Dish customers turn to digital antennas for free access to their local channels, we recognize that many continue to rely on their pay-TV package to get these stations. For those customers, we are actively working to reach a fair deal before the contract expires knowing that only CBS can force a blackout of its channels,” Dish said in a statement November 20th.
“We are unsure why CBS decided to involve customers in the contract negotiation process at a point when there is still time for the two parties to reach a mutually beneficial deal,” Dish added.
It is not clear how far-reaching the dispute is, or whether it includes CNBS-owned Showtime or CBS Sports.