Remember when DISH lost FOX for a few months? If not, be glad you missed it. But if you’re one of the 4 unlucky markets right now whose FOX programming is provided by Northwest Broadcasting, you might be out of luck again.
On November 26, 2012, DISH announced that Northwest Broadcasting “blocked customers’ access to Fox programming in four cities, demanding that DISH pay more than its competitors for the same content.” While I’ve yet to hear Northwest Broadcasting’s side of the story, I do know that disputes like these are common in this industry. I’ve been dealing with them for quite some time now, and they’re almost always resolved within a reasonable amount of time. This is especially true for local channels. Even one of the worst contract disagreements I’ve seen DISH deal with, the AMC drop, was eventually resolved.
Whether it takes a week or a few months, I’m pretty confident that DISH will reach an agreement with Northwest Broadcasting, and programming will be returned to customers in the 4 service areas the blackout is affecting. But until then, you folks in these cities are stuck without FOX:
- Spokane, WA (KAYU)
- Yakima, WA (KCYU)
- Medford, OR (KMVU)
- Binghamton, NY (WICZ)
I feel lucky to have escaped the wrath of satellite TV contract disagreements this round, but I’m sure I’ll be affected again at some point. In the meantime, DISH reports that the American Television Alliance (and industry watchdog organization), “has called for Congress to ‘revamp the out-of-date rules’ that favor these blackouts.”
So, if you’re currently stuck without FOX, I know it’s not easy to see the bright side. But your programming will likely be back soon, and if Congress obliges, issues like these will hopefully become less common in the future.
If you don’t have DISH yet, I do highly recommend it. You’ll have these contract problems with any provider, but I applaud DISH on their ability to rebound and negotiate, much to the satisfaction of their customers. Check out Satellite Solutions Network if you’re interested. They’re a retailer, and I ordered my DISH service through them. They offer extra incentives, like $75 rebates.
I’ll be back soon with more DISH chat!
