An ongoing carriage dispute between AT&T and Tegna Broadcasting has caused a television blackout in 51 markets — including Toledo.
The communications company and public broadcaster failed to reach a new agreement on Dec. 1 resulting in more than 60 Tegna-owned stations dropping from DirecTV, AT&T U-verse and the AT&T TV streaming service nationwide. The disagreement has centered on retransmission consent: the legal requirement that a cable operator pay for carrying a broadcaster’s signal. Without an agreement in place, the cable operator cannot carry the broadcaster’s programming.
WTOL Channel 11 has not been available to DirecTV and AT&T U-verse customers since 7 p.m. Tuesday. WTOL general manager Brian Lorenzen could not comment on the dispute and referred all inquiries to Tegna corporate communications.
A statement posted to WTOL’s website and Facebook page accused AT&T of refusing to “reach a fair, market-based agreement” with the station, thus denying customers access to CBS programming that includes NFL football, SEC college football, The Amazing Race, NCIS, Seal Team and Young Sheldon, as well as local news, weather and sports.
“Over the past few years, we reached hundreds of multi-year deals with hundreds of cable and satellite companies all across the country, including DISH and many others,” the statement continued. “It has been disappointing that DirectTV and AT&T U-Verse, so far, have refused to reach an agreement.”
Similar statements were released by Tegna-owned television stations across the countries. In a public statement of its own, AT&T charged Tegna with asking for an unreasonably high fee increase.
“In the midst of an ongoing pandemic, Tegna is demanding the largest rate increase we have ever seen and intentionally blacking out its most loyal viewers,” the communications company said in a statement. “We challenge Tegna to return its local stations immediately while we finalize a new agreement and pledge to pay Tegna retroactively whatever higher rates to which we eventually agree. We share our customers’ frustration, appreciate their patience and intend to do all we can to resolve this matter soon.”
In an online FAQ, WTOL denied AT&T’s allegations of unfair price hiking and insisted that “our rates are set by the marketplace.”
In addition to Toledo, the contract dispute has affected local television channels in Washington D.C., San Diego, Denver, Seattle, Houston, New Orleans, Tampa, Hartford and others. Tegna owns 64 television stations and reaches roughly 39 percent of all television households in the United States. Its stations are affiliated with ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CW.
Toledo residents can access WTOL through other providers like Buckeye Broadband (Channels 11/611), DISH network, or by signing up for streaming services. Live newscasts and breaking news updates are available on WTOL’s website, mobile and Roku apps. More information is available at wtol.com/directv.
First Published December 4, 2020, 12:42 a.m.
