DirecTV and Tribune networks had apparently come to terms on Thursday, April 29. But as of today there’s a blackout of 23 Tribune-owned stations including ABC in New Orleans, FOX in Hartford, San Diego, New Haven, Tacoma and Indianapolis, and The CW in several major markets. Tribune also carries Cubs and White Sox games in Chicago, and New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies games, so the blackout is a potential nightmare for DirecTV subscribers looking forward to the start of the 2012 baseball season.
WGN America has also been removed, but DirecTV indicated a deal to carry the channel would be arranged in a separate negotiation.
According to a press release DirecTV released yesterday, “If the local stations and WGN America do come down at midnight, it will be 100% Tribune’s decision to take them away from customers.”
Tribune’s president Nils Larsen blamed DirecTV saying his company “cannot get fair compensation from DIRECTV and [] cannot allow DIRECTV to continue taking advantage of us.”
DirecTV fired back some harsh words at the broadcasting company, saying “Their actions are the true definition of “bad faith” in every sense of the term.”
So who’s at fault here? DirecTV or Tribune? To the customer it really doesn’t matter. What matters is the channels are blacked out.
[UPDATE: DirecTV has filed a complaint with the FCC against Tribune Co.]
[UPDATE April 4: Channels back on. New Contract Covers 23 Local Television Stations in 19 Markets and WGN America]
GET RID OF SOME OF THE JUNK CHANNELS THAT NO BODY WATCH’S! CONSUMERS SIGNED A CONTRACT FOR CERTAIN CHANNELS! IF WE DON’T HONOR OUR CONTRACT AND CANCELL EARLY DIRECTV HITS US WITH MAJOR FEE! THERE ARE ONLY A FEW CHANNELS WE WATCH, AND YOUR TAKING THEM AWAY! WE WILL BE CHECKING INTO OTHER OPTIONS! WANT TO CHARGE US A FEE, TRY IT, I WILL CLOSE MY CHECKING ACCOUNT AND YOU WILL GET NOTHING!
1billion dollars per year more paid out to direct tv is absurd! Consumers are forced to pay for channels we don’t want and now we are having channels removed that we DO watch:-(. Ceos must be laughing at us the consumers all the way to the bank! Greed for money, more money, more bonus money to the heads of the company, while the consumers lose. Don’ you guys live good enough on the money you make already??
because of this I will be canceling my service with DirecTV. Never really liked them anyways and their customer service is awful!