Michigan Media

LIN Media has entered into a retransmission consent agreement with Dish Network. As a result, Dish Network has resumed carriage of WOOD-TV and WOTV in the Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek television market.

LIN Media, a local multimedia company, announced Sunday that it has entered into a retransmission consent agreement with DISH Network, L.L.C.

As a result, DISH has resumed carriage of the local television stations that LIN Media owns, operates or services, including WOOD TV8 AND WOTV 4.

“We are pleased that our negotiations with DISH Network resulted in a fair resolution and a new retransmission consent agreement,” said LIN Media’s President and Chief Executive Officer Vincent L. Sadusky. “We thank our viewers and our advertisers for their tremendous support.”

WOOD-TV

LIN Media and Dish Network have failed to reach a retransmission consent contract, which means WOOD-TV and WOTV are no longer available on Dish Network.

LIN Media and Dish Network failed to reach a retransmission consent deal as of midnight, meaning more than two dozen LIN stations have gone dark for Dish subscribers.

The stations are KRQE and KASA Albuquerque, KXAN and KNVA Austin, WIVB and WNLO Buffalo, WWHO Columbus, WDTN and WBDT Dayton, WANE Ft. Wayne, WOOD and WOTV Grand Rapids, WLUK Green Bay, WISH and WNDY Indianapolis, WLFI Lafayette, WALA and WFNA Mobile, WTNH and WCTX New Haven, WAVY and WVBT Norfolk, WPRI and WNAC Providence, and WWLP Springfield (MA).

“We only want what is fair for our local stations, so that we can continue providing the premium news, sports, entertainment, and other local programming that is most important to viewers,” said LIN Media President and Chief Executive Officer Vincent L. Sadusky. “We will continue negotiating with DISH so we may reach an agreement.”

Broadcasting & Cable

The current retransmission contract between WOOD-TV and WOTV parent company LIN Media and Dish Network expires tonight at midnight. About 104,000 households in west Michigan may be without both stations on Saturday if both sides don’t come to an agreement.

Talks are continuing today between DISH Network and the parent company of WOOD-TV and WOTV regarding the satellite TV provider’s right to broadcast Channel 8 and Channel 41 to its subscribers.

Some 104,000 TV households in West Michigan may have to do without beginning Saturday.

“We are still negotiating and continue to negotiate,” said Rebecca Sapakie, WOOD TV8 News Director.

Unresolved negotiations nationally between DISH Network and the parent company of WOOD-TV, WOTV-TV and WXSP-TV may lead LIN Media to pull the plug on retransmission in West Michigan as well as in 16 other markets across the country.

Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk | The Grand Rapids Press

Dish Network may drop LIN stations WOOD-TV and WOTV in the Grand Rapids television market because of a retransmission consent dispute. The current contract expires on Friday, March 4 at midnight.

The current contract for the carriage of LIN Media stations on Dish Network expires Friday, 3/4/11 at midnight – and LIN is of the opinion that the satcaster is not going to agree to a fair price for continued carriage of the stations. But LIN President/CEO Vincent Sadusky said he looked forward to continued negotiations.

LIN noted that the stations will cease to exist on the satellite operator’s channel lineup if a new contract is not signed, and Sadusky stated, “Our highly-rated television stations are important assets to our local   communities and it is unfortunate that DISH does not recognize their fair market value.”

The dispute includes the Grand Rapids market and stations WOOD-TV (NBC) and WOTV-TV (ABC).

RBR/TVBR

Watch a statement from WOOD-TV/WOTV General Manager Diane Kniowski.

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