Dish Network is not running CBS stations and its
three cable networks as of early Tuesday, due to an impasse on carriage fees.
Seventeen CBS TV stations were dropped on the satellite pay TV service: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago,
Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Seattle, Tampa, Detroit, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
In addition, cable networks CBS Sports Network,
Pop and the Smithsonian Channel were stopped.
CBS stated: “Since 2013, Dish has dropped the signals of 29 different companies, representing nearly 400 television stations, clearly
indicating these tactics are commonplace for them. This particular dispute is yet another example of the company punishing its subscribers instead of negotiating a fair carriage deal that reflects the
current marketplace.”
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Dish Network stated: “Dish reported that CBS Corporation chose to blackout Dish customers’ access to 28 local channels in 18 markets across 26
states.”
Warren Schlichting, executive vice president of marketing, programming and media sales for Dish, says: “CBS is attempting to tax Dish customers on programming that’s
losing viewers, tax Dish customers on programming available for free over the air, and tax Dish customers for content available directly from CBS.”
Dish says it is offering digital
over-the-air (OTA) antennas at no cost so customers in affected markets can watch CBS’ local broadcast channels for free.