More than a month after DISH Network pulled WEAU and the rest of Gray Media’s television stations off its service, the blackout is still holding and Gray says it has already given the satellite provider multiple extensions. The dispute stretched through severe weather and major events including the NFL playoffs, the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics before DISH stopped extending the talks.
Hilton Howell said disputes like this with DISH are extremely rare for Gray. “Until this year, we had never had a blackout with a satellite provider, and our last large-scale dispute with a cable operator occurred over a decade ago,” he said. Gray says WEAU remains available on other subscription television services, but not for customers who rely on DISH.
Howell also accused DISH of repeatedly rejecting compromise. “In response to each of our many attempts to resolve this matter, DISH responds by rejecting all proposals, refusing to honor the terms that it earlier had accepted, and adding more outrageous terms to its demands,” he said. Gray says the breakdown came after DISH became unwilling to reach an agreement once the NFL playoffs, the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics had passed.
The standoff fits a pattern Gray says is unusual for it, but not for DISH. Gray says the satellite company has a history of pulling programming from its lineup and has dropped more than 1,000 channels over the last few years. For WEAU viewers on DISH, the immediate answer is simple: the station is still dark, and Gray says the only way back is for DISH to stop shifting its demands and sign a deal.
Customers seeking more information can call 1-877-2-KEEPUS.