WUSA may be dropped from Verizon Fios
Verizon has sent a notice to some customers of its Fios TV service with a warning that one of their local television channels may be removed November 12, reports The Desk.
The notice affects Fios TV customers in four cities, including D.C., and was mailed and e-mailed to subscribers last week “as the clock ticks closer to a potential carriage dispute between Verizon and the local TV broadcaster TEGNA,” states The Desk.
Verizon’s contract with TEGNA expires on November 12. If both sides cannot reach an agreement, four stations will be dropped from Fios TV, including WUSA (Channel 9, CBS) in Washington, D.C.
According to The Desk, as is typical in disputes like these, “the issue centers around fees that distributors like Verizon are forced to pay broadcasters like TEGNA for the rights to redistribute their channels to subscribers. TEGNA earned $356.2 million in distribution-related fees during its most-recent financial quarter, and company executives affirmed earlier this year that the company will continue seeking higher fees from cable and satellite customers for their channels; those fees are ultimately passed on to customers in their bills.”
The status of negotiations, if any, to resolve the issue has not been made public.
More here.
