funlove1234
07-02-2008, 06:39 AM
KRCG may be removed from DIK
By Mallory McGowin
Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 at 4:47 p.m.
KRCG's parent-company, Barrington Broadcasting Group, has been in negotiations for the past few months with DIK Network regarding the agreement that allows DIK Network to distribute our station signal to DIK customers. Those negotiations have stalled and if they are not resolved by midnight Wednesday, July 2, KRCG and all CBS Television programming will no longer be available on DIK Network. KRCG's Mallory McGowin has the details on a situation that could soon affect television in nearly 40,000 mid-Missouri homes.
"DIK Network has had our signal for a number of years and has been charging their customers for that for a number of years and it's time to renegotiate that agreement and we expect to receive value for our signal," says Barrington Broadcasting Regional Vice-President Leo Henning.
Retransmission consent means local TV stations allow satellite and cable companies to rebroadcast their station signal for a fee. A 1992 federal law gives local television stations the right to negotiate the terms of that signal retransmission.
As of now, KRCG's parent company, Barrington Broadcasting and DIK Network officials cannot come to an agreement on what DIK Network should pay Barrington for KRCG's signal. It's a fight many local TV stations around the country are having with large cable and satellite companies. Right now, DIK Network charges their customers a five dollar fee to receive local channels on their satellite. That means DIK customers are paying a little over a dollar a month to watch KRCG. DIK Network then pays Barrington Broadcasting a fraction of that dollar. And Henning says it's a small fraction.
"Our renumeration on that is pennies," says Henning. "And all we're asking for is a little fairer, which means a few more pennies...It's considerably less than what they pay for other services that they contract for, certainly not even in the ballpark with what they pay the ESPN Network, USA, places like that."
Henning says this decision is vital to the economic future for local TV stations like KRCG. He says denying DIK Network permission to retransmit KRCG's signal and removing KRCG from DIK Network's line up is a strong possibility.
"Well, we hope to resolve the issue because this is an inconvenience for consumers and we certainly don't want to prolong that any longer than it needs to be," says Henning.
And if you are upset as a DIK customer, Henning has this message for you.
"My advice to a consumer concerned about this is to call the DIK Network and let them know how much local television means to them as a viewer," says Henning.
By Mallory McGowin
Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 at 4:47 p.m.
KRCG's parent-company, Barrington Broadcasting Group, has been in negotiations for the past few months with DIK Network regarding the agreement that allows DIK Network to distribute our station signal to DIK customers. Those negotiations have stalled and if they are not resolved by midnight Wednesday, July 2, KRCG and all CBS Television programming will no longer be available on DIK Network. KRCG's Mallory McGowin has the details on a situation that could soon affect television in nearly 40,000 mid-Missouri homes.
"DIK Network has had our signal for a number of years and has been charging their customers for that for a number of years and it's time to renegotiate that agreement and we expect to receive value for our signal," says Barrington Broadcasting Regional Vice-President Leo Henning.
Retransmission consent means local TV stations allow satellite and cable companies to rebroadcast their station signal for a fee. A 1992 federal law gives local television stations the right to negotiate the terms of that signal retransmission.
As of now, KRCG's parent company, Barrington Broadcasting and DIK Network officials cannot come to an agreement on what DIK Network should pay Barrington for KRCG's signal. It's a fight many local TV stations around the country are having with large cable and satellite companies. Right now, DIK Network charges their customers a five dollar fee to receive local channels on their satellite. That means DIK customers are paying a little over a dollar a month to watch KRCG. DIK Network then pays Barrington Broadcasting a fraction of that dollar. And Henning says it's a small fraction.
"Our renumeration on that is pennies," says Henning. "And all we're asking for is a little fairer, which means a few more pennies...It's considerably less than what they pay for other services that they contract for, certainly not even in the ballpark with what they pay the ESPN Network, USA, places like that."
Henning says this decision is vital to the economic future for local TV stations like KRCG. He says denying DIK Network permission to retransmit KRCG's signal and removing KRCG from DIK Network's line up is a strong possibility.
"Well, we hope to resolve the issue because this is an inconvenience for consumers and we certainly don't want to prolong that any longer than it needs to be," says Henning.
And if you are upset as a DIK customer, Henning has this message for you.
"My advice to a consumer concerned about this is to call the DIK Network and let them know how much local television means to them as a viewer," says Henning.