DAYTON — As of 7 p.m. Sunday, March 31, you may not be able to watch March Madness live on DISH because the network is threatening to drop WHIO-TV. Here is what you need to know about the possible drop.
What is happening?
By law, WHIO-TV must negotiate carriage agreements with satellite companies like DISH. Usually, these deals are reached without any disruption to your service. In fact, our company has negotiated dozens of agreements with only the rarest of disruptions. Unfortunately, so far, DISH has refused to negotiate a fair deal that recognizes the value customers place on WHIO-TV programming and services. Our existing agreement with DISH expires at 7 p.m. on March 31, 2019. If no deal is reached before that date, you will lose live access to the shows, sports and local news on WHIO-TV, which you rely on and are paying for. We are continuing to negotiate with DISH, but DISH has refused to agree to reasonable terms for the valuable programming we provide.
As a DISH customer, what can I do to continue to watch my favorite shows on WHIO-TV?
The best thing viewers can do is Call DISH at 1-800-333-3474. Tell DISH that you pay them a lot of money to watch your favorite shows on WHIO-TV, including News Center 7, Survivor, The Bold and the Beautiful and other shows. Tell DISH that if it drops WHIO-TV, then you will drop DISH.
Why does WHIO-TV charge cable and satellite operators a fee to carry their programming?
Despite what you may have heard, this dispute is not about WHIO-TV seeking large fees. DISH is demanding WHIO-TV agree to terms that WHIO-TV has not agreed to with any video provider. Station is among the highest rated channels on DISH. Producing and broadcasting high rated, top-quality programming is very expensive. We invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in our local news, weather, and emergency programming. To keep doing that, we need a fair deal from DISH and all our distributors.
What is a “fair” deal for WHIO-TV programming and why is DISH refusing to pay it?
We have proposed that DISH renew our previous agreement on substantially the same terms as the old agreement. DISH refused. We have carriage agreements with every other major cable and satellite company that is carrying WHIO-TV, including DirecTV and Comcast and are seeking to be treated fairly by DISH.
What does DISH pay for other channels?
Based on publicly available information, DISH pays over $6 per subscriber per month for ESPN. In other words, $6 from your monthly bill goes straight to ESPN. Our ratings are much higher than ESPN’s! Yet, we would agree to far less than what DISH pays to ESPN. More importantly, ESPN has NO local programming, NO local employees, NO local investments, and a very small local audience – unlike WHIO-TV.
Won't rates to subscribers go up if DISH has to pay WHIO-TV?
Whether rates go up depends on decisions made by DISH. Like all cable and satellite companies, DISH is already charging you to receive WHIO-TV as part of your monthly bill. We do not control how much DISH pays to other channels or how it manages its business. DISH should stop over-paying for channels its customers watch less and prioritize channels like WHIO-TV, that its subscribers turn to every day. We have and will continue to negotiate with DISH in good faith in an effort to successfully complete a deal with them.
If DISH stops carrying WHIO-TV, will I get a refund on my bill?
It is up to DISH to resolve such questions with its customers. But, you could call DISH at 1-800-333-3474 about a refund and let them know you are no longer getting what you pay for -- your favorite programming from WHIO-TV.
Is there anything the public can do to help make sure that WHIO-TV remains on DISH?
The best way for you to encourage a resolution is to register your support of how important it is for them to continue to carry WHIO-TV by calling DISH at 800-333-3474. You pay DISH a lot of money. It will listen to your voices.
You can also view WHIO-TV Over the Air with an over the air antenna available at retail. Or you can contact any number of other providers that are committed to providing you with all the programming you watch every day:
DIRECTV: 1-888-777-2454 or directv.com
Comcast: 1-800-934-6489 or comcast.com
Charter/Spectrum Cable: 1-833-694-9256 or 1-855-243-8892 or http://www.spectrum.com
Verizon FiOS: 1-877-218-8592 or http://fios.verizon.com
AT&T U-Verse: 1-877-821-6209 or http://www.attsavings.com/
Regardless, we will continue to work hard to try and get a successful outcome to this negotiation so that you do not lose live access to any of your favorite programming, but the ball remains in DISH’s court to step-up like all of their competitors and peers have done.
