The fee fight between AT&T/DIRECTV and seven local stations owned by American Spirit Media has entered its fourth month with the broadcaster urging AT&T’s U-verse and DIRECTV subscribers to seek a refund.
“Make your voice heard and tell them enough is enough. Call DIRECTV and AT&T U-Verse customer service. Post on Facebook. Tell them you want us back. Let them know American Spirit Media stands ready to get a deal done, today. And tell them you want a rebate. We’ve heard of viewers are getting up to 25 dollars a month.” American Spirit Media stations state in a notice posted on their web sites.
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DIRECTV, and other pay TV providers, have been known to offer small refunds and other incentives to subscribers to keep them from dropping service during carriage battles.
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DIRECTV subscribers have been missing the seven American Spirit Media stations due to the dispute since September 21.
The seven stations are:
KAUZ (CBS affiliate) in Wichita Falls, Texas
WDBD (Fox affiliate) in Jackson, Mississippi
KVHP (Fox) in Lake Charles, Louisiana
WSFX (Fox) in Wilmington, North Carolina
WUPW (Fox) in Toledo, Ohio
WXTX (Fox) in Columbus, Georgia
WUPV (CW affiliate) in Richmond, Virginia
In addition, AT&T, which owns DIRECTV, and negotiates its carriage agreements, is missing WXTX, WDBD, WUPW, and WSFX.
At its web site, DIRECTVPromise.com, which communicates updates on carriage disputes, the satcaster maintains that American Spirit Media is asking for excessive fees to carry its stations.
“We want to get (the stations) back into your local lineup as soon as possible, but by law…American Spirit Media, has exclusive control over whether that station remains available on DIRECTV or not. We share your frustration because American Spirit is deliberately blocking (the stations) from reaching your home unless American Spirit receives a significant increase in fees,” DIRECTV says.
American Spirit Media has claimed that it’s only asking for the same rates paid by other pay TV providers.
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— Phillip Swann
In the 14 years I’ve been with DIRECTV, I’ve never seen a dispute of any kind last this long.