Verizon FiOS this morning lost 13 local Nexstar-owned TV stations in a carriage dispute between the companies.
Nexstar says the blackout will affect nearly three million Verizon customers in 10 markets, including New York City, Philadelphia, Providence, and Buffalo. In addition to the local stations, Verizon has lost the Nexstar-owned News Nation channel.
The two companies are arguing over how much Verizon should pay to carry the Nexstar stations. Both sides this morning issued statements blaming the other for the impasse.
“Nexstar has been negotiating tirelessly and in good faith in an attempt to reach a mutually agreeable multi-year contract with Verizon FiOS, offering the same fair market rates it offered to other large distribution partners with whom it completed successful negotiations in earlier this year,” Nexstar said. “Nexstar routinely reaches amicable retransmission and carriage agreements with its cable, satellite, and telco partners—in the last three years alone, the company has successfully completed agreements with more than 500 distribution partners.”
“We are committed to providing customers with the best value in entertainment,” Verizon countered in its statement. “Fios TV programming is supplied by various content providers. We must periodically renegotiate our agreements to continue offering their programming. Our contract with Nexstar ended on October 14, 2022 and your Fios TV package contains Nexstar channels. We currently do not have the rights to show their programming. We are trying our best to reach a reasonable deal with Nexstar and hope Nexstar will restore its channels to our lineup soon. We apologize that your service has been disrupted. Nexstar has proposed charging as much as 64% more for its programming. Verizon remains committed to making these channels available to our customers, but simply cannot agree to such unreasonable increases. Rest assured, we understand that you value Nexstar’s content, and we are working hard to reach a deal that will allow you to keep enjoying the programming you love.”
The Verizon markets affected by the blackout include:
Washington, D.C.
Richmond
Philadelphia
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Freehold, New Jersey
Buffalo
Queens, New York
Albany
Greenwich, Connecticut
Providence
The TV Answer Man will update this article if anything changes in the dispute.
In a separate carriage battle, Fox last night signed a new agreement with Altice’s Optimum, avoiding a potential blackout on the New York area cable TV service.
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
Nothing but money hungry companies. They don’t think about the customers. The big wigs need to get paid less. Customers always suffer because of the big wind. Look at all the commercial dollars they bring in. Stop this foolishness make a deal get our channels back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I completely agree! Money grabbing executives!! The consumer ends up paying the price and scrambling for other ways to get our desired programming!!
Getting a new service. Don’t think at all about customers. TERRIBLE service
Many years ago, when HDTV was first introduced, my cable company at the time, Insight, didn’t carry the local affiliates in HD. So I put a small antenna on my roof aimed at their transmitters.
I’ve kept the antenna up even after moving onto services that carried HD. So let them enjoy their pissing match. I don’t need them.
I am NOT happy losing ABC Channel 27!!!!!!! I am thinking of not continuing with Verizon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What channels does Nexstar Own ?
I am not happy losing nexstar channels if not back by monday iwell goto cox
I’m disappointed and disgusted with both Nexstar and Verizon .. I’ve been a customer of Verizon for about 11 years and I’m seriously thinking about going over to Cox Cable your competition .. because of petty bickering I will be losing all my favorite news and entertainment programs !!
You know we pay plenty to you to furnish what we like. Bring our channels or Verizon will be history. 30 years with you people, you think you would be more considerate. You have constantly raise your rates, still faithful customer. Bring back our channels or else bye bye.
Both companies are to blame here. Nextar who wants more money to carry the channels, and Verizon who doesn’t want to pay more for carriage. Who do you think is going to pay at the end,us the customers. Also, the local channels don’t put a lot of free to air transmitters everywhere. Mmmmm, wonder why? Could it be that it’s better for them that customers pay high monthly fee over cable or satellites rather than paying nothing over free to air. No of course that can’t be true. Right?
This is ridiculous on so many levels. I want my cable bill reduced to reflect this change.
liberal chanels fighting over the biggest piece of the pie go figure I hope they go bankrupt after losing all of us
THIS IS BAD BUSINESS!! IF NOT BACK BY MONDAY NIGHT I’LL BE GOING TO COMCAST. I’M BETTING I WON’T BE ALONE!
This is BAD business!! If not back by Monday Night i’m switching to Comcast!!
I bet I won’t be the only one to leave Verizon over this issue. Please fix it and reduce my bill since i can’t get what i’m paying for – Its only fair!!!
No you not alone. I will be changing and going to who ever is showing and dealing with my channels. This so unbelievable, everybody got to be greedy. It’s so sickening.
Will The Verizon customers be charged for the channels that we normally watch that we can’t see now? We should not be charged at all if we can’t see the channels we are losing during this time. Our bill should be reduced.
I’m so done with Verizon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think Nexstar should work a little harder. We normal paying customers keep losing channels and still pay the same price. My news station ABC27 and you own it. Don’t you owe it to your station and the viewers to come to a lower compromise now. Or are you that greedy.. I sent a note to my congressman so maybe he will do something.
We agree with the gentleman who mentioned having his payment reduced that is what we will be doing we will send less money in this month and do not expect any problem with it we watch news nation news we enjoy Cuomo now that he’s on there we watch Blue Bloods we watch a lot of shows on here and it has disrupted our viewing schedule we are retired I don’t have the money to send you and not get our programs
Disgusting, my bill at $210+ with no movie channel extras, now CBS, News Nation, etc., too? Verizon FIOS – how greedy & priggish also piggish! Please end this stalemate before I am forced to change carriers.
wake up & smell the coffee!