By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of Satellite DIRECT magazine. Reported on DIRECTV for 29 years.

TV Answer Man, I’ve written you before about our lost Fox station on DIRECTV. Is there anything new to get the station back? We feel like nothing is happening and no one cares about our station anymore. — Phyllis, Amarillo, Texas. 

Phyllis, DIRECTV in October 2022 lost 26 local TV stations due to a carriage dispute with their owner, Mission Broadcasting. The blackout also affects DIRECTV Stream and U-verse. You can see a complete list of the Mission stations here. 

With the recent publicity over DIRECTV’s carriage fight with Tegna, which has left the three DIRECTV TV services without 64 local stations, it may seem like the Mission dispute has been forgotten. But the Mission stations, which are managed by Nexstar, are still a top priority for DIRECTV. The phrase, ‘managed by Nexstar,’ is the problem here. DIRECTV has sued Nexstar, charging that the broadcaster is orchestrating the Mission blackout although they do not own the stations.

Even though DIRECTV in September 2023 settled a separate carriage dispute with Nexstar for 176 local stations actually owned by Nexstar, it has not stopped the Mission-related lawsuit or triggered a settlement for the Mission stations.  (DIRECTV also charges in the lawsuit that Nexstar is behind a DIRECTV blackout of two White Knight stations. Nexstar manages those stations as well.)

DIRECTV believes that Nexstar has violated anti-trust law by allegedly forcing stations it doesn’t own to engage in these carriage disputes and it’s anxious to prove that in court to block similar efforts in the future. (Nexstar, of course, denies that it’s behind the Mission/White Knight blackouts, saying they are not the owner, just the manager of the stations’ daily operations.) Consequently, it would appear unlikely that DIRECTV will reach a settlement for the Mission and White Knight stations without a resolution of the lawsuit. And it’s unclear when that will occur.

The TV provider has also pursued a similar claim against Nexstar with the Federal Communications Commission. The TV Answer Man recently asked DIRECTV for a statement on what is being done to settle the Mission/White Knight disputes and here is the company’s response:

“We continue to pursue a federal anti-trust case and FCC complaint that challenge Nexstar’s sham relationships with Mission and White Knight,” DIRECTV stated.

The TV Answer Man will continue to monitor this dispute and report back here if anything significant changes.

Until then, happy viewing and stay safe!

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.

The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.