NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of Dish TV subscribers lost access to one or more channels Sunday night because of a fight over how much the satellite TV company should pay for the channels.
Channel owner Tribune Media Co. says its local stations, like CBS, CW and Fox, reach more than 5 million Dish subscribers in dozens of cities across the country. The WGN national cable channel, which Tribune says has 7 million Dish subscribers, also went dark.
Dish says it’s offering free antennas so customers can watch the local stations until the companies work it out.
Cable and satellite TV companies like Dish Network Corp. and Comcast pay station owners like Tribune and entertainment companies like Disney for channels. Fights over how much to pay are common as costs have risen. Those costs are passed down to consumers on their cable bills.