KFVS signal goes dark for Dish Network users

A transmission agreement between Raycom Media and Dish Network expired Thursday after months of negotiation and a failure to reach a new agreement.

As of Thursday evening, Dish Network customers were not receiving programming from KFVS12 or its sister network The Heartland's CW [WQWQ].

KFVS has taken to the airwaves to explain the interruption of service, while sparring with Dish Network in front of the camera.

In a KFVS12 news segment that aired Tuesday, KFVS12 general manager Tim Ingram said: "We were very assertive in getting back to them quickly. We wanted to make sure that we were the "good guy" in the negotiations. They've not been that way."

Ingram added that if one types "Dish Network and the worst place in America" into a Google search, people will find "some pretty nasty things about how that company chooses to do business."

"It's the truth," Ingram on Thursday said. "For the second year in a row, they were named the worst company in America."

In a news release sent Thursday from Dish Network, director of programming Sruta Vootukuru said: "We are ready to listen to a fair proposal from Raycom to bring this impasse to a swift end. Unfortunately, the broadcaster has not been willing to pursue an agreement that would have avoided this disruption of service to our customers and Raycom viewers. Dish has offered to pay Raycom the same rates as our primary competitors; yet Raycom has stalled negotiations, refusing to accept that fair offer. Dish has negotiated hundreds of local retransmission agreements and on behalf of customers, we hope Raycom will soon agree to terms in line with market standards."

Ingram said the two companies had been negotiating for six months, and this was the first time in the history of KFVS12 the network had been taken down.

"We offered to extend the agreement two times in the last 24 hours, before the negotiations fell apart last night, and Dish Network refused to extend the contract," he said.

In an emailed response to the Southeast Missourian sent Thursday, John Hall of Dish Network Corporate Communications said: "Dish is working on behalf of customers in this negotiation to achieve a fair price for the content. Dish has offered to pay the same rates as its primary competitors and Raycom has refused. Dish remains available around the clock to bring this impasse to an end for the benefit of our customers and Raycom's viewers."

Ingram said Raycom's negotiation team is looking to compromise with Dish Network. The team worked all day Thursday to come to a resolution, he said. An agreement had not been met as of 5 p.m. Thursday.

"I'm sure at some point we will come to agreement," Ingram said. "We just hope it's days, not months."

Regardless, Dish Network customers no longer can watch Raycom Media programming, including Heartland News, and the station has opened its phone lines to listen to viewers' concerns and any questions they may have, Ingram said.

The station also is streaming its newscasts online and through mobile phones. It has set up a 24-hour weather hotline that people may call for weather forecasts.

Dish Network customers may call 573-519-0204 from 5 a.m. to midnight for concerns or questions regarding lack of programming or 573-519-0149 for 24-hour weather forecasts.

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