Stalemate between AT&T, Nexstar continues

A dispute over fees between Nexstar Media Group and AT&T’s DirecTV and U-Verse systems continued into its sixth day Tuesday, with subscribers in some 100 U.S. markets, including Arkansas, unable to get local channels.

In central Arkansas, the Nexstar stations affected by the blackout are KARK, an NBC affiliate, and KLRT, a Fox affiliate, along with KARZ and KASN. In Northwest Arkansas, KNWA, an NBC affiliate, and KFTA, a Fox affiliate, are affected. The stations are carried on AT&T’s DirecTV satellite system, U-verse cable system, and DirecTV NOW, an online streaming service.

Each side blamed the other for the stalemate, which began at 11:59 p.m. July 3 with the expiration of the contract between the two publicly traded companies.

Nationally, Nexstar’s 120 stations in 97 markets are affected. Most are are affiliated with either ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox, although smaller ones are with MyNetworkTV or the CW.

Joe Jaffoni, a Nexstar spokesman, said AT&T had rejected Nexstar’s offer of a 30-day unconditional extension through Aug. 2 for AT&T to continue airing the stations. Jaffoni said Nexstar, based in Irving, Texas, was encouraging viewers to complain to AT&T and to representatives in Congress.

AT&T said Nexstar, not AT&T, removed its channels from the AT&T cable services and that Nexstar “is demanding the largest increase that AT&T has ever seen from any content provider.”

AT&T said subscribers should complain to Nexstar but also can watch the local channels through an overthe-air antenna or via individual stations’ websites.