WBNS-TV contract negotiations continue

WBNS-TV (Channel 10) and its sister station WTHR-TV in Indianapolis headed into the weekend still locked in an impasse over retransmission licensing fees, leaving the two off of DirecTV and AT&T U-Verse.

The stations disappeared from the DirecTV and AT&T lineups on Wednesday after turning down an extension to ongoing negotiations. WBNS and WTHR had agreed to a temporary extension late last month.

The stations posted a notice on their websites and social-media accounts indicating that they have completed “numerous retransmission agreements in the past 12 months at fair market rates without any service interruption. Unfortunately, after offering an extension last Friday to hopefully reach a fair market deal, the deadline to reach a fair agreement with DirecTV and AT&T U-verse has passed, resulting in the interruption of service.”

The stations, whose owner is the former owner of The Dispatch, encouraged affected viewers to find alternative means to tune in, including through a television antenna or other cable, satellite and online services.

John Cardenas, president and general manager of WBNS, said in an email to The Dispatch on Friday afternoon: “We ... are working very hard to reach a fair resolution” with AT&T/ DirecTV.

Holly Hollingsworth, spokeswoman for AT&T — which owns DirectTV — said in a statement late Friday: “We want to get WBNS back into our Columbus customers’ lineups as soon as possible. Doing so requires permission from its owner, Dispatch Video, since FCC rules grant WBNS exclusive control over whether that station remains available on either DIRECTV or U-verse. We share our customers’ frustration at situations like this one that are typically the result of station owners seeking significant fee increases... . Our goal is to resolve this matter quickly and reasonably.”

The stations last came to an agreement with DirecTV three years ago.