LIN Media stations along the east coast are warning viewers of a potential blackout this week if their parent company cannot reach a new retrans agreement with COX Communications. LIN’s current carriage deal with COX expires at midnight on March 31st.
“Please know that we are working hard to reach a new agreement with COX so you will not lose your favorite programming,” reads a statement from LIN that has been posted on the websites of affected stations. “If we do not reach an agreement, by law, COX cannot carry our television stations on its cable system.”
LIN’s statement goes on to suggest that, in the event of a blackout, viewers switch to a competing pay-TV provider.
Here’s a list of the stations that could go dark this week…
Providence, RI-New Bedford, MA: CBS-affiliate WPRI and Fox-affiliate WNAC
Springfield, MA: NBC-affiliate WWLP
Hartford-New Haven, CT: ABC-affiliate WTNH and MyNetworkTV-affiliate WCTX
Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA: NBC-affiliate WAVY and Fox-affiliate WVBT
Mobile, AL-Pensacola, FL: Fox-affiliate WALA and CW-affiliate WFNA
On March 5th, LIN Media pulled 27 stations off of DISH Network systems after the two companies failed to reach a new retrans agreement before the old one expired. A week later, LIN stations returned to the satellite network after a new carriage deal was finally reached.