DISH Network subscribers may not be able to watch local CBS affiliate KRCG on the satellite TV service after today.
KRCG announced Friday on its website that "at the end of the day on Saturday, we expect DISH to stop carrying this station."
Satellite and cable TV providers like DISH must enter into retransmission consent agreements, or contracts, with each local television station in order to carry its signal. When a contract expires, a new agreement must be negotiated for the service to continue to offer that station.
KRCG General Manager Beth Worsham confirmed the station's retransmission agreement with DISH is coming to an end, but said she could not offer details because contract negotiations are being handled by the station's corporate owner, Sinclair Broadcast Group, based in Baltimore.
If an agreement is not reached by the end of today, "DISH subscribers will be the only viewers that lose access to this station's great programming," the notice on KRCG's website reads. "The station will still be available on DirecTV, your local cable provider and for free over the air."
The station's local newscasts also are streamed live at www.connectmidmissouri.com/live.
In past disputes of this sort, one issue has been the amount of money which the satellite or cable service pays the local TV station for the right to retransmit its content. During past disputes, television stations have argued their requests for increased fees are small compared to the rate which other channels are paid, while satellite and cable operators argued the requested increases are unreasonable and will burden subscribers with added costs.
In 2008, KRCG, which was then owned by Barrington Broadcast Group, was off DISH for approximately 10 weeks while the station and satellite service haggled over a new contract.
KRCG's current owner, Sinclair Broadcast Group, owns or is involved with operations of 161 TV stations in 79 markets. Its other stations in Missouri are KHQA in Hannibal and KDNL in St. Louis.