DIRECTV, Griffin Media End Month-Long Oklahoma Channel Blackout
DIRECTV and Griffin Media reached a new agreement, restoring Griffin's Oklahoma-based CBS and CW affiliates to DIRECTV's satellite and streaming platforms after a month-long dispute. This resolution returns channels like KWTV (CBS Oklahoma City) and KOTV (CBS Tulsa) to DIRECTV subscribers. However, DIRECTV still has an unresolved dispute with E. W. Scripps Company, leaving Tulsa subscribers without their local NBC affiliate.
Key Takeaways
- Griffin Media's KWTV (CBS Oklahoma City) and KOTV (CBS Tulsa) are back on DIRECTV following a new agreement.
- The blackout affected Griffin's flagship station KWTV, co-owned KSBI, and Tulsa stations KOTV and KQCW.
- Financial terms of the new distribution agreement were not disclosed by either party.
- DIRECTV continues a separate, unresolved dispute with E. W. Scripps Company, leaving Tulsa without its NBC affiliate KJRH.
Why It Matters
The resolution of the DIRECTV-Griffin Media dispute ends a month-long blackout for Oklahoma subscribers, restoring access to key local CBS and CW programming. This follows a common pattern in carriage disputes, where local broadcasters and distributors temporarily sever ties over retransmission fees. However, DIRECTV still faces an ongoing dispute with E. W. Scripps Company for other channels. The continued rhetoric from Scripps CEO Adam Symson against DIRECTV's "anti-competitive" behavior suggests that these localized blackouts will remain a persistent challenge for MVPDs. Industry observers should track the duration and outcomes of such disputes as they indicate shifting leverage between content owners and distributors.
Read full article at thedesk.net
Enjoy our coverage?
Add StreamingMeme as a preferred source on Google to see more of our streaming news at the top of your Search results.
Add as preferred source