DirecTV Avoids Sinclair Blackout

Parties near final agreement, extend talks to hammer out details

By Mike Farrell, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/1/2013 8:53:17 AM

DirecTV avoided a midnight blackout of about 87 Sinclair Broadcast Group stations in 47 markets across the country, receiving an extension from the broadcaster as retransmission consent negotiations continue.

The Sinclair stations, affiliates of all four major broadcasters, are located in markets like Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Baltimore and were set to go dark at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 28 if a deal could not be reached. Earlier on Thursday, DirecTV said it had been granted the extension and negotiations continue.

"DirecTV and Sinclair Broadcast Group today extended their current retransmission consent agreement to allow DirecTV to continue providing Sinclair's local broadcast stations without interruption as the companies continue working toward a new agreement," DirecTV said in a statement.

Earlier in the week DirecTV said it was optimistic a deal could be reached.

On its station websites, Sinclair said that it had reached an agreement with the satellite giant and granted the extension to hammer out the final details.

"Sinclair is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement with DirecTV on a new retransmission consent agreement and has entered into a short-term extension of its existing agreement in order to allow the parties to enter into a formal agreement," the company said. "As a result, DirecTV will continue to carry all of our stations. We thank our viewers for their patience and support during these negotiations."