Dish Could Pull Raycom Stations Thursday Night

Already embroiled in a retransmission fight with Tribune, Dish could black out 56 Raycom stations Thursday if the two companies don’t strike a deal by 6 p.m.

“We are currently negotiating with Dish to avoid them removing [Raycom stations] from their system,” Raycom said on its websites. “Unfortunately, a very small number of carriers, like Dish have started making our business negotiation your problem.”

Dish posted its side of the story on the web as well.

Related: Tribune Blitzes Dish With NFL Blackout Spots

“We are still in negotiations and do not understand why Raycom Media has chosen to involve our customers at this time,” Dish wrote. “There is still time to reach a mutually beneficial deal. Negotiations regularly happen right up to the deadline and more often than not they are settled without issue.”

The battle with Raycom is just the latest in a series of retransmission disputes involving Dish. 

Related: Dish Loses 281K Net Subs in Q2

Tribune’s 42 TV stations have been blacked out to Dish subscribers since June 12. On Tuesday, the satellite provider struck a deal with the NFL to air the league’s channels, which had also been dark since June.

This is not the first retrans dispute between Dish and Raycom. The group's stations were off Dish for nine days in 2013.