Fox News and Dish Reach Agreement

Fox News and Dish Network said they reached a new multi-year agreement that will return the top rated Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network to Dish’s satellite subscribers.

Dish blacked out the channels on Dec. 20. Terms of the new deal were not disclosed, but Fox News has been getting more than $1.50 per subscriber per month from other major distributors — one of the larger fees any cable channel collects. A source familiar with the negotiation said that Fox Business would be moving up to the same, more distributed, programming tier as Fox News.

“We thank the viewers of Fox News and Fox Business and Dish customers for their patience throughout this process,” Tim Carry, Fox News and Fox Business executive VP of distribution, and Warren Schlichting, Dish senior VP of programming said in a joint statement.

When the blackout began both sides points the figure of blame at the other. Dish accused Fox News of blacking out the channels in order to raise rates on other entertainment and sports channels owned by parent company 21st Century Fox.

Fox news claimed Dish cut the signal before negotiations and the old agreement concluded.

More recently, Fox News has been running ads featuring its on-air personalities claiming that Dish is censoring the news.

Fox News claimed that the dispute cost Dish about 90,000 of its 14 million subscribers and that the dispute generated 350,000 calls and visits to Fox’s website.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.