Hearst TV Reaches Deal With AT&T Ending Blackout

Hearst Television and AT&T have reached a new long-term retransmission consent agreement, ending a blackout that started Jan 3.

Financial terms were not available. 

AT&T said the process of restoring the stations' signals had begun. 

"Hearst and AT&T regret any inconvenience to their customers and viewers and thank them for their patience," the companies said in a statement.  

The stations return in time for Sunday’s NFL football playoff games on Fox and NBC.

The previous deal between Hearst and AT&T expired on Dec. 31, but the two sides agreed to several extensions as talks continued.

After an impasse was reached, the signals were removed from AT&T’s DirecTV and AT&T TV Now pay-TV services. 

The new deal affects stations in 26 markets where Hearst controls stations. 

Those market are: Albuquerque-Santa Fe, N.M.; Baltimore; Birmingham, Ala.; Boston; Burlington, Vt.; Cincinnati; Des Moines-Ames, Iowa; Fort Smith, Ark.; Greensboro-Winston-Salem, N.C.; Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.-Asheville, N.C.; Harrisburg-Lancaster, Pa.; Jackson, Miss.; Kansas City, Mo; Louisville, Ky.; Milwaukee; Monterey-Salinas, Calif.; New Orleans; Oklahoma City; Omaha, Neb.; Orlando-Daytona, Fla.; Pittsburgh; Portland-Auburn, Maine; Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, Calif.; Savannah, Ga.; Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.; and West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce, Fla.

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.