UPDATED: Citadel, DirecTV Extend Retrans Talks

Related: Three Citadel Stations Prepare To Go Dark At Midnight

Citadel Communications and DirecTV have extended their retransmission
consent deadline, keeping the three Citadel-owned stations on for
DirecTV viewers until 1 p.m. central time, April 1.
In a statement,
Citadel's Ray Cole said the discussions have been "productive."
"We
are hopeful that the few remaining, but important, business issues which
stand in the way of a new, final agreement can be resolved before this
extension period lapses," he added.
The possibly affected stations
are Citadel's ABC affiliate WOI Des Moines, ABC affiliate KLKN Lincoln
(Neb.) and CBS affiliate WHBF Davenport (Iowa). Until the extension, the
three were in danger of going dark at midnight central time tonight.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.