Representatives for both sides said they want the dispute to end as quickly as possible, but would not speculate on the possible length of the blackout.
Lin Media and Dish failed to reach a retransmission consent deal as of midnight March 4, following a four-day extension from the original March 1 deadline.
Disputes between broadcasters and pay-TV operators are becoming frequent as networks struggle to find profits amid falling advertising revenues and rising programming costs.
Last month, Time Warner Cable and Sinclair Broadcasting Group signed an agreement after averting a blackout of WKEF-TV Channel 22 and WRGT-TV Channel 45 programming to the cable company’s customers.
“The one place where a lot of media figure that they have somewhat of an upper hand because of distribution is from the carrier side,” said Rob Riggsbee, president of Inside Media, a media investment company based in Cincinnati.
Riggsbee doesn’t think the battle between Dish and Lin Media will last long. “My opinion is they will work it out,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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