WPIX Blackout Due to Nexstar/Mission Collusion: Comcast
Mission Broadcast's insistence that Comcast carry its WPIX New York station under an agreement with Nexstar and its refusal to negotiate with Comcast directly resulted in a blackout of the station that started Dec. 3, Comcast said in a filing…
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posted Tuesday in a good-faith negotiation complaint (docket 12-1). The WPIX blackout is "an archetypical example of bad faith negotiations" and collusion by the two, as Mission refused to negotiate for WPIX retransmission consent and Nexstar shot down proposals for a standstill and true up agreement for WPIX, Comcast said in the redacted complaint. A Nexstar spokesperson emailed that the broadcaster has been negotiating with Comcast since October but the cabler "seems unwilling to reach a fair agreement, similar to those we have with our other satellite, cable, and telco partners. Nexstar is simply seeking fair market rates for the live sports, local news, and high-quality entertainment programming we provide to millions of viewers across the country. We have a long track record of negotiating fairly and avoiding service interruptions in our markets and we hope to reach agreement with Comcast." Control of WPIX is also the subject of pending ligation between Comcast and the broadcasters, and of a complaint filed by Comcast with the FCC (see 2107140059).