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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

KXLY resumes broadcasts on DISH Network following one-day blackout

Terms of new retransmission contract not disclosed

DISH Network viewers lost programs carried on KXLY-TV in Spokane and KVEW-TV in Yakima for most of Saturday as the two companies disputed terms of a new contract. The satellite network needed a new deal to retransmit the two programs offered by the two stations owned by Morgan Murphy Media. When the new contract could not be signed in time, KXLY and KVEW blocked the programs for DISH viewers starting at midnight Friday. The two sides resumed discussions on Saturday and turned the programs back on around 7 p.m. on Saturday, said David Lee, a KXLY spokesman. A contract was signed before Sunday morning. Before the settlement, DISH sent out a press release accusing Morgan Murphy of exorbitant retransmission fee demands. “Morgan Murphy has demanded an exorbitant rate increase of 200 percent, and DISH is determined to hold the line against the kind of greed that would ultimately affect DISH customers adversely,” the release said. Morgan Murphy’s Teddie Gibbon, the GM of KXLY, shot back with a release saying, “DISH is unwilling to agree to virtually the same terms we have negotiated with nearly all of its competitors in the last few months.” Morgan Murphy does not have rights to NCAA college basketball games in Washington. However it operates CBS affiliates in Wisconsin that also went dark for part of Saturday, and CBS does carry some of the March Madness broadcasts. After the new multiyear deal was struck, DISH issued a new statement: “We are proud to continue offering to DISH customers the best channel choices at the lowest everyday prices in the industry.” Terms of the agreements between DISH and Morgan Murphy were not disclosed.