I’m in the same market, I’ve got Directv. This happens every year or every other year. I don’t recall channel 5 ever going dark, they have always reached an agreement. However, are you really OK with KSDK demanding more money? Why should they get paid for something they give away free over the air? Why should they get more money from cable and satellite providers who are doing them a favor by delivering their programming to locations their over the air signal can’t reach? Seems to me they should be paying the tv providers, not the other way around. You do realize we are the ones paying for their demands. I’m rather tired of my bill going up every year.

Tegna must have started their crawlers.  Second post from one of their stations today.

@JefferMC Yes, they have. Actually started last night.

I wish both sides would be required to disclose their idea of  "fair, market-based" during the negotiations.

I agree with Jeffer.

What is "fair" for a customer to pay when that customer can get it for free (and uncompressed!) with an antenna? Essentially, all we're doing is paying for the right to record shows and even then, there's an app that shows go on the day after. Even if they take away access to the archives via the NBC app, the Peacock app is a good value.

The TV providers make the channel owners look bad by wanting to raise rates. The channel owners make the TV providers look bad by refusing to cowtow to increased carriage fees.

Eventually, that all comes out to that "Local Channel Carriage Fee" which goes up and up every year.

On a related note, the owners of my local NBC are running a crawl about DISH not wanting to pay up. I think DISH is in something like eight different disputes (and now maybe Nexstar) and they haven't had HBO in well over a year.

There is no breach of agreement, nor promise to provide "all" local channels. They only provide you the locals for your service address and only the ones they have agreements for. Channels are subject to change per the Terms of Service. This is because they don't own the channels so cannot force them to stay.

We don't pay extra for locals. If your bill has a line item for local channels, then you have a very old package where locals were itemized. All current packages include locals (if available).

DirecTV is not "dropping" the channel. If an agreement is not reached by the deadline, then it is the choice of the local whether they pull the feed or leave it while still negotiating.

But again, no breach of contract as you try to claim.

Terms of Service - Legal Policy Center - AT&T

(d) Our Programming Changes.

 

Many factors affect the availability, cost and quality of programming and may influence the decision to raise prices and the amount of any increase. These include, among others, programming and other costs, consumer demand, market and shareholder expectations, and changing business conditions. Accordingly, we reserve the unrestricted right to change, rearrange, add or delete our programming packages, the selections in those packages, our prices, technologies used to deliver the Service, and any other Service we offer, at any time.

If I lose NBC I'll be dropping D-TV and start streaming (Youtube TV) my 24 yr old son uses it at a fraction of the price. I pay way too much and there are alternatives to the greediness of corporate America!!!  

Well I DO have a separate line item charge for local channels.  Dtv is always dropping channels and adding pathetic other channels like more stupid shopping channels or how to fix your creepy skin channels. They do this to continuously being able to say they are providing a certain amount of channels depending on your package. ( mine is 155+) with a good majority being crap channels, shopping or Latin, neither usable by me. We can get local channels over the air for free but not thru dtv? Cable and satellite TV is phasing out and being replaced by streaming. 

Here we go again :(

Realize that Tegna, who owns the stations, is threatening to pull your channel, not DirecTV. This is an all too common negotiating tactic used by these corporations to extort more money from TV service providers.  None are immune, so even switching providers won't help. 
 
You'll also want to contact Tegna.  Request that they allow DirecTV to continue carrying them while negotiations continue. And ask them why providers like Dish, DirecTV and Comcast must pay them anything when they get to use our public airwaves for FREE?!?  After all, these service providers increase their overall viewership and advertising revenue.  They're shooting themselves in the foot!
 
The FCC and Congress could easily fix this. Just allow service providers to deliver an out-of-area station when local stations get greedy. But I fear that the broadcast TV lobby is too powerful to ever let that happen. 
 
Keep up on the latest updates at https://tvpromise.att.com/ 

Folks complain when local station owners pull their channels from providers like DirecTV demanding more money.  And folks complain that their su(Edited per community guidelines)cription rates are too high. So what are service providers like Dish, Comcast and DirecTV to do?  Here's a suggestion. File a complaint with the FCC. Ask that the FCC allow service providers to deliver another network station instead. That would stop this (Edited per community guidelines) in a heartbeat. After all, these are FREE over-the-air TV stations. Why should TV providers have to pay them anything?

@Xraykory  

Since you have a separate line item, then you have a very old package from when locals were first available with DirecTV. Now locals are included in the base cost of packages, not an extra charge. Also new channels added to DirecTV's lineup do not get added to packages already grandfathered.

I would take a look at what you watch and compare against the current packages. Some channels are in lower costing packages than they used to be as well. So good to make sure you are not in a higher costing option than you use.

Channels that are shopping only is a way to cover cost of networks. The networks you watch have raised their costs so much that TV providers have to supplement the cost with paid advertising channels. And the networks also charge advertisers for their time slots. If they didn't do this then TV providers would be much higher than they already are.

Look at the big picture. This is not simply the TV provider doing things you don't like, this is how the entire industry is setup. And since the networks refuse to allow al-a-carte options and stick with packages, then this is how it works.

Remember if the local affiliate wins, then that adds to any price increase. I don't want my bill going up that much more because you cannot live without a local that is free over the normal airways.

And satellite/cable TV is not phasing out. Internet good enough for relying on streaming is not available to the entire country. And there are many without internet at all. But we all have the sky. Sorry but internet is not at the level you make it out to be.

You're more than welcome to call 800-288-2020 and ask for retention/promotional rates. AT&T will not notify you when your rates are about to expire. Put a reminder on a calendar to call back. You pay no more than about $10 for all local channels. If NBC is missing for one month (very unlikely), at most, your refund would only be $2-3 or so. I've consistently gotten $20-30 off my internet and an equal amount off my TV each month for several years.

In addition, you may be able to upgrade to Internet 1000 for no additional fee (or maybe even lower than what you're paying now) and in this case, you'd get HBO Max for free plus HBO on your TV.

The owner of this station (TEGNA) most likely wants even more money for a channel you can get for free with an antenna. Why is TEGNA so greedy?

The retentions department can give rates much greater than that, but it's up to you to call in.

Please consider replying to an already-existing thread next time.

I am now watching a Tegna station right after the temporary deal was set to expire.

They either have a new long-term deal or a second temporary deal.

Pay attention to programmingchanges.att.com for more info, especially after December 15th, 2020 when this month's notices get posted.

Edit...about 7:16pm ET, the channel was blacked out.

As of 7:15pm Eastern, the Tegna stations in Atlanta, WXIA and WATL are still not available on my U-Verse TV.

If AT&T is going to charge me a Monthly Broadcast TV fee, then they need to make sure ALL local broadcast stations are available or they need to credit my account a portion of that fee for each station that isn't available. I'll be calling Customer Service and demanding a credit on my bill.

The Dallas ABC (WFAA) affiliate is not broadcasting.

So do we get credit on our bill for loss of service with TENGA???

If you are going to charge me outrageous prices for service, then bring back NBC and quit being such tight (Edited per community guidelines) and sign the contract!! This is ridiculous!! I left Charter due to this crap and now you're pulling the same stuff. 

Looking for a quick resolution

hejnal1

All providers are going through it. Contact the greedy network. Providers are trying to keep the costs down for us. 

@OttoPylot  I now have a banner on my spectrum stating the locals are in negotiations and will pull the feed in 4 days 

@Hejnal 

Well then as you have just learned, no TV provider is immune from this situation. Locals are fighting harder and harder for higher rates, which would mean higher bills for us. Why should TV providers, and us customers via our bill, pay more (if anything) for channels that are free over the normal airways?

Changing providers does not save you as this situation has proven. Personally I hope the TV provider doesn't cave. Bill goes up enough each year from pay channels increasing rates. I don't need that from my free locals, especially since I didn't go to pay TV for them.

What does that have to do with cellular service? You are in the wrong forum.

Moving to DirecTV because it's closer than wireless!

Either watch OTA with an antenna or stream through Locast.

My local NBC station is owned by Tegna. They even posted on Facebook that they wouldn’t be available on Directv or Uverse. That was supposed to happen over an hour ago, yet I’m right now watching the Voice. I’m not sure if that means a last minute agreement or someone asleep at the switch.

The owner of your local affiliate pulled the feed while they negotiate. They are trying to raise rates, which come from our bill of course. If you have a show like the bachelorette that you just cannot do without, then use a regular antenna to pick up the free broadcast in the meantime.

Ok

If we do not get all the channels we have signed up for, we will go to another company.

Plucked from a another forum post:

rant]

Every year these threads appear.  And every year I keep wishing the carriers (cable companies and ATT) would hold their ground until the local's realize they are losing eyes for their advertising.   People blame the carriers for their "greed" and not supplying "their channels" that "they are paying for". 

First, they are not "your channels".  ATT can do anything they want to the channel lineup as per these terms of service (8. INTERRUPTIONS, LIMITATIONS, AND MODIFICATIONS TO SERVICE).  You are paying for a TV service, not specific individual channels.

Second in this case it's the locals who are the greedy ones here asking for ever more and more money every year for something most anyone can get for free with an antenna (assuming the locals are in range - check here).  And then later everyone complains of their ever increasing bills when the one of the reasons for that increase is the "Broadcast TV Surcharge".  So guess who's actually paying for the locals for their greed ?we the customer

If the carriers stonewalled these locals maybe they would "blink" and put an end to this annual blackmail.  But it never happens and it's just wishful thinking on my part.  In reality the carriers and the locals eventually come to an "agreement" where the locals get less than they asked for (they probably asked for twice as much as they need anyhow if they truly need any more in the first place).  We end paying for the bill.  And it's always the carriers that are to blame.  There's a lot to blame and greed to put on the carriers, but this annual negotiation crap is not one of them.

[end of rant]

No. 

During this pandemic I can’t believe that AT&T DIRECTV cannot come to terms before losing wbns this is ridiculous I remember the last time this happened people missed to new fall season  start of shows. If I’m paying for a channel I expect to get it. And trying to offer me other channels or other offers does not replace the channel I want  I think both of these companies (Edited per community guidelines) right now with everything going on right now 

NBC access lost in metro Atlanta as well.  We are long term customers (+/- 20 years) and spend a lot of money each month for DirecTV service.  Really unhappy and ready to drop my service.  For a company that has been bleeding subscribers at a high rate you would think DirecTV would do everything they could to hold onto loyal customers.

We just lost channel 8 ABC here in DFW. You can't expect Directv to pay increased prices for all the local channels just because the channel wants them to.  And for the channel owner to remove the channel is just blackmail.  The FCC should stop this happening but the channel owners have all the power at the moment. Maybe a "new" FCC can change that.

Agreement between TV provider and channel owner comes up. Some channels (more notably locals in recent years), hold out and pull feed on the deadline. This is to use us customers to convince TV provider for increased rates. That way we pay more for our locals that are otherwise free over the regular airways.

Packages include access to locals. But like all others, there is no guarantee of any channel always being there. As long as you are getting a single local channel, the bill remains the same. They don't itemize locals based on area, but flat rate it in all packages. Only if you are in one off the rare areas that don't have access to any locals at all (through DirecTV), does the bill get lowered.

People are complaining about dropping service for a channel or two which is making a mountain out of a molehill. We go to pay TV for what is not on our free locals. If you are so dependent on locals, plug in a regular antenna. No TV provider is immune from this situation as they all go through it. A regular antenna would be a back for these times, and in some areas pick up additional sub-channels that DirecTV doesn't have or even possibly locals from a neighboring market.

Ha. You think this will stop the Karens from starting 17 redundant threads?

I'd try it, but unfortunately, I don't believe Locast is in my area. Hopefully Locast won't be cut off, the way Sinclair cut off access to FSGO to Hulu subscribers.

I am in the same boat you are with Tegna issue.  I tried Locast on my Directv boxes and it says: Loading channels, please wait..   then it just disappears..  But I shouldn't be surprised about this.  AT&T can't get anything right...   

It looks like someone kicked locast into high gear.

As of this moment, you can access your local stations using the locast app.  locast is not available in every market and not every local station is available but it's worth the time to look and see.

ATT SERVICE IS POOR POOR POOR

Please do not start duplicate threads. There are already a number of them clogging up the first page.

This will now be closed.

Please do not type in all-caps. It is the equivalent of yelling.

This is a customer-to-customer forum. Only a small handful of AT&T employees read these forums and there's no guarantee they're at the corporate level. They could be technicians or people who work at AT&T stores in your neighborhood.

In addition, please do not start redundant threads. This will now be closed, as there are already numerous threads on this topic.

No!!!

You should do some research they are trying to save you money or are you ok paying an additional 20 dollars a month to keep the locals ?

You are entitled to your own opinion as am I. I want service restored, HATE INTERRUPTED SERVICE AND DO NOT CARE ABOUT $20.ATT (Edited per community guidelines) NKT DKING ANYTHING FOR YOU. IF THEY GET A BREAK, THEY WILL KEEP IT