CBS Claims Dish Moving Too Slowly

The big broadcaster issued a statement Tuesday warning that its talks with Dish Network over rights to carry the CBS broadcast network and various other TV holdings CBS owns were moving too slowly and, according to Variety, suggested the Eye could be removed from the satellite broadcaster’s service by Thursday, Nov. 20, which is when the companies’ current agreement is set to expire.

Dish “appears willing to drop the most popular programming in its entire channel lineup because it won’t negotiate the same sort of deal that other cable, satellite and telco companies have struck with CBS,” the broadcaster said in a statement.

Last week, the Englewood, Colo.-based satellite TV operator said it was “actively working to reach a deal before the contract expires and has successfully negotiated agreements representing hundreds of stations in recent months that benefit all parties, including our viewers.”

The CBS statement marks the second salvo that the broadcaster of such broadly viewed programs as “NCIS” and “The Big Bang Theory” has launched in recent days. Last week, CBS began running promos on various local stations alerting viewers to the potential breakdown in talks between the two parties and urging them to rally to the CBS cause. Showtime and CBS Sports Network could also be affected on Dish if the companies fail to reach an agreement.

The root cause of the bickering remains unclear, but such talks would typically encompass not only broadcast rights but also digital retransmission and broadband streaming.

The Dish-CBS standoff could black out the following stations — KCBS (L.A.), WCBS (New York), WBBM (Chicago), WBZ (Boston), KYW (Philadelphia), WCCO (Minneapolis), WFOR (Miami), WJZ (Baltimore), WWJ (Detroit), KCNC (Denver), KDKA (Pittsburg), KOVR (Sacramento), KPIX (San Francisco) and KTVT (Dallas) — along with several CW and independent channels.

CW stations are WUPA (Atlanta), WKBD (Detroit), WPSG (Philadelphia), Pittsburgh (WPCW), KMAX (Sacramento), KBWC (San Francisco) and KSTW (Seattle); My Network TV stations are WSBK (Boston) and WBFS (Miami); and unaffiliated stations are KCAL (L.A.), WLNY (New York) and KTXA (Dallas).