RALEIGH — Sadly, some CBS 17 viewers may be missing out on local news from WNCN for the time being.
The Nexstar-owned station has been in blackout since Thursday after the telecom company failed to reach a new deal with DIRECTV and its owner AT&T.
Nexstar says 120 channels across 97 markets in the U.S. fell blank because of stalled negotiations, affecting subscribers of AT&T and DIRECTV.
At present, it’s unclear how long it will continue.
Both companies are pointing blame at the other for the blackout.
AT&T says it offered Nexstar more money to keep the channels available. Nexstar says it offered AT&T an extension to keep the channels up while negotiations continued, but AT&T dropped the channels.
“Nexstar regrets that DIRECTV is willing to hold its paying subscribers hostage because it won’t agree to fair and reasonable terms for viewers’ favorite programming,” the firm said it a statement.
Nexstar remains eager to complete an agreement with DIRECTV consistent with those it has made with every other cable, satellite and telco provider in order to end DIRECTV ’s action that is both unnecessary and punitive to its subscribers.
Instead of showing local news affiliates such as ABC, NBC and FOX, customers saw only a message from DirecTV stating that Nexstar had removed the channel.
Many people took to Twitter over holiday to demand the channels be restored.
