A protracted battle between Citadel and the Dish Network may continue into the new fall season, according to Ray Cole, the president of Citadel Communications. Citadel and DBS operator Dish are at a stalemate over retransmission fees involving four TV stations--WOI-TV (ABC) in Des Moines; KCAU-TV (ABC) in Sioux City; and WHBF-TV (CBS) in Quad Cities, Iowa; and KLKN-TV (ABC) in Lincoln, Neb. All four were dropped from the Dish Network Aug. 1.
Cole provided an update on WOI“s Web site Aug. 25:
“We continue to reach out to the Dish Network in hopes of striking a carriage agreement that would allow ABC5 (WOI-TV/DT) to once again be carried on the Dish satellite service. A lengthy conference call was held this morning during which we once again attempted to reason with Dish executives in a good-faith manner. I am disappointed to report, however, that the DISH Network continues to be inflexible and appears to have drawn a line in the sand... a line which makes it increasingly doubtful that we can reach a fair and equitable agreement prior to the start of 1) the new fall primetime schedule, 2) the college football season, and 3) the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase.”
Dish executives have remained mum on the negotiations, other than saying Citadel pulled their TV signals rather than Dish having dropped them.
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