Media General Issues Statement Regarding FCC Complaint Filed by DISH Network

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Media General issued the following statement regarding the retransmission complaint filed with the FCC today by DISH Network:  

This is the first time in the history of our company that Media General has failed to reach an agreement with a cable operator or satellite carrier. DISH, in contrast, has been involved in 32 take-down disputes with local broadcasters in the past three years alone, affecting more than 120 local television stations. DISH is currently involved in two other take-downs, in addition to its dispute with Media General.

We have acted in a responsive, courteous and professional manner at all times, have accommodated numerous of DISH's requests and have negotiated in absolute good faith since we began discussions in June — not merely because of any obligation to do so, but because our own standards, and our commitments to our viewers and our communities demand nothing less.

Unfortunately, DISH would prefer to manufacture a dispute, and now ask for government intervention, for its own purposes, rather than pay us a fair, market-based rate for the value of our stations.

Despite DISH's meritless request for government intervention, Media General will continue to negotiate in good faith so that we can return our stations to the DISH service for those viewers who remain DISH subscribers.

About Media General
Media General, Inc., is a leading provider of news, information and entertainment across 18 network-affiliated broadcast television stations and their associated digital media and mobile platforms. The company's stations serve consumers and advertisers in strong local markets, primarily in the Southeast. Media General's television stations include affiliations with NBC (8), CBS (8), ABC (1) and CW (1). One-third of the company's stations operate in the Top 50 markets in the United States. Media General's stations reach more than one-third of TV households in the Southeast and more than 8% of U.S. TV households. Media General entered the television business in 1955 when it launched WFLA-TV in Tampa, Florida, as an NBC affiliate.

On June 6, 2013, Media General (NYSE: MEG) and privately held New Young Broadcasting Holding Co., Inc., both local broadcast television and digital media companies, announced a definitive agreement to combine the two companies in an all-stock merger transaction. The new company will retain the Media General, Inc. name and will remain headquartered in Richmond, Va. Upon completion of the merger, the Young stations will be operated under a subsidiary of Media General, and the new company will own or operate 31 network-affiliated television stations across 28 markets, reaching approximately 16.5 million, or 14%, of U.S. TV households. The balance of network affiliations will include CBS (12), NBC (9), ABC (7) Fox (1), CW (1) and MNT (1).  Sixteen of the 31 stations are located in the Top 75 DMAs. 

Contact Media General
Media General maintains extensive company information on its website www.mediageneral.com. The company's media and investor contact is Lou Anne J. Nabhan, Vice President-Corporate Communications, [email protected] or 804-887-5120.

SOURCE Media General