KTKA goes dark on DISH

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jan 2, 2009 by Michael Hooper

By Michael Hooper

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

KTKA-TV Channel 49 was dropped Thursday from the DISH Network lineup in Topeka after the two companies failed to reach a retransmission agreement by Dec. 31.

DISH Network's contract with KTKA's owner, Free State Communications, expired on Dec. 31, 2008. The absence of a contract means DISH Network was no longer able to provide KTKA, the ABC affiliate, to its subscribers, DISH Network said in a news release.

DISH Network Corp., of Englewood, Colo., said KTKA's owner, Free State Communications, was "demanding unreasonable contract terms and an excessive rate increase for continued carriage on DISH Network -- an increase that DISH Network is unwilling to pass on to customers."

DISH Network subscribers were first warned of the possibility of losing KTKA from a scroll at the bottom of the screen. By Thursday, the channel was blacked out and customers were given a number to call to complain to KTKA.

Free State Communications, a subsidiary of The World Co. in Lawrence, said it has worked over the past several months with area satellite and cable providers to establish fair and reasonable compensation for their use of KTKA's broadcast signal as part of retransmission negotiations.

Neither Free State nor DISH said how many DISH subscribers were without KTKA programming in the Topeka area. Free State said Dish Network has refused terms that other video providers deemed acceptable.

Television stations have the right to ask for compensation for rebroadcasting their signal on cable and satellite networks.

A year ago, WIBW-TV and Cox Cable fought over retransmission agreements but finally settled with a new agreement in early 2008.