The TV blackout between DISH Network and Gray Media ended on Friday, May 1, restoring 226 local channels in 113 markets across the U.S.
The blackout, which started on March 11, lasted 51 days.
What TV stations does Gray Media own in Iowa?
No TV stations in Des Moines were impacted, but stations in other parts of Iowa are now back online. Here’s the list:
What other TV blackouts have happened in Iowa?
In 2023, TEGNA and DirecTV had a dispute that took WOI and WQAD offline in Iowa. Tegna was also involved in a dispute with Mediacom that knocked stations offline from January 2021 to February 2022.
KCCI and WHO were both involved in disputes in 2023 as well.
What are the companies saying?
Gray says it is the nation’s largest owner of “top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 113 full-power television markets.” Gray-owned stations across the country posted messages on social media and their websites saying DISH had dropped their stations.
In a release, DISH Network blamed Gray Media for the blackout.
“Following Gray Media’s decision to black out its local stations from the DISH TV lineup, 226 channels in 113 markets are currently unavailable to DISH customers. Gray Media chose to disconnect these stations — which provide critical local news, sports, and weather — after DISH refused to accept unreasonable rate increases that would have raised monthly bills for consumers,” the company said.
“Gray Media is utilizing its market dominance to demand ‘retransmission consent’ fee hikes that are disconnected from the reality of declining viewership and the availability of free and low-cost streaming alternatives,” DISH claims. “Gray Media also introduced ‘last-minute’ demands regarding stations they don’t yet own, stalling negotiations just hours before expiration.”
What is Gray Media?
Gray Media is a multimedia company based in Atlanta, according to its website. The company serves 113 television markets throughout the U.S.
What is DISH Network?
DISH Network is a satellite television company based in Englewood, Colorado serving millions of viewers nationwide, its website says.
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Gray Media TV channels are now available to Iowa viewers again
Reporting by Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
