DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite television provider, has dropped The Weather Channel from its lineup after the two companies could not resolve a contentious contract dispute.
DirecTV stopped carrying the channel to its 20 million subscribers just after midnight eastern time Tuesday. (Via KMOV)
The two companies pointed fingers at each other late Monday evening after they failed to renegotiate the price DirecTV would pay in fees to carry the weather service. (Via The Weather Channel)
DirecTV reportedly wanted a "substantial" reduction in monthly carriage fees, while The Weather Channel has indicated it wanted to slightly increase the fees by about a penny per-subscriber, per-month. (Via CNN)
The bitter dispute has been anything but private.
Following the failed negotiations, Weather Channel Chief Executive David Kenny said: "We offered DirecTV the best rate for our programming, and I'm shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel that subscribers rely on every day." (Via Los Angeles Times)
And TheWeather Channel has encouraged its viewers to contact their state representatives and senators to demand DirecTV keep the "critical, life-saving resource."
But DirecTV is pushing back, claiming it's only seeking the best rate for its customers, and that a growing reliance on online sources has diminished the value of the TV network.
Dan York, chief content officer of DirecTV, told The Wall Street Journal: "People are increasingly getting their weather info on demand on their devices, whether it's weather.com or apps ... decreasing value and usage on the [Weather Channel's] linear TV service."
The Weather Channel's daily audience has declined by about 19 percent since 2011, although numbers were up significantly during the recent cold snap that ensnared much of the country. The blackout will be the channel's first since its launch 30 years ago.
