Gray Media’s stations are dropped by Dish Network after failed negotiations, citing unprecedented demand and bad faith conduct by Dish.
Quiver AI Summary
Gray Media announced that for the first time, its television stations have been dropped by Dish Network after months of negotiations that nearly resulted in a new distribution agreement. Gray, known for its fair negotiation practices, has never previously faced such a situation with any satellite operator. Dish's decision comes after it operated under extensions of the prior agreement to avoid service interruptions during significant events, including the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics. Dish's insistence on an unprecedented and adverse provision in the new agreement, which Gray has not encountered with its other distribution partners, is considered a violation of Dish's obligation to negotiate in good faith. In response to Dish's tactics, which have become familiar to its dwindling customer base, Gray remains open to finalizing an agreement and plans to seek restitution for damages incurred due to Dish's actions.
Potential Positives
- Gray Media's leadership has a strong track record for fair and reasonable distribution negotiations, highlighting its credibility in the industry.
- The company has never had its signals dropped by a satellite operator before, showcasing its reliability and strong relationships with distribution partners.
- Gray Media remains ready to restore its stations on Dish’s platform without conceding to unreasonable demands, indicating a willingness to uphold its standards and negotiate fairly.
- Gray Media's substantial market presence includes the largest collection of top-rated local television stations and significant reach across U.S. television households, reinforcing its position as a key player in the media landscape.
Potential Negatives
- Gray Media has faced a significant operational setback as its television stations have been dropped by Dish Network, marking the first occurrence of such an event in the company's history.
- The dispute with Dish has led to the removal of Gray's local stations from the lineups of paying customers, potentially resulting in a loss of viewership and advertisers during high-profile events.
- The press release highlights Dish's tactics as detrimental to consumer choice and escalating Gray's legal posture, suggesting a damaging public perception that could affect future negotiations with other distributors.
FAQ
Why did Dish Network drop Gray Media's television stations?
Dish Network dropped Gray Media's stations after failing to reach an agreement on new distribution terms following months of negotiations.
What is Gray Media's history with distribution agreements?
Gray Media has a strong track record of fair negotiations, never having its signals dropped by a satellite operator before this incident.
How does this dispute affect Dish Network customers?
Dish Network customers will lose access to Gray Media's local television channels, including top-rated stations, due to the ongoing dispute.
Has Gray Media had previous disputes with Dish Network?
No, Gray Media has never had its signals dropped by Dish and has historically maintained agreements without significant issues.
What actions is Gray Media taking in response to Dish's decision?
Gray Media is prepared to enforce its rights and seek restitution for damages incurred due to Dish's bad faith negotiating conduct.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
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$GTN had revenues of $792M in Q4 2025. This is a decrease of -24.21% from the same period in the prior year.
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Full Release
ATLANTA, March 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the first time in its history, Gray Media’s television stations have been dropped by Dish Network, a serial instigator of disputes that have removed thousands of broadcast and cable channels from their paying customers over the years.
Gray’s track record for fair and reasonable distribution negotiations is undisputed in the industry. Gray has never had its signals dropped by a satellite operator, and its last multimarket cable system dispute lasted just a few days over a decade ago.
Dish’s action follows the parties spending several months negotiating and nearly reaching agreement on rates, tenure and all other customary terms in a standard new distribution agreement. It also follows weeks of Dish operating under extensions of the companies’ prior distribution agreement that Gray provided to prevent Dish from removing Gray’s signals to its paying customers during the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, NBA All-Star Game, and numerous breaking news emergencies occurring in many of Gray’s local markets over the past several weeks.
To the great surprise and disappointment of Gray’s leadership, Dish insisted that Gray agree to a materially adverse provision in the new agreement that is unlike any provision in any distribution agreement with Gray’s roughly 400 other distribution partners, and, to Gray’s knowledge, unprecedented in the several decade history of the pay-TV industry across any cable or DBS operator and any broadcaster. Because this new demand from Dish has no precedent in history, it is flatly inconsistent with marketplace conditions in clear violation of Dish’s federal statutory obligation to negotiate retransmission in good faith.
As an extension of Dish’s bad faith conduct, Dish has taken the extreme step of removing Gray’s local stations from the local lineups of its paying customers and publicizing false and defamatory allegations about this dispute revolving around the price it pays Gray to distribute the largest collection of top-ranked local television stations in the country.
Unfortunately, Dish’s tactics here are all too familiar for the shrinking number of consumers who still subscribe to their service: from 14 million in 2014 to 5 million today. A sampling of recent disputes with broadcasters includes the following in which it chose to use its customers as negotiating pawns:
July 2024: Zolo Broadcasting
September 2023: Hearst Television
January 2023: Mission Broadcasting
January 2023: White Knight Broadcasting
November 2022: Cox Media Group
November 2022: Standard Media
October 2022: Disney (including ABC)
January 2022: Block Communications
October 2021: Tegna
December 2020: Capitol Broadcasting
November 2020: Nexstar Media Group
July 2020: Cox Media Group
July 2020: Scripps
September 2019: Fox Television
June 2018: Univision
January 2018: Lockwood
Despite all this, Gray stands ready to finalize an agreement with Dish and restore its stations to Dish’s platform, without the unprecedented provision that it outrageously demands. Absent an immediate resolution of this dispute, Gray will enforce its rights against Dish’s bad faith negotiating conduct and will seek restitution for the millions of dollars in damages that Gray has incurred from Dish’s repeated, continuing and undisputed breaches of the parties just-expired distribution agreement.
About Gray Media:
Gray Media, Inc. (NYSE: GTN) is a multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We are the nation’s largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 114 full-power television markets that collectively reach approximately 37% of US television households. The portfolio includes 77 markets with the top-rated television station and 97 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station in average all-day ratings across the 113 of such markets that were measured by Nielsen in 2025. We also own the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 47 markets and Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Our additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.
Contact:
Alan Gould , Vice President Investor Relations, 404-266-8333
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