DISH and local stations reach agreement

A three-day standoff between DISH Network and communications conglomerate Cordillera ended early Sunday as the two parties reached a multi-year agreement.

The blackout of the 13 Cordillera-owned stations — NBC and CBS affiliates KBGF and KRTV in Great Falls — were among them — began Thursday after the week-long extension of the contract deadline by Cordillera expired. The two channels were the ones Havrerites watch the NFL playoffs.

Both sides were quick to defend their positions.

Colorado-based DISH issued a statement Thursday saying, “Cordillera once again turns back on public interest obligations.”

DISH added that Cordillera was using the NFL Wild Card playoffs games “as leverage” and holding local viewers “hostage.”

The problem was money. DISH said Cordillera wanted too much.

“Each year, the cost to carry local broadcast stations rises far beyond the rate of inflation,” DISH’s statement says.

The statement cited SNL Kagan, a leading source on the media industry: “Broadcast fees burdening pay-TV consumers were as low as $215 million in 2006, soared to $4.9 billion in 2014 and are expected to more than double to reach $10.3 billion in 2021.”

Cordillera begged to differ. KRTV station manager Heath Heggem told Havre Daily News the fee Cordillera was asking from DISH was not “any different from what anybody else is paying,” lending support to Cordillera’s statement: “Dish Network has refused to reach a fair, market-based agreement.”

Heggem said KRTV received more calls from unhappy customers DISH subscribers than he could “put a number on.” And some of those callers were, indeed, worried about not being able to watch the NFL playoff games.

Heggem dismissed the idea that Cordillera had a grand “conspiracy” that included using the NFL playoffs as bargaining chips.

“Our viewers are the heart of what we do,” Heggem said.

The channels were restored sometime between 11:30 a.m. and noon Sunday, according to Heggem.

Heggem wanted to thank the viewers for their patience.