Hearst Television issued the following press release Friday.
Greenville, SC- January 3, 2020 – Following protracted negotiations, the efforts of Hearst Television, parent of WYFF 4, to achieve a new carriage agreement with DIRECTV, reached an impasse, and, as a result, WYFF 4 is now no longer being carried by DIRECTV’s satellite system or its internet-delivered platform AT&T TV Now (formerly known as DIRECTV TV Now).
The channel impacted is WYFF 4.
The current carriage agreement had been set to expire at midnight on December 31st, but was extended by Hearst Television multiple times until 7:00pm (eastern time) on January 3rd, in an attempt to avoid an impasse.
“Unfortunately, the DIRECTV negotiating team is seeking the right to carry our stations at below market rates, which is neither fair nor reasonable given the significant investments we have made to deliver top tier programming to our viewers,” said President and General Manager, John Humphries.
“We regret the inconvenience DIRECTV’s demands have imposed on its subscribers, and we will keep our communities fully informed of developments.”
“It should be noted that we have not ‘blacked out’ our station,” Humphries added. “Viewers may continue to receive our station for free, over the air, and, where available, from local cable or other satellite operators.”
Viewers can determine the type of antenna needed to receive the signals of Hearst Stations at http://www.antennaweb.org/.
To contact DIRECTV regarding the inconvenience caused by its unreasonable demands call DIRECTV customer service at 1-800-531-5000 or 1-800-288-2020.
About WYFF 4WYFF 4 is Hearst Television’s NBC affiliate station in the nation’s 38th television market, Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville. WYFF 4 is a digital multi-media company providing news, weather, sports, information and entertainment content on WYFF 4, wyff4.com, and MeTV Carolina. WYFF News 4 has been honored with prestigious broadcast journalism awards including the NABEF Service to America Award, the Peabody and Edward R. Murrow Awards. WYFF News 4 is the leader in Live.Local.Breaking News., and is the area’s most recognized weather provider with Live Super Doppler 4 HD forecasts, available on-air, online and on multiple devices with the WYFF 4 app.
About Hearst Television Hearst Television owns and operates 34 television and two radio stations serving 26 media markets across 39 states reaching over 21 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all of the major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over nearly 70 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MY Net, MeTV, This TV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry's premier companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.