Raycom is continuing to negotiate with DirecTV after...

Raycom is continuing to negotiate with DirecTV after its stations were pulled from the DBS company’s lineup Monday. The companies couldn’t reach a carriage agreement, Raycom said in a news release that day (http://bit.ly/1A1XNDs). Raycom stations will continue to be available to viewers through its websites, social media and apps, and over the air with an antenna, it said. Raycom is “denying” DirecTV customers access to its local stations “unless they pay more than double just to receive the same broadcast shows that remain available over the air for free,” DirecTV said in a statement (http://bit.ly/1qm2jvj). Despite the blackout, NFL and college football fans can see all of the first week’s action uninterrupted, “and the majority of ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC series won’t premiere for several more weeks,” it said. DirecTV said NBC Sports streams all of its NFL games online, and subscribers can turn off their receivers and tune their DTVs into the same channel position as their Raycom station. American Television Alliance reiterated its push for the Local Choice proposal from the Senate Commerce Committee. In this case, DirecTV subscribers “would be able to decide if their ‘local’ Raycom station is worth double what they're paying now,” ATVA said in a statement (http://bit.ly/1mFBqkI). Viewers shouldn’t be forced to endure broadcaster blackouts, and Local Choice “will put an end to them once and for all,” it said. Local Choice is aimed at ending TV blackouts by overhauling retransmission consent rules (CD Aug 13 p4).