Sinclair Negotiations With Mediacom Unlikely to Result in an Agreement
Sinclair Negotiations With Mediacom Unlikely to Result in an Agreement
Mediacom's Carriage of Sinclair Stations Scheduled to End on December 1, 2006
Sinclair Extends Rebate Offers for Subscribers Who Switch to DirecTV Through December 31, 2006
BALTIMORE, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBGI) announced today that negotiations with Mediacom Communications Corp. (NASDAQ:MCCC) are not likely to result in an agreement being reached between the two companies. As a result Sinclair expects Mediacom to discontinue carriage of a number of television stations at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, December 1, 2006.
"Although the parties have recently engaged in negotiations," commented Barry Faber, Sinclair's Vice President and General Counsel, "we are resigned to the fact that these negotiations likely will not result in an agreement being signed. We had certainly hoped that Mediacom would see the benefit in continuing to provide the great programming carried on these stations to its subscribers, but unfortunately Mediacom's valuation of this benefit was different than was Sinclair's. We sincerely regret any inconvenience to our viewers, but do not believe it is fair for Mediacom to use these stations' programming to attract and retain subscribers without paying what we believe is adequate compensation."
"These negotiations were nothing more than a simple commercial transaction in which a potential buyer and a potential seller were unable to reach agreement on price," stated David Smith, Sinclair's President and Chief Executive Officer. "It is unfortunate that no agreement has been reached, but this merely reflects the free market at work. In the end consumers will have the opportunity to weigh in by deciding whether or not to switch to one of Mediacom's competitors in order to continue to watch the stations. We understand that consumers in the affected markets are already taking steps to avoid any disruption in service by subscribing to an alternative video service provider or by arranging to receive the impacted stations' signals via free over-the-air reception. As a result of the multiple choices the public has, we are confident consumers who want to watch our programming will quickly find a way to do so."
As previously announced, to compensate its viewers for the inconvenience of having to make alternative arrangements Sinclair is offering to pay new subscribers to DirecTV a rebate of either $150 or $100 in most of the impacted markets. This offer, which was originally scheduled to terminate on December 1, 2006, has been extended to subscribers who sign up by December 31, 2006.
The stations and markets impacted are listed below (with the availability and amount of the DirecTV rebate noted after each market name). Subscribers in markets with a $150 rebate must call 1-800-376-4388 and subscribers in markets with a $100 rebate must call 1-800- 341-4388. In order to qualify for the rebate, which will be paid in the form of a $10 bill credit each month until the full amount of the rebate has been paid, potential subscribers must meet certain qualifications, which will be described when the applicable 800 number is called.
Des Moines/Ames (KDSM-FOX) - $150, Cedar Rapids (KGAN-CBS) - $150, Mobile- Pensacola (WEAR-ABC/WFGX-MNT) - $100, Peoria/Bloomington (WYZZ-FOX) - $100, Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville (WLOS-ABC/WMYA-MNT) - $100, Lexington (WDKY- FOX) - $100, Madison (WSMN-FOX), Nashville (WZTV-FOX/ WUXP-MNT/WNAB-CW) - $100, Minneapolis (WUCW-CW) - $150, Paducah/Cape Girardeau (KBSI-FOX/WDKA-MNT) - $100, Springfield/Champaign/Decatur (WICS-ABC/WICD-ABC) - $100, St. Louis (KDNL-ABC) - $100, Tallahassee (WTWC-NBC) - $100, Birmingham (WTTO-CW/WABM- MNT) - $100, Norfolk (WTVZ-MNT) and Milwaukee (WCGV-MNT /WVTV-CW).
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies, currently owns and operates, programs or provides sales services to 58 television stations in 36 markets. Sinclair's television group reaches approximately 22% of U.S. television households and is affiliated with all the major networks.
Forward-Looking Statements:
The matters discussed in this press release include forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, future operating results. When used in this press release, the words "outlook," "intends to," "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "achieves," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results in the future could differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including and in addition to the assumptions identified above, the impact of changes in national and regional economies, successful integration of acquired television stations (including achievement of synergies and cost reductions), FCC approval of pending license transfers, successful execution of outsourcing agreements, pricing and demand fluctuations in local and national advertising, volatility in programming costs, the market acceptance of new programming and our news central strategy, our local sales initiatives, and the other risk factors set forth in the Company's most recent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurances that the assumptions and other factors referred to in this release will occur. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements.
First Call Analyst: Lucy Rutishauser
FCMN Contact:
Source: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONTACT: Barry M. Faber, V.P. & General Counsel of Sinclair Broadcast
Group, Inc., +1-410-568-1500
Web site: http://www.sbgi.net/
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/110203.html
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