Tribune's 42 Local Stations and Cable Net WGN America Forced Off Dish

Tribune's 42 Local Stations and Cable Net WGN America Forced Off Dish

Contract Expires, Dish Rejects Offer to Extend Negotiations

Fans of the Tony Awards, NHL and NBA Will Miss Important Telecasts

CHICAGO, June 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tribune Broadcasting's 42 owned or operated television stations, which reach more than 50 million households across the United States, tonight were forced off Dish Network's satellite distribution system at 7 p.m. ET, when the contract between Tribune Broadcasting and Dish expired. At the same time, roughly 7 million Dish subscribers nationwide have also lost access to WGN America, Tribune's basic entertainment cable network and the home of hit shows "Underground" and "Outsiders."

"We want to reach an agreement, just as we have with every one of our other cable, satellite and telco distributors, but Dish refuses to reach an agreement based on fair-market value," said Gary Weitman, Tribune Media's senior vice president for corporate relations. "We want to keep servicing our local communities and we have repeatedly offered Dish a lengthy extension to continue negotiations--unfortunately, Dish rejected these offers."

As a result of the expiration of the contract, Dish subscribers will lose access to the local news, weather, sports and traffic provided by Tribune television stations in 33 markets across the country. In addition, subscribers in Tribune's CBS markets will not be able to watch the network's broadcast of tonight's Tony Awards, celebrating Broadway's "Hamilton." Subscribers in Tribune's NBC markets will not be able to see Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight, and subscribers in the company's ABC markets will lose access to Game 5 of the NBA Finals tomorrow. DISH subscribers in New York not be able to watch Mets and Yankees games on WPIX-TV, and subscribers in Chicago will not be able to see White Sox and Cubs games on WGN-TV.

Dish subscribers nationwide have lost access to Tribune's cable net WGN America, where such shows as "Outsiders" and "Underground" have increased the network's total prime-time audience by more than 50 percent since last year. Both shows consistently ranked among the Top 15 scripted cable shows for the 2015-16 TV season. "Underground" was the #1 scripted cable show on Wednesday nights for six straight weeks.

"We've offered the same kind of fair market rates that Dish already pays other local station groups with ABC, CBS, NBC and CW affiliates with top-rated local news, and other similarly valued cable networks," said Weitman. "At the same time, we're willing to accept the same rates for our local stations and WGN America that others are currently paying us."

Dish is notorious for forcing station groups and cable nets off of its distribution system; in the past three years alone, Dish has done so twelve different times.

Websites and toll free numbers in each market have been established to enable Dish subscribers to register their concern about losing their local stations (list follows).





Chicago 855-YES-WGN9 www.WGNtv.com
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Cleveland 855-STA-YWJW www.FOX8.com
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Davenport 855-YES-WQAD www.WQAD.com
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Dallas 855-LUV-KDAF www.CW33.com
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Denver 855-LUV-KDVR www.KDVR.com
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Denver 855-YES KWGN www.KWGN.com
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Des Moines 855-MY-WHO13 www.WHOTV.com
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Fort Smith 855-YES-KFSM www.5NewsOnline.com
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Fort Smith 855-LUV-KXNW www.5NewsOnline.com
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Grand Rapids 855-MYF-OX17 www.FOX17online.com
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Greensboro 855-WGHP-LUV www.MyFOX8.com
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Harrisburg 855-MYF-OX43 www.FOX43.com
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Hartford 855-YES-WTIC www.fox61.com
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Hartford 855-YES-WCCT www.CT.com
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Houston 855-LUV-KIAH www.CW39.com
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Huntsville 855-WHN-TYES www.WHNT.com
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Indy 855-MYF-OX59 www.FOX59.com
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Indy 855-YES-WTTV www.cbs4Indy.com
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Kansas City 855-LUV-WDAF www.FOX4KC.com
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Los Angeles 855-LUV-KTLA www.ktla.com
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Memphis 855-YES-WREG www.WREG.com
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Miami 855-YES-WSFL www.SFLCW.com
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Milwaukee 855-SEE-WITI www.FOX6Now.com
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New Orleans 855-YES-WGNO www.WGNO.com
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New Orleans 855-YES-WNOL www.WGNO.com
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Norfolk 855-LUV-WTKR www.WTKR.com
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Norfolk 855-YES-WGNT www.WTKR.com
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New York City 855-LUV-WPIX www.pix11.com
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Oklahoma City 855-YES-KAUT www.KFOR.com
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Oklahoma City 855-KFO-RYES www.KFOR.com
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Philly 855-YES-WPHL www.PHL17.com
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Portland 855-YES-KRCW www.PortlandsCW32.com
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Richmond 855-LUV-WTVR www.WTVR.com
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Sacramento 855-GOF-OX40 www.FOX40.com
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St Louis 855-LUV-KTVI www.FOX2Now.com
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St Louis 855-KPL-RYES www.KPLR11.com
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Salt Lake 855-YES-KSTU www.FOX13Now.com
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San Diego 855-YES-FOX5 www.Fox5SanDiego.com
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Scranton 855-YES-WNEP www.WNEP.com
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Seattle 855-LUV-KCPQ www.Q13FOX.com
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Seattle 855-JOE-TVGO www.JoesWall.com
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Washington DC 855-LUV-WDCW www.DCW50.com
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Tribune Media Company (NYSE: TRCO) is home to a diverse portfolio of television and digital properties driven by quality news, entertainment and sports programming. Tribune Media is comprised of Tribune Broadcasting's 42 owned or operated local television stations reaching more than 50 million households, national entertainment network WGN America, whose reach is approaching 80 million households, Tribune Studios, and Gracenote, one of the world's leading sources of video, music and sports metadata, powering electronic program guides in televisions, automobiles and mobile devices. Tribune Media also includes Chicago's WGN-AM and the national multicast networks Antenna TV and THIS TV. Additionally, the Company owns and manages a significant number of real estate properties across the U.S. and holds other strategic investments in media. For more information please visit www.tribunemedia.com.



SOURCE Tribune Media Company

Tribune Media Company

CONTACT: Media Contact: Gary Weitman, SVP/Corporate Relations, 312/222-3394 (office), gweitman@tribune.com; OR Investor Contact: Lisa Kampf, Finsbury, (312) 560-6178, lisa.kampf@finsbury.com

Web Site: http://www.tribunemedia.com


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