MERIDIAN (dpa-AFX) - DISH Network L.L.C. renewed a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, accusing Sinclair Broadcasting of failing to negotiate in good faith as called for by Congress.
DISH accuses Sinclair of orchestrating the largest blackout in U.S. television history as a means to force DISH to carry a cable channel Sinclair hopes to acquire, but does not even own today.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sinclair blacked out DISH customer access to 129 stations serving 79 markets in 36 states and the District of Columbia as a contract extension between the two parties expired.
As per DISH's amended complaint, Sinclair has demanded that, as a condition to signing the retransmission agreement, DISH agree to terms and conditions for future carriage of a cable network that Sinclair hopes to acquire, but does not own today.
DISH is contending that by forcing bundling, Sinclair's unilateral bargaining is a per se violation of the Commission's good faith rules and is a violation of U.S. competition law.
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