Programming

Keep FOX25 on DISH Network

BOSTON — On Thursday, DISH Network’s contract to carry FOX25 will expire. If FOX25 cannot come to an agreement with DISH by Thursday, FOX25 and its programming will no longer be available to DISH customers.

FOX25 News is and will still be free on myfoxboston.com, our apps, and via antenna if the contract is not renewed.

If you’re a DISH subscriber, and do not want to lose FOX25 News and all of your favorite shows like Empire and American Idol, please call DISH and let them know.

You can contact DISH at 1-800-333-3474 or message them on their Facebook page and tell them to bring back FOX25.

DISH FAQs

1. What is happening?

By law, FOX25 must negotiate carriage agreements with satellite companies like DISH.  Usually, these deals are reached without any disruption to your service. In fact, our company has negotiated dozens of agreements with only the rarest of disruptions.  Unfortunately, so far, DISH has refused to reach a fair, market-based deal to carry FOX25.  Our existing agreement with DISH expires at 7 p.m. on March 31, 2016.  If no deal is reached before that date, you will lose live access to the shows, sports and local news on FOX25, which you rely on and are paying for.  We are continuing to negotiate with DISH, but DISH has refused to agree to reasonable terms for the valuable programming we provide.

2.  As a DISH customer, what can I do to continue to watch my favorite shows on FOX25?

The best thing viewers can do is Call DISH at 1-800-333-3474.  Tell DISH that you pay them a lot of money to watch your favorite shows on FOX25, including American Idol, Empire, and FOX25 News.  Tell DISH that if it drops FOX25, then you will drop DISH.

3.  Why does FOX25 charge cable and satellite operators a fee to carry their programming? 

FOX25 is among the highest rated channels on DISH.  Producing and broadcasting high rated, top-quality programming is very expensive.  We invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in our local news, weather, and emergency programming.  Without the fees from cable and satellite operators, this would not be possible.  FOX25 could not afford to broadcast American Idol, Empire, and all your other favorite shows.

4.  What is a “fair” price for FOX25 programming and why is DISH refusing to pay that price?

We have carriage agreements with every other major cable and satellite company that is carrying FOX25, including DirecTV and Comcast.  DISH, however, insists that it should pay substantially lower rates than what it pays competing video providers.  Naturally, we cannot give away our product for less than it is worth.

5. What does DISH pay for other channels?

Based on publicly available information, DISH pays over $6 per subscriber per month for ESPN.  In other words, $6 from your monthly bill goes straight to ESPN.  Our ratings are much higher than ESPN’s!  Yet, we are asking for less than one-third of what DISH pays to ESPN.  More importantly, ESPN has NO local programming, NO local employees, NO local investments, and a very small local audience – unlike FOX25.

6. Won't rates to subscribers go up if DISH has to payFOX25?

Whether rates go up depends on decisions made by DISH. Like all cable and satellite companies, DISH is already charging you to receive FOX25 as part of your monthly bill. DISH should stop over-paying for channels its customers do not watch and re-allocate that money to the channels, like FOX25, that its subscribers turn to every day.  In any event, we do not control how much DISH pays to other channels or how it manages its business.  We simply ask that DISH pay a fair market price for our content, just as its competitors do; and we have and will continue to negotiate with DISH in good faith in an effort to successfully complete a deal with them.

7. If DISH stops carrying FOX25, will I get a refund on my bill?

It is up to DISH to resolve such questions with its customers.  But, you could call DISH at 1-800-333-3474 to demand a refund because if DISH drops your favorite programming you no longer will be getting what you pay for.

8. Is there anything the public can do to help make sure that FOX25 remains on DISH?

The best way to influence this controversy is for you to register your support of how important it is for them to continue to carry the station by calling DISH at 800-333-3474.  You pay DISH a lot of money.  It will listen to your voices, or you can contact any number of other providers that are committed to providing you with the programming you watch every day:

Regardless, we will continue to work hard to try and get a successful outcome to this negotiation so that you do not lose live access to any of your favorite programming, but the ball remains in DISH's court to step-up like all of their competitors and peers have done.

Cox Media Group

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