Since October 21, 2022, subscribers of DirecTV and AT&T U-verse have had to find alternative ways to watch any programming on Shreveport's local Fox affiliate, KMSS Fox 33.

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And now, Dish Network subscribers are feeling the effects of essentially the same battle as Dish has also pulled the KMSS Fox 33 channel from its line-up as well.

Thedesk.net reports that,

Dish’s contract with Nexstar for the Mission and White Knight stations expired on December 27, but the two sides were able to negotiate a temporary extension to keep the channels on Dish’s satellite service through the start of the new year.

That temporary agreement ran out on Friday, and Dish was forced to drop the channels, accordingly.

Those local Shreveport area Dish Network subscribers that might not have known about the outage until they tuned in for yesterday's New Orleans Saints or Dallas Cowboys football games were in for a shock and their anger has joined those of infuriated DirecTV subscribers spilling out onto social media with threats of dropping the satellite providers.

While I can certainly sympathize with that emotion, we have to understand that there are two sides to this argument and apparently neither side is willing to settle.

Who Are The Players In This Battle?

On one side is NexStar and Mission Broadcasting, the owners of scores of television stations, including our local Shreveport Fox affiliate, KMSS Fox 33.

Obviously, the other players are DirecTV, AT&T U-verse and now Dish Network.

What's The Big Issue Here?

According to the Mission Broadcasting website, we read:

Mission had a contract with DISH that allows them to carry our programming to you. That contract has expired and DISH has removed Mission stations from your schedule. Mission has presented a proposal for fair value compensation, based on the importance and value our programming brings to our viewers. Despite our tireless efforts, DISH has refused our fair offer and is making negotiations very difficult. They will tell you it’s for your benefit, but don’t believe it.

Their website essentially reads the same regarding their beef with DirecTV.

So, what does Dish Network have to say about this?  In an article on nexttv.com, we hear from Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV, who says,  “We’re disappointed Mission and White Knight have chosen this course of action. The demanded fees are unreasonable given that Mission and White Knight’s viewership on Dish have significantly declined over the past three years, indicating that many viewers have moved to other channels for programming they prefer.”

So, the groups are haggling over price.  Mission thinks its programming is worth more than what Dish or DirecTV are willing to pay.  In the balance are customers and viewers of both.  Sounds to me like this could be the impetus to make the switch to FREE.

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Viewers can just install a cheap HDTV compatible antenna and watch some great programming for FREE.  Hey, you might even be surprised to see how many channels you'll receive and actually continue to receive during a storm.  It's just a thought.

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