DETROIT, July 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- WDIV-TV Local 4 is about to go dark for all DISH TV subscribers. The satellite provider has been unwilling to strike a reasonable deal with the local content provider. On Wednesday, July 22 at 7 p.m. subscribers will no longer be able to watch programs like Local 4 News, NBC's Today, NBC Nightly News, The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live, The Voice, The Blacklist, Sunday Night Football and more.
"We've been trying to negotiate a deal so our loyal viewers will be able to continue watching their favorite programs," said Local 4 vice-president and general manager Marla Drutz. "WDIV has made fair agreements with many other providers over the years and has never been taken off the air. In good faith, we've done everything we possibly can, on our end, to try and work this out with DISH."
DISH charges its subscribers a monthly fee to get these programs, so essentially their estimated 127,000 Detroit area customers will not be getting what they pay for. That includes important local news and weather information in emergency situations from the Local 4 News team.
WDIV and its parent organization, Graham Media Group, has launched the website www.savemychannel.com, to make it easy for DISH customers to learn more and to tell the satellite provider that they wish to continue receiving Local 4 and NBC. The site includes shareable social media posts, as well as alternative ways to continue watching the station's content while the negotiations continue.
About WDIV-TV Local 4
WDIV-TV Local 4 is honored to be recognized as Station of the Year by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. Local 4 News is currently the #1 newscast at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. in Nielsen ratings for the Detroit television market, and Local 4 News at 11 p.m. is the highest-rated newscast of all NBC affiliates in the top 12 markets nationwide. Local 4's ClickOnDetroit.com is the leading breaking news and weather website in Michigan and metro Detroit's #1 TV media website.
About Graham Media Group
Graham Media Group (www.GrahamMedia.com), a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC), owns five local TV stations—each in a top-50 market and all recognized as news leaders—reaching 6.3% of U.S. television households: KPRC–Houston and WDIV–Detroit (NBC); KSAT–San Antonio (ABC); WKMG–Orlando (CBS); and WJXT–Jacksonville (independent). The stations also broadcast digital channels focused on classic television and operate market-leading websites, mobile sites and mobile apps that deliver breaking news, weather and community news, reaching millions of users across each platform. Graham Media Group owns SocialNewsDesk, a leading provider of social media software solutions used in more than 600 newsrooms worldwide.
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SOURCE WDIV-TV Local 4