(Host) Subscribers to Direct TV satellite systems may be getting worried about losing one of their major network television stations.
WPTZ has been alerting viewers that WPTZ and WNNE may no longer be carried on Direct TV if they can’t reach agreement in their retransmission consent negotiations.
Paul Sands is General Manager for WPTZ, which is the regional affiliate for NBC.
Sands says he’s optimistic about the negotiations, but that viewers need to be informed about a potential negative outcome.
(Sands) "We expect them to be concluded successfully, we expect the negotiations to be satisfactory to both parties, but it’s incumbent upon us to make sure the viewers are alerted to the possibility."
(Host) If the two companies can’t agree on a retransmission fee by the end of the year, the signals for WPTZ and WNNE would be unavailable to Direct TV subscribers as of January 1st.