Satellite provider DirecTV on Tuesday sued Nexstar Media Group Inc and two other television station owners in Manhattan federal court, claiming they violated antitrust law by scheming to drive up retransmission fees for stations broadcasting the four major networks.
A Mission representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A representative for White Knight could not immediately be reached.
Twenty-seven stations owned by Mission and White Knight have been unavailable for DirecTV customers since October 2022 after they failed to agree on retransmission fees. Nexstar is expected to renegotiate its retransmission agreements with DirecTV, which is 70% owned by AT&T, possibly by later this year.
The lawsuit said that by conspiring to set retransmission fees, the station groups forced providers and their customers "to pay supracompetitive prices or lose access to the most popular broadcast television programming." The lawsuit claims that Nexstar, which previously owned Mission and White Knight's stations, still retains the ultimate economic interest in the stations even though they are supposed to be independent.
Michael Hartman, DirecTV's general counsel, said it decided to sue in order to "bring some transparency" to what it calls anticompetitive conduct.Our Standards:Jacqueline Thomsen, based in Washington, D.C., covers legal news related to policy, the courts and the legal profession. Follow her on Twitter at @jacq_thomsen and email her at [email protected].
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Snow, rain, powerful winds could lash central Pa. this weekRain could start overnight Monday into Tuesday and turn into snow showers Tuesday morning, forecasters said.
Read more »
SpaceX will start testing its satellite cellular service this yearSpaceX announced that it will begin testing its satellite to cellular service this year, indicating that it could launch with T-Mobile soon.
Read more »
The Morning After: SpaceX prepares for Starlink satellite-to-cell phone service | EngadgetThe top news stories today: SpaceX prepares to test Starlink satellite-to-cell phone service, Google brings its latest camera features to older Pixel phones, Sony made a $600 point-and-shoot camera for the visually impaired..
Read more »
SpaceX to test satellite-to-cell service with T-Mobile this yearWith T-Mobile, Starlink will look to tap into another group of users who do not want to buy its terminals but still enjoy uninterrupted network access.
Read more »
Amazon reveals its squared-off Project Kuiper satellite internet dishesAre they “more affordable and more capable” than SpaceX Starlink?
Read more »
Amazon’s satellite internet antennas can double as picnic tables for dolls | EngadgetAmazon has revealed the first three antennas for its Project Kuiper satellite internet service, which is expected to open up to consumers in late 2024..
Read more »