DirecTV subscribers could lose KARE 11 on Tuesday
Minnesotans who get their cable from DirecTV or AT&T U-Verse are on the brink of losing local TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate KARE 11.
During Sunday night's NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, a red banner scrolling at the bottom of the screen on NBC encouraged DirecTV subscribers to contact the company and urge it to not pull the plug on local NBC providers.
As of this writing, the station will no longer be part of the DirecTV package if a new contract isn't reached by 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1.
KARE 11's website says it needs a temporary extension to allow contract negotiations to continue.
"We promise to keep you informed as we make every effort to resolve this situation and keep our stations on the air," KARE's website says.
DirecTV's website says accuses TEGNA of "shameless profiteering" during "a global pandemic when medical news is at a premium and regular folks are struggling to make ends meet."
"We’re disappointed to see TEGNA put our Minneapolis and St. Paul customers into the middle of private negotiations. Rest assured, we want to keep KARE-NBC in our lineups. But by law, TEGNA has exclusive control over which homes in Minneapolis and St. Paul are allowed to receive NBC, regardless of what provider they choose," the message says.
The message later says, "The few times TEGNA has pulled any stations, they returned within a couple of days or even a few hours."
