Tribune TV Stations, Including KTLA, Blacked Out on Charter Spectrum Service as Companies Fail to Reach Deal

People look at a Rose Parade float on Jan. 2, 2019, a day after the parade. Spectrum customers were able to watch the parade on KTLA when an agreement between Charter Communications and Tribune Media was extended, but the contract expired Jan. 2. (Credit: KTLA)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: Jan 2, 2019 / 03:00 PM PST

Updated: Jan 2, 2019 / 03:13 PM PST

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Nearly three dozen Tribune Media television stations, including KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles, went dark Wednesday afternoon on Charter Communications’ Spectrum pay-TV service after the two companies failed to reach agreement on a new distribution deal.

Customers in more than 6 million Charter Spectrum cable TV homes nationwide — including 1.5 million in the Los Angeles region — were swept up in the latest fee dispute between two major TV companies. The two sides have spent nearly two weeks in a tense standoff over Tribune Media’s proposed fee increase for the right to carry the company’s programming as part of the Spectrum pay-TV packages.

Viewers in Los Angeles could miss KTLA’s popular morning newscasts. Tribune’s KSWB Channel 5 station in San Diego, which carries Fox network programming, also is included in the outage.

The companies’ previous distribution contract expired at 9 p.m. Monday, but the two sides agreed to a short-term extension to bridge the New Year’s holiday and give themselves time to work out a new deal. But that extension expired at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

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