KOLD knocked off DirecTV amid fee dispute

Raycom Media, which owns the local CBS broadcast affiliate and the other stations, said it has been unable to reach agreement on a contract with DirecTV despite three months of negotiations.

“This is frustrating for DirecTV customers who rely on Raycom stations for information and entertainment. We share their frustration and are committed to doing everything we can to resolve this issue and have been for the last 12 weeks of discussions,” Raycom Media President and CEO Paul McTear said in a prepared statement.

KOLD General Manager Debbie Bush said the company is still negotiating and hopes to resolve the matter.

DirecTV spokesman Thomas Tyrer blamed Raycom for denying viewers access to KOLD while demanding much higher fees.

“Raycom Media is denying DirecTV viewers access to KOLD unless they pay more than double just to receive the same CBS shows that remain available over the air for free,” Tyrer said in an email. “We appreciate their patience because it will have a direct impact on their bill.”

KOLD is referring viewers to DirecTV to complain.

Raycom, based in Montgomery, Ala., has a history of tough negotiations with cable and satellite providers that have led to periodic station blackouts.

In 2011, Raycom threatened to remove its station from DirectTV over a fee dispute.

In January, KOLD was dropped from Cox Communications cable network for a couple of days after its contract with Raycom expired without a new pact in place. In August, the local CBS affiliate was dropped from Dish Network’s satellite system for eight days as the companies hammered out a new carriage contract.