Raycom, DirecTV Strike New Carriage Deal

Raycom and DirecTV have struck a carriage renewal agreement for the broadcaster's 54 TV stations, and without any blackouts, according to the broadcaster.

“Our local commitment is to always put the needs of the communities we serve first,” said Raycom President Pat LaPlatney. “We’re pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement without any disruption to our viewers on the DIRECTV system.”

Their existing carriage agreement was extended multiple times over the past several weeks as they tried to hammer out a new deal.

Contributing to the lack of blackout were the hurricanes that threatened viewers in their markets.

"Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma are reminders of the critical role local broadcasters hold in the daily lives of our audiences,” said LaPlatney. “With this deal in place, we’re able to continue uninterrupted delivery on the DIRECTV system..."

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.