Q: I saw crawlers on my TV recently about DirecTV’s intention to drop Channel 11 from its programming on Dec. 1. It is past that date, and Channel 11 is still carried by DirecTV. I found that their dispute was resolved amicably but no one knows details. Can you find the details?
— Rusty Hicks, Tucker
A: DirecTV pays Gannett, which owns 11Alive, the NBC affiliate in Atlanta, for the right to offer the channel to its customers, DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer told Q&A on the News in an email. These contracts expire every few years, so the companies have to negotiate new deals, and DirecTV and Gannett worked out a new agreement before the Dec. 1 deadline. Mercer said that "only" Gannett has the power to remove 11Alive from DirecTV's programming lineup. "Our contract with Gannett expired at midnight Nov. 30, and while we were in discussions to renew the contract, Gannett told us they would remove the station once the contract expired," Mercer wrote. "As often happens in these disputes, which is now a regrettable part of our business and affects every TV provider, the station owner publicizes the threat to remove the station to pressure the pay TV provider to accept a costly deal that may result in an unnecessarily high increase in the customer's monthly bill." DirecTV has a website — www.directvpromise.com — with more information on these disputes. Gannett and Dish Network faced a similar situation this fall but worked out a new deal in October.
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