TRIBUNE STATIONS MAY GO DARK ON DIRECTV

A battle between Tribune Corp. and DirecTV over retransmission fees is coming down to the wire, with each side maintaining it will not budge another inch. Despite our best efforts, DirecTV is refusing to offer a fair deal and we remain far apart in negotiations,” Tribune Broadcasting President Nils Larsen said. If the two sides fail to come to an agreement by the end of the month, DirecTV programming in 16 markets will go to black on Saturday, including Tribune-owned stations in Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Retransmission fees are the charges network-owned stations and other local broadcasters receive from cable and satellite owners for carrying their signal.