DirecTV keeps Belo, Fox programming

DirecTV (Nasdaq: DTV) is demonstrating the negotiating power that comes with having more than 19 million pay TV subscribers. After striking a broad carriage deal with Fox Networks Group, the satellite TV provider has also managed to keep distributing TV stations owned by Belo Corp. after the broadcaster threatened to pull its feeds from DirecTV.

Belo, which owns stations in 15 markets, including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Phoenix and New Orleans, has been telling viewers that it would pull stations from DirecTV on Nov. 1, if the company didn't agree to pay it increased retransmission-consent fees. While Belo and DirecTV haven't yet announced an agreement, the broadcaster hadn't pulled its signals from DirecTV by Tuesday afternoon. That's not surprising, considering Belo ratings for its local news shows and other programs would take a hit if it were to pull its channels from DirecTV, the nation's second largest pay TV distributor.

DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer told FierceCable Tuesday afternoon that the company was still talking to Belo, and still carrying the feeds from its local stations.

After weeks of public bickering, Fox and DirecTV released a joint statement Monday night, announcing that they had signed a distribution deal covering all Fox-owned cable networks and TV stations. DirecTV had been threatening to drop Fox's cable networks such as FX and National Geographic Channel from its lineup at midnight unless it was able to reach new agreement with Fox Cable Networks.

While an agreement that DirecTV has to carry local stations owned by Fox Broadcasting wasn't set to expire until Dec. 31, the companies combined distribution terms for both the stations and cable networks in the new deal.

"We both know the past ten days have been challenging, but we're pleased that both sides could eventually come together to ensure our viewers continue to enjoy Fox programming," the companies said in the joint statement.

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