DirecTV Drops Weather Channel Amid Carriage Dispute

DirecTV subscribers are no longer able to access The Weather Channel as ofmidnight Eastern Time Monday, after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement in an ongoing carriage dispute, Deadline reports.

Instead, DirecTV customers can rely on WeatherNation, which the satellite provider says it launched at the end of last year in response to "numerous customer complaints" about the amount of reality programming on The Weather Channel.

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The Weather Channel is referring to the blackout as a "public safety issue" and last week issued a statement urging customers to contact Congress about the situation. "For DirecTV to take us off their lineup would be deeply irresponsible to its customers who not only count on The Weather Channel on a day-to-day basis, but depend on us before, during and after severe weather events," the statement reads in part.

Both entities also released statements in the wake of the blackout. According to The Weather Channel's CEO David Kenny, "We offered DirecTV the best rate for our programming, and I am shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel that subscribers rely on every day."

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But DirecTV appears to be standing firm. "Consumers understand there are now a variety of other ways to get weather coverage, free of reality show clutter, and that The Weather Channel does not have an exclusive on weather coverage - the weather belongs to everyone," Chief Content Officer Dan York said in a statement. "Most consumers don't want to watch a weather information channel with a forecast of a 40 percent chance of reality TV. So with that in mind, we are in the process of discussing an agreement to return the network to our line-up at the right value for our customers."

Do you think there's too much reality programming on The Weather Channel? Do you hope the two sides will come to an agreement? Sound off below!

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