Fox removed from DirectTV

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The New Orleans station WVUE, Fox 8, went dark for DirecTV satellite television subscribers at midnight Monday (Sept. 1) as the company that manages the station and the satellite company failed to reach an agreement on the fee DirecTV pays for WVUE's programming.

A statement on WVUE's web site said negotiations are ongoing. "We are working to reach an agreement and will keep you updated," it said.

DirecTV also issued a statement, referring to its negotiations with Raycom Media, the company that manages a group of stations, including WVUE:

"Raycom Media is denying DIRECTV viewers access to WVUE unless they pay more than double just to receive the same FOX shows that remain available over the air for free. We will always work to protect our customers and prevent them from enduring any unnecessary interruptions, no matter how brief. We appreciate their patience because it will have a direct impact on their bill."

Last week, the vice president and general manager for WVUE, Sandy Breland, expressed Raycom's position in an interview with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune: "We work very hard, we spend significant dollars, to provide top-quality news, weather and local programming. DirecTV delivers our programming for a fee, and we are simply asking for fair market value for our programming."

Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints, also owns WVUE through his Louisiana Media Co. The station entered into a shared-services agreement with Raycom, based in Alabama, last year. The Saints' season opener is scheduled to air on Fox 8 on Sept. 7.

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