No KTLA Programming For DirecTV Customers

KTLA programming was scheduled to disappear from DirecTV at midnight as a result of a dispute between the satellite carrier and officials with KTLA's parent company, Chicago-based Tribune Broadcasting.

"This situation is extremely unfortunate,'' Tribune Broadcasting President Nils Larsen said in a statement released late tonight. "We don't want anyone to lose the valuable programming we provide, but we simply cannot get fair compensation from DirecTV and we cannot allow DirecTV to continue taking advantage of us.'"

According to the statement, "DirecTV has never compensated Tribune for the rebroadcast of its television stations and Tribune is asking for an agreement that is similar to those that DirecTV already has in place with hundreds of other broadcasters and program providers."

Earlier Saturday, DirecTV -- the nation's largest satellite TV provider -- issued a news release that it had reached agreement with Tribune Broadcasting for local carriage of KTLA and for carriage of Tribune's cable channel, WGN America. That news, however, was trumped by the latest announcement.

KTLA is transmitted for free over the air to customers in the Los Angeles market, but most people get the signal either by satellite or cable. Those services must negotiate a fee to help pay for the programming from the pay-TV companies. Tribune owns 23 local television stations across the country, including KTLA, which is channel 5 on the dial. Tribune also owns the Los Angeles Times newspaper, in which ads have warned DirecTV customers about the pending loss of service.