Retransmission Fee Notice

Premier Communications has contracts with local television stations that enable us to carry ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox stations on our cable network. The price agreements are renegotiated every 3 years, and detail how much these broadcasters charge us to carry their channel, these charges are called “retransmission fees.” These rates change on an annual basis. Retransmission fees come from a decades-old federal law that allows local broadcast stations charge cable and satellite companies, such as Premier, to carry their programming on our channel lineup.

November 4 Update

Nexstar and Premier Communications Continue Under Extension

Premier Communications and Nexstar Media Group are still operating under an extension to the current agreement. We do not believe there will be any loss of programming at this time. 

October 31 Update

Nexstar Grants Programming Extension

Premier has just been notified that Nexstar has granted a programming extension until November 4. This means that negotiations will continue until November 4, and programming will remain as normal until then. There are three scenarios that could happen on November 4:

1. Premier and Nexstar come to an agreement and programming continues as normal
2. Nexstar feels that a compromise is close and grants another extension on the current contract (beyond November 4) so we can continue to show KCAU and KELO programming in the meantime
3. Nexstar refuses to compromise in any way and forces us to remove KCAU and KELO programming at 12:01 on November 5.

We hope that an agreement is reached by November 4 and programming will continue as normal, but we also want to make sure that the agreement is fair so we can, in turn, keep customer rates as low as possible.

October 28 Update

Nexstar Media Group continues to ask for exorbitant increases

Premier Communications continues negotiations with Nexstar Media Group over new retransmission rates for KCAU and KELO. So far, negotiations have not been progressing and it appears unlikely Premier and Nexstar will come to an agreement before October 31.

If an agreement isn’t reached, Nexstar may require Premier to remove KCAU and KELO programming until a new agreement is reached, at which point programming will resume.

We want to stress that this will not be a permanent removal; it is Premier’s intention to keep KELO and KCAU in our channel lineup.

If KCAU and KELO are temporarily removed from our channel lineup, there is an option to stream these channels via an app called Locast available for smartphones, streaming devices and web browsers. The app is free, although Locast does request of a small donation. Find out more at https://www.locast.org.

*** Note that Locast uses your location, so will get either Sioux Falls channels or Sioux City channels depending on where you live. Unfortunately, you don't get to choose, but you will still get CBS and ABC programming. 

We recently sent a letter to all of our Cable TV customers regarding this issue, you can read a copy of the letter here >

October 15 Update

KCAU & KELO Negotiations are not progressing

This year, Premier is facing renegotiations with Nexstar Media Group, which owns KCAU (ABC, Sioux City) and KELO (CBS, Sioux Falls). Our agreement is set to expire on October 31. So far, Nexstar has been asking for excessive price increases and negotiations have not been progressing. Premier is fighting for you to keep rates as low as possible but if a fair agreement has not made by the end of October, we want to warn our customers that there is the potential that KCAU and KELO programming may be temporarily removed until an agreement is reached.

Are you upset about this? We are too! Because it’s not fair.

So what can you do? First of all, stand with us! More customers = more leverage with the broadcasters! You can also join the fight by writing a letter to your local congressional representatives.

WRITE CONGRESS