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After nearly three weeks off the air due to corporate
greed contract disputes, both KVIQ (the local CBS affiliate) and KIEM (NBC) are back in the channel lineup for local Suddenlnk subscribers.
On Thursday afternoon, a man named Brad Ayers, who is the senior director of government affairs for Suddenlink’s parent company, Altice USA, sent an email to local stakeholders announcing the ceasefire.
“I am pleased to report that Altice USA reached an agreement this afternoon with Cox Media Group which will return KVIQ (CBS) and KIEM (NBC) to Suddenlink programming in your area,” Ayers’s email stated.
The two corporations blamed each other in the dispute. Earlier this month, Cox alleged that Suddenlink “unfortunately opted to place their customers in the middle of their negotiations.” Suddenlink, in turn, issued its own statement, blaming Cox Media Group for jacking up customers’ fees and “pulling its networks” from TV lineups in six markets, including Humboldt County.