Dish customers lose access to some local channels as Dish fights with channel owner, Sinclair

Dish says that 129 local stations in 79 different markets have gone dark for its customers because of a fight with the channels' owner, Sinclair Broadcasting.

Cable and satellite TV companies negotiate with channel owners over issues including how much to pay for the channels. Sometimes that leads to fights that result in channel blackouts, which can last less than a day or drag on. In 2013, CBS pulled its channels for Time Warner Cable customers for a month.

Sinclair's channels include ABC in Washington, DC; CW in Minneapolis/St. Paul; and Fox in Pittsburgh.

Dish says the fight with Sinclair is over terms for a cable channel that Sinclair wants to buy.

In a statement, Sinclair says it is willing to negotiate a fair deal with Dish.