Sinclair Broadcasting Group

AT&T plans complaint against TV stations over blackout disputes

AT&T's logo on a sign
Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

AT&T will lodge a formal complaint with regulators against television station owners that, the company says, are refusing to negotiate terms for channels to be carried by its subsidiary DirecTV, resulting in blackouts for viewers.

Why it matters: The Federal Communications Commission generally does not intervene in private negotiations between programmers and the pay-TV stations that carry their content. But regulators could get involved when there are claims, as AT&T is making here, that parties are acting in bad faith.

Sinclair's stock hits all-time high

Data: FactSet; Chart: Axios Visuals