Grand Junction Dish Network subscribers have until 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 to lose KKCO 11 and KJCT 8 unless Gray Television and Dish reach a new carriage agreement in the next 48 hours. The stations say Dish is demanding unreasonable rate cuts while Dish counters that Gray wants massive increases that would hurt customers.
Why This Blackout Could Hit Western Colorado Hard
KKCO is the dominant NBC affiliate for the Grand Valley and western slope. KJCT is the only local ABC station in the market. Together they deliver the only daily local newscasts, high school sports, severe weather coverage, and emergency alerts for Mesa, Delta, Montrose, Garfield and surrounding counties.
A blackout would mean no local news during severe wildfire threats, winter storms, or breaking events like the recent I-70 closures. It would also wipe out NBC primetime, ABC college football, the Oscars, and every Broncos game carried on ABC this fall for Dish customers.
Both Sides Point Fingers as Deadline Looms
Gray Television released a statement Monday saying Dish is trying to “strong-arm” local stations into accepting far less money than other providers pay. The company says it offered Dish the same rates as every other distributor in the market, but Dish refused.
Dish fired back that Gray is asking for “excessive rate increases” that would force Dish to raise prices on customers. The satellite provider says it is fighting to keep costs down in a tough economy.
This marks at least the sixth carriage dispute Dish has had with local stations since 2022, including blackouts in Durango, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo.
What Dish Customers Can Do Right Now
If you want to keep KKCO and KJCT, Gray Television urges viewers to call Dish at 800-333-3474 and tell them to “keep my local channels.”
Viewers can also file complaints with the FCC at fcc.gov/media or switch providers before Tuesday night.
Free and Easy Ways to Keep Watching Local TV
The good news is Western Colorado viewers have plenty of options that cost nothing or far less than Dish:
- Over-the-air antenna: KKCO and KJCT are free forever with any $20 antenna from Walmart or Best Buy
- YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV Stream, and Fubo all carry KKCO and KJCT right now with no blackout
- Free KKCO 11 News app on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV streams live newscasts 24/7
- Locast was shut down, but the stations continue pushing for federal laws to protect local broadcasting
Bottom line: no one should lose local news and emergency coverage because two big companies cannot agree on money.
Grand Junction has rallied before when stations went dark. Thousands of viewers switched providers during past disputes and the channels came back faster. Whether Dish blinks this week or not, Western Colorado viewers have the power to keep their local television alive.
Tell us in the comments: Will you call Dish, switch services, or put up an antenna if KKCO and KJCT go dark Tuesday night? Use #KeepMyLocalTV and tag your friends so Dish hears how much we need our hometown stations.
