Sinclair pays ABC to keep affiliation?

[CoolBreeze]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sinclair Broadcast Group says it has reached an agreement in which nine of its TV stations will remain ABC affiliates into 2015.

The deal covers TV stations in Missouri, Ohio, the Carolinas, Alabama, Florida, West Virginia and Illinois. It replaces a contract that had expired Dec. 31 and was extended to March 31.

Sinclair did not specify the stations, but WCHS-TV in Charleston is Sinclair's only ABC affiliate in West Virginia.

Sinclair says this marks the first time it will pay a license fee to ABC in its affiliate agreements. Traditionally the relationship worked the other way around: Networks paid the affiliates, as a way to secure larger audiences.

More recently network-affiliate deals involved sharing of commercial air time. Now Sinclair says it will share with ABC fees it collects from pay-TV providers for the right to carry local channels on their lineups.

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201003260703

This has gotten completely out of hand. There are more commercials than ever before... to the point that I will not watch ANY show in real time. Now, the affiliates are paying to run this tripe? And where does that money come from? Higher Cable bills and satellite fees. In other words, we all end up paying to watch millions of commercials..... Well screw that, I'll keep my antenna and record what little there is to watch.