A carriage dispute between Altice USA (News 12’s parent company) and Verizon Fios led to News 12 being removed from the Fios channel lineup in certain areas. This meant that Fios subscribers in those affected regions could no longer access the regional news programming provided by the News 12 network through their Fios service. The situation occurred when the two companies were unable to reach an agreement on the terms for continued carriage of the channel.
The availability of local news channels is crucial for communities, providing information on local events, weather, traffic, and issues directly impacting residents. When a channel like News 12 is removed from a provider like Verizon Fios, it can disrupt access to this important information for a significant portion of the population. Historically, carriage disputes have been relatively common between content providers and cable/satellite companies, stemming from disagreements over fees and terms of service. These disputes often leave viewers temporarily without access to their preferred channels.