Sinclair Broadcast Group Announces The Approach Of The Termination Date Of Retransmission Consent Agreement With Dish Network

BALTIMORE, Aug. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI), the "Company" or "Sinclair," announced today that its retransmission consent agreement with Dish Network, pursuant to which Dish carries 70 stations Sinclair owns or provides services to, is scheduled to terminate at midnight on Wednesday, August 15, 2012.

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Although Sinclair is continuing to negotiate with Dish over the terms of a new agreement, Sinclair believes significant doubt exists as to whether or not a new agreement will be reached with Dish.  In this event, Dish will discontinue carriage of these stations beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, August 16, 2012. 

About Sinclair:
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc., the largest and one of the most diversified, independent television broadcasting companies, owns and operates, programs or provides sales services to 74 television stations in 45 markets.  Sinclair's television group reaches approximately 26.3% of U.S. television households and is affiliated with all major networks.  Pro forma for the recently announced Newport acquisition, Sinclair will own and operate, program or provide sales services to 82 television stations in 47 markets, reaching 27.3% of the U.S. television households.  Sinclair's television portfolio will include 21 FOX, 19 MNT, 15 CW, 11 ABC, 11 CBS, 3 NBC, 1 independent and 1 Azteca station.  Sinclair owns equity interests in various non-broadcast related companies.  The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information and can be accessed at www.sbgi.net. 

Forward-Looking Statements:
The matters discussed in this news release, include forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, future operating results.  When used in this news release, the words "outlook," "intends to," "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "achieves," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.  Actual results in the future could differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including and in addition to the assumptions identified in this release, but not limited to, our ability to satisfy the closing conditions for the Newport acquisition discussed in this release, including obtaining required governmental approvals, our ability to obtain financing to fund such acquisition, our ability to consummate the transaction involving Deerfield Media discussed in this release, our ability to maximize our operating synergies in connection with the acquisitions, the impact of changes in national and regional economies, the volatility in the U.S. and global economies and financial credit markets, successful execution of outsourcing agreements, pricing and demand fluctuations in local and national advertising, volatility in programming costs, the market acceptance of new programming, the CW Television Network and MyNetworkTV programming, our news share strategy, our local sales initiatives, the execution of retransmission consent agreements, our ability to identify and consummate investments in attractive non-television assets and to achieve anticipated returns on those investments once consummated, and any other risk factors set forth in the Company's most recent reports on Form 10-Q, Form 10-K and Form 8-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  There can be no assurances that the assumptions and other factors referred to in this release will occur.  The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements except as required by law.

SOURCE Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.