YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio  - DISH Network has dropped 21 WFMJ from its lineup after the satellite provider and the station failed to reach an agreement on terms for a new contract.

Jack Grdic, General Manager of WFMJ says he's "disappointed that DISH Network chose to drop WFMJ from its lineup," adding that WFMJ is consistently ranked as Youngstown's top-rated television station. Grdic adds the station has "been negotiating with DISH for several months and agreed to extend the old agreement several times." Grdic says the station made a "last-ditch effort" to avoid a service interruption on July 6 by "substanially revising" the station's offer in DISH's favor. Instead, Grdic says, DISH did not make a counter proposal and chose to let the old agreement expire.

Under federal law, satellite and cable providers cannot carry local television stations without an agreement. Grdic says the station will continue to try to persuade DISH to carry WFMJ, but can't predict when DISH will restore WFMJ to its lineup. He adds he's particularly surprised DISH chose to drop the station just three weeks before NBC's Summer Olympic Games. WFMJ is an NBC affiliate and the popular Olympic Games can still be seen over-the-air on WFMJ and on all other cable and satellite providers. Grdic says "there's no reason for our viewers to miss the exciting summer games" with the other options available for viewing the station.

WFMJ and its sister station, WBCB, are being carried by all other local cable and satellite providers serving the Valley.

A complete list of those distributors, with contact information, will be available on www.wfmj.com. WFMJ has alerted its other distribution partners of DISH Network's decision to drop WFMJ. The station says those providers will work hard to get new customers installed before the London Olympic Games. Grdic says he wants to remind viewers that "both WFMJ and WBCB are available free over-the-air." 

The station says producing top-rated news broadcasts and acquiring other exclusive programming like the Olympics is expensive. Grdic adds, "we have only asked DISH to pay the same low rates that other providers pay for our signals - rates that are far lower than the rates DISH pays for other channels that a lot of Valley residents don't watch and have probably never heard of."

DISH Network is one of the largest television companies in the country. WFMJ is locally owned and operated in Youngstown.

The station says it will continue to put the interests of its viewers and the community first and regrets the disruption of service.