CBS to stay on Dish Network while talks continue, CBS says

REUTERS - CBS Corp said the CBS broadcast network will continue being distributed by Dish Network Corp while negotiations progress "into the evening".

CBS Corp said earlier it would stage a potential blackout if a deal was not reached with Dish by Thursday.

The ongoing discussions between the companies comes after two extensions to the contract's initial Nov. 20 expiration that allowed the companies to extend negotiations and keep CBS and its Sports Cable channel available to Dish's 14 million subscribers.

The negotiations are the latest in a string of disputes between media conglomerates and distributors over the price of carrying cable channels.

Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc said that Dish Network subscribers in 60 markets "are at risk" of losing their local and network programming at 11:59 pm ET on Friday (0459 GMT Saturday) if a new agreement is not reached.

"Nexstar regrets that DISH Network is willing to hold its paying subscribers hostage because it won't agree to fair and reasonable terms for viewers' favorite programming," the company said on Thursday.

On Nov. 21, Dish Network Corp and Time Warner Inc's Turner Broadcasting unit "mutually decided" to restore CNN, the Cartoon Network and other channels to Dish subscribers after the channels had been blacked out for a month.

CBS is also no stranger to blackouts. Last year CBS won a high-profile fight with Time Warner Cable Inc, which backed down and gave into CBS's demands after Time Warner pulled CBS programs for a month in several of its markets.

Representatives for Dish Network were not able for comment.

(Reporting by Ronald Grover and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Reporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Wills)