18 stations restored to DirecTV

Northwest Broadcasting said that it reached a new long-term carriage agreement with AT&T that will return its stations to the DirecTV lineup, ending a blackout that lasted nearly eight months.

The retransmission consent fee dispute affected Northwest’s 18 stations in 10 markets.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“Northwest regrets the inconvenience this has placed on our valued viewers,” Northwest said in a message on the website of its station KAYU-TV, the Fox affiliate in Spokane.

In August, AT&T reached an agreement ending a two-month blackout of Nexstar stations. An impasse with CBS and its station ended Aug. 8.

Sinclair last month warned viewers that its deal with AT&T was expiring and that a blackout was possible, but the two sides appear to be negotiating and the stations remain on DirecTV and other AT&T outlets.