The 9-week-old dispute that has kept the signal of local CBS affiliate KXJB off the lineup of satellite cable provider DirecTV now has more incentive to end. North Dakota State University's men's basketball team will play its first-ever NCAA tournament game on CBS next week.
If no deal is reached on how much DirecTV must pay to retransmit the KXJB feed, subscribers without antennas won't be able to watch the game at home.
"It's added pressure, certainly, to get something done," said Charley Johnson, general manager of KXJB. "There is contact. I'm hopeful."
In an e-mail, DirecTV spokesman Robert Mercer also said the two parties remain in negotiation.
