DirecTV customers across greater Cincinnati flipped on their TVs Sunday and found a glaring hole where WCPO 9 used to be. The local ABC affiliate has disappeared from the satellite provider's lineup, cutting viewers off from the station's hometown news, weather, and upcoming sports coverage while a corporate tug-of-war plays out behind the scenes.
According to WCPO, DirecTV has removed WCPO 9 from its channel guide, and the station is urging affected customers to call DirecTV at 1‑855‑KEEP‑US‑1 (1‑855‑533‑7871) and ask that the channel be restored. The station says it is working to get the signal back on DirecTV and is outlining both free and paid alternatives for viewers who suddenly find themselves without the channel.
Why This Is Happening
Industry watchers say the blackout comes out of retransmission-consent negotiations between E.W. Scripps, which owns WCPO, and DirecTV over how much the satellite company pays to carry local stations. As reported by Cord Cutters News, Scripps has warned that more than 50 local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates around the country could be pulled from DirecTV if the two sides do not reach a new agreement. Similar disputes over rising retransmission fees have triggered short-term blackouts in other cities in recent years.
How To Keep Watching WCPO 9
WCPO notes that its over-the-air broadcast remains free, which makes an antenna the quickest workaround for many households. After connecting an antenna, most TVs can be rescanned through settings such as Menu → Channel Setup/Tuner → Antenna → Auto Scan. If that general path does not match your television, WCPO suggests checking the TV manual or the manufacturer's support site for step-by-step guidance.
The station also points viewers to connected-TV platforms that carry WCPO content, including Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, and Amazon Prime Video. For those who prefer subscription options, industry sites highlight live TV streaming services such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and Fubo, which typically include local network affiliates where available. As Cord Cutters News notes, some customers may also have the option of switching to local cable providers like Altafiber or Spectrum, depending on what is offered at their address.
What You Can Do Now
For viewers who want WCPO 9 back on DirecTV, the most direct move is to call the provider and formally register a complaint. Keeping a record of the date, time, and any reference or case numbers from those calls can help if you later request bill credits or refunds. Viewers can also reach out to WCPO's newsroom to report how the outage is affecting them.
The TV Answer Man and other observers recommend relying on an antenna or a backup streaming service while Scripps and DirecTV continue to negotiate in private, noting that most carriage fights eventually end with a new deal. In the meantime, local audiences who depend on WCPO for fast-moving weather updates and sports coverage are stuck in the middle of a dispute they did not ask for.
We'll update this story if and when WCPO 9 returns to DirecTV in the Cincinnati market.
