Dispute pulls CBS off the air for DirecTV customers

NEW YORK (AP) - A business dispute has taken CBS off the air for millions of satellite television customers of DirecTV and AT&T U-verse.

CBS was black on satellite systems owned by AT&T in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and across the United States on Saturday. Both the television network and AT&T hurled accusations at each other for failure to agree on what CBS is paid for programming.

CBS said that while it didn't want its customers caught in the middle, it is determined to fight for fair value. The network warned that the loss of CBS programming "could last a long time."

AT&T countered in a statement provided to Variety that CBS is "a repeat blackout offender" that has pulled its programming from other carriers before in order to get its way.