Negiotiations between DirecTV and Gannett Co. -- the parent company of WMAZ in Macon -- continued Friday, the last day of the current agreement between the companies.

Gannett has a deal with DirectTV to carry its stations nationwide on the satellite system.

If a deal is not struck by midnight Friday, DirectTV subscribers will not be able to receive local programing, such as the SEC football smackdown Saturday between the University of Georgia and University of Alabama.

“Over the past weeks, we have been in intense negotiations with DirecTV to reach a fair, market-based deal,” Jeremy Gaines, vice president of corporation communications for Gannett, said in an e-mail. “Gannett has never had service disruption with a major carrier. ... We will continue to work with DirecTV right up to the deadline.”

Several attempts Friday to speak with someone at DirecTV were unsuccessful.

A similar negotiation situation between Gannett and DISH Network took place in October. The companies reached a multi-year agreement on the last day of the old contract, and satellite programming was not interrupted.

“The terms we are discussing with DirecTV are along the same lines as those which allowed us to reach a deal with DISH Network,” according to a statement on WMAZ’s website.

To reach writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223.