News
Dish 'Hides' AMC to Block Anti-Dish Ad
By Swanni
Washington, D.C.
(June 4, 2012)
-- Dish Network last night moved AMC to a different channel
without telling its viewers after AMC started running a
commercial saying Dish subscribers could lose AMC by the end of
the month.
Dish and AMC Networks are engaged in a dispute over a new
programming contract and Dish has threatened to remove AMC and
its two sister channels, IFC and WE TV, at the end of the month if
AMC Networks does not reduce its demands.
Last night's AMC ad alerting Dish subscribers that they could
lose the three channels was AMC's first public airing of the
dispute and it apparently took Dish by surprise.
Dish spokesman Bob Toevs told TVPredictions.com today that the
AMC ad prompted the satcaster to move AMC, IFC and WE TV to different channels without telling
its subscribers. (AMC is now on channels 9609 and 9610, SD
and HD respectively, while IFC is on 9607 and WE is on 9608.)
He said there was no plan to move the channels prior to AMC
running the ad.
"We took steps last night when the AMC ad moved," Toevs said.
"We regret that AMC chose to involved our viewers (in the
dispute)."
Dish obviously did not want its customers to see the AMC ad.
Toevs said he did not believe there was any notice to customers
that the channels would be moved. And several Dish subscribers
sent e-mails to TVPredictions.com saying the channels were moved
without notice; a few of them thought they had been removed
entirely from Dish's airwaves because the previous channels have
been replaced with other networks.
Fortunately for fans of AMC's Mad Men and The Killing, both of
which aired last night, the channels were moved after their
episodes were over.
Toevs added that Dish was still hopeful that an agreement could
be reached with AMC before the end of June.
AMC Networks this afternoon issued a statement in response to
Dish's decision to move the channels:
"It is unfortunate that, in retaliation for an unrelated
lawsuit, Dish is punishing its customers by threatening to drop
the AMC Networks, and with this sudden, dramatic change in
channel position, making it extremely difficult for their
customer to find and watch some of the most popular and
acclaimed shows on television."
AMC was referring
to Dish's
ongoing legal battle with VOOM, which is indirectly owned by
AMC Networks. Voom is suing Dish for dropping its channels in 2008 and a
recent court decision all-but ensured a trial commencing later
this year. Dish denies the Voom lawsuit has anything to do with
its dispute with AMC. _____________________________________________________________________________
