Dish network and AMC

[mrrotten]

I was flipping through the stations the other day and notice Dish Network has HDnet where AMC use to be. Did they drop AMC for good?

[andrew8798]

for the time being

[triplethreatmark]

I just checked and no they didn't. I still have it as an HD channel in the 5300 range channels. They must have just moved it from 131 to some other number.

[Welfare Willis]

No, apprently dish network and AMC are arguing over pricing.

Subscribers to Dish Network found themselves scrambling to find shows like "Mad Men” and other channels Monday all because of failing negotiations between the satellite provider and AMC Networks.

On Sunday, AMC ran commercials during "Mad Men" warning Dish subscribers that the satellite provider would be taking AMC off its lineup at the end of June, according to hollywoodreporter.com. Similar commercials were expected to run during other popular AMC series including "The Killing."

Dish didn't take that fact that the cable channel had involved viewers in the spat kindly and responded Monday by suddenly moving AMC from channel 130 to channel 9609, home of infomercials and other low-quality programming. AMC’s Sundance channel was already dropped May 20 by the satellite carrier and AMC's sister networks IFC and WeTV were also moved up in the 9000s.

Bob Toevs, a spokesman for Dish, acknowleged that the decision to move the channel was because of the commercials AMC aired Sunday, reported the website.

"We regret that AMC decided to involve viewers in that particular way," he said. Dish has already announced it would drop AMC at the end of the month because it didn't want to pay higher carriage fees to keep the channel.

While negotiations are still ongoing, Toevs said the fees AMC is asking for are "too high relative to low viewership."

"Dish has that reputation of being very cost-conscious on behalf of the customer," he told the website.

AMC's most popular series draw the following viewership: "The Walking Dead," approximately 7 million viewers per episode; "Mad Men," "The Killing" and "Breaking Bad," approximately 2 million per episode.

AMC has also taken its negotiations online by urging Dish customers to e-mail or phone Dish and voice their displeasure with the idea of losing AMC, IFC and WeTV.

AMC Networks had reportedly previously attributed Dish's movement of the channels to an unrelated legal dispute involving the two companies. Dish has said the decision was made based on ratings.