Dish Network Makes Nasty Move against AMC

Is it true that for Dish Network subscribers channel AMC went blank on Sunday night? According to “Fight between Dish and AMC gets nastier” by Joe Flint of Latimes.com, it was a move by Dish network in a legal battle with AMC.  AMC and Dish Network have been in a legal fight over their contract, which is ending June 30 and an apparent “unrelated lawsuit”.  The issue is, as always, price.  AMC wants more money and DISH network is claiming the company’s networks, AMC, Sundance, and WE, are not worth it. The article mentioned states that this Sunday Dish and AMC got a little too nasty as their fight included customers.

Flint reports AMC “ran a spot [during “Mad Men”] alerting viewers that Dish was planning to drop the channel at the end of the month.”  AMC encouraged Dish subscribers to call or email Dish to complain. About two hours after the spot, “Dish relocated AMC from Channel 130 to Channel 9069 – without warning”. The article reports the screen went from AMC, blank screen, then to HD Net. Subscribers who called in to inquire/complain were met with operators who were unaware of the channel move.

AMC’s statement: “It is unfortunate that, in retaliation for an unrelated lawsuit DISH is punishing its customers by threatening to drop the AMC Networks…”

The article reports a Dish network spokesperson “said the channels were moved to a location better suited to their ratings performance.”

Someone cue the baby crying and pass out the pacifiers.

I’m sure that plenty of legal issues are brewing amongst the many service providers we use. However, the typical result of such issues is either the customer never knows because the service continues; or contractual affiliations end and customers notified before service interruptions. It is never professional to use customers as pawns when legal issues get nasty.

For Dish subscribers, there was nothing wrong with AMC suggesting they call Dish to inquire about the channels being cut. However, to run a spot during “Mad Men” and put out the email address was a little much – considering subscribers are already aware of how to contact Dish. Dish’s response was asinine and juvenile. Don’t screw over subscribers because of ratings, anger, emotions, and/or money. They’re forgetting that the nastier it’s gets, the more they show their a$% to subscribers.