Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network off Dish due to contract dispute

[cablewithaview]

Attention: Lifetime Has Taken Your Channels Away!

You may have tuned in today to see the Lifetime Channel or the Lifetime Movie Network.

Unfortunately, DISH Network's contract with Lifetime Networks expired on December 31st and we no longer have the legal right to carry these channels.

I can assure you that at DISH Network we have made every effort to renew our agreement and continue to carry these channels.

However, Lifetime Networks have demanded a rate increase of over 70 percent which would result in unreasonable rate increases for you, our customers.

While we were surprised by Lifetime Network's outrageous demand, the fact that we have had a good relationship with them for 10 years gives us hope that we can reach a fair agreement.

Until such time as we have a new contract with Lifetime Networks, I hope you will enjoy this free preview of The Women's Entertainment channel.

I am very sorry for any inconvenience.

We appreciate your support and encourage your feedback.

Thank you for being a DISH Network customer.


Sincerely,
Charlie Ergen, CEO of DISH Network

Note: Lifetime didn't take anything away. Charlie controls the switch and knows where to sign.

 

[Gary Murrell]

oh no!!, first my NHL, then Voom HD-Lite and now my Unsolved Mysteries

Dish you are pushing it with me

-Gary

 

[Purogamer]

Like Dish has never aired content without a contract before?

I find it funny that the scroll on the channels never directs you to dishnetwork.com, it points you to fairsatellite.com (which is of course registered to echostar)...

...and also of note it points you to tune into the charlie chat on the 9th of january, which tells me these guys aren't even close to coming to a deal if they're thinking this will go on for another 9 days...

If you're a Directv CSR, get some sleep, you're gonna be busy next week...

Oh, and the contract ends on December 31st. Contracts end at 11:59pm. Everyone knows that so i don't know what people are trying to pull. Midnight on the west coast is 3am EST so that's why Lifetime got pulled at that time. Lifetime may have a case that pulling LMN is a contract violation...

 

[kb7oeb]

I don't subscribe to a package with either channel so I don't care personally but I can't see how they can follow through with a rate hike until they get this channel back on.

Keeping the same price and removing two popular channels is bad enough but raising the package price due to programing costs adds insult.

 

[jimboeau]

I can't believe they pulled the plug on Lifetime. Even if it's just as temporary as the Viacom thing, I'm glad I'm leaving. D* to be installed next week with the HD-Tivo and three DVR80 Tivos. I can't wait to talk to retention when I leave. I know they won't care, but I won't be dealing with this BS anymore.

Enjoy your HD-Tivo. It won't be obsolete for at least another week or so..

 

[RonMort046]

I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I like variety on satellite. For those who are constantly crying the blues about the high costs of programming, Dish has the AT60 package for you. As far as I am concerned, those who want a lot more variety in their programming should expect to pay a substantial amount for that programming, especially the AT180 package.

I would like to have all the RSNs I am entitled to have. I want to have extra movie channels, and I certainly want to have access to the most important cable channels for others in my family. A good example is Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network for people like my wife who only watch a few channels. One more point, I am willing to pay for what these services cost. I don't want to subscribe to the
AT180 package with a price hike looming and be told that Dish is knocking channels off their system over a few pennies.

This egomaniac Dish Fuhrer is a goofball except for making money for himself, and he should give up that silly Heckle and Jeckle act with that other clown every month. They talk, act stupid and uninformed, and they are laughing all the way to the bank. Now there is one show Dish can knock off.

 

[Purogamer]

Well the problem is that charlie thinks we'll tolerate anything because we pay a few bucks less and we've more or less reached the point where that's not true anymore. It was cute the first time, now it's annoying. We'll pay more, just stop taking our f**king channels away...

I think charlie is afraid if his service is the same price as D* and Cable, he'll suffer mass customer lossage, and frankly he's right. E* people put up with a lot for that few bucks they save, but it's grown very old...

People are TRYING to give E* the chance to improve and be great, but they're really making it difficult. If D* has even a remotely decent CES, it's going to take a miracle from E* to keep people here...HD Customers are pissed, SD customers are now getting channels taken away, it's too much...

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Its going to be a FUN CES

 

[rad]

Enjoy your HD-Tivo. It won't be obsolete for at least another week or so..

How do you figure that? Nothing is going to change to precent the HR10-250 from receiving all the same channels that it does today for a year or two.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Now do you see why Ala carte is so very needed? This is becoming a yearly thing with these content providers. " Come on it's just a few cents more a month per sub. " This is why the prices of satellite and cable are sky rocketing. Do you get a 4 % increase in your paychecks every year? I know I waited for 4 years to get a 4 % increase. I have had a price increase on my satellite bill every one of those 4 years. This is Bullsh!t!

We need ala carte to be made a reality , even if the government has to mandate it by law. Then and only then, will the content providers stop hiking their prices yearly every time one or more of their channels comes up for renewal. If all channels had to stand on their own merit and not be bundeled with other more desirable channels, this form of extortion and black mail would stop. Let the free market set the prices for these channels.

IF you like sports or women's channels then you pay the price for each respectively. I do not like being forced to buy sports channels like Espn to be able to watch my local Abc station . This needs to end and the people should be able to vote with their wallets. IF these stations become to costly then the people will stop paying for them. They will either lower their price or go off of the air. This is true capitalism and free market influences will set the price.

Enough with the corporate extortion and black mail!!

 

[Juan]

How do you figure that? Nothing is going to change to precent the HR10-250 from receiving all the same channels that it does today for a year or two.

They just started broadcasting NY and LA locals in mpeg 4 So i think you only have 6 months at the most

 

[Juan]

D* dumped a boatload of must carry local channels Scott!! Shouldn't there be a mention of that on your main page??

 

[GeorgeLV]

Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network have been removed from the package listings on the Dish Network website.

 

[rad]

They just started broadcasting NY and LA locals in mpeg 4 So i think you only have 6 months at the most

So, D* hasn't announced that they're pulling any of the current MPEG2 HD channels. They'd need to figure out a way to provide the four networks that they now provide via conus beams before they could pull the plug on those channels.

 

[dishrich]

They just started broadcasting NY and LA locals in mpeg 4 So i think you only have 6 months at the most

WRONG again - they STILL are in MPEG2 conus - they HAVE to stay like this for distant HD subs. So, jokes on YOU all...

 

[blakejames3000]

They have a scroll on lifetime and lmn ...that I'm getting WE for free (my Price Did NOT Go Down) ...well i have AEP .... WE is Included In AEP so instead of paying "70%" more for lifetime i am paying "200 %" more for WE i think thats a very high price increase and the only thing that is dish network's fault.
at least when they did this for viacom they gave us a dollar for the dropped channels.I'm just thinking this is dish network's fault this time.

 

[Juan]

WRONG again - they STILL are in MPEG2 conus - they HAVE to stay like this for distant HD subs. So, jokes on YOU all...

Sorry dude You should really read the satelliteguys front page before posting!! They are currently transmitting both formats during a transitional period

 

[GeorgeLV]

They have a scroll on lifetime and lmn ...that I'm getting WE for free (my Price Did NOT Go Down) ...well i have AEP .... WE is Included In AEP so instead of paying "70%" more for lifetime i am paying "200 %" more for WE i think thats a very high price increase and the only thing that is dish network's fault.
at least when they did this for viacom they gave us a dollar for the dropped channels.I'm just thinking this is dish network's fault this time.

In the seven months of negotiation Lifetime didn't put up any scroll bars or title cards asking their viewers to complain to Dish so I tend to think the blame lies squarely on Charlie.

 

[Juan]

The more I think about it This could just be a "stunt" to pull all the attention away from D* during CES!! D* could be announceing all their new products but all the headlines will be screaming about a E*/Lifetime dispute which will be completely forgottrn about a month from now (just like Viacom)

 

[Juan]

In the seven months of negotiation Lifetime didn't put up any scroll bars or title cards asking their viewers to complain to Dish so I tend to think the blame lies squarely on Charlie.

As long as you dont complain when Charlie raises rates !!!