From all indications I have seen here at Team Summit and from the folk I have talked to, Dish wanted to keep VOOM but not all of VOOM. Charlie wanted 5 channels. VOOM said you have to take all or nothing.
That was a bad move, you don't play poker against Charlie and expect to win.
Dish still wants VOOM and hopefully they can work together to come to a deal.
Scott, there was a deal...it was the 15-year affiliate agreement between E* and V*. How is executing the terms of the agreements a bad move by VOOM? Likewise, why the need for game playing when a legal agreement, with provisions and cure, is in place? Just because Charlie no longer liked the terms of the agreement, that doesn't give him a right to terminate the agreement. E* contents that V* didn't meet the $100 million spending limit during 2006. V* claims the prorated spending limit was only $82 based on 15 HD channels (and not 21), however they still spent $102.9 million on VOOM that year. Additionally, they spent more than $114 million on the VOOM channels in 2007...even though they were only required to spend $82 or $100 million (depending on who you believe).
Hopefullly Charlie has a good hand to pass along to his attorneys when this matter is litigated in front of a jury. Unless V* is blatantly lying about their spending, as well as providing fault/misleading information in their SEC Filings, then this matter could very well wind up just like NDS, Tivo, News Corp, etc.
By all indications I have seen, Dish Network wanted to keep VOOM under their terms and not under the terms the existing affiliate agreement...and they screwed their customers over "big time" playing this twisted brand of poker. Ethical companies do not conduct business this way, and they certainly don't play games with their business partners and customers.
Hopefully SatelliteGuys can remain objective in this matter and not turn into a sounding board for Dish Network propaganda, and their company trolls and zealots who frequent this site.