DISH Drops AMC Networks (AMC Back on DISH channel 131)

The way things are shaking out they might want to reconsider that.They are going to lose more subs than they think imho.I think today's channel moves were just a test of the waters to see how much negative feedback they would receive.SO far it appears to be overwhelming.It will definitely hit them in the pockets.

Settle the dang lawsuit with Rainbow and negotiate in good faith on the channels.Would that really be so hard to do?

Just wait until next Monday. Many people probably won't realize the channels are gone until the season finales of Mad Men and The Killing don't record or aren't showing on the guide on Sunday. I know we can still get the channels but many customers won't be able to find them in the 9000s.
 
May as well put the DIRECTV number on speed dial... I would bet AMC stays off of Dish for a while... At least most of the summer, maybe forever.

That may end up being true, but things aren't all rosy on D* either. BBCA-HD is nowhere to be seen, and there aren't any indications that it will be this year, in spite of many requests for it.

but here's some math to consider. For me, AMC has 3 shows that I really want to see, and see as they are being shown. Hell on Wheels, The Walking Dead, and The Killing. I can buy them as a subscription to the current season for about a total of $90, which breaks down to $7.50/month. That is about 1/2 the cost differential between E* and D* with D* being about $15/month retail.

If you go to D*, of course you get some really good discounts for the first year, and a bit in the 2nd, which ameliorates it a bit.
 
Just wait until next Monday. Many people probably won't realize the channels are gone until the season finales of Mad Men and The Killing don't record or aren't showing on the guide on Sunday. I know we can still get the channels but many customers won't be able to find them in the 9000s.

So then, how popular can the channels really be, if most people don't notice they're gone until they show their 2hrs a week of original programming?
 
So then, how popular can the channels really be, if most people don't notice they're gone until they show their 2hrs a week of original programming?

I'm sure there are some who watch the channel outside of their original programming. I am not one of them. Their original shows get good ratings for a cable channel.

Yeah, their viewership jumps way up on Sunday nights and then dips back down the rest of the week. There are still a lot of people that want to watch that block of programming every week though. HBOs also has a big ratings swing for their 2 hours of original programing on Sunday nights. I'm sure there are many other popular channels that are only highly watched on certain days of the week when their hit shows are on.
 
Is it really that painful to wait a bit to get your favorite AMC shows from other sources, or at worst wait a year to buy the season set DVDs/Blurays with bonus extras?

Do you have a money tree?
:)


Talk about childish! If this were a purely business decision, they would just leave them at their current channel numbers, and remove them on the date the contract expires. What they are doing really smacks of childish vindictiveness, not very professional at all.

Yet, no one wants to believe this is all because of the lawsuit.


I do think they were pretty neglectful in moving the channels to the 9000s where the average customer won't be able to find them weeks before they are scheduled to remove them.

I think that was the point of the move.


Oh, come on. Most on the ongoing noise in this thread is attributable to about six people (yourself included). For such a spike on Facebook to take place, there may have very well have been a rallying cry from somewhere.

Talk about being personal. Why don't YOU tone it down a few notches and quit poking at people. I counted more than six people making "noise" as you call it. You are also making the assumption that because there isn't dozens of people making noise, then most people could give a rats ass. I also get the impression that you think you are entitled to an opinion because you are a paid supportor, while people like myself and dtro77 should not express ours unless we pay to do so. Free speech is free -- you don't have to pay to be a supporter to get it.

Oh nice move Charlie!!

Email sent getting ready to voice our displeasure on facebook as well.I sincerely hope they get an earful,and furthermore I hope it hits them where it hurts if they don't make it right...

When I emailed Charlie Ergen & Company, I told them that their vindictiveness is telling and because they are screwing with their customers, I hope they lose the lawsuit. Let it be a lesson to them. No company is too big to fail. Its not the stock holders keeping DISH in business.


Or maybe most of that spike came from the channel numbers being changed with no notice from Dish. People probably just noticed their channels were gone and didn't think to look to the 9000s. Sure some of the posts may have been from AMC employees but it is it really that hard to believe that most of them are just people who genuinely think the channels are gone.

That's what got me online at 4AM. I punched in 130, and TCM showed up. By 4:30AM, DISH's Facebook page and Twitter accounts were blowing up with complaints.


Even though I would hope that Dish loses subs over this, I think we have to face the facts that only Dish knows how many subs are still under a 2 year contract. Specially since the introduction of the Hopper. With Dish pulling this "dispute" right after the Hopper seem to really be the DVR every one wanted to trade up for. With that info Dish is taking that into consideration as to how many subs will leave. I know I can't. I couldn't afford the ETF right now. If this would have happened before I got my Hopper, when I was out of my contract, I would have called Directv in a New York minute.

With everything that is going on with the lawsuit. I am willing to bet most that wanted to could make the case that DISH is not living up to its end of the deal. Granted, DISH controls the channel lineup, but I didn't see anything in the contract that said DISH could sh*t all over its customrs by dropping a family of channels because they were being sued by the parent network. What would DISH do if a class action started up because of their vindictiveness?

Me on the otherhand, I'd never sign another two year deal. They tried to get me to do that when everyone here was hopping all over hopper a few months ago. I wanted to buy a 311 I found new for $89. The rep said they could sell one to me for $100 + the two year contract. I told her to get bent. Why would I pay DISH $100 when I could get it for $89 and not sign a new contract?
 
What I am hearing is that the feeling is a lot of them are Rainbow / Cablevision employees posting. Sinc many of them just "liked" DISH within the past 24 hours.

Sometimes things are not always as they appear.
AMC started airing the "Keep AMC" spots and crawls during last night's Mad Men. I guarantee that is the main reason for all of the sudden "likes" and comments.

EDIT: Plus, there's the move to the 9000's.
 
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Oh, come on. Most on the ongoing noise in this thread is attributable to about six people (yourself included). For such a spike on Facebook to take place, there may have very well have been a rallying cry from somewhere.
There was. It was on last night's episode of Mad Men during every commercial break, and a crawl that lasted for a few minutes after each commercial break so the auto-hoppers wouldn't miss it.

I don't know why the fanboys can't just accept the fact that AMC is a reasonably popular channel. It may not be a top 10 channel. But, it's comfortably embedded in the top 20. So, it's not unreasonable to assume that a lot of Dish customers will be upset if they drop it. It's not rocket surgery.
 
Dish Moderators are now responding to the complaints on Facebook with this canned response.

"Dish Network You can continue to watch your favorite programming on AMC (ch9609) and in HD on (ch9610) for the time being. We have relocated these channels to be in a channel location that is more reflective of the quality of programming.-Cheri T. "

If they feel those channels are poor quality why are the shopping channels and infomericals on lower numbered channels?
 
There was. It was on last night's episode of Mad Men during every commercial break, and a crawl that lasted for a few minutes after each commercial break so the auto-hoppers wouldn't miss it.

I don't know why the fanboys can't just accept the fact that AMC is a reasonably popular channel. It may not be a top 10 channel. But, it's comfortably embedded in the top 20. So, it's not unreasonable to assume that a lot of Dish customers will be upset if they drop it. It's not rocket surgery.

AMC is not part of Auto-Hop.... Maybe the skip forwarders.... ;)
 
Oh, come on. Most on the ongoing noise in this thread is attributable to about six people (yourself included). For such a spike on Facebook to take place, there may have very well have been a rallying cry from somewhere.

The "rallying cry" is coming from AMC via messages on FB to anyone that's "liked" Mad Men, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, etc. Each of those is pushing people to use their provided link to complain to Dish and some would likely then also have "liked" Dish and simply "hop" over there ( :) ) to voice their displeasure.
 
Dish Moderators are now responding to the complaints on Facebook with this canned response.

"Dish Network You can continue to watch your favorite programming on AMC (ch9609) and in HD on (ch9610) for the time being. We have relocated these channels to be in a channel location that is more reflective of the quality of programming.-Cheri T. "

If they feel those channels are poor quality why are the shopping channels and infomericals on lower numbered channels?
I guess that means the customers that like AMC are low quailty customers too. Yea great response!

Wow is all I can say, Who came up with that line!
 
wbrightfl said:
Dish Moderators are now responding to the complaints on Facebook with this canned response.

"Dish Network You can continue to watch your favorite programming on AMC (ch9609) and in HD on (ch9610) for the time being. We have relocated these channels to be in a channel location that is more reflective of the quality of programming.-Cheri T. "

If they feel those channels are poor quality why are the shopping channels and infomericals on lower numbered channels?

So they are telling fans of AMC shows who took the time to let Dish know they aren't happy about this that those shows you like aren't high quality. That should go a long ways towards making their upset customers happy again.
 
Dish Moderators are now responding to the complaints on Facebook with this canned response.

"Dish Network You can continue to watch your favorite programming on AMC (ch9609) and in HD on (ch9610) for the time being. We have relocated these channels to be in a channel location that is more reflective of the quality of programming.-Cheri T. "

Yea I think that comment about the quality of programming is not the most professional response

I guess that means the customers that like AMC are low quailty customers too. Yea great response!

Wow is all I can say, Who came up with that line!
That is a pretty pathetic statement. And, this continued unprofessional, childish, and vindictive behavior only reinforces the perception that this dropping of the AMC networks is indeed personal, and not simply due to standard financial disagreements during contract negotiation.
 
I just sent the following email to card-shark Charlie:

This concerns your threats to remove AMC from your channel lineup. I see that you have now moved AMC HD from channel 130 to 9610. That means I now have to remember the new four-digit channel number and according your customer service department I must reprogram my DVR to record new shows on the new channel number.


If your goal is to piss off longtime customers then you certainly have succeeded. There are several shows I watch on AMC HD. If you drop it I drop you.


Stop your madness with your disputes with AMC -- keep AMC HD and move it back to channel 130.


The only ones who are being hurt by your stupid disputes are your customers.


There are other good choices for TV service...don't further entice me to switch to DirecTV.
 
Looks like they gave up on the totally unprofessional canned response pretty quickly. Here is the new one.

"Hello John, rest assured, you can continue to watch your favorite programming on AMC, IFC and/or WEtv for the time being. DISH is committed to fighting on your behalf to provide you with the best programming and the lowest possible price. Unfortunately, to get access to a few more popular shows on AMC, they are requiring us to purchase other, less popular channels that are not a value that our customers have come to expect.

1. IFC is available on ch. 9607
2. WEtv is available on ch.9608
3. AMC is available on ch. 9609 - Mark H"
 
No need for Dish to reply with a comment like that (assuming it's true) about quality of programming and placement. It is why even those of us who agree future cost of AMC is a real issue, we agree it is driven by the lawsuit.

The new response adds a different wrinkle, one that Dish has fought before. Sounds like Dish does not want one of, or some of IFC, Sundance, WE. And AMC is requiring all or none. Very possible that was the proposal from Dish - we can talk about an increase for AMC, but want to drop other channels and not incurr that cost.
 

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