Dish Network drops Fox News in dispute over price hike

By Robert A. Vella

The satellite broadcasting company Dish Network has decided to drop Fox News channels from its lineup because of a refusal to pay a hefty price hike demanded for the service.  This isn’t the first time Dish has taken a stand against price-gouging content providers.

Apparently, Fox News is livid over the decision.  Oh, the humanity!

From International Business Times – Dish Network Blackout: Fox News Ratings Take Hit As Nasty Carriage Dispute Continues:

The nasty carriage dispute that has left about 14 million satellite-TV subscribers without Fox News Channel is rearing its ugly head in the worst of places. The cable news network, typically a ratings powerhouse, saw a significant dip in viewership last week as its parent company, 21st Century Fox Inc., squabbled with Dish Network Corp. over programming fees.

For the week ended Dec. 28, the first full week since the blackout began, Fox News averaged 939,000 prime-time viewers. That’s down from 1.65 million viewers the previous week and 1.68 million the week before that, according to data from Nielsen Media.

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Fox News and Fox Business have been blocked from Dish Network viewers since Dec. 21, after Dish accused Fox of trying to leverage Fox News’ popularity to secure higher rates for a less popular channel. Both 21st Century Fox and Dish Network continue to blame the other for the blackout.

From Daily Kos – Fox News Is OFF the Air and the Foul Odor of Deception has Ceased:

Of course, this made Fox News go ballistic and conservative heads everywhere begin to explode. Fox even urged their viewers to declare war on Dish Network, telling them to drop their subscriptions in an effort to force Dish’s hand. According to Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen, Fox is the first channel to throw such a temper tantrum.