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Variety

Dish Network’s Ergen Claims ‘Extortion’ by Fox

Dec 29, 2014  •  Post A Comment

As Fox News continues into a second week of being blacked out on Dish Network’s systems, Dish chief Charlie Ergen is charging Fox with an “extortion” attempt, Variety reports.

“In a video message posted Dec. 24, Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen asserts that the crux of the carriage dispute involving Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network involves the effort by parent company 21st Century Fox to seek a new deal for an ‘unrelated’ channel that would have tripled the rates paid by Dish for that channel,” the story reports.

The report adds: “It’s unclear which channel Ergen is referring to but it’s believed to be either FXX or Fox Sports 1, the latest channel relaunches in the 21st Century Fox portfolio.”

Fox News is being “held hostage” to demand higher carriage fees for the “unrelated channel,” Ergen said.

He added, “Ironically, Fox News would be the first network to decry this kind of dealmaking. There’s nothing about this extortion attempt that was fair or balanced.”

More than 178,000 complaint calls have been registered with a toll-free line created by Fox for viewers to complain about the blackout, as well as 140,000 emails, the story says.

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16 Comments

  1. Who needs FOX anyway?

  2. The only two channels I watch on dishes FOXNews and ESPN. Most everthing else garabage.

    They play the same movies over and over again for the last five years.

    There bundle packages hold the customer is hostage

  3. GO CHARLIE!

  4. Charlie needs to watch Fox Business and learn how to run a good business. Charlie needs to be fired. We need to have FOX news and FOX BUSINESS back on the air!! Direct TV is sure to win more viewers because Charlie thinks holding people hostage and using the viewers as his pawn is good business…. it isn’t… the stockholders of Dish Network need to hurry and replace Charlie with a more reasonable, smarter executive to enhance their business….. someone who will not go out of their way to lose clients.
    I cant switch till next week… but I will then switch to Direct TV…. hasta la vista Charlie

  5. Funny the reaction when the shoe is on the other foot! Let Dish offer all channels individually and subscribers can pay what each channel is worth, and only subscribe to the channels that the subscriber wishes to receive. Then Dish and Fox will both get all of the subscribers who really want their networks. There are only 12 channels that I watch. I would be happy to subscribe to Dish if I only had to subscribe to those networks. Instead I go online and get what I want.

  6. Since both of you will make money if fox stays on Dish, Why not swallow your pride and do business?

  7. Its time to bring our favorite news station back.Your customers aren’t going to wait much longer . Direct TV is where they will go and you will the one who lost.

  8. I will be dropping dish next week. My package went from 39.95 to 85.00.
    I only watch four channels. It’s not worth it. Go through and count the infomercials. and advertising. They are more numerous than the shows.

  9. We should only be paying for the channels we want. The packages are a sham. Bring back Fox news now. Tired of Direct TV and Dish playing games with package tv. Internet here I come

  10. I have been a dish customer because I think it is much more user friendly, but my main viewing channels, fox news and fox business news, are no longer there so I am changing to Direct TV. You should put your customers first. If Direct TV drops my desired channels, I will leave them also. I will then stream from my computer. I feel both providers are overcharging and the advertising content percentage is ridiculous. You guys are your own worst enemy.

  11. This so called dispute you people have with fox network is a sham! Get it back or drop my subscription.I’m paying for garbage I don’t watch and my damn bill keeps going up! I’ll go to the internet and It damn sure won’t be with you people. I pay my bill by check and you will not get a payment this month!! There are other company’s that I can do business with and not have to put up with the petty B.S. that goes on with you people two or three times a year as it has this past year!! Get Fox back or drop my subscription.

  12. All the money they collect from people they can’t pay fox.take the useless Jesus channels and Latino channels off I pay for them they are crap.where is fox.dish network get your head out of your but and pay the fee like everyone else.

  13. Pay fox you people get enough money from everyone to pay fox like everyone else.you find the money to pay for the useless Jesus and Latino channels.

  14. Oh my gosh at the idiots on here. Do you not realize Dish is doing what so many companies in this country are not….LOOKING OUT FOR ITS CUSTOMERS! I dont want my rates raised. “Herb” – ALL COMPANIES HAVE BUNDLES, NOT JUST DISH! As a conservative, it disgusts me that people on here are refusing to act like CONSUMERS! Go to DirecTV and pay out the Wahzoo then. I’ll have Fox back soon and won’t be paying as much for it as you morons

  15. tcmcclure64@gmail.com <——— Number 1 moron. HAHAHA

  16. Go Dish! Go ! Charlie….FYI. FOX NEWS WATCHERS…CHARLIE stepped down as CEO back in 2011. I’d gladly pay an extra $1 for them not to show it, maybe the world wouldn’t be so scared or intimidated by there late, not up to date half truth news & facts tactics.

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