Dish cable company
The Walking Dead may have to shuffle off to another satellite
For those who were watching Don Draper, from AMC's hit show Mad Men, ride off into another season-ending sunset, you probably also noticed the ads during commercials that warned of Dish Network's plan to drop AMC by next month.
The AMC spot also told viewers to email Dish Network and let them know that the channel should be kept where it is, and that Dish should continue to provide popular programming like Breaking Bad and The Killing to its viewers. Not to mention The Walking Dead, which perhaps best describes AMC fans who subscribe to Dish.
After speaking with a representative of the Dish Network to confirm what the real deal was behind the dispute, we learned that dollars and cents were the actual culprit, not the inadequate viewership reason that Dish Network gave media outlets within the last 24 hours.
Lucy at Dish Network, who didn't want to give her last name, said AMC has become too expensive for Dish Network to distribute and keep onboard, as channels charge cable companies high fees to carry and distribute its station, and those fees are typically passed on to the consumer. Nice, huh?
The dust-up isn't doing much for Dish's standing with consumers, according to a ConsumerAffairs sentiment analysis of comments posted on social media over the last year. Dish currently hovers around a 25% net positive rating, not exactly something to shout about.
The hierarchy
See, there is a certain cable hierarchy if you will, and your local franchising authority (LFA) is perched at the top. The LFA is an American government organization - usually a city or county - that regulates, among other things, the rate your cable company can charge you for basic programming and services. The LFA works in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).