DirecTV, Lifetime Dispute Heads to Court

[Chris Blount]

By The Associated Press

(Multichannel News) _ DirecTV Inc., which has withheld license fees from Lifetime Television for nearly nine months as part of a breach-of-contract lawsuit, is expected to be in court with the programmer later this month.

A scheduling conference has been set for U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Aug. 28 in DirecTV Inc.'s suit against the women's programmer.

The giant satellite provider has withheld millions of dollars in license fees from Lifetime as a result of the dispute, which centers around a marketing program intended to switch subscribers from EchoStar Communications Inc.'s Dish Network to DirecTV.

Entire Article (http://www.ibcnews.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=58606)

[Danny R]

DirecTV asserts that rival EchoStar got what amounts to a lower license fee for Lifetime programming than it does when the women's network finally hammered out its contract renewal.

DirecTV claimed the bulk of its alleged damages, $11 million, stem from this issue.

Hmmm, so Echostar, proving it was willing to drop the channel rather than carry it, gets a good deal compared to DTV, who showed it was willing to pay whatever Lifetime asked... and DTV thinks they are cheated because of it?

I just think this is a hilarious situation.

[Greg Bimson]

If DirecTV has a most-favored nation clause in their contract, then Lifetime violated their contract with DirecTV when they signed a cheaper contract with Dish Network.

[juan ellitinez]

If DirecTV has a most-favored nation clause in their contract, then Lifetime violated their contract with DirecTV when they signed a cheaper contract with Dish Network.
Dumb queston How would d* know if e* got a better deal?

[harsh]

Dumb queston How would d* know if e* got a better deal?The issue is not who got the better deal. The issue is that Lifetime had promised to promote DirecTV as a superior alternative to Dish Network and it seems to DirecTV that they haven't put forth the effort.

Everyone knows that Wife Approval Factor (WAF) is huge in high-dollar TV gear.

[Bobman]

Does anyone really watch Lifetime anyways ? I dont think I have ever seen it except maybe many years ago when Stephanie Miller had a game show on.

[Greg Bimson]

Dumb queston How would d* know if e* got a better deal?DirecTV has both Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Channel in their lowest tier, and Lifetime Real Women in their extended tier.

Dish Network has Lifetime in AT60 and Lifetime Movie Channel in AT180, and does not carry Lifetime Real Women. It has been reported that Dish Network dropped the Lifetime suite because they didn't want Lifetime Real Women. So, of course when Lifetime finally acquiesced to Dish Network, they placed Lifetime Movie Network in the hightest extended tier while it is in the lowest on DirecTV.

Therefore, it appears that Dish Network does have better terms. Dish Network certainly wouldn't sign a contract that made them pay more for a channel that is in a higher tier.

[Chris Blount]

Does anyone really watch Lifetime anyways ?

No! Lifetime can pretty much disappear into oblivion as far as our household is concerned.

[mjones73]

Does anyone really watch Lifetime anyways ? I dont think I have ever seen it except maybe many years ago when Stephanie Miller had a game show on.

I need to introduce you to my wife, back when Voom was alive, I had to ax them off the list cause they didn't carry Lifetime...

[FLWingNut]

No! Lifetime can pretty much disappear into oblivion as far as our household is concerned.

Uh, Lifetime is the number one women's network on "cable." The loss would be huge. Do you not remember the gnashing of teeth on the E* boards?

Because you don't watch, don't make the mistake of thinking that others don't.

[Paul Secic]

No! Lifetime can pretty much disappear into oblivion as far as our household is concerned.

I second that!

[Chris Blount]

Uh, Lifetime is the number one women's network on "cable." The loss would be huge. Do you not remember the gnashing of teeth on the E* boards?

Because you don't watch, don't make the mistake of thinking that others don't.I was only referring to our household. :)

[White_Horse]

Unfortunately I have come downstairs to find the Hallmark channel tuned in on one tv and Lifetime tuned in on the other. argh! talk about misery. I think my mother-in-law only watches 3 channels: Hallmark, Lifetime, and Soapnet. She'd be highly upset if any of them were to ever disappear.

Now my husband and I...we could care less about those 3 channels..

[mailiang]

I use to have E but now I have D. Part of the reason I switched was that my wife was really annoyed when E dropped Lifetime during negotiations. I didn't hear the end of it!:nono2:
Then when I downgraded to E's Top 120 package she started in on the fact we lost Hallmark!:rolleyes: Now with D's Total Choice she gets all her favorites and I can live with some peace around here.:hurah:

Ian :D

[agreer]

By The Associated Press

(Multichannel News) _ DirecTV Inc., which has withheld license fees from Lifetime Television for nearly nine months as part of a breach-of-contract lawsuit, is expected to be in court with the programmer later this month.

A scheduling conference has been set for U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Aug. 28 in DirecTV Inc.'s suit against the women's programmer.

The giant satellite provider has withheld millions of dollars in license fees from Lifetime as a result of the dispute, which centers around a marketing program intended to switch subscribers from EchoStar Communications Inc.'s Dish Network to DirecTV.

Entire Article (http://www.ibcnews.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=58606)

This is EXACTLY why we need a per-channel opt in/out method in addition to the base packs: let me NOT get lifetime, and not PAY FOR IT...same with CNN, Fox News, BET, E!, TLC and all of that crap.

[Homebrew101]

Does anyone really watch Lifetime anyways ? I dont think I have ever seen it except maybe many years ago when Stephanie Miller had a game show on.

I regret ever programming Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network and Oxygen into the "Favorites" because those are what my wife will put on 95% of the time if she gets the remote. She never might have known about those channels if I hadn't done that. Even now, I sometimes consider deleting them and pretending that D* dropped them!

[mjones73]

Good luck with that, it's Lifetime, Seinfeld, and Nick at Night in my household most of the time, I don't know how many more Rosanne re-runs I can take before I lock the channel away on my wife. :D

[Geronimo]

Does anyone really watch Lifetime anyways ? I dont think I have ever seen it except maybe many years ago when Stephanie Miller had a game show on.



it is not my cup of tea either but it is one of the most watched cable channels.

[mailiang]

I regret ever programming Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network and Oxygen into the "Favorites" because those are what my wife will put on 95% of the time if she gets the remote. She never might have known about those channels if I hadn't done that. Even now, I sometimes consider deleting them and pretending that D* dropped them!


Oxygen! I forgot about that one!:rolleyes:


Ian :D

[jfny]

Dumb queston How would d* know if e* got a better deal?

Typically in a deal with a most favored nation clause, it would be written into the contract that DTV has the right to review any other contract that the network enters into with another cable provider. The agreement might allow for review only by an independant third party (ie. a large accounting or law firm) who would then report back if the contract was at equal or better terms than the one signed by DTV.

This is just speculation, but it reasonable to assume something similar to this exists.

[Steve Mehs]

Word on the net is that Lifetime is following Discovery, MTV and the premium providers and creating a whole suite of channels.

The Lifetime Suite where all men are disgusting cheating alcoholic rapist sexist child molesters

Lifetime Men Suck
Lifetime We Hate Men
Lifetime Men Are Pigs
Lifetime Personal Man-hating Station

[cybok0]

Does anyone really watch Lifetime anyways ? I dont think I have ever seen it except maybe many years ago when Stephanie Miller had a game show on.

when my wife watches the lifetime channels she makes me watch tv in the bedroom or get the hell out of the house, you cant disturb her while shes watching them.
but I cant complain to much she lets me alone when the stargates and 24 are on.:)

[teknophyle]

Does anyone really watch Lifetime anyways ? I dont think I have ever seen it except maybe many years ago when Stephanie Miller had a game show on.


A lot of people LOVE the lifetime suite of networks. The ratings on varity's webpage prove it. It would be a terrible loss if something would happen to the 3 lifetime networks that they would be dropped from DTV

[mailiang]

A lot of people LOVE the lifetime suite of networks. The ratings on varity's webpage prove it. It would be a terrible loss if something would happen to the 3 lifetime networks that they would be dropped from DTV:nono2:

I serious doubt that Lifetime is going to allow themselves to be dropped from D as result of this Lawsuit. Losing their biggest client and that many viewers, would risk losing a lot of advertising revenue. Why do you think they were so eager to cut a deal with E? I am certain that both parties will work something out regardless of who wins, which at this point I suspect a least to some degree, will be D. ;)

Ian

[Darkman]

Lifetime Must Produce Dish Papers

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Linda Moss
9/15/2006 5:27:00 PM

A court issued an order Thursday directing Lifetime Television to produce a host of documents relating to its negotiations to secure a carriage deal with EchoStar Communications’ Dish Network earlier this year.

Lifetime must supply the materials as part of the breach-of-contract suit DirecTV filed against it in the spring. DirecTV alleged that Lifetime reneged on an agreement to pay Dish subscribers $200 to switch to DirecTV during a period in January when the women’s network had been dropped from Dish’s lineup.

Lifetime denied that there was any breach.

The order, from the U.S. District Court, said Lifetime must produce papers including those relating to negotiations and communications for EchoStar’s carriage of Lifetime channels and Hearst TV stations, the programmer’s corporate sibling, as well as “contracts with distributors who have an equal or lesser number of Lifetime subscribers than DirecTV … and the related monthly subscriber-billing reports and notice documents regarding MFN [most-favored-nations] obligations.”

( Source: http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6372692.html )

[Darkman]

By Linda Moss
11/29/2006 3:45:00 PM

A judge this week ordered DirecTV to produce all of its distribution agreements -- in effect from 2000 to the present -- that involve the direct-broadcast satellite provider getting retransmission consent for TV stations in exchange for carrying a cable network.

In Los Angeles, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Hillman agreed to Lifetime Television’s request for the DirecTV agreements as part of ongoing litigation between the DBS provider and the programmer.

In an order filed Tuesday, the court said DirecTV must provide its retransmission-consent-related agreements within 30 days....


---
( The entire article is at the following source: http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6395717.html )

[Paul Secic]

Good luck with that, it's Lifetime, Seinfeld, and Nick at Night in my household most of the time, I don't know how many more Rosanne re-runs I can take before I lock the channel away on my wife. :D

TVLAND has reality shows. I sure wished they'd air some 50's shows.