I think it's great that E* doesn't just roll over every time a station demands a price increase. Furthermore, I think that E* should review channel selections annually and drop low performers. With limited transponder space and limited money in my wallet, I'd rather not subsidize weak, high cost channels.
ABC Family has low ratings and there are numerous other family oriented programming choices at the AT50, AT100 and AT150 levels of service. ESPN Classic is a high cost channel and there are plenty of options for sports fans.
I used to really like TECH TV, but have noticed lots of reruns lately. And they've reformatted some shows to become somewhat like glorified infomercials. Ratings are down for them and maybe E* should consider dropping them.
Finally, if the DBS and cable outlets drop a few channels every now and again, it puts the pressure on these channels to get their ratings up.