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Dish-AMC Trial Has Become 3-Ring Circus
tvpredictions.com ^ | October 17, 2012 | Phillip Swann

Posted on 10/18/2012 1:59:07 AM PDT by Las Vegas Dave

The three-ring circus known as the AMC/Dish breach-of-contract trial found another ring to perform in yesterday when a sobbing Dish executive stormed out of the courtroom after being insulted by the judge and then returned to yell at an opposition attorney and possibly physically rough up his father who was in a wheelchair.

And all this happened after the judge ruled the hard drive on the executive's computer should be seized immediately because he suspects she's been deleting important evidence, according to the New York Post.

Before we unspool the unbelievable and unkindly details from yesterday, allow us first to set the stage:

AMC is suing Dish for $2.5 billion for dropping the AMC-owned Voom HD Networks from its lineup in 2007. Dish claims Voom failed to live up to its legal obligation to spend $100 million on programming; AMC and Voom says Dish dropped the channels because they felt they could carry other HD channels for less money.

The outcome could have an impact on the now three-month long programming impasse between Dish and AMC. The latter claims that Dish was not sincere in reaching a new deal to carry AMC and two sister networks because it wanted to use the impasse in possible settlement talks in the Voom case.

And the way the trial has been going, Dish may want to engage in those settlement talks sooner than later. Last week, Judge Richard Lowe III threatened to declare a victory for AMC when Dish failed to produce some internal email correspondence in the case. On Monday, Dish produced the emails and they tend to confirm AMC and Voom's account of the controversy.

But yesterday, oh, yesterday, was a doozie.

Judge Lowe spotted Dish programming chief Carolyn Crawford in the courtroom and said she shouldn't be allowed there because her future testimony will be crucial to the case. Lowe then noted that Crawford's computer suddenly disappeared back in 2007 when the Voom controversy was at its zenith and he ordered that Crawford's current hard drive be seized. The judge inferred that Dish and Crawford may have deleted emails important to the case.

He also called Crawford "that woman," according to various news reports.

That apparently was enough to send a sobbing Crawford flying through the exit doors of the courtroom, even though the judge quickly apologized.

But Crawford returned and approached attorneys for AMC and Voom. According to the Post, she wagged her finger at the attorneys and the judge and then somehow got into an argument with the father of a AMC/Voom attorney. The attorney, Orin Snyder, said Crawford pushed his Dad and he then called the cops.

At day's end, it was unclear how the scuffle would be resolved but no arrests were made. And legal observers were busily trying to figure out how this crazy trial would have a happy ending. The early consensus is that it will result in a mistrial or Dish will have to settle for as much as $1 billion.

And to make things a bit more interesting, outspoken Dish chief Charlie Ergen is scheduled to testify today. Update: Wall Street analyst Rich Greenfield just tweeted this morning that the judge is sending the jury home until Monday so no Ergen today. No reason as to why the jury is getting a break, although I think we can guess.


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: dish; hdtv
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To: Las Vegas Dave

Da Swede can taste da tears of Dish and he tanks you for it.

21 posted on 10/18/2012 5:10:24 AM PDT by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
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To: muir_redwoods

Imply. Infer. Whatever. ;-)


22 posted on 10/18/2012 5:47:30 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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To: Lazamataz

Love the Walking Dead. I was a Dish subscriber and the fact they did not have AMC was part of my decision to dump them.


23 posted on 10/18/2012 8:01:25 AM PDT by Brett66 (Where government advances, and it advances relentlessly , freedom is imperiled -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: Lazamataz; Gay State Conservative
"I do."

2nd that. Lately Directv's lousy DVR has been giving us nothing but trouble (it froze up Sunday night during the Walking Dead premiere, provoking panic). But whether we end up streaming or going back to cable (gah), Dish is not an option. My zombie apocalypse habit must be fed.

24 posted on 10/18/2012 8:31:59 AM PDT by CatherineofAragon (Don't be afraid to see what you see. (Ronald Reagan))
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To: Las Vegas Dave

I loved the VOOM channels. DISH should never have dropped them.


25 posted on 10/18/2012 12:15:37 PM PDT by Sans-Culotte ( Pray for Obama- Psalm 109:8)
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To: Sans-Culotte
We has DISH and dropped them for VOOM, knowing that when I signed up they were having problems and may go dark. Four weeks later VOOM went out of business, in April 2005. We went back to DISH.

(The TV antenna VOOM provided for OTA broadcasts is still on my roof, and their HD boxes are somewhere in the basement.)

26 posted on 10/20/2012 2:54:45 AM PDT by Las Vegas Dave (".....All 57 states (or is it 58?) must stand together and defeat O'bozo!.....")
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To: Las Vegas Dave

Not true. Guy was crying because he understood Heisenberg was looking for him.


27 posted on 10/20/2012 3:05:29 AM PDT by catfish1957 (My dream for hope and change is to see the punk POTUS in prison for treason)
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To: wita

Yes, you are correct.

http://forums.soundandvisionmag.com/showthread.php?249423-Voom-going-out-of-business

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2946500/posts?page=26#26


28 posted on 10/20/2012 3:07:21 AM PDT by Las Vegas Dave (".....All 57 states (or is it 58?) must stand together and defeat O'bozo!.....")
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To: Las Vegas Dave; advertising guy; Real Cynic No More; andyk; ProtectOurFreedom; BipolarBob; ...

Received last night from DISH (sounds like DISH knew they were about to get their butts handed to them):

Dear Subscriber,

DISH is pleased to announce that we have reached a multi-year agreement with AMC Networks, which has restored AMC on channel 131.

All customers will be able to enjoy AMC in free preview on channel 131, and for fans of The Walking Dead, the first episode of the season will be available on-demand for a limited time*. Please check your channel guide for a complete listing.

We appreciate your patience during this time and thank you for being a valued DISH customer.

Sincerely,

DISH


29 posted on 10/22/2012 3:41:24 PM PDT by RightFighter (It was all for nothing.)
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To: RightFighter

I’m pretty sure Dish won or was about to win the law suit against AMC


30 posted on 10/22/2012 4:23:51 PM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Present failure and impending death yield irrational action))
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To: bert

Yes, after the judge pretty much smacked down a DISH executive in open court and ordered her laptop immediately seized.


31 posted on 10/22/2012 10:22:50 PM PDT by RightFighter (It was all for nothing.)
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To: RightFighter

Best. Post. Evah.


32 posted on 10/22/2012 10:26:41 PM PDT by Reddy (B.O. stinks)
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To: RightFighter

My cousin posted two Saturday’s ago that he just realized that Dish no longer had AMC and that he would miss the first episode of The Walking Dead.

He immediately switched to some other carrier.

Some of us just have to have The Walking Dead amongst us.


33 posted on 10/22/2012 10:29:11 PM PDT by Reddy (B.O. stinks)
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To: Reddy

OOps. No apostrophe in Saturdays. ;)


34 posted on 10/22/2012 10:29:58 PM PDT by Reddy (B.O. stinks)
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To: Las Vegas Dave; Yudan
That apparently was enough to send a sobbing Crawford flying through the exit doors of the courtroom, even though the judge quickly apologized

this woman is chief of programming for a 13 billion dollar sales media property

with a market cap of around 11 billion

and she ran crying from the courtroom?...cause her wuttle feeling are hurt?....no wonder we live in such emotive BS on TV

women....man....sometimes you just cannot make this shite up ya know..lol

35 posted on 10/22/2012 10:41:20 PM PDT by wardaddy (my wife prays in the tanning bed....guess what region i live in...ya'll?)
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