AT&T, AMC make deal that keeps channels on

[July 02, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- AT&T says it has reached an agreement with AMC Networks Inc., the home of hit shows including "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad," and will keep showing its AMC, IFC Sundance and WE channels.

AT&T, the eighth-largest provider of pay-TV signals, said Sunday the channels will remain available on its U-verse TV service.

Details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Fee disputes between pay-TV companies and TV channels often result in channels being temporarily dropped. They usually end with the parties reaching agreement on fees.

In a separate fee dispute, satellite broadcaster Dish Network Corp. replaced AMC's channels with HDNet channels at midnight Saturday.

Dish, the third-largest pay-TV provider in the U.S., had earlier said it would drop AMC's channels because they're too expensive.

On Sunday, AMC reiterated its position that Dish is actually playing hardball because it wants to retaliate for a lawsuit Voom HD, an indirect subsidiary of AMC, filed against Dish for dropping it. The trial itself has not started, but a judge has ruled that Dish destroyed evidence in the case.

Dish did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new season of "Breaking Bad" starts July 15.

[Associated Press]

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