Dish Network Customers Lose Access to Four Disney High-Definition Channels

Customers of Dish Network Corp.’s satellite-TV service lost access to four high-definition channels owned by Walt Disney Co. in a fee dispute between the companies.

HD programming from ESPNews, ABC Family, Disney Channel and Disney XD was taken down today, the companies said in separate e-mailed statements. The standard-definition versions of the channels are still available.

Dish says it wants to negotiate a contract with Disney that allows the pay-TV operator to continue offering low-priced HD programming. Disney says a New York state court ruled in March that Dish didn’t have the right to air its HD channels for free. Dish, which is appealing the decision, paid Disney $65 million in overdue fees, Multichannel News reported earlier today.

“We could not agree to the significant fees requested by Disney,” Dish said. Both companies said in their statements they hope to reach an agreement.

Disney, the world’s biggest media company, declined 71 cents to $34.35 today in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The Burbank, California-based company’s shares have climbed 6.5 percent this year.

Dish, owner of the second biggest U.S. satellite-TV service, fell 79 cents to $20.25 today in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The Englewood, Colorado-based company’s stock has slipped 2.5 percent this year.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andy Fixmer in Los Angeles at afixmer@bloomberg.net; Crayton Harrison in New York at tharrison5@bloomberg.net

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