MUMBAI: American pay TV network Dish has ended its contract with women’s network Lifetime which runs two channels. Dish TV’s parent Echostar was not able to reach an agreement with Lifetime.
EchoStar CEO Charlie Ergen says, “While Dish Network desires to make Lifetime programming available to its customers, we also must protect our customers from exorbitant rate increases.”
Lifetime on its part says that Dish refused its offer of a temporary contract extension to allow women to watch the network through the holiday season.
Lifetime Entertainment Services president and CEO Betty Cohen says, “We are outraged and dismayed for our viewers that Dish has unilaterally chosen to pull Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network and deny millions of women
their favourite channels. We value our viewers’ loyalty and don’t understand why Dish would take away the most popular women’s networks, especially over a holiday weekend.
“We regret the disruption of service our viewers are experiencing, but appreciate all of the support they are already showing and we hope Dish network will listen to them and give them back their Lifetime.”
Echostar replaced the Lifetime programming with a preview of Women’s Entertainment Network programming. Dish also ran a message on the bottom of viewers’ screens explaining the dispute
Tag: Betty Cohen
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Dish ends contract with US women’s network Lifetime
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Betty Cohen is Lifetime president, CEO
MUMBAI: Veteran American cable television executive Betty Cohen has been named Lifetime Entertainment Services president and CEO. Media conglomerate Disney has a 50 per cent stake in the company that services women..
In her new position, which she officially assumes on 26 April, Cohen will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the media brand for women. These include advertising sales, affiliate sales, research, programming, strategic planning and operations. She is known for her broad scope of experience and expertise in traditional and new media.
Disney Media Networks co-chairman and Disney-ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney said, “Betty has a keen awareness of the importance of television’s relationship with the viewer and a remarkable ability to identify, understand and get close to audiences providing knowledge that she transforms into the development, marketing and communicating of brands.
“Her entrepreneurial style, blended with a prolific understanding of the TV industry, will bring a unique vision to Lifetime, taking it to its next level in programming to a diverse and complex audience of women. Betty is joining a remarkable team of professionals at Lifetime who have worked tirelessly to build it into the world class brand that it is. I welcome her and look forward to working with her.”
Cohen said, “My passion lies in developing branded content and related services that entertain, inspire and inform audiences around the world, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do just that at Lifetime. I look forward to working with and learning from the outstanding team at Lifetime, as well as a world class board and pair of owners, Disney/ABC and Hearst, who are as proud of Lifetime’s accomplishments as they are open to new ideas for growing the value of the Lifetime brand.”