Nearly 20 supporters of anti-violence and women’s advocacy groups held a brief rally today at Civic Center Park, to protest against EchoStar yanking the Lifetime channel off of its Dish Network.
“It’s about getting our message to (EchoStar founder and chairman) Charlie Ergen,” said Rita Smith, executive director of the Denver-based National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “This isn’t about 15 seconds at 1 a.m. The information (Lifetime provides) is critically important to women’s lives and they need to get back on the air.”
On Wednesday, Lifetime ran a full-page ad in The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and New York Times blasting EchoStar with the support of 50 women’s advocacy and anti-violence groups, including NCADV.
Douglas County based EchoStar said it was contractually obligated to remove Lifetime and the Lifetime Movie Network when its contract with the networks expired on Dec. 31. The two sides are currently in negotiations this week, after talks stalled at the beginning of the year.
EchoStar officials said that Lifetime asked for a 76 percent rate increase over the course of a three-year contract. Lifetime officials said they only asked for a four-cent increase per month, per subscriber.
“They can try to Dish it out but we’re not going to take it. Get ready to lose our business,” said Denver councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth . “We feel Dish is depriving women of shows they love.”
Smith urged supporters to voice their discontent by contacting Ergen.
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson can be reached at 303-820-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com.
