CNN Sues Cablevision Over Network DVR → Re: Drop them from the line up...

This is one of the reasons why I am a fan of Dish Network/Echostar. Last year Time Warner tried to force Dish into just such a deal as mentioned above. You WILL in addition to the channels you already carry you will also put on this, this, and this Channel and we will charge you a bunch more, take it or leave it. Echostar told Time Warner to stick where the sun don't shine, and took off OLN and the Man's network. The latter is one I never watched as it seemed all they did was sell penis plumper pills, and orgasm oil, and Outdoor Channel was better then OLN anyway. It seems it was Time Warmer that blinked because OLN is back and there is none of the other channels which Time Warner tried to make Dish swallow.

E* also had a run in with ABC and Cox did this a while back with Fox Sports West.

These networks think they're God's gift and they're not...99% of them suck ass. Cable and DBS need to smack the network bitches up and put these 0-ratings loser channels in their place.

Problems occur when cable companies are confronted with "must carry" channels. For example Disney owns ABC which is a broadcast network and therefore covered by the "must carry" laws that are part of franchise agreements. This is why Disney channel is no longer a premium channel in many places (like my area).

And then there was this case of Yes Network vs Cablevision where YES sued Cablevision to force them to carry the YES network. The State of NY stepped in and forced Cablevision to carry YES.

With the laws favoring the networks, the cable and DBS companies don't have much of a chance.

Sure, they'll carry them, but they won't pay for them. It's not so much denying access, but simply refusing to pay. It may exist but I haven't seen a case where a DBS or cable operator was compelled by a court to pay a certain amount while forced to carry non-OTA programming.