Super Bowl Update

TRI-STATE ― AMC Networks and Time Warner Cable have not yet reached a new deal to keep AMC's channels on the cable giant's systems across the country, but they are at least willing to maintain the status quo while discussions continue.

Variety reports that the companies have extended their old contract, which expired Monday night, while they hash out the details of a new carriage contract.

Affected networks include AMC, IFC, WeTV and Sundance.

TWC serves a large swath of the Tri-State, both under its own name (in much of Western Kentucky) and under that of Insight Communications (in the Evansville/Henderson area).

Just in time for the second episode of The Walking Dead's new season, AMC is finally back on for Dish Network customers.

The companies, which acrimoniously broke off relations at the beginning of July, reached a new deal - the terms of which won't be disclosed, of course - which will give customers back what they've been (justifiably) upset about losing.

In a statement, AMC CEO Josh Sapan said, “We are glad to partner again with Dish Network and are delighted to bring back our popular channels and programming to their customers.”

Dish will also begin carrying the Fuse network.  No word on when that one will become available.

MORE READING:

• The New York Times: "AMC Networks and Dish Reach Deal for Return of Channels"

UPDATE, 8:15 a.m. FRIDAY:  AMC is offering Dish Network's customers free online streams of Hell on Wheels and Braxton Family Values.  “We’ve heard from many Dish subscribers who are upset about missing our programming so we are giving them an opportunity to watch these premiere episodes at the same time as the rest of the country,” the company said in a statement.

PREVIOUSLY:  It's been more than a month since Dish Network customers lost AMC and the other AMC Networks channels, and it appears that Dish's chairman won't budge on AMC's demands for more money.

Charlie Ergen, who is Dish's chairman, said Wednesday in a conference call to discuss the company's second quarter earnings that it just doesn't make sense in this day and age for Dish to pay huge sums of money for networks like IFC, Sundance and the other AMC networks that people aren't watching in large numbers.

"AMC as a standalone could make more sense but that's not anything that's been offered to us," Ergen said. "The world is changing and you're not going to have everybody having every program out there, and you're certainly not going to get programs that are readily available on other networks or readily available on the Internet," he said.

Popular AMC shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad are available online through providers such as Apple's iTunes and Amazon - for a fee - although Ergen says if customers really want those programs, even that would cost less than what AMC has demanded from Dish (which would be passed on to consumers).

AMC Networks, not surprisingly, had no comment on the matter, but some analysts feel a resolution will be reached at some point, probably sooner rather than later.  They feel AMC needs Dish more than Dish needs AMC.