Dish Network dropped Comcast SportsNet Bay Area from its channel...

Dish Network decided to deny fans access to this network rather than accept the outcome of the arbitration,” said a Comcast SportsNet spokesman. By dropping the regional sports network, Dish has “disregarded the FCC arbitration process,” he said. Dish didn’t immediately respond to our query. Dish’s actions indicate it won’t act in good faith in other pending arbitrations over carriage of separate Comcast RSNs, Comcast said in a letter to Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake seeking a meeting. “If Dish is unhappy with any of the results in these related matters, the Commission should expect that Dish will likewise unilaterally terminate carriage of the networks.” Accepting Comcast’s demands would make Dish less competitive in the marketplace, a company spokeswoman said late Wednesday. “Comcast is our largest cable competitor, which we believe creates an inherent bias that prevents them from offering Dish Network a fair deal. If we accept Comcast’s onerous demands, customers nationwide will suffer, and it will embolden Comcast to continue to make outrageous demands for its other programming properties,” the spokeswoman said. “Because the demands by Comcast are egregious and ultimately detrimental to consumers, Dish Network is appealing to the Federal Communications Commission, as we respectfully believe that the arbitration decision was based upon significant legal and factual errors."