Dish is THE worst about this kind of BS: they do this ALL the time. It’s why I switched to DirecTV a couple of years ago after being with Dish at least 15 years, namely Dish dropped the AMC channel line up then.
Since then, I’ve never looked back, even though DirecTV is a bit more expensive. I like the GUI and functions of DirecTV better, and like the fact that they attempt to start and stop program recordings when the programs actually start and stop instead of on automatic half hour boundaries like Dish always used to do.
I wish more people would get up off their lazy butts and switch from service providers who pull these kinds of stunts. It’s really the only thing they’re going to pay attention to, namely mass numbers of customers fleeing to competitors.
I assumed all providers went through this BS periodically, but it appears that DISH is indeed the worst offender. I remember some issues years back with DISH and the Hallmark channels and the Lifetime channels as well. I guess I didn't get as outraged as I should have because the channels in question weren't MY channels; so I took the "first they came for the socialists..." approach, which was really selfish of me.
I am days away from the DirecTV installation.