Dish reveals its latest offer to Altitude Sports

Dish Network executive Andy LeCuyer responded Wednesday to Altitude Sports’ claim that the television provider has “refused to negotiate in good faith,” revealing an open proposal to The Denver Post that would break the months-long TV impasse.

Dish’s proposal, which would put Altitude Sports back on air within 24 hours, and also includes the streaming service Sling, is a standalone, a la carte offer to fans.

“Altitude tells us what to charge fans, and fans get to choose whether to purchase it or not,” LeCuyer said.

Altitude has said previously an a la carte option isn’t financially sustainable.

“There’s not a single regional sports network in the country that will take an atwill deal like that,” Altitude spokesman Tom Philand said. “It’s a death knell for the RSN business.”

LeCuyer said his company hasn’t heard from Altitude in months, though Philand contends they had a formal meeting with a Dish representative to discuss the proposal within the last month.

LeCuyer called the allegation that Dish hasn’t negotiated in good faith a “serious charge,” and added that Dish doesn’t want the majority of its customers to have to pay for sports programming they don’t watch.

Dish spokesman Bob Toevs said that less than 10% of the provider’s customer base watched Altitude when it carried the regional sports network.

“The ball is in Altitude’s court and has been for months,” LeCuyer said.

Altitude has been off the air on Dish and Comcast, the state’s largest television service provider, since August.

Altitude Sports reached a multiyear agreement with DirecTV in late October, ending its two-month dispute with the distributor.

Terms of that deal were not disclosed.

Altitude returns to KTVD-20. Altitude Sports will broadcast one Nuggets and one Avalanche game this upcoming week on KTVD-20, the regional sports network announced Wednesday. Channel 20 will carry the Nuggets-Raptors game on Sunday at 4 p.m., then it will air the Avalanche-Red Wings game the following day on Monday at 5:30 p.m.

Fans like Tyson Neibauer, of Denver, have taken to area bars to watch Avalanche and Nuggets games as Altitude Sports’ impasse with Dish Network and Comcast drags on.