Dish may never carry The mtn.

A couple of weeks ago, we once again raised the issue of distribution of The mtn. And not surprisingly, there's absolutely nothing to report.

Not officially, anyway.

The Jan. 23 Sports-on-TV column included comments from a Dish Network subscriber in Las Vegas who wanted nothing more than to be able to watch The mtn., but it's not available on Dish. However, he has a big investment in his current equipment (not to mention a contract with Dish), and he has "this feeling that the day after I shell out half a grand to switch over to DirecTV and pay installation costs, set-up fees and pay for three HD DVRs, Dish will pick up the channel."

Maybe. But according to one Dish official I heard from (unofficially), it's not going to happen anytime soon.

"At this point, my guess is Dish will never carry The mtn. unless the MWC makes this decision: 5 percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing," he wrote. "With the subscriber base that has already switched from Dish to (DirecTV), it makes no sense for Dish to pay significant dollars for the channel at this point."

I hope that's not the case. I fear it is the case.

At this point, there are no negotiations going on between the Mountain West Conference and Dish.

"Dish Network has been offered the same terms that DirecTV agreed to just under a year ago," said a spokesman for The mtn. "Dish Network has repeatedly declined, stating there is no demand or viewer interest for the network and its coverage of the Mountain West Conference."

(I guess if most everybody who cares has already switched to DirecTV, that could be true. But that's a little hard to believe.)

"We believe the opposite to be true and would be happy to welcome Dish Network should they decide to return to the negotiating table," according to The mtn.'s spokesman.

Given that the two sides aren't even talking, I think our reader in Las Vegas is probably not going to see The mtn. on Dish the day after he switches to DirecTV.

KISS AND MAKE UP: The only real surprise about that little contretemps between KJZZ and DirecTV is that it took six weeks to resolve.

As you've no doubt heard by now, the retransmission between the two has been resolved. So Ch. 14 is once again on the DirecTV lineup for subscribers in the Salt Lake television market. Just the way the little fight between FSN-Utah and Comcast was resolved back in 2006.

As to who won this dispute, well, who cares? Because, while the two were arguing over how much KJZZ programming is worth to the satellite TV provider, local viewers lost.

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E-mail: pierce@desnews.com