Handful of channels including AMC on the bubble at DirecTV as last minute negotiations continue

Less publicized in the shadow of Time Warner Cable's troubles with Fox, DirecTV is still in last-minute negotiations of its own with Rainbow Media and its parent company Cablevision.  The current long-term deal between the two expires on New Years Eve, and several key networks are at risk should negotiations go unresolved.

Rainbow Media's networks involved in the talks include AMC, IFC, and We TV.  Cablevision's New York sports channels MSG and MSG Plus, and music network Fuse, are also in the discussion.  The new We TV spinoff channel Wedding Central and the recently-acquired Sundance Channel are also on the bubble.

Cablevision is reportedly looking for an 82-cent increase for its channels.  Industry experts say that Rainbow's bargaining profile has increased with the recent successes of AMC's original dramas like Mad Men, as well as positive strides in its We TV brands and IFC niche-programming.

It is unknown whether a new carriage deal would also bring Rainbow's HD channels to the satellite provider, something local rival Time Warner Cable recently added to its lineup.

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