Dish TV’s Hopper DVR, moments before it was to accept an award for having one of the best new electronic gadgets on the market, saw CBS pull the plug on the event.
The network, whose CNET unit was about to bestow the award on Dish executives, quickly phoned the Dish entourage and told them they were out of luck because CBS and Dish were involved in a nasty lawsuit over the Hopper.
CNET had named the “Hopper with Sling” one of the best things at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Making the matter super awkward, Dish executives were en route to the award ceremony — with their Kangaroo mascot in tow — when they got the bad news.
The Hopper allows viewers to record programs and then skip through the commercials as they watch the shows anywhere in the world.
Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association, which produces CES, told The Post he hopes CBS will reconsider.
“We are extremely disappointed that CBS has interfered with CNET’s Best of CES Awards,” he said. “Due to a pending lawsuit, CNET parent CBS is practicing censorship.”
CBS Interactive said in response that “The Dish Hopper with Sling was removed from consideration due to active litigation involving our parent company CBS Corp. We will no longer be reviewing products manufactured by companies with which we are in litigation with respect to such product.”
A Dish spokesman told The Post, “It’s a shame. It’s reflective of CBS’ lack of acceptance of what the consumer wants.”