Not only have Dish Network and Fox News Channel failed to settle a contract dispute, but the satellite provider and the news channel cannot even agree on who is responsible for the fact that Dish subscribers have been unable to watch the Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network since Sunday, the New York Post reported.

Fox insisted that Dish blacked out its channels at 11:50 p.m. Saturday, 10 minutes before the end of their previous contract.

"It is unfortunate that the millions of Fox News viewers on Dish were used as pawns by their provider," Tim Carry, executive vice president of distribution for Fox News, said in a statement. "Hopefully they will vote with their hard earned money and seek another one of our other valued distributors immediately."

Dish, meanwhile, strenuously denied that characterization, alleging in a statement that it was in 21st Century Fox that was blocking access to Fox News and Fox Business. The entertainment company did so in an effort to exert pressure in an attempt to include additional channels in the negotiations.

"It's like we're about to close on a house and the Realtor is trying to make us buy a new car as well," wrote Warren Schlichting, Dish's senior vice president of programming. "Fox blacked out two of its news channels, using them as leverage to triple rates on sports and entertainment channels that are not in this contract."

Viewers, meanwhile, do not seem to care exactly who is to blame, USA Today noted. Many of them did, however, express outrage that the negotiators' impasse meant they were unable to watch the channels they have paid for.

"When I signed up to Dish, Fox News and Fox Business (were) in the package," Don of Anthem, Arizona, one of the satellite provider's more than 14 million customers, posted on Consumeraffairs.com. "Without them, I would expect a huge drop in my rates at least."

The viewer said he would switch to another carrier, something Fox was urging viewers to do. Temporary blackouts of channels have not been uncommon on Dish, which just settled disputes with some local CBS stations and the Turner Broadcasting channels.