• by Wayne Friedman , January 31, 2013

Consumer Electronics Association has dropped CNET as a partner in light of CBS Corp.'s decision to put the kibosh on its digital review site intended efforts to give a big award to Dish Network's "Hopper".

Not only that but CEA itself has decided give a Best of Show award to the Hopper -- an honor it will share with existing winner, Razer Edge.

CNET was to give a Best in Show award to Dish's Hopper at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month. But CBS Corp. nix the award saying it was removing Hopper from consideration because of CBS's litigation with Dish. At legal issue for CBS is Dish's automated commercial skipping technology, AutoHop.

Says Gary Shapiro, president/CEO of the CEA: “We are shocked that the ‘Tiffany’ network, which is known for its high journalistic standards, would bar all its reporters from favorably describing classes of technology the network does not like."