Product Template Filter based on active_status field

I am trying to create an initial filter on Product Templates based on if the active_status is Active, but so far neither the operators $in or $contains are not working. The active_status field is a dropdown. When I go to select a product template, my filter is popping up but the operator is blank when using both $in and $contains.

Here is the filter.

<?php

  $viewdefs['ProductTemplates']['base']['filter']['basic']['filters'][] = array(
    'id' => 'filterProductTemplatesByAccountSideCode',
    'name' => 'LBL_FILTER_PRODUCT_TEMPLATES_BY_ACCOUNT_SIDE_CODE',
    'filter_definition' => array(
      array(
        'active_status' => array(
          '$in' => array(),
        ),
      ),
      array(
        'rtp_side_code_c' => ''
      ),
    ),
    'editable' => true,
    'is_template' => true,
  );

Here is the usage.

array (
                'name' => 'producttemplates_rtpol_olp_1_name',
                'label' => 'LBL_PRODUCTTEMPLATES_RTPOL_OLP_1_NAME_FIELD_TITLE',
                //the name of the filter template
                'initial_filter' => 'filterProductTemplatesByAccountSideCode',

                //the display label for users
                'initial_filter_label' => 'LBL_FILTER_PRODUCT_TEMPLATES_BY_ACCOUNT_SIDE_CODE',

                //the hardcoded filters to pass to the templates filter definition
                'filter_populate' => array(
                  'active_status' => array('Active')
                ),

                //the dynamic filters to pass to the templates filter definition
                //please note the index of the array will be for the field the data is being pulled from
                'filter_relate' => array(
                  //'field_to_pull_data_from' => 'field_to_populate_data_to'
                  'rtp_side_code_c' => 'rtp_side_code_c',
                )
              ),

Any help would be apprciated.