Dish / Gannett Dispute Settled! No Channel Removals!

[Scherrman]

I'm not saying that Dish is a saint here and only fighting for the customer. I just have a feeling that all these people that keep saying Dish needs to get their act together and pay theses companies are going to be the same ones that complain in February when the package rates go up $2-$5. It doesn't really matter since the customer is always right, no matter how dilusional they are.

 

[gdodd12]

Old, tired response.The answer to your thought is, does Dish raise your package cost the day they add a channel? In fact, when was the last time the regular package prices have been raised?

You are talking about major channels here. This isn't Epix1 that you watch once every other month. These are major networks we are about to lose that comprise a lot of viewing time. If they took away all the jesus channels and QVCs and what not, I wouldn't ask for a rate decrease. Hell, I didn't ask for one when AMC went away.

 

[Scherrman]

Just saying they should give in and pay the full price is really not the smart choice. I know you really want to keep those channels and they are a big deal but where does it stop. Is everyone saying Dish should always pay what ever the rate increase is. Wouldn't it be great if our packages started at $60 instead of $45. Or they could go back to the smaller packages like the Top 60 but you would still pay $50. That sounds great!

 

[gpflepsen]

We sure cant count on the weather channel anymore.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

Who said the weather channel?

I said weather RADIOS which last I checked gives weather updates all the time (I have two of them and they are great)

Right over your head, Ice!

 

[CK SatGuy]

I'm just glad the only thing they own in Detroit is the Detroit Free Press. I still think it's a decent newspaper.

 

[Bowtie41]

I'm in St. Louis market(KSDK).I really like the auto skip feature.Everytime we watch a skippable show,when the little kangaroo pops up as it's skipping,I literally say"Thank you Hopper".lol.The family gets a kick out of it,Let's face it,before Hopper with my Dish DVR,and even when I had Direct and Charter,I would skip manually,so the advertisers are pi$$in in the wind any way.Since it only affects PTAT,and most of what I DVR is on other networks,my only wish is that auto-hop would work on other than PTAT.GO DISH!!!!

 

[JM42]

A couple more clicks and you can watch just about any network programs via the networks' own website, free and legally. Network affiliates' power in these negotiations is being hamstrung by their own networks. Just a thought.

Precisely why I don't care if my local NBC gets dropped. There are only 2 hours a week I care about on NBC and they are readily available on-line.

In general I side with Dish on these negotiations. How many subs it costs Dish is their problem, I don't really care. I want them to push the negotiations as far as they can. If Gannet drops, I'm not really worried they will be back after a week or two.

There is no single channel I care about enough that will drive me to change. There would be an eventual tipping point, but until they get there, let them play hardball.

 

[Elkview]

Precisely why I don't care if my local NBC gets dropped. There are only 2 hours a week I care about on NBC and they are readily available on-line.

In general I side with Dish on these negotiations. How many subs it costs Dish is their problem, I don't really care. I want them to push the negotiations as far as they can. If Gannet drops, I'm not really worried they will be back after a week or two.

There is no single channel I care about enough that will drive me to change. There would be an eventual tipping point, but until they get there, let them play hardball.

I agree, been here a long time and to many shows to watch before I sleep.

 

[cdiddy]

You misunderstand. He didn't say he can't get locals, he says because the Hoppa has no OTA he can't get them. Two different things. If he could not get OTA the mention of having a Hoppa would have no relevance.

And you seem to have misunderstood the entire point of my post (while simultaneously quoting a single sentence of it without the surrounding context). Let me try to make it more clear. I would have no way to access my NBC station, via Dish, the single tv service provider I faithfully pay my $150 a month to, because the hopper doesn't have OTA support and it would no longer be provided via satellite. Now, obviously there is a multitude of other ways to get NBC programming that would cause me additional cost or effort, but that sort of defeats the purpose of being a subscriber. I could go buy a separate OTA receiver, I could tap into my neighbors cable line, I could record NBC on VHS tape at my friends house, I could buy a pair of binoculars and hope that the tv across the street is watching Sunday night football, or I could ask dish to refund the money I paid to upgrade to the hopper and give me back my 722. But none of these alternatives are an excuse for Dish to continue to eliminate programming that I continue to pay for.

All of this is just my opinion, and some folks here seem to believe that dish is trying to fight for the good of the universe and for freedom of ingenuity everywhere. I, however, continue to believe we're just a pawn for a company that seems to have at least twice as many disputes as any other tv service provider. I wonder why that could be?

 

[inazsully]

Old, tired response.The answer to your thought is, does Dish raise your package cost the day they add a channel? In fact, when was the last time the regular package prices have been raised?

Actually I find your response to be the tired old one. If Dish decides to ad a channel that's their choice. It may have a positive effect on me but in most cases it has no effect on me. BUT, it never has a negative effect on me. That's the difference. If you want to give me candy, that's nice. It's a friendly gesture that I appreciate on it's face value even if I don't eat candy. However, don't take the candy out of my pocket that I already bought. I made the choice to buy it because I wanted it.
That being said, I realize that Dish is not dropping Gannett but Gannett is making this move. Dish is in the right here and Gannett is the bad guy. Regardless of how I feel about some of Dish's moves in the past that is not the case this time. Rock on Dish.

 

[jtaylor42]

I don't understand why people think they have to have an OTA tuner on their receiver to get OTA channels...I don't know of many TV's that don't have multiple inputs that you can't hook up an OTA antenna to and switch to, so no you can't hook to the receiver and record the OTA channels, but that doesn't mean you can't get the OTA channels and they are always free OTA, you choose to pay for them to be in the Dish line-up. Just sayin...

 

[cdiddy]

so no you can't hook to the receiver and record the OTA channels, but that doesn't mean you can't get the OTA channels and they are always free OTA, you choose to pay for them to be in the Dish line-up.

Exactly! I pay for Dish to provide the channel and I pay Dish to lease a receiver that is supposed to record those shows. Dish is eliminating both of those, and the subscriber gets screwed.

 

[jtaylor42]

And you seem to have misunderstood the entire point of my post (while simultaneously quoting a single sentence of it without the surrounding context).

Ironic...my point was some people are saying they can't get the channel if Dish drops them, I was stating that this is false and OTA channels are always free with an antenna. I realize you said "via Dish" but your additional cost and effort statements were a little exaggerated.

 

[kjer]

Has any one talked about why this is happening? I know I am late to the party, last night the screen crawl was saying Gannet was upping their price by 300 percent! If they can do this the next station and the one after that will all do the same. Gannet Makes plenty off of ads... if Dish pays it it will be passed along to us. I hate to take the conspiracy route but if Direct Tv was to give Gannet a deal in exchange for messing with Dish... good one, eh!

But 300 percent if true seems a little steep. I would like to know the $$$ cost passed on to me if the pay them. I say Good bye Gannet! but Dish I want my Hopper to access the internet then!!

 

[Scherrman]

Remember that customers are being used by both companies, Dish and Gannett. Also remember that if Dish pays these companies what they want that your bill WILL go up more. By telling Dish to do whatever it takes to keep your channels you need to be prepared to pay more and not complain when it happens. Most people here look at themselves as Dish's only customer and they should be treated that way no matter what other customers need. Dish can't cater to everyone's sole needs, they have to look at the whole picture and try to keep everyone happy.

Just because you may be willing to pay more for the channels you need doesn't mean other people are. It's similar to paying more for ESPN or BTN. Some people would've been more than happy to drop the channels just so their cost wouldn't increase. It may not be the perfect example since ESPN and BTN may not be needed as a local channel but I think it gets my point across.

 

[yaz96]

Remember that customers are being used by both companies, Dish and Gannett. Also remember that if Dish pays these companies what they want that your bill WILL go up more. By telling Dish to do whatever it takes to keep your channels you need to be prepared to pay more and not complain when it happens. Most people here look at themselves as Dish's only customer and they should be treated that way no matter what other customers need. Dish can't cater to everyone's sole needs, they have to look at the whole picture and try to keep everyone happy.

Just because you may be willing to pay more for the channels you need doesn't mean other people are. It's similar to paying more for ESPN or BTN. Some people would've been more than happy to drop the channels just so their cost wouldn't increase. It may not be the perfect example since ESPN and BTN may not be needed as a local channel but I think it gets my point across.

OR, Dish could just remove their Auto Skip feature and there would not be the dispute.

 

[meStevo]

Dish / Gannett Dispute?

I don't understand why people think they have to have an OTA tuner on their receiver to get OTA channels...I don't know of many TV's that don't have multiple inputs that you can't hook up an OTA antenna to and switch to, so no you can't hook to the receiver and record the OTA channels, but that doesn't mean you can't get the OTA channels and they are always free OTA, you choose to pay for them to be in the Dish line-up. Just sayin...

Wonder how many people have even tried to tune to OTA post-transition.


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[Tampa8]

Actually I find your response to be the tired old one. If Dish decides to ad a channel that's their choice. It may have a positive effect on me but in most cases it has no effect on me. BUT, it never has a negative effect on me. That's the difference. If you want to give me candy, that's nice. It's a friendly gesture that I appreciate on it's face value even if I don't eat candy. However, don't take the candy out of my pocket that I already bought. I made the choice to buy it because I wanted it.
That being said, I realize that Dish is not dropping Gannett but Gannett is making this move. Dish is in the right here and Gannett is the bad guy. Regardless of how I feel about some of Dish's moves in the past that is not the case this time. Rock on Dish.

I can only say you are wrong. Dish gives discounts most times when someone loses a channel, that exceeds the actual cost. It's ridicules to think they will drop your cost when a channel is gone, possibly for a short time, but then not raise your rate immediately when a channel is added. Direct TV among other providers lose locals for awhile, and do not drop rates. It also is nonsense that when Dish adds a channel that's giving you candy for free, you didn't ask for it. That's how pay TV works.

 

[Bobby]

OR, Dish could just remove their Auto Skip feature and there would not be the dispute.

Of course there would. Dish and all other providers have had disputes with Gannett in the past and they all will continue to have the same. AutoHop doesn't have a thing to do with it. Gannett is just using that as a last gasp thing against Dish....

 

[Tampa8]

Maybe this is obvious to everyone else, but could you answer this for me? I'm unwilling to give up a major network channel and to be used as leverage by Dish. if they cancel one of the big 4 networks, would that allow me to cancel my contract without penalty? I have hopper, with no OTA, so if I keep dish it's literally impossible for me to get my local NBC channel if it get's pulled next week. I find this to be a breach in my agreement (though, admittedly have not read my contract) with my provider. Do we, as consumers that faithfully pay our bills each month, have any recourse if Gannett and Dish don't come to an agreement?

And you seem to have misunderstood the entire point of my post (while simultaneously quoting a single sentence of it without the surrounding context). Let me try to make it more clear. I would have no way to access my NBC station, via Dish, the single tv service provider I faithfully pay my $150 a month to, because the hopper doesn't have OTA support and it would no longer be provided via satellite. Now, obviously there is a multitude of other ways to get NBC programming that would cause me additional cost or effort, but that sort of defeats the purpose of being a subscriber. I could go buy a separate OTA receiver, I could tap into my neighbors cable line, I could record NBC on VHS tape at my friends house, I could buy a pair of binoculars and hope that the tv across the street is watching Sunday night football, or I could ask dish to refund the money I paid to upgrade to the hopper and give me back my 722. But none of these alternatives are an excuse for Dish to continue to eliminate programming that I continue to pay for.

All of this is just my opinion, and some folks here seem to believe that dish is trying to fight for the good of the universe and for freedom of ingenuity everywhere. I, however, continue to believe we're just a pawn for a company that seems to have at least twice as many disputes as any other tv service provider. I wonder why that could be?

So there are your complete posts. Where in the first post do you say you can not get locals OTA? Not my fault what you said is;
"I have hopper, with no OTA, so if I keep dish it's literally impossible for me to get my local NBC channel if it get's pulled next week."
Why would you say you have the hopper, if now you are saying it has nothing to do with getting OTA? A hopper with no OTA is NOT the same as not getting OTA at all.

And then, after all your protesting, I was right!! "I could go buy a separate OTA receiver"
You CAN get OTA. Just not with the Hopper. What about that is so hard to understand? Either directly to your TV, or if your TV's are really that old, with a very inexpensive adapter.