then read about this article that was posted on bgrass-;
DISH Network May Remove RFD-TV
From its Channel Lineup February 14
TO: All RFD-TV Viewers
FM: Patrick Gottsch/RFD-TV President
RE: Please Contact DISH Network
It is with great sadness that I must bring to your attention that February
14 may be the last day that DISH Network chooses to broadcast RFD-TV.
After 9 years on DISH, our affiliation agreement expires, and so far, DISH
has chosen not to sign a new agreement with RFD-TV.
This is unbelievable. This is shocking.
Despite every effort on RFD-TV’s part over the past year to try to renew
and expand the current agreement to keep RFD-TV on DISH Network for many
more years to come, one relatively new person at DISH, who obviously does
not understand and/or has no respect for rural America, has blocked these
efforts and done everything possible to undermine our obtaining a new
agreement. Earlier today, RFD-TV received new demands from this DISH
representative that, among other things, would have required RFD-TV to now
donate $500,000 per year to the DISH Team Summit. Ridiculous.
In good faith, RFD-TV has offered everything it has available to stay on
DISH Network, including “free” carriage of RFD HD and RURAL TV to add more
rural programming to DISH, stock in the company, and major marketing
support for DISH through all our rural partners.
RFD-TV needs your help, and we need it now.
There are good people at DISH Network that need to be reminded how valuable
and important RFD-TV’s rural programming is to everyone in your home, and
what you will do if RFD-TV is taken off DISH. At this time, I ask that you
e-mail and/or call directly the following to express your own opinion on
this matter:
Charlie Ergen DISH Co-Founder & Chairman (303) 723-1010
Charlie.Ergen@dishnetwork.com
Dave Schull DISH Program Director (303) 808-7228
Dave.Shull@dishnetwork.com
It is my sincere hope that enough DISH Network customers will contact
Charlie and Dave immediately, and that they will then intervene and solve
this problem. Obviously, there is not much time, but it can be done. DISH
customers matter. Over 30% of DISH’s subscribers are “rural” homes. To
kick off the only rural channel on DISH after 9 years is insane.
RFD-TV will survive. RFD-TV/RFD HD has long-term carriage agreements in
place with every other distributor in the U.S. – DIRECTV, Comcast, Time
Warner, Cox Cable, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS TV, Bresnan, Charter, Mediacom,
Brighthouse, and over 600 independent, small rural cable companies in small
towns located throughout the country. If DISH Network chooses to become
the only company not to carry RFD-TV or RFD HD, you may have to consider
one of these other options in order to stay a viewer of RFD-TV, and our 92
wonderful independent programmers. Hopefully, you will not have to switch,
but have no doubt, RFD-TV will survive this challenge.
Further updates or news on this matter, if needed, will be on the
RFD-TV - Rural America's Most Important Network web site’s home page. You may also e-mail me your comments
at my direct address below. Thank you so much for your support.
Patrick Gottsch
Founder & President
RFD-TV / RFD HD / RURAL TV
Patrick@rfdtv.com
© 2010 RFD-TV, LLC, a division of Rural Media Group, Inc, all rights
reserved
3201 Dickerson Pike | Nashville, TN 37207
newsletter@rfdtv.com | 615-227-9292 |
RFD-TV - Rural America's Most Important Network
