Apollo cuts DISH customer access to its local stations in 10 markets

[chiodo]

Cancelled Locals, thinking I was going to save $10. per month, but it's $12. per month!
I remember not long ago (couple years) Dish sent me a letter regarding that locals were going up to $10 per month. I think they were $5. or Free when I first subscribed.
so from Free to $5. to $8. to $10. to $12, now with this dispute it could go up to $20.+
When you can just build an HDTV antenna out of a couple of coat hangers and a wooden pole + some coax cable and a 300 -75 ohm balun, programming for Free
plus you get better picture quality too, because the OTA HDTV picture isn't compressed. or there's always Locast.

 

[TheKrell]

OTA HDTV picture isn't compressed...

...as much as satellite. But it is compressed.

 

[Jallen0]

Do we have any kind of updates with this? Way past the point of being frustrated with not getting my local ABC channel.

 

[jmccurrytech]

Do we have any kind of updates with this? Way past the point of being frustrated with not getting my local ABC channel.

No updates, but during every newscast WSOC tells people if they or someone they know have been affected to call Dish.

 

[Howard Simmons]

No updates, but during every newscast WSOC tells people if they or someone they know have been affected to call Dish.

Well of course and when you call Dish to complain they send you back to contacting Apollo or the station. You'r e stuck with it unless you go some where else or they finally come to an agreement.

 

[pattykay]

Well of course and when you call Dish to complain they send you back to contacting Apollo or the station. You'r e stuck with it unless you go some where else or they finally come to an agreement.

When you call Dish to complain, they also send you a free OTA antenna and a dual-tuner OTA adapter for your receiver. (Or at least, they should do that.)

 

[ChadT41]

When you call Dish to complain, they also send you a free OTA antenna and a dual-tuner OTA adapter for your receiver. (Or at least, they should do that.)

They do to the qualifying parties as long as they live within range of the antenna(reliably).

 

[pattykay]

They do to the qualifying parties as long as they live within range of the antenna(reliably).

And that is where I have a slight disagreement with their policy. I still say that any reception is better than no reception at all. So, the free antenna offer should be available anywhere that it is possible to get reception of the station, even if it is not always reliable. The viewer may luck out and actually get good reception during prime time, or whenever their favorite show or newscast happens to be on. If the OTA reception goes out completely, then they are still no worse off than they were while trying to watch the satellite-delivered feed after it was pulled.

 

[ChadT41]

Unless it would still leave the hose customers pissed(because let’s face it, tv customers are never happy no matter what you do) and they cancel anyways. Mission broadcasting is a great example. The added value is less than the loss of those customers.

 

[pattykay]

Unless it would still leave the hose customers pissed(because let’s face it, tv customers are never happy no matter what you do) and they cancel anyways. ...

In that case, Dish could still make the offer available to OTA fringe-area customers who still have a long term left in their contract, and are not as likely to cancel. Or, if they do cancel anyway, then Dish immediately gets their investment right back in the form of a hefty early cancellation fee. The bottom line is that serving as many customers with OTA antennas as possible is always a good idea. It helps give Dish leverage in the negotiations with the local broadcasters, if they can show a larger percentage of subscribers who use OTA, and thus do not need to pay for the local channels.

 

[ChadT41]

But when you calculate the reward, it is less than the risk(loss) as well. Both financially and in goodwill. The cancellation fees are there to make up portions of their investments, so it would have to be a new commitment made in order to make it worthwhile. Don’t be confused that a large cancellation fee is profitable. 99.9% of the time that is false. It only makes up a portion of what was invested.

 

[long_time_DNC]

This is longest locals outage that I recall seeing...

 

[ChadT41]

This is longest locals outage that I recall seeing...

Oh not even close yet. There have been locals down for 6+ months.

 

[pattykay]

I seem to remember seeing recently that WHIZ Zanesville has been missing from Dish since some time in 2018.

 

[eddie willers]

This is longest locals outage that I recall seeing...

Yesterday was the first time it bit me. Clemson v. Miami was on my local ABC and it wasn't mirrored on any of the ESPNs. I'm OK until they block out my Bulldogs.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Oh not even close yet. There have been locals down for 6+ months.

Sorry, I meant locals in this area...there was one year where KCPQ (13 Fox) was out for about 4 week or thereabouts, but almost 3 months? Never seen that with our locals before...

 

[thomasjk]

This the longest outage I've ever experienced in 20 plus years with Dish. 90 days and counting.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[pattykay]

Sorry, I meant locals in this area...there was one year where KCPQ (13 Fox) was out for about 4 week or thereabouts, but almost 3 months? Never seen that with our locals before...

KOMO was off Dish for almost six months during the Fisher dispute in 2009.

DISH Network drops Fisher Communications channels | Washington State

{UPDATE} DISH Network and Fisher Communications have ended their contract dispute that kept Fisher stations including KOMO and KIMA off the satellite service since December. Dish resumed broadcasts of Fisher stations at 10:25 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, 2009.Read more. ----

www.atg.wa.gov

 

[long_time_DNC]

KOMO was off Dish for almost six months during the Fisher dispute in 2009.

DISH Network drops Fisher Communications channels | Washington State

{UPDATE} DISH Network and Fisher Communications have ended their contract dispute that kept Fisher stations including KOMO and KIMA off the satellite service since December. Dish resumed broadcasts of Fisher stations at 10:25 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, 2009.Read more. ----

www.atg.wa.gov

Wow, was that 6 months? I remember that one and it sure seemed like a long time...just didn't seem that long...

 

[Jallen0]

I would like to watch the Town Hall tonight but I cannot. Is there any recourse short of just leaving Dish? And I live in the mountains and there is no OTA reception in this town.