Charlie Approaches DIRECTV about a Merger.

Scott Greczkowski

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I do not think it would be quite that bad. After all D*E* will still have to compete with cable in most areas. So, they will have to be at least as competitive as cable...
It might be hard to do that if the cable companies own all the networks.

Now as far as K9SAT goes I got to disagree with him, as a majority of satellite subscribers are those who live in Rural areas... these areas are under served by broadband providers. Rural customers are ultimately the satellite companies bread and butter.

Sure people can move but most won't
 

Ronnie-

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Scott, I have been waiting for someone to bring that up, I figured Bob would be aware of that. Apparently not.
 

dare2be

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So you want those unemployed US farmers to have no work and to be collecting food stamps?
They wouldn't be unemployed. They'd be working for next to nothing in the new super-mega-monopoly-pie-in-the-sky-satellite-company.

There, full circle.
 

goaliebob99

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So you want those unemployed US farmers to have no work and to be collecting food stamps?

You practically are now due to Monsanto. I hear machines are the way of the future for farming and the agriculture industry is looking to replace workers with machines that can do the job more efficient than workers. It's gotten so bad that if a Monsanto seed pollinates another farmers field they will sue the farmer who's seed was pollinated for patent infringement. Anyhow this is something for a different thread!
 

goaliebob99

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It might be hard to do that if the cable companies own all the networks.

Now as far as K9SAT goes I got to disagree with him, as a majority of satellite subscribers are those who live in Rural areas... these areas are under served by broadband providers. Rural customers are ultimately the satellite companies bread and butter.

Sure people can move but most won't

I would love to see subscriber counts of rural customers versus customers that live within major metro populations and suburbs. I think the data is different. I am not saying that they don't exist, I am saying that the amount of subs in metro areas is more than the subs in rural areas.
 

Asket

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Time Warner and Time Warner cable have been separate for a few years now and only have the same name. Time Warner Cable owns a few sports networks and a few local cable channels.


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There are technological differences between Direct & Dish that would probably cause them to be operated separately even if merged. For quite some time at least.
Hopefully longer than this thread can maintain focus!
 

Ronnie-

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You practically are now due to Monsanto. I hear machines are the way of the future for farming and the agriculture industry is looking to replace workers with machines that can do the job more efficient than workers. It's gotten so bad that if a Monsanto seed pollinates another farmers field they will sue the farmer who's seed was pollinated for patent infringement. Anyhow this is something for a different thread!

You just now hearing about agriculture becoming mechanized ? Lol


Yeah, different thread. My apologies.
 

Ronnie-

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I would love to see subscriber counts of rural customers versus customers that live within major metro populations and suburbs. I think the data is different. I am not saying that they don't exist, I am saying that the amount of subs in metro areas is more than the subs in rural areas.

For all providers combined no doubt.

For sat companies? I'd be shocked if rural base is if not the majority, at least a very large portion of the sub base. Its why it was there to begin with.
 

Teehar

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As Fonzi says, exactamundo.

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Scott Greczkowski

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I know if I had the choice between Satellite and a service such as FiOS... I would choose FiOS in a heartbeat... (Although I would miss my Hopper!)

I think most in a rural area would kill to to have access to a service like that.
 

goaliebob99

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For all providers combined no doubt.

For sat companies? I'd be shocked if rural base is if not the majority, at least a very large portion of the sub base. Its why it was there to begin with.

Yes, that's the key to begin with... We are not where we were when the industry started! The US satellite industry is saturated.. There is no expansion. I have been in the neighborhoods of many metro areas and majority of houses have a dish network or directv dish on them. (Irregardless if they sub or not) That tells me that someone has subed at one time or another. They way you all make it sound like is that NOBODY in the city has dish or direct and these dish's are like hot commodity's because they cant be found. DBS has been around for Ten years already and has had plenty of time to get into the population bases. The number of rural subs verus city subs today is dramatically different than what it was ten years ago. People still think of DBS as a rural service when it isn't anymore. Over time it has shifted where the populous areas are. While I don't disagree that a chunk of subs comes from rural areas, what I am saying is that the subs in the city areas drive profit as there are more of them than rural subs. People automatically think that there are more rural subs than city subs, I am saying wait! That may not be accurate! While Dish may have more rural subs than Directv. Both combined, City subs are more especially based upon demographics and geographical penetration.
 

CK SatGuy

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Time Warner and Time Warner cable have been separate for a few years now and only have the same name. Time Warner Cable owns a few sports networks and a few local cable channels.


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Correct. Time Warner Cable spun off from the rest of Time Warner back in 2008 so IF Comcast and Time Warner Cable were to merge, Comcast would not own any of Time Warner's channels that Scott listed.

Not that I'm for the Comcast merger with Time Warner Cable. I am definitely against because Comcast should not be allowed to become any bigger than what it is.

Rhetorical Question: How much more concentration is the FCC gonna allow in the media and telecom market? It seems like we're heading down a dark path where one company is gonna rule the pay-TV market completely and we're all gonna be screwed. (an example of that scenario would be FOXTEL in Australia) We practically have an oligopoly already in the U.S. If the FCC has any common sense left, DON'T APPROVE ANYMORE HUGE MERGERS.
 

Teehar

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I know if I had the choice between Satellite and a service such as FiOS... I would choose FiOS in a heartbeat... (Although I would miss my Hopper!)

I think most in a rural area would kill to to have access to a service like that.

I wouldn't kill to have it but,it sure would be a great option to have.

Hey k9sat when you moving to KC?I hear they have google fiber there.:p Couldn't resist.
 

goaliebob99

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I wouldn't kill to have it but,it sure would be a great option to have.

Hey k9sat when you moving to KC?I hear they have google fiber there.:p Couldn't resist.

I would love google fiber!!! I have GPON access through Century link now at the new place. I am wondering what those speeds are going to be. I did get a chance to talk with a tech last week and he said they are going to be offering 1 Gig speeds, but I will take that with a grain of salt. Google is looking to come to the Phoenix / Tucson markets. I am hoping that they do expand into Tucson.
 

Teehar

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I would love google fiber!!! I have GPON access through Century link now at the new place. I am wondering what those speeds are going to be. I did get a chance to talk with a tech last week and he said they are going to be offering 1 Gig speeds, but I will take that with a grain of salt. Google is looking to come to the Phoenix / Tucson markets. I am hoping that they do expand into Tucson.

And wouldn't we all.I'm not moving to the big city to get it though.:D
 

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