Directv Add Total Choice Family Tier

[LMckin]

DIRECTV to Offer Family Programming Package; New Tier Offers More Than 40 Channels of Family-Friendly Programming Including Boomerang, Disney, Noggin, PBS Kids Sprout and a Wide Variety of Public Interest Channels
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 18, 2006--DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading digital television service provider, will offer a new family-friendly programming package in mid-April.
The DIRECTV TOTAL CHOICE(R) Family package will include more than 40 channels of programming suitable for family and younger viewers, including some of the most popular family-oriented channels like Boomerang, Disney, PBS Kids Sprout, National Geographic and Noggin, and 12 Public Interest channels that provide a wide array of programming including NASA, National Religious Broadcast Network, Link TV and World Harvest TV.
"The new DIRECTV TOTAL CHOICE Family programming package is appropriate for viewing by family members of all ages and includes popular children's, religious and general family entertainment programming," said Dan Fawcett, executive vice president, Programming, DIRECTV, Inc. "We have answered the call from concerned parents and policymakers and have designed a programming package to meet the needs of DIRECTV families."
In addition to providing a new tier of family-friendly programming, DIRECTV continues to offer free parental locks and limits features on all of its systems/receivers that enable parents to lock out entire channels, block access to specific programs based on TV or MPAA rating, or restrict TV viewing hours.
Consistent with other DIRECTV programming offers, the TOTAL CHOICE(R) Family programming package will offer consumers more family channels at the best value. The TOTAL CHOICE Family package will be available nationwide for $34.99 a month and will include local broadcast channels and the following programming services:
- Bloomberg - National Geographic Channel
- Boomerang - Nickelodeon/Nick at Night East
- BYU TV - Nickelodeon/Nick at Night West
- CNN Headline News - Nicktoons
- C-SPAN 1 - Noggin/The N
- C-SPAN 2 - NRB Network
- Daystar - Once TV
- Discovery Kids - PBS Kids Sprout
- Disney East - QVC
- Disney West - RFD TV
- DIY Network - Shop at Home
- EWTN - Shop NBC
- Fit-TV - TCT Network
- Food Network - The Science Channel
- Hallmark Channel - The Weather Channel
- HGTV - Toon Disney
- HITN - Trinity Broadcasting Network
- HSN - Word Network
- Link TV - World Harvest Network
- NASA TV - XM Disney Radio
- XM Kids
About DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV, Inc. is the nation's leading digital television service provider with more than 15 million customers. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV (NYSETV) is a world-leading provider of digital multichannel television entertainment services. DIRECTV is approximately 34 percent owned by News Corporation.
CONTACT: DIRECTV, Inc.
Robert Mercer, 310-726-4683
SOURCE: DIRECTV, Inc.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding The DIRECTV Group, Inc.'s business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.

from http://phoenix.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=805719&highlight=

 

[kopper]

no fox news in family package

what no foxnews in the family package?

 

[The Big Wood]

And no Discovery or The Learning Channel. I would have thought those two would have been included.

 

[Stargazer]

I guess you gain some and you lose some. AT60 has some channels that this package has but there are others that AT60 that this package does not have. Now it's time to figure out what Dish Network will offer for $20 ($25 with locals) which is only $10 less. I see that DirecTv has 12 public interest channels in their package. Let's hope that Dish Network's package does not mostly make up public interest channels.

 

[garn9173]

other than being called, Discovery & TLC, these two networks from a programming standpoint, are no where close to being what they were 10-15 years ago.

Remember when Discovery was nothing but nature related programming? Here's the lineup for today: http://dsc.discovery.com/tvlistings/schedule.jsp?channel=DSC&date=today&clik=dsc_leftnav

Remember when the "L" in TLC stood for Learning? Here is TLC's schedule for today: http://tlc.discovery.com/tvlistings/schedule.jsp?date=today&channel=TLC&clik=tlc_leftnav

And no Discovery or The Learning Channel. I would have thought those two would have been included.

 

[silversurfer]

TLC and Discovery are not necessarily what I would consider "family" programming especially during night time hours. They have numerous sexual "education" shows....

 

[mikew]

How 'bout folks just using the parental controls? Why save around $6.00 for this watered down lineup?

 

[garn9173]

To alot of people, that's just plain common sense, but that's not what the morality freaks want, they don't want "filth" of any sort coming into their home. To those who want this, have fun watching nothing but kiddie channels, non stop horse shows on RFD TV, or shopping channels once the kids are tucked in bed and fast asleep.

How 'bout folks just using the parental controls? Why save around $6.00 for this watered down lineup?

 

[rad]

So for $7 a month less then Total Choice you loose:

A&E
ABC Family (So a channel with Family in the name doesn't make it to the family package?)
AMC
Animal Planet
BBC America
BET
Bravo
BYU TV
Cartoon Network
The Church channel
CNBC
CNBC World
CNN
Comedy Central
CMT
Court TV
Current TV
Discovery
Discovery Health
E!
ESPN
ESPN Classic
ESPN2
ESPN News
Fine Living
Fox Movie Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox Reality
Fuse
FX
G4
Galavision
GSN
History Channel
i Independent TV
IFC
The Learning Channel
MSNBC
MTV
MTV2
NFL Network
OLN
Oxygen
Sci-FI
SoapNet
Speed
Spike TV
Superstation WGN
TBS
TNT
Travel Channel
TCM
TV Guide
TV Land
TV One
Univision
USA Networks
VH1
WE
A bunch of XM channels
Your local RSN channel

So all this additional programming, including ESPN (the bad boy of programming fees) is only $7 per month more. Kind of makes me wonder how much these channels are actually charging when you hear how rates have to go up $2 to $4 a month when you can get all these channels for only $7.

 

[Brewer4]

You know what I find interesting, shows get canceled because of low ratings (translates into less advertising dollars collected), yet we have to float channels that are not getting viewers. I am so for ala carte but i know that somehow, consumers will just end up paying the same and niche shows will be lost to people that actually do watch them. I still think there needs to be more tiers and lower package configurations. That $7 reduction is pretty lame.

 

[CPanther95]

Nickelodeon will never pass muster for those groups complaining for family oriented programming.

This is a big waste of time by programmers desperately trying to avoid a la carte - and it isn't going to work.

 

[CPanther95]

what no foxnews in the family package?

That's exactly what the decency folks will highlight. "So if I want CNN or Fox News, I have to financially support Nip/Tuck and Talk Sex with Sue J?"

And if they add a news channel, others will say that they don't want that in their children's homes.

 

[jeffwtux]

No offense D*s, but that's pathetic package for $34.99. It's the same price as AT60 and you get the ESPNs, TLC, Discovery, USA, Comedy, TNT, TBS, TVLand, CNN(with this you only get CNN Headline News), MTV, MTV2, VH1(I realize why those aren't in the family package, but just in terms of value)...

 

[Nolzman]

What I want is the Family Package of the Premium channels. I would like to get HBO Family, Showtime Family, Cinemax Family, etc... without the other "regular" premiums. If I could get these at a reasonable price, I would subscribe to them.

 

[CPanther95]

No offense D*s, but that's pathetic package for $34.99. It's the same price as AT60 and you get the ESPNs, TLC, Discovery, USA, Comedy, TNT, TBS, TVLand, CNN(with this you only get CNN Headline News), MTV, MTV2, VH1(I realize why those aren't in the family package, but just in terms of value)...

Family tiers will be priced so that there is no incentive to downgrade - and for those that do, it will be at least as profitable as the TC package.

The other alternative (for some cable companies) is to have a tier absolutely sparse priced cheap enough that they will profit more from subs upgrading from broadcast only channels to offset those that downgrade - which will be few because of a weak channel selection.

 

[Stargazer]

That is a pretty pathetic package. If Dish Network come out with a family package for $35 as well it would be kick a**. By the way, DirecTv announced that they are now going to be raising prices so you might as well say $10 differen.ce instead of a $7 difference. I think Dish Network wanted to offer a package that was cheaper than AT60.

 

[BFG]

So Is this package still not available?

I thought they'd roll it out on 3/1/06 I see no mention of it...

 

[hiker]

So Is this package still not available?

I thought they'd roll it out on 3/1/06 I see no mention of it...

The announcement in the 1st post stated mid-April.

 

[Tvfan24/7]

My local Comcast is launching a type of service like this on March 30 in NJ for $14.95. It includes Limited Basic plus 16 "family" channels.Here's the list.

"CHANNEL LINEUP: Limited Basic (varies by system) PLUS 16 family channels:
Disney Channel
Toon Disney
PBS KIDS Sprout
Discovery kids
The Science Channel (Discovery)
Nickelodeon/Nick Too
Nickelodeon GAS (Games and Sports)
HGTV
Food Network
DIY
CNN Headline News
The Weather Channel
National Geographic
TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network)
C-SPAN"

I don't see many people taking this type of package. They also carry Hallmark Channel, but I guess that isn't family oriented enough.