Dish & Contract Disputes - Channel Blackouts

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SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Feb 11, 2005
616
59
Suburbs of Milwaukee
Sigh! I'm with Charter for my television service. I'm having problems receiving over 30 Channels and I fight every single day just to keep my signal coming in (including just prior to my posting here). And, I'm at the end. I have a major disability and I'm standing on one foot, in pain, as I try to be my own tech support person. I just can't do it physically any longer. I must make a change. And now, I have to be honest. I really like the Hopper 3, BUT Fox 6 out of Milwaukee has been in a contract dispute with Dish since the first part of June with no end in sight. And from what I have read, Dish has had a total of 18 contract disputes with Channel Blackouts in the last 3 years. That averages out to 6 disputes a year. It appears, therefore that the likelihood of numerous contract disputes are on the horizon, if/when I go with Dish Network as my television service provider. Now, here is my question. Do any of you know which of Dish's channels were among the 18 channels that have been blacked out over the last 3 years? I want to see which of them will most probably have a contract for at least the 2 years that I would be contractually committed to their service. Thanks
 
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Dish Network is calling me in less than an hour. They want to see if there isn't something that we can work out. I am looking forward to this, not from the point of leverage on my part, but, I truly want to hear what they have to say. The conversation should be interesting.
 
I was in too much pain due to my disease, which is nicknamed the Suicide Disease because of the tremendous pain it inflicts on it's sufferers to have answered the phone that day. Up to 25% of us take our own lives not because we are depressed, but because the pain is unimaginable to those that do not have this disease. Good gravy, some people just love to fight. Lucky for you, I was healthy once. I know how limited of an understanding there is about my disease, so I cut people like you some slack, even though you didn't me! Good day to you!
 
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I was in too much pain due to my disease, which is nicknamed the Suicide Disease because of the tremendous pain it inflicts on it's sufferers to have answered the phone that day. Up to 25% of us take our own lives not because we are depressed, but because the pain is unimaginable to those that do not have this disease. Good gravy, some people just love to fight. Lucky for you, I was healthy once. I know how limited of an understanding there is about my disease, so I cut people like you some slack, even though you didn't me! Good day to you!
.

I don't see any fighting going on here.
 
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As I am thinking about this more, 18 disputes in 3 years is really a lot. Honestly, I don't know how that played out, but that is a very sizable number of channel black outs. I love the idea of using a Hopper 3, but, I see MLB Network was one of the latest blacked out channels, and that dispute has now been settled. That channel is an important one to me, and I'm really not sure I want to sub to a Satellite Service that is on such shaky ground with so many networks. 18 -- 18 blacked out channels in 3 years? Wow, that is a lot. I've not made my final decision yet, but.. whoa! I wish that there wasn't this history of so many of these blackouts. $$$$$ Doesn't it bother people that they pay for what they aren't getting? It would me.
 
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The one thing to consider with these blackouts and especially the recently resolved disputes, is that a new contract has been reached so it would be years before the same channels, like MLB, would come up for contract renewal.
 
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I've been with DISH for about 10 months this time. I had it a few years ago, as well. Honestly, I haven't paid that much attention to the "dishputes", as some are calling them now. I think they are overhyped, but that is just my opinion. I'm missing one channel now, that I am aware of, and I could care less. There is way too much to watch for me to be concerned about the occasional loss of a channel. There are channel blackouts and negotiations on other services as well.
 
Doesn't it bother people that they pay for what they aren't getting? It would me.
Many of us just call/chat and ask for credits and move on. Even just 3 months at $5 off is more than compensation for a lost channel, especially when most of them only last for a week or less.
 
I've been with DISH for about 10 months this time. I had it a few years ago, as well. Honestly, I haven't paid that much attention to the "dishputes", as some are calling them now. I think they are overhyped, but that is just my opinion. I'm missing one channel now, that I am aware of, and I could care less. There is way too much to watch for me to be concerned about the occasional loss of a channel. There are channel blackouts and negotiations on other services as well.


I would agree with this, if the dispute that is going on right now wasn't the only means that I have to watch teams from the NFC of the National Football league. Fox 6 Milwaukee is out and has been since June 6. The season starts next week. And, an indoor antenna won't work here. So it would be $145 for an on the roof antenna plus $75 an hour to install it. I'd do it myself, but there is no physical way that I can!
 
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and remember its actually more than 18 channels, its 18 contracts
many of which cover mutliple channels (ex tribune and viacom)
but everyone has them. its not unique to dish, but does seem more common
 
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and remember its actually more than 18 channels, its 18 contracts
many of which cover mutliple channels (ex tribune and viacom)
but everyone has them. its not unique to dish, but does seem more common

This is the way I see it, and I could be wrong. The Hopper 3 is great. It is really what we need for the number of people recording shows.. and the other features are fantastic, beyond a doubt... But, we can't watch what is not there, nor can we record it-no matter how many tuners the Hopper has. And with the Fox 6 Dispute still causing a blackout of the channel here in Milwaukee, plus the fact that I would have to pay $145 + $75 an hour in addition to whatever else I would be charged, just to put an antenna on the roof just to get things set up.. that is asking a lot. All of that just so I can have the opportunity to have Dish Service. WOW I'm not so sure it is worth it.
 
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This is the way I see it, and I could be wrong. The Hopper 3 is great. It is really what we need for the number of people recording shows.. and the other features are fantastic, beyond a doubt... But, we can't watch what is not there, nor can we record it-no matter how many tuners the Hopper has. And with the Fox 6 Dispute still causing a blackout of the channel here in Milwaukee, plus the fact that I would have to pay $145 + $75 an hour in addition to whatever else I would be charged, just to put an antenna on the roof and get things set up.. that is asking a lot, and just so I can have the opportunity to have Dish Service. WOW I'm not so sure it is worth it.
How long can you hold out before making a decision? I've done this successfully before, and I'll do it again: I predict that the Tribune contract will get resolved (or the channels will be restored) by the end of next week, before NFL regular season games begin.
 
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How long can you hold out before making a decision? I've done this successfully before, and I'll do it again: I predict that the Tribune contract will get resolved (or the channels will be restored) by the end of next week, before NFL regular season games begin.


That is a great question. I've been missing 30 Charter channels on and off now for 2.5 months. Another week isn't much. I can wait like crazy.. BUT......! and this a Big But.. Not a big Butt, but a big but, the number of disputes is a concern and an issue. Something isn't right about yanking 18 and more channels over 3 years.
 
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That is a great question. I've been missing 30 Charter channels on and off now for 2.5 months. Another week isn't much. I can wait like crazy.. BUT......! and this a Big But.. Not a big Butt, but a big but, the number of disputes is a concern and an issue. Something isn't right about yanking 18 and more channels over 3 years.
IMO, you are getting WAY to wound up about the 18 channels stat. Remember, nearly all those 18 happened in OTHER local markets. You just now, happen to to caught up in ONE of those disputes. The last Major across the board dispute was Fox News, about a year ago. Get that 18 thing out of your head!!!
 
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