Dish Network Corp. (DISH) founder Charlie Ergen said he may permanently drop Time Warner Inc.

[brejust]

Dish Network Corp. (DISH) founder Charlie Ergen said he may permanently drop Time Warner Inc. channels such as CNN and TBS over rising programming costs, a trend he sees continuing as pay-TV faces competition from Web viewing.
Dish has already blacked out some channels from Time Warner (TWX)’s Turner Broadcasting, including CNN and the Cartoon Network, in a contract dispute that began last month. Ergen said Turner is asking for double-digit percentage increases in fees for CNN, while viewership is down by half.

“Twenty years ago CNN was a must have,” Ergen said on a earnings conference call today. “It’s not a top 10 network today anymore.”
Ergen said he is prepared for Turner’s TBS and TNT to leave Dish -- a move he described as “more painful.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...rgen-blasts-cnn-in-hint-of-future-fights.html

 

[brejust]

like that song how bizarre hmm those are two more of my favorite channels.

 

[DishSubLA]

Mostly Charlie rattling the sabre, as he has before, in a conference call. He ALWAYS say he is prepared to do without a channel or channels, but eventually, they come to an agreement. I have to say, I don't care if the TW channels return. I've really been watching more Al Jazeera America and find it far more balanced that either MSNBC or Fox News, and it is NEWS, not personality driven talk radio type shows on TV. Buh-bye CNN, Boomerang, TruTV, Cartoon Network, etc. But, I do think they will return to Dish, and TW will come crawling back to do so.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I don't care if they add them back or not. If Charlie would actually make good on his threat to drop them for good , they might be able to secure a good deal if they ever do decide to add them back. This might set a precedent that other companies might see and decide to dial back the greed in their next price extortion deals.

 

[DWS44]

Losing TNT wouldn't hurt as bad for me, since they will no longer be covering their handful of NASCAR races anymore, but I do watch a decent amount of TBS.

 

[bnewt]

This would be the last straw for me........I watch TNT & TBS a lot
As much as I like the Hopper system, I would have to switch

 

[frogbrains]

I don t watch any of those channels , so it will not affect me . If they are gone for good a discount would be nice !!!

 

[navychop]

I hope he carries thru and drops them, especially CNN.

 

[lparsons21]

This would be the last straw for me........I watch TNT & TBS a lot
As much as I like the Hopper system, I would have to switch

I watch a lot of TNT and would miss it. But after looking at my recordings, I've got more than enough other shows on other channels to watch that I'd probably not switch.

 

[mdram]

thats alot of stations to drop permanently, will it lower the price?

 

[Bronxiniowa]

These types of histrionics by the CEO are what drove me away from DISH. I know I'm going to pay more for the service; why can't negotiations be handled like adults? These public spitting contests don't inspire confidence in customers.

 

[rajmarie]

IMO Charlie is telling all of us that the next year rate increase if it happens will be due to this deal...which will eventually be made. Be prepared for atleast $5 increase across the board

 

[Scherrman]

I watch TBS more than about any other channel but there is nothing on that channel that I can't find somewhere else. I mostly like it for the convenience that some of my favorite channels are on there everyday. I can watch Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory and Family Guy online anytime I want to so I wouldn't switch because the channel is gone.

 

[empiretc]

Be prepared for atleast $5 increase across the board

and that will definitely be the final straw.

 

[MikeD-C05]

thats alot of stations to drop permanently, will it lower the price?

Only on Charlie's end. We will see no discount in price. They have never had a price drop that I can remember in 18 years with DISH.

 

[Yespage]

I don't care if they add them back or not. If Charlie would actually make good on his threat to drop them for good , they might be able to secure a good deal if they ever do decide to add them back. This might set a precedent that other companies might see and decide to dial back the greed in their next price extortion deals.

This only works if the providers band together and not advertise that people should switch to X because Dish no longer has the Turner channels.

 

[MikeD-C05]

This only works if the providers band together and not advertise that people should switch to X because Dish no longer has the Turner channels.

Well ,we know that Directv and Cable will be lining up in their advertising to do just that. I've seen DISH do this to the competition before in disputes. I'm betting that DISH does this to Directv when and If they lose AMC . IF all competition would work together to stand up against the channel companies and agree not to advertise against each other in these disputes and work together to secure the best deals, it would work . But they would call this collusion and price fixing and that is illegal.

 

[Teehar]

With or without Turner networks, we won't see any savings.My wife and grandson are starting to get ancy now with cartoon network being off, if tbs and tnt get pulled, I won't be too happy either.

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[rajmarie]

Only on Charlie's end. We will see no discount in price. They have never had a price drop that I can remember in 18 years with DISH.

Maybe if Charlie don't get the deal he will be forced to keep his words and don't increase prices of packages. But be prepared to see increase in equipment and miscellaneous fees no matter what.

TNT loss will be tough since I watch quite a lot of nba games. Tbs for watching syndicated shows

 

[jbrelish]

Only on Charlie's end. We will see no discount in price. They have never had a price drop that I can remember in 18 years with DISH.

What I see happening is movement of different channels to take the place of the removed channels. I do not see a price decrease coming. Maybe a price freeze might happen instead of the next scheduled increase. it would depend on the offset of the lost channels compared to the new contract increases.