DISH Network Satellite Television Brings Local Channels to Lincoln, Hastings and Kear

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2004--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) announced today that its DISH Network(TM) will offer local TV channels by satellite television to Lincoln, Hastings and Kearney, Neb. The following local TV channels will be available: ABC Ch. 8 (KLKN), CBS Ch. 10 (KOLN), NBC Ch. 5 (KHAS) and PBS Ch. 15 (KUON).


This is the first time local TV channels are available by satellite in Lincoln, providing an alternative to local cable TV service. DISH Network now offers local channels as part of its new Digital Home Advantage promotion. Starting at $29.99 per a month, this promotion offers customers free installation for up to four TVs, with no commitment and no hardware to buy and includes more than 60 popular TV channels such as ESPN, Discovery and the Food Network, plus local Lincoln TV channels.

DISH Network has frozen the lowest all digital TV price through January 2005. Customers can call DISH Network or a local satellite TV retailer to learn how to get a free multi-satellite dish antenna required to receive Lincoln-area local channels. DISH Network also provides digital video recording technologies, international channels and high-definition TV to the Lincoln area.

"The availability of local channels on DISH Network gives TV viewers in the Lincoln area an even more compelling reason to switch from cable," said Michael Schwimmer, senior vice president of Programming at EchoStar. "Customers who are fed up with the cable companies' outrageous rate increases now have access to local news, weather and sports via all-digital satellite TV -- only on DISH Network -- at a competitive price."

DISH Network is celebrating this launch at a Lincoln satellite TV retailer by inviting the public to join a free pig roast luncheon. A 22-foot-long, 16-foot-tall cable pig balloon will be on site highlighting the plea to Stop Feeding the Cable Pig.

DISH Network offers local channels via satellite to 52 counties in the Lincoln area, including: Jewel, Phillips, Republic, Smith, Adams, Antelope, Boone, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Butler, Chase, Clay, Custer, Dawson, Fillmore, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gage, Garfield, Gosper, Greeley, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keya Paha, Lancaster, Loup, Merrick, Nance, Nuckolls, Pawnee, Perkins, Phelps, Polk, Red Willow, Rock, Saline, Seward, Sherman, Thayer, Valley, Webster, Wheeler and York counties.

With the addition of Lincoln, DISH Network offers local channels in a total of 111 cities and their metro areas, in 46 states nationwide, and in the District of Columbia.

For customers who do not subscribe to Digital Home Advantage, local channels will be available at $4.99 per a month until the local FOX affiliate becomes available.

For more information on DISH Network, visit www.dishnetwork.com, call 1-800/333-DISH (3474), or contact your local DISH Network retailer. For downloadable, print quality images of DISH Network equipment, installations or the DISH Network logo, visit www.dishnetwork.com/content/aboutus/presskit/print/index.shtml.

About EchoStar

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 9.4 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(TM) and is a leading U.S. provider of advanced digital television services. DISH Network's services include hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. DISH Network is the leader in the sale of digital video recorders (DVRs). Visit EchoStar's DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).
 
If you have a package, they are $5
If all you want is locals (like I have) or no TopXX package, then it is 5.99
 
nebguy94 said:
But the real question is when will Dish carry KPTM (Fox) in Nebraska? :confused:

Thats the FOX in Omaha, I assume??

If it is, when hell freezes over

Seriously, since Pappas has a dispute with Dish over 3 channels that are on the wings, they won't allow DIsh to add anymore of their channels until those 3 channels (Azteca America, I think) are on the main dish (110/119)
 
You won't see KPTM in the Lincoln package since it is an Omaha market station. Lincoln is in the Lincoln/Hastings/Grand Island market. KOLN/KGIN is the CBS affiliate, KHAS is the sole NBC affiliate, KLKN and KHGI/KWNB are the ABC affiliates, and KSNB/KTVG is the Fox affiliate for the market.

Of course, this complicates matters in Lincoln, since the Grand Island/Hastings stations aren't receivable. At this time, the satellite providers can't offer commonly watched out of market stations such as WOWT, KPTM, or KXVO. There is a long history as to how this odd market came to be, but you can blame KOLN and Fetzer Broadcasting. Basically, by combining the two areas, it was big enough to get national ad agency business, and not to be combined into the Omaha market, which would have likely caused KOLN to lose its CBS affiliation.

KSNB/KTVG are programmed by Pappas under an agreement with Hill Broadcasting. Thus, they are probably caught up in the dispute over Azteca. In addition, Pappas might use the carriage of KSNB/KTVG to get the NTV network (KHGI/KWNB) on the local package.
 
ngriffin said:
You won't see KPTM in the Lincoln package since it is an Omaha market station. Lincoln is in the Lincoln/Hastings/Grand Island market. KOLN/KGIN is the CBS affiliate, KHAS is the sole NBC affiliate, KLKN and KHGI/KWNB are the ABC affiliates, and KSNB/KTVG is the Fox affiliate for the market.

I'm in the Omaha area so KPTM is my concern. But that's odd that Lincoln cable can carry WOWT, KETV, KMTV, and KPTM in Lincoln, but Dish can't...

It's situations like this that make me think the recent FCC trend toward allowing more concentrated ownership in TV and radio has an upside. These arbitrary market lines need to be done away with so we aren't caught in some stupid tug of war between broadcasters. If neighboring markets weren't competitors but divisions of the same company there might be more effort to serve customers and not the pocket books of these owners of legally endorsed monopolies that don't serve the consumer...

But I digress, back to your regularly scheduled thread.
 
Have they said which satellite they are going on? I seem to recall from a while ago of talk they would go to 105. Is the Superdish installed free-of-charge if the locals are subscribed to?
 
Yes it is the Superdish 105. If you sign a one-year contract to keep the locals and do credit card autopay yes basic install of the superdish is free.

Also there are different laws for cable companies and satellite when it comes to broadcasting out of market channels. Basically it favors the cable companies as you can see with different markets across the country. It isn't just Lincoln that it happens in.

Shawn
 
Keep in mind that the wait for SuperDish (for existing customers) is around 4 months. My mother-in-law ordered her SD in early November, and the earliest installation she could get at that time was March 30.

Don't know if the backlog is that long (or longer) currently, but thought it should be thrown out there.
 
The backog must be regional. I called today to get the SD and they scheduled me for next Wednesday the 7th. I know, we'll wait and see. :)
 
Or, perhaps they've managed to recover from the backlog. Don't know what her wait would have been if she called today, maybe it would be the same amount of time...
 
A guy I know in Lincoln got his Superdish upgrade installed in 6 days from first contact made to up and going. I didn't believe it would happen this way but I have seen it and it is there. Placed order on a Wed and got it installed the follwoign TUesday. This was one week ago today.
 
I called Friday the 2nd and was scheduled for the following Wednesday. I chickened out when I found out I was obligated to the locals for a year. I was told by a CSR I would only have to keep AT60, which I wasn't able to verify. I get all the locals fine via antenna.

The 510 I ordered instead works pretty well though. I just wish the 811 was as refined as the 510.
 
Once the boom has died down, all areas should get they superdishes within a week.

Our area (Delaware, Maryland/Eastern Shore) is like any other normal install, 1-2 days out.
 
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