Dispute between Dish and Gray Media Group looming?

pattykay · Mar 17, 2020

crodrules said:
I guess I should have read the headlines on the main forum page. It looks like all of these dispute resolutions are just temporary truces in order to provide coronavirus coverage. (In other words, Dish taking advantage of a national emergency.) The timing of the free preview channels, and which channels were chosen, still seems to be weird, though. If Dish wanted to make sure that customers stay informed with breaking news about the coronavirus, you would think that they would put the national news channels such as CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel in free preview. This would also help provide election coverage, since many states have primary elections this week. (It is nowhere near as big as Super Tuesday was, but still fairly significant nonetheless.)

I received an email from Dish today about their coronavirus response, confirming that the additional free preview channels were added due to the coronavirus, as a courtesy to provide more entertainment to people who may be staying home for an extended period of time. Specifically, their message includes this statement:
"We have a variety of channels in free preview available to all our customers, and will continue to add more at no additional charge." Coronavirus Updates | MyDISH

So, I hope that Dish is listening to suggestions about which additional channels should be put in free preview. I still think that I have a valid point about the national news channels.

pattykay · Mar 19, 2020

crodrules said:
I guess I should have read the headlines on the main forum page. It looks like all of these dispute resolutions are just temporary truces in order to provide coronavirus coverage. (In other words, Dish taking advantage of a national emergency.) The timing of the free preview channels, and which channels were chosen, still seems to be weird, though. If Dish wanted to make sure that customers stay informed with breaking news about the coronavirus, you would think that they would put the national news channels such as CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel in free preview. This would also help provide election coverage, since many states have primary elections this week. (It is nowhere near as big as Super Tuesday was, but still fairly significant nonetheless.)

Apparently, Dish agreed with my suggestion. CNN, Fox News, and Bloomberg are now in free preview. No free preview (yet) for MSNBC, but that is already included in Welcome Pack anyway.

pattykay · Mar 19, 2020

...and, as part of the effort to provide more free entertainment during this virus crisis, Showtime is also in an extended free preview!

pattykay · Mar 19, 2020

Also, add World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and Outdoor Channel to the free preview list.

Howard Simmons · Mar 20, 2020

I want a refund! I get all these channels and I'm paying for them.

pattykay · Mar 20, 2020

Howard Simmons said:
I want a refund! I get all these channels and I'm paying for them.

Maybe see if it would be worth it to downgrade to a lower package for a month, since most of these previews will last about that long. Dish does not seem to be willing to give out very many (or any) credits lately.

There will be a price to pay for all of these previews sooner or later, most likely in the form of higher rates next year. (This is the pessimist in me acting up again.) Even in the short term, this will mean one huge dispute with local channels across the country, when all of the temporary truces expire all at once, not even counting the potential that still exists for additional major disputes to be added to the list.

Tampa8 · Mar 20, 2020

TheKrell · Mar 20, 2020

Howard Simmons said:
I want a refund! I get all these channels and I'm paying for them.

Same here. But imagine what might happen if we call asking for that! T-Mobile just texted me that they have free unlimited data until May 13th as a response to the coronavirus. So I logged into my account and attempted to remove my wife's supplemental 6GB plan. After all is said and done, I removed her data plan entirely and the website won't let me fix that. T-Mobile is so mobbed right now, I can't get through to correct this blunder. Fortunately I have some time to get this corrected since we're stuck at home on wi-fi. I am hoping she never notices.

pattykay · Mar 20, 2020

crodrules said:
Apparently, Dish agreed with my suggestion. CNN, Fox News, and Bloomberg are now in free preview. No free preview (yet) for MSNBC, but that is already included in Welcome Pack anyway.

Yay! CNBC, MSNBC, Euronews, and France 24 English have all been added. (I already had the international ones in my International Basic package, but it is nice that Dish is adding these for everyone else who did not already have them.)

Tampa8 · Mar 20, 2020

212 Euronews
222 France 24
285 Dog TV
394 World Fishing Network
395 Sportsman Channel
I believe also some Spanish channels, Vmari, Discovery Spanish, Estrella....

pattykay · Mar 20, 2020

Tampa8 said:
212 Euronews
222 France 24
285 Dog TV
394 World Fishing Network
395 Sportsman Channel
I believe also some Spanish channels, Vmari, Discovery Spanish, Estrella....

Here is the complete list (as of 3/20/2020) to save everyone the trouble of looking it up:

Channels Currently in Free Preview

Channel

Dates

Ch. #

Bloomberg

3/19 - 4/19

203

CNBC

3/20 - 4/20

208

CNN

3/19 - 4/17

200

Destination America

2/27 - 3/31

194

Dog TV

3/20 - 4/21

285

Euro News

3/20 - 4/22

212

Flix

3/19 - 4/3

333

FOX News

3/19 - 4/17

205

France 24 English

3/20 - 4/22

222

GSN

3/16 - 4/21

116

Hallmark Channel

3/16 - 5/13

185

Hallmark Drama

3/16 - 5/13

186

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries

3/16 - 5/13

187

MSNBC

3/20 - 4/20

209

Outdoor Channel

3/19 - 5/6

396

Oxygen

2/27 - 3/31

127

Showtime

3/19 - 4/3

318-324

Sony Movie Channel

3/16 - 4/16

386

Sportsman Channel

3/19 - 5/6

395

Sundance TV

3/16 - 4/16

126

SYFY

2/27 - 3/31

122

The Movie Channel

3/19 - 4/3

327-330

Travel Channel

2/27 - 3/31

196

World Fishing Network

3/19 - 5/6

394

thomasjk · Mar 20, 2020

I just received an Email from Dish with this list.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

pattykay · Mar 20, 2020

thomasjk said:
I just received an Email from Dish with this list.

Yes, that is where I got the list, also.

Howard Simmons · Mar 21, 2020

crodrules said:
Maybe see if it would be worth it to downgrade to a lower package for a month, since most of these previews will last about that long. Dish does not seem to be willing to give out very many (or any) credits lately.

There will be a price to pay for all of these previews sooner or later, most likely in the form of higher rates next year. (This is the pessimist in me acting up again.) Even in the short term, this will mean one huge dispute with local channels across the country, when all of the temporary truces expire all at once, not even counting the potential that still exists for additional major disputes to be added to the list.

I'm not gonna touch anything! If I did, somehow the price would mysteriously go up.

pattykay · Mar 27, 2020

bluenerd said:
Damn. Wish my area had a Gray station. Wouldn't mind an OTA adapter but at two tuners the only way that is happening is if I get one free.

crodrules said:
Well, I can't quite give it to you for free, but make me a reasonable offer plus the cost of shipping, and I can send you one. I am downsizing my Dish system. Let me know if you are interested.

crodrules said:
bluenerd never got back to me, so I will open up the offer to anyone who wants an OTA adapter. First come, first served. While supplies last. (I only have a couple of them.)

I thought I would update that this offer is still available. I am now down to only one USB dual-tuner OTA adapter left. It is the newer Dish-branded Lark model. (Similar to the Air TV model that is usually recommended here.) I have also been asked to clarify that the asking price is the cost of shipping only. The adapter itself is free to a good home.

pattykay · Jun 4, 2020

Great news! There was a huge uplink report yesterday, reversing the changes that I pointed out in the first post of this thread.

Uplink Activity Updates » Blog Archive » 6/3/20 at 3:16pm ET (v22) – 562 changes seen

So, it looks like Dish has finally reached a long-term agreement with Gray Media Group, restoring things to the status quo.

Also, at least so far, it looks like the apocalypse that I predicted when all of those coronavirus-related local channel truces expire has not happened. So, either long-term deals have also been reached with those local channel owners, or they are still in temporary truces despite the current lack of additional national free preview channels that had also been attributed to the coronavirus crisis.

n0qcu · Jun 4, 2020

It might be great news for you but now I have lost guide info for my OTA H & I channel.

pattykay · Sep 11, 2020

crodrules said:
... Even in the short term, this will mean one huge dispute with local channels across the country, when all of the temporary truces expire all at once, not even counting the potential that still exists for additional major disputes to be added to the list.

Well, I hate to say I was right. (Okay, not all of the disputes are at the same time, but there are more disputes lately, and the existing truces are expiring.) From Dish's press release about the Mission Broadcasting dispute that just started today:
" Earlier this year, Mission blacked out DISH customers as part of a contract dispute. In March, the companies agreed to restore the channels so that viewers could access important local news and information during the pandemic. "

Dispute between Dish and Gray Media Group looming?

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