Ergen Rattles TV Industry With $50 Billion Binge on Bandwidth

[osu1991]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...v-industry-with-50-billion-binge-on-bandwidth

Charlie Ergen is using a new Web-entertainment service and $50 billion in airwaves to upend pay TV as we know it.

The founder of Dish Network Corp. beat his rivals to market in February with Sling TV, a $20-a-month online service that offers live channels and sports at a fourth of the cost of a typical cable bundle. Including the latest government sale of wireless airwaves, Ergen has also amassed a $50 billion trove of bandwidth that could let Englewood, Colorado-based Dish compete for data and voice customers for the first time.

“Charlie is breaking apart the delivery from the content,” said Roger Entner, an analyst with Recon Analytics LLC in Dedham, Massachusetts. “This is an innocent start with profound implications.”

 

[MikeD-C05]

Keeps pointing to T-mobile for partnering with DISH. I hope so . I have both services and would love to have it all connected and bundled.

 

[primestar31]

"Innocent" and "Charlie Ergen" don't go together.

 

[Tampa8]

That's not rattling, THIS is rattling..

http://www.cnet.com/news/t-mobile-ceo-says-he-is-open-to-all-scenarios-with-dish/

 

[whitewolf8214]

AT&T: Dish's auction approach skewed results, needs restriction
Feb 20 2015, 15:02 ET | About: AT&T Inc. (T) | By: Jason Aycock, SA News Editor
http://seekingalpha.com/news/231499...9:6a8dd0d5237cc92d52ab5ebad17aef92#email_link
AT&T (NYSE:T) opens a new salvo of criticism of Dish Network (NASDAQISH) over the satellite firm's bidding approach in the record FCC AWS-3 auction, saying it distorted the prices paid.
Dish's investment in and use of designated entities -- qualifiers for 25% small-business discounts -- skewed demand for licenses and pushed up their price, says AT&T's regulatory chief Joan Marsh on the company's public policy blog, which it increasingly uses to shape the regulatory conversation: "The Dish entities acting in concert triple- and double-bid licenses in the auction nearly 4,000 times."
She says that spectrum not put into service is creating price-hiking scarcity as well. "Post auction, Dish’s spectrum portfolio in the top 100 CMAs will, on average, be 81 MHz deep," Marsh writes. "Yet none of that spectrum is currently supporting commercial wireless services."
For its part, Dish issued a post-auction statement reminding critics (including the FCC's Ajit Pai) that it had submitted and OK'd its plans with the commission in advance.
AT&T isn't the only firm trying to place the goalposts for a likely more important low-band auction next year; T-Mobile's John Legere also complained about spectrum stockpiling, and has called on the FCC to more heavily restrict participation from AT&T and Verizon.
More FCC auction news http://seekingalpha.com/news/search?query=fcc+auction

 

[stardust3]

So nut tv is actually sling tv?

 

[ChadT41]

So nut tv is actually sling tv?

Correct.

 

[MikeD-C05]

So nut tv is actually sling tv?

Yes, nuts in a Sling.

They are the same.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I'd love to see them do nothing and the FCC take it back.

Any company they partner with with is a divorce waiting to happen

 

[ChadT41]

I'd love to see them do nothing and the FCC take it back.

Any company they partner with with is a divorce waiting to happen

Like Sling Media, Blockbuster, Hughesnet, and the list continues?

 

[Claude Greiner]

Like Sling Media, Blockbuster, Hughesnet, and the list continues?

They bought those companies, there is no divorce. They are stuck with Dish upon death like with blockbuster.

Look at what happened about ATT, Microsoft web TV, starband, perfect10, and me. The list goes on

 

[ChadT41]

T-Mobile said they were ok with the notion of an acquisition. Really, anything dish proposes.

 

[Claude Greiner]

T mobile sucks. They need to partner with someone like Verizon

 

[ChadT41]

T mobile sucks. They need to partner with someone like Verizon

Problem with Verizon is they are too large. Charlie would have to relinquish some of that control, which we all know he is not a fan of. Not saying he is bad while in charge, but he has to be in charge. That is likely his biggest flaw, but a good flaw to have, I guess. T-Mobile, Dish can call all the shots.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Problem with Verizon is they are too large. Charlie would have to relinquish some of that control, which we all know he is not a fan of. Not saying he is bad while in charge, but he has to be in charge. That is likely his biggest flaw, but a good flaw to have, I guess. T-Mobile, Dish can call all the shots.

They need structure that a large company like Verizon can bring to the table.

Eventually Ergen will have to give up control. He has got 2 kids that should be there right now helping their dad run the place, but they are out perusing their own interests.

Not saying that is bad, but if I was Charlie's son, Joe Clayton would be looking for a job right now, because I would be running that bitch

T-Mobile right now is the under dog, they look to be doing things right but dish could very well screw them up like they did blockbuster.

They had a good opportunity to turn blockbuster into the "Dish" store. Setup a service center for Dish customers to visit similar to what the cable company does. They could have had the latest dish technology on display, and they could also be part cell phone store.

Granted the money isn't into renting videos, but with the service center idea it could have survived as a side business providing extra value to their customers.

Think about it, they could have done a heavily discounted rental program for their existing customers. The ones who did come back every week could be sold dish Internet, phone or an upgrade. A service center could do wonders for customer retention.

My office is a payment center right now for Dish and Directv. You know how many Dish customers I switch to Directv because I get to see their bill when they make payments ? charlie would be pissed

 

[ChadT41]

I don't disagree with you, especially on blockbuster, but blockbuster was ruined long before dish got involved. By no fault of dish or blockbuster, but pretty much all stores went away(BB, Hollywood Video, etc), because it was a doomed service. How many people do you think would honestly stick to renting DVDs from BB, even with the Dish service, outside of the convience of redbox? Even Netflix lost the DVD appeal.
That all said, I would do things a little different. Joe Clayton is in charge because he makes a great puppet for Charlie. If I were Charlie, I would get a slightly more ballsy CeO, or better yet, make Bernie Han CEO. He already has risen that company so much for the last decade, and already has the respect of every employee. He also knows what the hell he is doing and is damn good at it. He has been their CFO, COO, PAO and a few other positions. He really should have been the Shoe In, but unfortunately, he is too good for Charlie. This is opinion btw. I don't dislike Joe, but the man really doesn't have a backbone, from every time I have met him or seen him talk. He may make a good Sr. Exec, but still not a CEO choice for a fortune 250 company. I sort of want Bernie to move to brighter stars just so we can see him shine tbh.

 

[Claude Greiner]

That's true on blockbuster, it was already a sinking ship.

I never liked Joe Clayton, I think he is anti retailers.

I don't have an opinion of Bernie Han, but I heard some bad stuff about him from a few of the reps assigned to me over the years.

I think Blake Van Emst would be a good choice, but there are times where I think he is afraid to speak up when he knew when something wasn't right.

When they where giving me crap 3 years ago, Blake was the only one to take my call and wanted to help me and I respect him for that. But for all I did for everyone at Dish, not one person stuck up for me. They where all afraid to speak out

 

[ChadT41]

Only bad thing i have heard about Bernie was his monotone. Most boring person to listen to give a speech, but still got my vote Bauer others would agree. Lol. I guess it is all perspective. I think where Bernie earns most his respect is the fact that he stands up for all employees, even the lowest new hire. Keep in mind, I know almost nothing about retailers, and how they work. You very well may have a different look on things, so two sides of the same coin.

 

[Tampa8]

I hope no one is taking seriously AT&T or any other cell company objecting. As the report on Bloomberg (And FBN only heard a small part of theirs) said, the whiners are whining because they were out maneuvered. They had a chance just as the FCC did to object before the auction when the proposal from DISH was submitted. Even better (for DISH) it was approved with little to no objections.

I do wonder if the stockpiling question has any legs. If so a merger or some business arrangement may be closer.

 

[nelson61]

Would be exciting if they joined with T Mobile and made him the top dog.