Fisher Communications Channels are BACK on Dish!

[Shortfork]

**Sigh** So, who's telling the truth? Fisher? Charlie? If Dish owes a mill, why won't they pay it? Contract is a contract..

Though, I don't understand the rebrodcast issue at all, it would seem that Charlie's claim tht Fisher is being unreasonable is a bunch of crap given they have managed to deal with all other providers who pay for rebrod of their programing...

I griped to dish and got 10 bux off for 3 months, shortly before I was able to cancel services with no penalty due to the lack of signal in the area I had a contract.. I still have one in Vancouver, (WA), however and miss the programing.

Heard a rumor the other day, that dish lost so many subscribers recently, they are in financial trouble and simply CAN'T pay the million owed Fish...

So Charlie.. wassup... tell the truth, pay the $$ get on with it...

Wayne Sagar
Great Pacific NorthWest

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

If Dish owes a mill, why won't they pay it? Contract is a contract..

Thats the issue there is no contract with Fisher for the channel in question. Another company owned the station and requested Must Carry from Dish (ie gave dish their signal for free.) Then Fisher purchsed the station and is requesting payment for that station which goes against the previous agreement in place.

Charlie Ergen could wipe his butt with a million dollars and wouldn't think twice, Dish is a multi billion dollar company. (And he also just got a very nice payoff from Sirius XM)

 

[Shortfork]

Thats the issue there is no contract with Fisher for the channel in question. Another company owned the station and requested Must Carry from Dish (ie gave dish their signal for free.) Then Fisher purchsed the station and is requesting payment for that station which goes against the previous agreement in place.

And you know this for absolute fact, how?

Not trying to be a smart a**, just trying to figure out who's telling who the truth here..

Wayne Sagar
Great White North

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Various documents that I have seen, news reports on the matter and also statements made by folks including Charlie Ergen.

 

[long_time_DNC]

And you know this for absolute fact, how?

Not trying to be a smart a**, just trying to figure out who's telling who the truth here..

Wayne Sagar
Great White North

Fisher wants back-payment for about a year of must-carry for a station they didn't even own until fairly recently. A million bucks for something they didn't even own until fairly recently. I'd say that's akin to asking for a handout.

If Fisher were so concerned about getting Dish carriage again, they'd drop the damn lawsuit and probably both KOMO and KATU would be back on Dish, since Fisher's own statement says that they've reached an agreement. That doesn't make Charlie the bad guy in this situation...not at all. Like any other good businessman, he doesn't want to have to pay for someone else's debt recovery.

A little digging on the web and it's easy to find the answers to your questions without questioning Scott's integrity...

 

[Laddyboy]

Fisher seems to think that any station it owns automatically falls under its E* contract. Unless E*'s lawyers are crappy, which I doubt, there's no way a contract would be written like that based on my 40 years of business experience. Why would E* want to pay anyone to carry a Univision station. It doesn't make sense.

 

[Voyager6]

And you know this for absolute fact, how?

Not trying to be a smart a**, just trying to figure out who's telling who the truth here..

Wayne Sagar
Great White North

Here's a link to an article about the dispute between Fisher & E* and details about the lawsuit.

 

[Shortfork]

A little digging on the web and it's easy to find the answers to your questions without questioning Scott's integrity...

This is the kind of crap that galls me about the Internet and chatboards.. where in the world do you get "questioning Scott's integrity" out of what I asked?

Last time I looked out the door, I was still in America and being able to question statements made by ANYONE is still part of "truth justice and the American way"..

Christ, I just asked for a bit of depth on a statement someone made on the Internet..

I truly don't get some of the reactions that mere words can generate...



Wayne Sagar
Pacific North West

 

[Shortfork]

just trying to figure out who's telling who the truth here.

just to clarify, I did not mean to question whether Scott was telling the truth, my question was directed at discerning if Fish or Dish is being completely honest here...

:tux:

 

[long_time_DNC]

And you know this for absolute fact, how?

Not trying to be a smart a**, just trying to figure out who's telling who the truth here..

Wayne Sagar
Great White North

This is the kind of crap that galls me about the Internet and chatboards.. where in the world do you get "questioning Scott's integrity" out of what I asked?

Last time I looked out the door, I was still in America and being able to question statements made by ANYONE is still part of "truth justice and the American way"..

I truly don't get some of the reactions that mere words can generate...



Wayne Sagar
Pacific North West

Just the way you phrased your statement bugged me a little... "And you know this for absolute fact, how?"

Sorry for jumping down your throat (since that wasn't my intent)... It was the "absolute fact" part that irked me a little...

 

[George L]

I received a the same email as smroycro in the latter part of December 2008 from Colleen Brown stating an agreement on the rate had been reached. But she did imply that until the law suit was settled Fisher would not renew the contract.

From: CEO Colleen Brown <colleen_brown@fsci.com>
Subject: Re: Not being carried on Dish
To: XXYYZZ@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, December 24, 2008, 5:38 PM

... In fact, we have preliminarily agreed on the rate, but other issues are preventing a deal from being finalized.

While I can’t go into greater detail, you should know that we believe DISH Network has violated the terms of our existing agreement. They have failed to pay us for one of our stations for the past two years! I would expect that if I were a DISH subscriber and I didn't pay my bill for two years, they would shut off my service and seek my back pay....

Sincerely,

Colleen Brown
President and Chief Executive Officer
Fisher Communications, Inc.

Now 2 months latter Fisher imply it is Charlie Ergen that will not renew the contract until the law suit is settled.

(This is from a Fisher Communications, Inc Press release dated February 26, 2009)

We speculate that the real stumbling block to a successful contract for renewed carriage of our television stations is the lawsuit for breach of contract that Fisher has filed against DISH in federal court in Oregon. Although both parties have repeatedly agreed that the lawsuit is irrelevant to the new carriage negotiations, it has been made plain to us that nothing will get accomplished until the lawsuit is resolved.

So tell me who is telling the truth?

 

[iwc5893]

I received a the same email as smroycro in the latter part of December 2008 from Colleen Brown stating an agreement on the rate had been reached. But she did imply that until the law suit was settled Fisher would not renew the contract.


Now 2 months latter Fisher imply it is Charlie Ergen that will not renew the contract until the law suit is settled.



So tell me who is telling the truth?

Both...Fisher won't renew unless the lawsuit is settled with them getting some money. Charlie won't renew unless the lawsuit is settled with him not paying any money.

 

[smroycro]

I support Dish, not the greedy Fish. I am more than happy watching Lost online...Colleen and the rest can pound sand.

Forrest Gump said it right...stupid is as stupid does.

 

[8bitbytes]

So tell me who is telling the truth?

Have you even read the last two pages of this thread?

 

[George L]

So tell me who is telling the truth?

My point was on one day Fisher said they would not renew the contract until the law suit was settled.

And on a different day Fisher said the lawsuit is irrelevant and it was Charlie that will not renew the contract until the law suit is settled.

I believe Fisher is the bad guy and are holding there viewers for ransom. Charlie is not making a killing on locals as Fisher would like us to believe, locals are most likley a loss leader but nessary for satillite to compete cable.

Fisher seems to like to twist the facts to make Charlie look like the bad guy
example a quote from Colleen Brown in a email dated 12/31/08

"Please know that we attempted to extend the expiration of our current contract with DISH to work out the terms of a new agreement, but they rejected our proposal."

Fisher proposed to only extend to 12/22/08, so on the date of the email I still would have been without there channel. Colleen Brown also failed to mention Dish offered to extend the expiration of the current contract until the end of winter , not just 5 days and Fisher rejected his proposal.

 

[Joe Capitano]

FISH vs. DISH - Viewers Held Hostage, Day 78: After somewhere around 3600 performances, the Charlie and Jim show has been cancelled. In its place, a slide.

"Fisher Communications, the owner of this station, is demanding unreasonable contract terms..."

Oh, do I really have to read the whole thing off to you?

Both sides stand their ground, no end in sight, while the respective Idol, Survivor and Dancing fans sits and waits and sometimes just sits.

And just when are these sides going to court anyway?

 

[Richard Winfeld]

And now it's - DISH Customers Held Hostage: Month #4!

Somebody call Ted Koppel

 

[Joe Capitano]

You mean...(BABABABOOM BOOM BABABOOM DA DA DADAAAA... - Cue Bill Owen)

FISH vs. DISH - Viewers Held Hostage, Day 90.

So, who's this Len Goodman I've heard so much about? Tonight, my mother's 722 recorded "Dancing With The Stars." What she actually got bears no resemblance whatsoever to the aforementioned - or Tom Bergeron.

Maddening.

Meanwhile, I came across an article on TV Newsday dealing with how TV stations can better position themselves. One reader had an interesting response. Here's the key part...

The recipe for TV broadcasters’ quick return to their former hegemony will require some sound competitive thinking, focus on their unique product’s value, and guts. 1. TV stations should not submit to negotiations for cable and satellite carriage. Rather they should demand the must carry they are guaranteed, and let that be the end of it. 2. TV stations should use their air to promote the FREE nature of their programming and drive over-the-air reception to new levels.

That second part was what ABC was emphasizing, annoyingly at times, back in the early 80s - when they were afraid the Super Bowl would go to cable (Never will). The full article is available on tvnewsday.com. Scroll down to the first reply.

Meanwhile, I'd like to find this guy and send him to Colleen Brown's office. Maybe he can drive some sense into her and the elves before the third digit arrives.

 

[Joe Capitano]

Amazing, but true...

FISH vs. DISH - Viewers Held Hostage, Day 100.

There's a tree somewhere into which is gouged a hundred marks. And the saga continues...

 

[long_time_DNC]

All I can say is P*SS on the FISH!

I have no sympathy for their stance against Dish. If they would just drop the lawsuit, this situation wouldn't exist anymore. The solution is simple...STOP being so litigious!