Is TODAY the day?

[wassupTC]

This does not have anything to do with DirecTV or the end of the year or anything else. If all has to do with one thing:

LOCAL RETRANSMISSION RIGHTS.

So you way you want Speed, Fox News, Fox Business, etc.

Well, Dish and Fox are not going to agree to put those up in HD until they come to an agreement on retransmission rights for the Fox-owned Fox local stations. The agreement to carry those expires in December, if memory serves.

This means that unless they come to an agreement, Fox local stations will be pulled from Dish during December, pulling NFL games from such places as Chicago, New York and Philadelphia.

When Fox and Dish come to an agreement on Local Retransmission, it will likely include Speed, Fox News, Fox Business, FX, etc.

Similar issues exist with CBS. Not so much with NBC and ABC. NBC extended all it's contracts before the Olympics. ABC is less important than ESPN, which extended last year.

By the way, most major cable systems and DirecTV are in the same boat, which is why no one has added much HD lately. No one wants to pay too much for local retrans rights, so nothing much is moving.

My guess is that Dish was or is close to a deal with either CBS or Fox, which is why there were rumors that more HD would be added this week. But no contract, no HD.

Finally an even-handed word from the flyingsquirrel. Now that's what I'm talking about...

Any guesses, though, when these agreements will be signed and more importantly, how long it will be from the time the agreements are signed to when we see FNC-HD on our sets?

 

[HDRoberts]

There are plenty of networks NOT owned by Fox or CBS/Viacom that could be added, too.

And technically Viacom and CBS are split, so how can one control the other? Sounds like grounds for an anti trust suit.

 

[Laddyboy]

I thought local retrans rights were with the individual station's owners and not the nets themselves. Are there two contracts, one with the locals and another with the parent network?

 

[jayn_j]

I thought local retrans rights were with the individual station's owners and not the nets themselves. Are there two contracts, one with the locals and another with the parent network?

No, but the networks actually own a number of local stations (O&O), generally in large markets that cannot be ignored. Not getting to carry Fox in NYC or LA is enough to get Charlie to sit down and consider the other stations.

 

[Laddyboy]

Thanks, jayn_j. So the power rests with Fox in this case unless Charlie throws the baby out with the bath water. I wonder how much this will cost us in February?

 

[Sammy033]

I voted for no new HD this year at all. I'm not pessimistic. It's just based on the record between public statements and actual results... which isnt all that great. However I wouldnt mind being surprised.

 

[kstuart]

NEW POLL: Is this really necessary?

o Yes, I absolutely have nothing else to do but worry about new HD on DishNetwork

o No, I have what I have, they'll get more up eventually, and I'm almost as tired of this crap as I was of the political campaign commercials for local politicians

o uh.... Whut's HD?


... sorry... forgot the smiley...

I regret that I am only one person, so I can only reply:

+1

 

[allargon]

Similar issues exist with CBS. Not so much with NBC and ABC. NBC extended all it's contracts before the Olympics. ABC is less important than ESPN, which extended last year.

By the way, most major cable systems and DirecTV are in the same boat, which is why no one has added much HD lately. No one wants to pay too much for local retrans rights, so nothing much is moving.

My guess is that Dish was or is close to a deal with either CBS or Fox, which is why there were rumors that more HD would be added this week. But no contract, no HD.

Actually some cable systems and the two main telcos (no one ever talks about poor Qwest?) are adding channels. U-verse and FIOS just upped the game. U-verse may be the subject of many jokes, but we all know it's quantity not quality that matters to the average HD multichannel shopper.

 

[HDRoberts]

I regret that I am only one person, so I can only reply:

+1

So what would you guys have us talk about on this board? Turn this entirely into a tech support forum just because you don't want to hear about new HD (or lack thereof) anymore? There isn;t a whole lot else to talk about, and if you don't want to talk HD, why are you here?

 

[dmendenjr]

For those who can take speculation and not let it give you an ulser when nothing actually comes of it...

December 8th is the next Charlie Chat.
December 8th is the day Comcast separates Vs and Golf as well as launches G4, E! & Style HD...

nothing will probably come of it, but an interesting observation none the less....

 

[Laddyboy]

For those who can take speculation and not let it give you an ulser when nothing actually comes of it...

December 8th is the next Charlie Chat.
December 8th is the day Comcast separates Vs and Golf as well as launches G4, E! & Style HD...

nothing will probably come of it, but an interesting observation none the less....

I can't wait for Style and E! HD!

 

[HDRoberts]

Hey, I do want The Soup.

 

[paja]

Actually some cable systems and the two main telcos (no one ever talks about poor Qwest?) are adding channels. U-verse and FIOS just upped the game. U-verse may be the subject of many jokes, but we all know it's quantity not quality that matters to the average HD multichannel shopper.

When I dumped DISH for U-verse, the AT&T rep told me they would have much more hd "soon". I kinda laughed to myself thinking of DISH with all their "coming soon" baloney. But after less than a month-SURPRISE-a ton of new hd with the promise of more "soon",which has a whole different meaning than it had with DISH. Now, let's see, will I watch ThrillerMax HD or FOX News HD?

 

[Zero327]

I understand why so many people where upset at the start of the BSG season with e* sitting on Sci-Fi HD.

Don't you mean Season 4, part 2?

 

[kb7oeb]

Actually some cable systems and the two main telcos (no one ever talks about poor Qwest?) are adding channels.

Qwest is shutting down their VDSL TV service by the end of this year. The reason given is they can no longer buy the STB they use to provide the service. They did have an HD product so I am surprised there is no upgrade path. Qwest is pushing all of their current subs to DirecTV.

Qwest has fallen so far behind everyone else I don't see how they can compete long term. I have heard Cox cable is fearing Qwest will be bought by Verizon.

 

[Sammy033]

Don't you mean Season 4, part 2?

No I think he means part 1. IIRC Dish didnt launch SciFi-HD until season 4 p1 was already past the 3 or 4th episode.