Joint Statement from DirecTV & Dish Network

[Scott Greczkowski]

Dish Network and DirecTV are working together to provide to you TV choice.

Here is their statement on this matter.

We here at SatelliteGuys believe in TV Choice and will work to do our part to make sure all Satellite Customers continue to have CHOICE!

 

[mike123abc]

Congress should at least extend it to what you could receive over the air. Since they currently say you cannot get a distant if you can receive one over the air, even if the one you receive over the air is not a local station and not one a satellite company can provide for you. This is really messed up. For example the Sherman - Ada market in OK does not have an ABC, yet depending which area of the DMA you are in you are in the grade B area of 3 out of market ABCs, preventing you from receiving a distant ABC.

 

[n1wbd]

Dish Network and DirecTV are working together to provide to you TV choice.

Here is their statement on this matter.

We here at SatelliteGuys believe in TV Choice and will work to do our part to make sure all Satellite Customers continue to have CHOICE!

Scott has a bill been introduced yet? If so is there a number assigned to it yet?

Bob

 

[goaliebob99]

Congress should actually give every one the choice of subbing to the stations they want. If I want to sub to a colorado springs CO station from Chicago, then i should be able to do so. Its no different than reading the NYC times in LA, or the Chicago tribune in Denver.

 

[VinceT3]

I agree with goaliebob.. let the consumer have choice.. maybe some stations will actually get a little more cash..

 

[vodad]

I would just be happy with the channels from a surrounding DMA, We do not have an ABC here and it would be nice to get the next DMA overs channels.

I say if your DMA does not have a network, and this includes PBS and all the others then you should be able to get a national channel.

One thing that really needs done is something about pricing.
That bugs me more than anything, if you can't come to an agreement with a carrier then the carrier should be able to substitute your signal with a national one. No more holding the customers hostage. We need a set price per sub, and only subs to local programming, per channel. Then all this negotiation stuff will go away and we do not need to worry about losing our channels.

 

[Primus]

I'm not sure who created that document but I seriously doubt it is an official Dish Network or DirecTV document. I certainly could have created something more professional looking.

 

[Dish VIP]

This should be a no-brainer for Congress. Under the current law, some voters only get political ads for districts other than the one they can actually vote in. For someone running for re-election, that it is really shooting theirself in the foot!

 

[Roxor]

Another "woe are we" missive. Who are they kidding?: Let the consumer have more choice = We want to stick it to them like the cable companies do

Why don't Dish and Direct simply start their own cable businesses and quit bellyaching.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I'm not sure who created that document but I seriously doubt it is an official Dish Network or DirecTV document. I certainly could have created something more professional looking.

It comes direct from Dish and DirecTV.

 

[long_time_DNC]

We don't presently get the Seatttle ABC affilliate due to a dispute/lawsuit between Fisher Broadcasting and Dish Network. This has been going on since mid-December of last year.

It'd be nice to be able to get a "distant" ABC station like we used to be able to do several years back...

 

[JohnH]

Congress should actually give every one the choice of subbing to the stations they want. If I want to sub to a colorado springs CO station from Chicago, then i should be able to do so. Its no different than reading the NYC times in LA, or the Chicago tribune in Denver.

Certainly would not suggest going beyond the spotbeam configuration.

 

[hancox]

I can't agree with this more. My state has one of these situations (Fairfield County, CT is in the NYC DMA).

For a few years, I had the fantastically stupid problem of needing to PAY to get ESPN Full Court to see my UConn Huskies - WHILE LIVING IN THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. While this has since been rectified, it shows how anti-consumer and illogical this whole setup is.

I suggest anyone interested in this contact their local Congress member.

 

[Tampa8]

What I really like is that they are working together despite thier own competition. More of that will make them stronger in the long run.....

 

[terpsmandan]

I know. I am in Yates County NY. This county has flopped between Syracuse and Rochester more than once. Up until 4 months ago TW had Elmira Corning on the cable, as well as Rochester and Syracuse. Now with Dish, I am stuck with Rochester, unless I want to "move" to Syracuse. It is unfair that TW gets to show both markets on the cable but I can only choose from one. I hope that they can get it together.

 

[dfergie]

I live in the Southeast corner of the 5th largest land area state... Albuquerque is close to 300 miles to the north and west, El Paso, Tx is 160 miles to the west, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa are both around 180 miles to the NE and SE and all of these have weather more typical to my local than Albuquerque etc... People go to these places for Medical and Shopping rather than up north... yet I am in the Albuquerque DMA...

 

[satjay]

Just a quick question, is this to open things up, for example If I would like West coast locals and I live in michigan would I be able to get them or is this just for those in fringe areas? close to many areas?

 

[andrewj0781]

These laws are screwed up. My cable company gives me Altoona/Johnstown PA locals but also gives me KDKA (CBS/Pittsburgh) and WTAE (ABC/Pittsburgh) now they are blacked out alot but during Football you get more info on Steelers. Why can't Dish do the same? That's about one of the few things I miss from cable.

 

[rich88]

These laws are screwed up. My cable company gives me Altoona/Johnstown PA locals but also gives me KDKA (CBS/Pittsburgh) and WTAE (ABC/Pittsburgh) now they are blacked out alot but during Football you get more info on Steelers. Why can't Dish do the same? That's about one of the few things I miss from cable.

I'm not going into details (you can research it if you want to or someone else may want to add-on), but there was a court decision a couple of years ago that limits them to ONLY showing the channels assigned (as mentioned in this news release) to your area.

If Dish were to ever be freed from restraint, I wouldn't be surprised if they gave you the choice of whatever locals you can receive within your spotbeam and those on Conus.

 

[Bobby H]

While I agree with the complaints from DirecTV and Dish Network on this issue and agree viewers should have a choice, in a few years this issue may possibly be an obsolete, moot point. That's because I believe a lot of local TV stations, particularly those in small viewing markets, could be going out of business by then.

Local TV commercial ad sales is the life blood of most local TV stations. The ad buyers have seen the "reach" of those commercials drop over the years thanks to growing DVR use, a growing number of competing cable TV channels, other modes of alternative entertainment (video games, Internet, etc.) and the recent trend of major broadcast networks to offer full episodes of their programs free to view on the Internet.

Local TV stations are already struggling as it is. As these alternatives for viewing national network programs become more sophisticated (offer better playback performance and even high definition viewing) they will lure away even more viewers from traditional methods of watching TV.

Watching a TV show off the Internet doesn't necessarily mean you're stuck watching the show on a computer screen. Lots of newer computers have HDMI ports for sending audio and video to a big TV screen. Once you're watching in "full screen" mode there isn't much difference -except for the fact Internet video quality often stinks. That problem won't be around forever.

Most people won't see full HD quality video streaming in real time via IP for at least another 5 years or more. Once that sort of thing is common I think there will be a lot of upheval in store for local TV stations, cable TV providers and possibly even D* and E*.