Latest Price Increase - $5
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Well I can't find the thread either! I believe it was in response to something KAB posted but I can't find it right now. When I get a chance I think I can find them again online.
Keep in mind as I found out trying to get some type of concrete figures... There is a difference between a surcharge and what is actually being charged and articles tend to not specify which they are using. For instance DISH does not use the Surcharge system, so they are charging us $10. We can speculate what of that amount is profit, if any as we don't know if the profit is still tied to the package. My goal is to find if DISH is in - line with others because it would tend to show the cost of broadcast fees is something close to what DISH is charging if many are similar. The problem is I found Charter at least in some markets is at $8.75 - But that is a surcharge and they have a page calling it that. So that leaves the question what is the charge inside the package? I found similar for others. In a time where the industry is losing customers I can't believe they all decided to lay on the profit and raise it by so much. We know DISH was charging $5 for quite sometime for locals and now is at $10. Based on that and what others are charging it is very possible the cost is something like $8+ for a Market.
I think it depends on the market and how many stations are carried. Would I be surprised to see $8/market with 12+ local channels? No. Would I be surprised at that amount for 6 channels? Maybe. For four channels? Yes.
I get that. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to take everything Dish says as Gospel. Especially, as I understand, they don't specifically say "this is what locals are charging us". If you think Dish won't "bend the truth" or put spin on anything, I don't know what to say.
And, no, I don't believe locals always tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth". I've said in multiple posts that they "spin" also.
And, no, I don't believe locals always tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth". I've said in multiple posts that they "spin" also.
I have no insider knowledge, as so many on this site appear to have. Heck, I've never even met that Charlie guy. So, my opinion is totally unqualified and based on simple logic.
I would guess that the $10 number is simply a clean rounded off whole number, $5 being too little and $15 too much, to represent the locals on a price sheet. However, if indeed DISH has plans to someday allow opting out of the locals, the $10 has to be pretty close to what they assume is the true market value for that product. They don't want to price it below cost so as to lose money on those who opt in, nor set it too high so as to encourage customers to opt out.
JMO
I would guess that the $10 number is simply a clean rounded off whole number, $5 being too little and $15 too much, to represent the locals on a price sheet. However, if indeed DISH has plans to someday allow opting out of the locals, the $10 has to be pretty close to what they assume is the true market value for that product. They don't want to price it below cost so as to lose money on those who opt in, nor set it too high so as to encourage customers to opt out.
JMO
they will not allow me to drop the local channels.Can you opt out of locals and save the $5 now?
Your last statement brought the old saying to mind...."no one expects the Spanish Inquisition"
Has anybody been able to drop the locals to save the $10.00?
Dish just added it as a separate fee. I think they will use it as a bargaining chip against the local stations. When they have contract disputes with the local providers now Dish can tell their customers "see how much the locals are raising prices?". Then the customers will rise up against the locals and give Dish more bargaining power during negotiations!
Agreed, that's why I am trying to at least approximate with any known figures if DISH is in line with others or totally blowing smoke. My first thought was they are on the higher end though not excessively so. But then I see some others charging a surcharge of $7.50 to $8.50+ and if they are as described (a surcharge which would mean in addition to the normal charge) then maybe DISH isn't charging more. All of them are making a profit obviously but I maintain likely none of them have dramatically increased the profit to increase prices, not in these times. Most of the increase is due to contracts and that goes for all programming.
Yes, very much along those lines DISH is trying to make a point about locals costs. To drive it home though I think they must eventually allow them to be A La Carte in all packages if they can. It is what they did with the Flex Pack and the expensive Sports channels, as well as locals.
I hope you aren't inferring that I am thinking that, at all. Any breakout of charges, real or spin, is at least a step in the right direction. It can then be a gauge of customer wishes if they get a lot of questions or complaints about why am I being charged extra for locals when I don't really want them. "Why can't I remove them like customers on the Flex Pack can?" Any amount of choice the customer can have, real or perceived, is helpful.
I think this is just another Line Item that they can increase at the customers expense with a Back up excuse.
Thats my thought on this $10 locals box.
What I find more hilarious is no one questions why all of a sudden our Americas Top 120, 200, and 250 are $5 cheaper?
So none of those channels warranted an increase, Just the locals?
What did all those network channels all of a sudden ask for less money this year?
Sorry , Not buying into that for a second.
I noticed that also. I am guessing that is now the minimum amount Dish needs to charge in order to make any money on an account. So, my guess is that if Dish ever allows the locals to be removed from Welcome Pack, the price without locals will be $15. Perhaps they could make Welcome Pack $14.99 and require at least one $10 add-on, for a total of at least $24.99. (This model would be similar to what Dish does with International Basic, since you can't get that package by itself.) This would give Welcome Pack subscribers more flexibility, and in effect, it would convert Welcome Pack into a cheaper version of Flex Pack.
All I know is that my bill increased and I haven't had the local NBC (KTVM) channel in weeks!!! On a fixed income - no eating out, or movies - so this is our only entertainment. Been a Dish customer over 20 years. Getting harder and harder to negotiate with Dish for any type of customer loyalty discount.
I have to disagree - DISH has been giving a very good discount to current customers for a few months now. There are tons of posts on how to get it here. I am paying $15 less for the same package guaranteed for two years, I am grandfathered at $7 for a DVR fee - another savings of several dollars. DISH also moved so many channels from the Top 250 to also be in the Top 200 that I was able to save another $10 and drop to the Top 200. I am paying about $30 less a month for just about the same programming and the same equipment.
Thank you for your comment Tampa8, However in moving from the top 250 to 200, we would be loosing many of the movie channels which we rely on for entertainment. It's not impossible to still get a "customer loyalty" discount, but just seems harder and harder. Now Chiller has been removed. A great late night channel for some of us old age insomniacs
I agree. I looked at dropping down from AT250 to AT200 doesn't work for me either. Too many movie channels like the Encores, FXM, also Logo, NatGeo Wild, etc. would be lost. The extra $10 a month is worth it for me. I called and got the price freeze for 2 years and HBO for $10 a month for nearly 2 years and the Movie Pack for $5 rather than $10 for the next 6 months. I feel Dish is really trying to satisfy their customers and keep them. I have been with Dish since 1999, and no others have what Dish has and the price is less. What I do not get from Dish, like BBC World, France24, DWTV, etc, I get streaming off the Roku.
Thank you for your comment Tampa8, However in moving from the top 250 to 200, we would be loosing many of the movie channels which we rely on for entertainment. It's not impossible to still get a "customer loyalty" discount, but just seems harder and harder. Now Chiller has been removed. A great late night channel for some of us old age insomniacs
Moving to a lower package isn't perfect for everyone, in my case there was one channel left in the Top 250 not in the Top 200 that I watched, NatGeoW. So paying $10 for that one channel was not worth it. But that was simply one suggestion, my bigger point was I feel you are wrong about how hard it is to get a current customer deal. For months they have been offering $10 off and also offering $5 off for autopay. The deal is very close to a new customer deal.
With this latest info I am more convinced the cost to providers for locals is approaching $10 as DISH is charging. This is in line with what I posted earlier, remember this link is talking about a surcharge - not the actual amount being charged. Also Charter had already started charging a similar fee in other of their markets.
http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2017/02/cable_company_adds_broadcast_charge.html
http://www.masslive.com/business-news/index.ssf/2017/02/cable_company_adds_broadcast_charge.html
