OLN Dropped by Dish over Programming Disputes

sA :: Shaggy said:
you really care about oln that much, Its the bull riding isnt ? :)

good one. dish is going to receive hardly any complaints. they know there will be a few, but like i said before, the nhl is not a bargining chip. i like it and a few others do, but they have no ratings.
 
sA :: Shaggy said:
you really care about oln that much, Its the bull riding isnt ? :)

See my earlier post. Tour de France and America's Cup. And our family is into hockey, and WAS looking forward to seeing hockey on OLN on Dish.
Until this Comcast - Dish squabble....

Well, in spite of being a 4 year dish sub, there are other places to go....
We shall see....
 
RonMort046 said:
Charlie is A Democrat? Really? A rich Democrat? Isn't that redundant? Finally, I found a reason to like him.

If Charlie Ergen was a GOP, he'd be an idiot. The republican party will NEVER punish a monopoly acting ant-competively. Cable knows exactly which party will allow it to use it's power to squash the competition, GOP. DEMs want competition, GOPs want monopolies.
 
jeffwtux said:
If Charlie Ergen was a GOP, he'd be an idiot. The republican party will NEVER punish a monopoly acting ant-competively. Cable knows exactly which party will allow it to use it's power to squash the competition, GOP. DEMs want competition, GOPs want monopolies.
nah they both want MONEY and charlie (being his usual thrifty self) would only spend money on the side that was SUPPOSED to win (GORES)..Rupert on the other hand..spent his money wisely on REPUBLICANS!!!
 
RonMort046 said:
Just wondering if there are any Center Ice subscribers on Dish who are complaining. You will pay a lot of money to watch hockey and probably by that subscription alone, you likely pay more money to Dish than any of the cheerleading squad for the Satellite Fuhrer and his sports bashing crew, and you will be struck out of many playoff games. For example, I subscribe to NBA LP, and I'd be pretty burned up if TNT and ESPN playoff games were not available.

I am a CI subscriber and I was not pleased to see that E* was not showing the OLN Games. I upgraded to 180 to get OLN so I could watch the Penguins games shown only on OLN. Luckily, I was able to downgrade back to 120 at no cost because of this current issue. I hope that it gets sorted out soon, but lucky for me the Penguins only play a few games on OLN, so I won't miss many of them. Of course, the way they are playing right now, missing some more might not be a bad thing. :mad: :(
 
Sports Tier part was directed toward cable operators.
Note: OLN spokeswoman Amy Phillips would only say that the network is willing to work with Cablevision and other distributors to “bring hockey to as many people as possible.”
so yes Comcast will strong arm this issue with Dish Network or just do without. remember it is Dish Network that is pulling this not Comcast.
 
also 40% is a small amount when you compare to the 85% that most cable networks ask for. in other words if I wanted xyz channel in a tier and there is a 85% clause in the contract and I have only 60% viewership then I cannot put that channel in the tier. Dish Network could have resolved this by complying with the 40% clause in the contract. Remind you also Cablevision is having this same problem because of the placement of OLN in there packages.
 
Dish slashes Comcast's NHL channel

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A three-way brawl over National Hockey League games has broken out among Comcast, Cablevision and EchoStar, which on Thursday ejected the Comcast-owned OLN channel from its Dish Network lineup.

Earlier this month, Comcast began replacing NHL games scheduled on the channel with other OLN programing on systems run by Cablevision and EchoStar. The two distributors were put in Comcast's penalty box because they put OLN on channel tiers available to fewer than 40 percent of their subscribers, according to a Comcast spokesman.

Sources said EchoStar stunned Comcast brass by yanking the channel without warning. Company executives flew to the satellite service's Denver headquarters Thursday to negotiate a truce, but after 10 minutes of discussion, EchoStar ended the meeting, citing an unspecified crisis.

By the time the Comcast delegation's plane touched down at its home base in Philadelphia, EchoStar had issued a statement signaling its intent to pull the plug.

In a statement Thursday, EchoStar blasted Comcast's "strong-arm tactics," explaining that moving OLN to a more accessible tier would result in the satellite service having to pay more for the channel, a cost it would be forced to pass on to customers.

"We work hard to provide choice for our customers and to keep prices low," EchoStar senior vp programing Eric Sahl said in the statement.

OLN countered with a statement of its own. "We are surprised and disappointed that Dish has unilaterally chosen to stop providing OLN to its customers. ... We are also disappointed that EchoStar cut off the ongoing discussions with

OLN."

MORE BAD NEWS FOR HOCKEY

The OLN blackout represents a setback for the perennially struggling NHL, which signed away its TV rights to Comcast in August for a three-year deal estimated to be worth $200 million. After ESPN declined to pick up another hockey season amid poor ratings and a lockout that canceled the 2004-05 season, the league suddenly is seeing its visibility reduced in key markets like the New York-New Jersey area that Cablevision serves.

Thus begins another contentious face-off between programing and distribution in the subscription-TV world, which, like hockey itself, is occasionally marred by nasty battles pitting combatants capable of landing low blows.

EchoStar chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen has shown that he is more than willing to pull the jersey over a programmer's head. In March 2004, he removed all Viacom-owned channels from Dish Network for 48 hours before reaching a new carriage deal with the conglomerate. In January 2001, it took a federal injunction to keep EchoStar from dumping Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC Family in a similar fracas.

But now EchoStar is going toe-to-toe with Comcast, the biggest cable operator in the country and owner of a growing portfolio of channels, including E! Networks, Golf Channel and

G4.

Cablevision has no plans to pull OLN, according to a spokesman. But the operator isn't giving up the fight, either. "We continue to carry OLN, and we continue to call upon them to cease their illegal electronic blocking of hockey games in New York," the spokesman said.

EchoStar currently slots OLN on its America's Top 180 channel package, which isn't as popular among its 11.4 million subscribers. Cablevision slots OLN on a separate sports tier that costs an additional $4.95.

Comcast wants to see both distributors upgrade OLN to channel positions that will put them in front of 40 percent of their subscriber bases, commonly accepted as the baseline for pro sports programing.

Formerly known as Outdoor Life Network, OLN is available in 65 million homes
 
Chris Walker said:
And did we forget when Directv was going to drop ABC Family?

Forget? no. DirecTV? no. Dish? yes:
In January 2001, it took a federal injunction to keep EchoStar from dumping Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC Family in a similar fracas.

how's it looking on Dish ?
 
If (and it's a mighty big IF) I want to watch NHL hockey, it won' t be on some piddly 240x200 resolution feed, it will be in 1080i HD on HDNet! Who knows? Maybe Mark Cuban can be convinced to carry the Tour de France...
 
Can we quit the OLN bashing? If you don't watch it, fine, but some of us do. You shouldn't need to see 3,000 different users post how they miss it. You should know that while there is like 26,000 of us here, I recognize almost ever user in this thread. Same old handful of guys. The people affected by this aren't going to flock to the site and post their disgust, so get over it.

OLN is not a new channel, OLN is not only known for NHL (i've yet to see an 'NHL on OLN' commercial actually), enough already. of the 180+ channels, OLN has as much of a place as at least 125 of them. OLN is as popular and unknown as CSTV, and cstv's closest thing to a "killer app" program is what, college football games that are locally interesting? They don't get big games or anything do they?

Dish is wrong, Comcast is wrong, let them fight it out and let's end this in-fighting, we're not even on the topic half the time...
 
I have nothing against OLN, even though I don't really watch it. Dish I feel goes over board fighting with these networks. one of these days they will all get together and tell Dish to F**k themselves and then Dish will be up creek without a paddle with nothing to offer.
 
GaryPen said:
I notice you spell "his" with an upper case "H". That's usually only spelled that way when referring to one's god. :bow

"Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse, and helping your uncle jack off a horse."
 
Here's the answer I got by writing to CEO@echostar.com, I put x's over the name, phone number, and email of the person that wrote back (I called, but person was out or on phone, I'll let you know more when they call back):

--------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your email. I do apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. The owners of (OLN) have recently demanded drastic rate increases which would result in additional fees that would have to be passed on to you in the form of a higher bill each month.

We are working very hard to come to a rapid solution, and we ask that you please give us the opportunity to resolve this issue.

Thank you,

XXXXX XXXXXXXX

Customer Resolution Specialist

Executive Office of Dish Network

Phone: 720-xxx-xxxx

Email xxxxxx.xxxxxx@echostar.com
 
Customer Resolution Specialist just called from Echostar Executive Office.

Apparently Echostar and OLN are in middle of contract, and OLN decided to demand changes in contract in middle of contract (demand the 40% of Dish subscribers be offered OLN). These extra subscribers would cost Dish more, and thus Dish is objecting.

Dish felt that blacking out the hockey games on Monday and Tuesday violated terms of their agreement with OLN, so Dish stopped showing OLN altogether Thursday night. The good news is that the two sides are still talking, and the Customer Resolution Specialist thought this would be resolved soon.
 
I think that when you sign a contract you have to honor it and I think that comcast needs to know that its time to give up and let dish have its hockey.
 
cablewithaview said:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A three-way brawl over National Hockey League games has broken out among Comcast, Cablevision and EchoStar, which on Thursday ejected the Comcast-owned OLN channel from its Dish Network lineup.

Earlier this month, Comcast began replacing NHL games scheduled on the channel with other OLN programing on systems run by Cablevision and EchoStar. The two distributors were put in Comcast's penalty box because they put OLN on channel tiers available to fewer than 40 percent of their subscribers, according to a Comcast spokesman.

Sources said EchoStar stunned Comcast brass by yanking the channel without warning. Company executives flew to the satellite service's Denver headquarters Thursday to negotiate a truce, but after 10 minutes of discussion, EchoStar ended the meeting, citing an unspecified crisis.

By the time the Comcast delegation's plane touched down at its home base in Philadelphia, EchoStar had issued a statement signaling its intent to pull the plug.

In a statement Thursday, EchoStar blasted Comcast's "strong-arm tactics," explaining that moving OLN to a more accessible tier would result in the satellite service having to pay more for the channel, a cost it would be forced to pass on to customers.

"We work hard to provide choice for our customers and to keep prices low," EchoStar senior vp programing Eric Sahl said in the statement.

OLN countered with a statement of its own. "We are surprised and disappointed that Dish has unilaterally chosen to stop providing OLN to its customers. ... We are also disappointed that EchoStar cut off the ongoing discussions with

OLN."

MORE BAD NEWS FOR HOCKEY

The OLN blackout represents a setback for the perennially struggling NHL, which signed away its TV rights to Comcast in August for a three-year deal estimated to be worth $200 million. After ESPN declined to pick up another hockey season amid poor ratings and a lockout that canceled the 2004-05 season, the league suddenly is seeing its visibility reduced in key markets like the New York-New Jersey area that Cablevision serves.

Thus begins another contentious face-off between programing and distribution in the subscription-TV world, which, like hockey itself, is occasionally marred by nasty battles pitting combatants capable of landing low blows.

EchoStar chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen has shown that he is more than willing to pull the jersey over a programmer's head. In March 2004, he removed all Viacom-owned channels from Dish Network for 48 hours before reaching a new carriage deal with the conglomerate. In January 2001, it took a federal injunction to keep EchoStar from dumping Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC Family in a similar fracas.

But now EchoStar is going toe-to-toe with Comcast, the biggest cable operator in the country and owner of a growing portfolio of channels, including E! Networks, Golf Channel and

G4.

Cablevision has no plans to pull OLN, according to a spokesman. But the operator isn't giving up the fight, either. "We continue to carry OLN, and we continue to call upon them to cease their illegal electronic blocking of hockey games in New York," the spokesman said.

EchoStar currently slots OLN on its America's Top 180 channel package, which isn't as popular among its 11.4 million subscribers. Cablevision slots OLN on a separate sports tier that costs an additional $4.95.

Comcast wants to see both distributors upgrade OLN to channel positions that will put them in front of 40 percent of their subscriber bases, commonly accepted as the baseline for pro sports programing.

Formerly known as Outdoor Life Network, OLN is available in 65 million homes

I really would not like a $2+ increase in my monthly bill, thank you. Average annual increases are about $1-2 for AT180, which I have, but if OLN gets dropped to a lower tier, I don't want to pay $4-5 more for AT180 come February. If that happens, I'm blaming YOU, buddy! :p
 
E* needs to stick to their guns. Just wanting wider coverage isn't enough to compel everyone to do whatever you want. If they bid on the NHL, and now need more subs, how is that E*'s problem?

They can't show that OLN is in such high demand that it justifies moving it to a lower tier. Even if they could show that it is in high demand, who's to say that it wouldn't result in a large number of E* subscribers reducing their subscriptions to Top 120 instead of Top 180?
 

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