OXYGEN Available !!

[Tvfan24/7]

Doesn't seem like there is the that much of an outcry against Dish for dropping the two channels, which I am glad for. They don't have the same clout as companies like Viacom, NBC Universal etc. so why do they think that they can just force another channel on subscribers that has content that has been shown and repeated on Lifetime over the years?
I'm glad Charlie added Oxygen. At least its actually owned by women.

 

[angiecopus]

but oxygen doesn't show the nanny or the golden girls. which i truely enjoyed on lifetime.

 

[Chris Walker]

but oxygen doesn't show the nanny or the golden girls. which i truely enjoyed on lifetime.

The Nanny should be on your locals. I saw it on WWOR this afternoon. Golden Girls is a Lifetime exclusive I think though.

 

[Weezknight]

The Nanny should be on your locals. I saw it on WWOR this afternoon. Golden Girls is a Lifetime exclusive I think though.

I may be wrong, but I believe the Golden Girls are now being released on DVD.

 

[Peter Parker]

I first subbed to satellite to gain access toa wide array of channels. I don't expect to watch all of them but if the number of viewing options is continually reduced it will mean less value to all of us.

I am not sure who is right in tha dispute but I am beginning to look seriously at DTV for Lifetime (my wife watches) and MASN and addition MLB EI games.

 

[CPanther95]

I first subbed to satellite to gain access toa wide array of channels. I don't expect to watch all of them but if the number of viewing options is continually reduced it will mean less value to all of us.

No need to worry about that. The number of channels has doubled in recent history, and will continue to grow as long as the networks can continue to get paid for every channel they can force down our throats.

 

[Chris Walker]

I first subbed to satellite to gain access toa wide array of channels. I don't expect to watch all of them but if the number of viewing options is continually reduced it will mean less value to all of us.
I am not sure who is right in tha dispute but I am beginning to look seriously at DTV for Lifetime (my wife watches) and MASN and addition MLB EI games.

It's actually not been "continually reduced". Look at it this way:

Since October 2005,

Dropped:
Lifetime (will most likely return)
LMN
OLN (will probably return)

Added:
CSTV
ESPNU
NFL Network
Fox Reality
Fine Living
Oxygen

So that's a gain of 3 channels, and considering at least 2 of the 3 dropped channels will most likely come back, Dish has done a nice job of improving their lineup IMO.

I do agree that MASN needs to be added though, hopefully that will be fixed before baseball season.

 

[BobMurdoch]

I love the new additions and could care less about what they lost. Both OLN and Lifetime overestimated their worth and overplayed their hands.

Once again, I hope they stay off. It will be a lesson to the next batch to think carefully before taking the nuclear option. You may blow yourself up instead....

 

[Peter Parker]

I nerver said that it has ben continually reduced. I would guess that Lifetime will be back but at this point I see little hope that OLN will be. As for MASN I don't see much hope there---and the rumored sale to Comcast (reported on DCRTC.com) will not make that any more likely.

But as time goes on I am seeing DISH hold out on RSNs and now cable channels. It is becoming more and more likly that I could switch and save money (but lose the supers).


As for the number of channels growing tha tis tru but in sports in particular it is more channels covering the same teams with DISH chooisng to carry less than 100% of them.

 

[bookwalk]

Again, just as with HD Lite--it is NOT the quantity, but the quality of content--after all, how many channels can person watch at any given time--just one! Adding new channels--is not an increase in quality at all--for example the Fox Reality Channel--it is not as good as the original Reality Channel I saw when I first subbed to Dish.

WHere did that Original Reality Channel go? Why did it have to go? Can't we have both of them? Fox Reality just doesn't have the content--it is just reruns of Fox shows--nothing unique or intellectually-absorbing.

Lifetime--again--noone seems to realize it is the ONLY channel to have rights to broadcast Unsolved Mysteries--probably the most watched show when it was running.

 

[Sarang]

We had Oxygen when we had Direct TV,
It is no where close to Lifetime. According to my wife, everyone is missing the point.
THey she can live with out Lifetime, its the Lifetime movie channel that can not be replaced. Its like they took away HBO and Starz, "how would all the guys like that?"
She never watched Oxygen when we had it anyway. I watched Dr. Sue, that was a good "Dr Ruth type of show" I could not believe they allowed that on talk on TV-wow.

LMN? What a f**king joke. If they show the movies uncut good on them but once I found out they show commercials I just passed it by. What good's a movie channel, for women or not, if they show commercials? Seriously it's like having a someone peeing in some food or beverage you really like. Sure you like it but it's been spoiled.
The question is WHY your wife tolerates a movie channel that airs commercials. Sponsorship messages before and after and during a show like on IFC are fine though maybe "At the IFC Center" doesn't air one DURING the show. sh*t even bookend ads like THC I didn't have a problem with but straight up commercials on a MOVIE channel? Tell your wife she can take LMN AND AMC with her and hit the road. Honestly if EITHER of those channels would air commercial free and uncut I'd harrass Dish to carry both.
I LIKE Oxygen though I think they replay too many of the SAME sitcoms during the day after looking at the EPG however I applaud their efforts to reach out to the African African women demographic with "Living Single" and "A Different World". Lifetime would do well to pull their head out of their ass and try this also. Personally I think it would be great if Oxygen would reair Queen Latifah's show and potentially sign her up to do more episodes of the show. I'm surprised they haven't gone further and reached out by airing "All American Girl" with Margaret Cho. Also to the people commenting about this channel going belly up then WHY are they producing a show written or produced by Cheryl Hines from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and I'm sure the ratings from Oprah's show are nothing to sneeze at.
edit: Book shouldn't we discuss that problem? I think there's something wrong when the only reason you want a channel is for ONE program. WE only carries TWO programs I'd give a sh*t to watch even. Too much filler in general on some of these channels. FX is the "Fox Primetime at 9" channel for the most part. More unique compelling content would be nice. I have a feeling I could tune to BBC America and LEAVE it on their for the most part, HUGE compliment intended. I think more people than Dish expects would be interested in Asian Cable channels with subs, potentially in that regard.

 

[Chris Walker]

Again, just as with HD Lite--it is NOT the quantity, but the quality of content--after all, how many channels can person watch at any given time--just one! Adding new channels--is not an increase in quality at all--for example the Fox Reality Channel--it is not as good as the original Reality Channel I saw when I first subbed to Dish.

WHere did that Original Reality Channel go? Why did it have to go? Can't we have both of them? Fox Reality just doesn't have the content--it is just reruns of Fox shows--nothing unique or intellectually-absorbing.

Lifetime--again--noone seems to realize it is the ONLY channel to have rights to broadcast Unsolved Mysteries--probably the most watched show when it was running.

Dish's Reality Channel was from the UK I believe and probably didn't get very good ratings due to it's rather (IMO) bland boring content. The problem I think was that they were trying to cater to the wrong crowd, most people tuning in wanting to see "reality television" want The Real World, American Idol, Temptation Island, etc and the original Reality Channel wasn't delivering stuff like that. It was "Arrest & Trial", "Real Stories of the Emergency Room"

 

[Chris Walker]

When is Dr Sue on? I have thought of a really embarassing question I want to call in and ask her.

 

[rdinkel]

When is Dr Sue on? I have thought of a really embarassing question I want to call in and ask her.

Sunday, 11PM Eastern

 

[rtt2]

Dish owned a portion of the Reality Channel and wanted to have it distributed with other MSOs and possibly DirecTV. Once they saw there was little to no interest and that Fox's Reality channel was the preferred reality channel the channel was dropped and Dish adopted Fox's Reality channel instead.
The Reality Channel was not economically sensible to keep there would be very limited exposure and limited advertising potential.

 

[Stargazer]

I was thinking that Lifetime had some hope but if 108 is not labelled LIFE anymore then hope is going down even more. Not looking good for Lifetime.

 

[Juan]

Dish owned a portion of the Reality Channel and wanted to have it distributed with other MSOs and possibly DirecTV. Once they saw there was little to no interest and that Fox's Reality channel was the preferred reality channel the channel was dropped and Dish adopted Fox's Reality channel instead.
The Reality Channel was not economically sensible to keep there would be very limited exposure and limited advertising potential.

Actually alot of the shows that were on the e* reality channel mysteriously appeared on the Fox version. I suspect Charlie sold out to fox on that particular channel

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I don't much care if Lifetime and OLN come back. But I think it would be a good thing if they did come back, on Dish's terms. It would be good for the DBS industry for Dish to win on these fronts.

But it will be tough for Lifetime now that Dish is paying a fee to carry Oxygen. The funds used for Oxygen were in the budget for Lifetime. It may not be using all of those funds, but there is a limited amount of funding unless there is another rate hike, and Oxygen just bit off a piece of what was available.

Also as Charlie noted in his last Chat, Dish has already paid a good portion of the price for dropping Lifetime in terms of lost subscribers. Once the number of cancellations from that action starts to drop, then the incentive to go back out and get Lifetime drops considerably. Even at the old price.

I would not be surprised if Dish's next offer to Lifetime is for less than what their previous offers were.

 

[RVD420]

My guess is the Dish will offer $0.01 per sub for Lifetime, and put it in AT180.

Or Put Lifetime in AT60 and have Lifetime pay the same rates the shopping channels pay Dishnetwork.

 

[jeffwtux]

Also as Charlie noted in his last Chat, Dish has already paid a good portion of the price for dropping Lifetime in terms of lost subscribers. Once the number of cancellations from that action starts to drop, then the incentive to go back out and get Lifetime drops considerably. Even at the old price.

I would not be surprised if Dish's next offer to Lifetime is for less than what their previous offers were.

I think you just discovered Charlies playbook. He demands the same rates as Comcast from the broadcasters. If they give it to him, he accepts. If they don't he fights and pulls the station if necessary. Odds are the loses will be minimal since it's usually temporary then when he has no more incentive to sign a deal, the broadcaster gives him a long term deal at or below the deal he wanted all along. This could tip the scales in favor of the cable/dbs companies in the long run if Charlie wins.