Rainbow Media puts pressure on Dish Network

[Ilya]

This is being discussed in a Dish Network thread. Since this might be important for VOOM as well, I thought it should be mentioned in this forum too.

An unnamed Dish reseller has received a fax from Dish Network today stating the following:

"If contract negotiations are not resolved, effective Thursday, December 30th at 11:59pm PT, DISH Network is contractually required to remove channels provided by Rainbow Media from their line-up. These changes affect (your company name here) customers as well. DISH Network has always fought to provide the widest range of programming at the lowest possible price. Due to price increases these providers are attempting to impose, DISH Network may remove these channels during the contract negotiations continue."

The affected E* channels are:

AMC - channel 130
Fuse - channel 158
IFC - channel 131
W/E (women's entertainment) - 128

MSG - channel 412
Fox Bay Area - channel 419
Fox cincinnati - channel 427
Fox Florida - channel 423
Fox New England - chanel 435
Fox New York - channel 413
Fox Ohio - channel 425

 

[vurbano]

raise the price baby...

 

[riffjim4069]

Charlie offers to buy V* DBS assets with pocket change; Dolan gets pissed and increases the programming rates offered to E* in order to fund Rainbow DBS operating expenses over the next 24 months. Too funny!

 

[Stargazer]

Another excuse to raise the prices?

 

[vurbano]

well are the channels off on Dish?

 

[Bruce]

Nope

 

[Bruce]

well are the channels off on Dish?

Nope, still on.

 

[jgantert]

Those are horrible channels... let 'em go.

It's not about how many channels they can carry, but how many GOOD channels they can carry! Unfortunately, Dish probably doesn't see it that way...

-John

 

[MarcelV]

Those are horrible channels... let 'em go.

That's just based on your taste. Personally, I watch IFC on regular base, even that's SD. And overall ratings are decent for those cable channels, so I am not the only one watching.....

I have a kind of deja-vu here, let's say the word Viacom...

What's Charlie thinking? this is the third time in a little over a year....
To me it looks like Charlie is losing it....

 

[vinnyv07]

I watch an occasional movie on AMC , but if those ch's where to disappear I wouldnt know it if nobody brought it to my attention. Not one of those ch's are ch's that I look for. Its really all a matter of taste....but I dont need those ch's.

 

[vurbano]

Charlie cannot afford to lose more ground to D*. This would be a loss in the non HD channel categories to D*. I smell a merger with V*

 

[DarrellP]

Can them, they're not worth the bandwidth anyway.

 

[dmason]

All these D* E* V* etc is very annoying - I really don't understand what the problem with spelling is.

 

[andrzej]

All these D* E* V* etc is very annoying - I really don't understand what the problem with spelling is.

So spell it out. Others will not. But, I am sure they will not complain that you do.

 

[rtt2]

Actually D*s contract with Rainbow is almost up as well. Rainbow has very little negotiating power here.

I read this in a trade maga zine a while ago. I will try and dig it up.

 

[rtt2]

The question for Rainbow is: How can it grow IFC beyond its 33.65 million subscribers — most of whom are digital customers, either on cable or satellite. They represent less than half of a universe of 75 million homes passed. That subscriber number is 19% higher than a year ago as of Sept. 30, and involves deals with almost every major MSO.

THE DBS BOOST

Most of that carriage is on direct-broadcast satellite carriers DirecTV Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp.’s Dish Network, where IFC is available to 20 to 25 million homes, appearing on the DBS equivalent of expanded-basic tiers.

 

[Sean Mota]

Rainbow has very little negotiating power here..

Wonder why? I will assume that anyone involved in programming always has the upper hand since the DBS or Cable providers do not want to see themselves at a disadvantage against the competition. Personally, I don't watch any of those channels. Heck, I do not watch any SD channel so they can go dark tomorrow and I will not say anything. But there is a population that does watch them. We cannot measure our programming preference and generalize it to be everyone's. Some one out there is watching them. Heck some one out there is even watching the shopping channels even though I have never stopped at those stations.

 

[rtt2]

I still can't find the quote;

but when your two major distribution partners that make up the majority of tyhe viewiers and revenues there is little ground to stand on. Thisisa basic concept I learned back in grad school when I took my negotiating classes.

If most distribution partners don't carry these little viewed channels whereelse are viewers goingto go. DirecTV has already indicated it is going to be playing hardball in upcomming negotiations. We saw that with Trio.

AMC has a major lawsuit against it by Time Warner Cable for changing format and has already threatened to drop it as well.

Rainbow media is not big enought to get the upper hand like Viacom.

 

[Sean Mota]

Isn't the question too are there more cable subs than dbs subs or viceversa? Let me know if I am wrong but wasn't there more cables subs than DBS subs combined?

 

[MarcelV]

Rainbow media is not big enought to get the upper hand like Viacom.

Wonder why you think that with the ownership of some of the RSN's....