Tribune Broadcasting Company Blacks Out DISH Customers in 33 Markets;

I can watch CBS live online, and find some other network programming online but would I make that my choice from now on? No I would switch first . Many can get OTA if they put up an antenna, hope the signal stays strong all the time, record just one channel at a time with DISH etc, but will they. No I don't think so not if they have a choice.

If Dish didn't offer them, I think many would find alternates (OTA or online).
Again, unlike even 5 years ago, the online options have changed the landscape.

The satellite is just easier right now. Many probably haven't even looked at other options because there was no need. If there was a need the options today are vastly different that 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago.

Shoot, if I was still paying a separate fee for locals and could decline it instead, I probably would.
Back when that was a choice, the alternatives weren't as good as they are now.
But if I could decline and save $10/mo, that goes a long way toward alternatives.
Could probably set up a decent antenna to get OTA for less than the cost for 1 year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jamesjimcie
Some would, most imo would not keep a TV service with no locals. By far, very far more people watch the Networks in Prime Time over Cable. The people getting by without locals or easy access to them are cord cutters, they will hunt and pick not those paying for traditional TV. Very few have DISH as long as I have, if they decided to have no locals I would have to get another service.
 
I am hearing some buzz that they could be CLOSE to a deal.

Keep your fingers crossed.

With the fall season upon us, both parties need to resolve this. If anything, I feel that this has hurt Tribune more. I used to watch the morning and evening news on my local CW WPIX11 along with a slew of reruns. I've since moved on to another channel for my news needs and its much better. I've also found other reruns. I miss my block of DC shows but if this continues, I'll just watch them on the app. Dish will still get my money but Tribune may not get my viewership the longer this continues.
 
Once ATSC 3.0 rolls out and becomes widespread everyone will want OTA reception for local (and more) broadcasts.

ATSC was supposed to bring all that crap too. Never happened ATSC 3.0 if it ever does come will be nothing more than basically MPEG4 or HEVC to cram two, three, or more stations on one 6Mhz slot and sell the rest as spectrum bait.
 
Not been quite that long yet. Dish Network just launched in 1996 and DirecTV/USSB/DSS in 1994. Locals didn't come around until 1998-1999 and really into their own about 2001 or so when the first spot beam DBS birds came online.
2001 is when My market was added.


Samsung Galaxy S6 Active
 
2001 is when My market was added.


Samsung Galaxy S6 Active

That is the same time Birmingham was added to both Dish and DirecTV too. I had just moved over to DirecTV from TVRO then. At the time they were putting in "DirecTV Plus" dishes here because Birmingham was on 119W. Later after DirecTV 4S was launched they moved over to 101W.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jamesjimcie
Normally I would agree with you, but I'm guessing that by putting a price tag on locals, and allowing customers to see how much of their bill goes just to locals, they may no be so inclined to want them.
I wonder how much of the $10/month goes to the locals vs. cost & profit for Dish.

I think you over estimate the value of locals today. I think the local stations over estimate their value too, which is why we end up with carriage disputes.
I think you under estimate the value of locals. Whether you do or not, people like their local news. Are the stations worth what they're charging? Kind of hard to say since we don't know what they're charging.

Oh, and the stations ARE free to those who want to go through the effort of putting up an antenna (with the rare exception of those who can't receive the signal).
 
I wonder how much of the $10/month goes to the locals vs. cost & profit for Dish.

I think you under estimate the value of locals. Whether you do or not, people like their local news. Are the stations worth what they're charging? Kind of hard to say since we don't know what they're charging.

Oh, and the stations ARE free to those who want to go through the effort of putting up an antenna (with the rare exception of those who can't receive the signal).

Except the question is that they are charging at all aside from how much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jamesjimcie
Just to point out Directv has 10 locals blacked out now with two companies.. They (the locals) have the same verbiage they use with DISH about negotiating proper market value.... Dish makes a bigger splash and seems to take on the bigger companies but this is an issue that isn't going away till changes are made.
 
Yes you're right.
DIRECTV or Cable.

OTA or online.
Locals aren't worth the added cost of either of cable or DTV.

Outside of local newscasts, local stations offer nothing that's not available through other means.

And I really don't think the local news hosts are that important. Online venues offer more depth of coverage and again, you aren't coupled to the station schedule.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: jamesjimcie
OTA or online.
Locals aren't worth the added cost of either of cable or DTV.

Outside of local new casts, local stations offer nothing that's not available through other means.

And I really don't think the local news hosts are that important. Online venues offer more depth of coverage and again, you aren't coupled to the station schedule.
If you say so...

Samsung Galaxy S6 Active
 
Considering CBS has been very vocal about getting $2 and up per sub when they blacked out Time Warner, it would be a good assumption that a large portion of the $10 a month is going back to the local affiliates and then on to the Networks.

I think it has always been that way too. Maybe some are not understanding how much the cost to providers have gone up due to locals. In the other site someone posted how locals only cost $5.99 so DISH is making so much money in the Flex Pack for the $10 locals charge. There is no way in ---- the cost to DISH and providers is that low and I'm not even including other costs besides payments to them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jamesjimcie
Some would, most imo would not keep a TV service with no locals. By far, very far more people watch the Networks in Prime Time over Cable. The people getting by without locals or easy access to them are cord cutters, they will hunt and pick not those paying for traditional TV. Very few have DISH as long as I have, if they decided to have no locals I would have to get another service.

Because no one had satellite without local retransmission right.
The millions of C-band dishes were just a figment of my imagination.
The summer of '93 I spent installing them (1-2 a day, for 3 months) with HTS receivers didn't happen.
'95-'97 when I had a BUD and HTS VIII and paid for VCII subscriptions, it was actually a drug induced trip.


Can't have satellite TV w/o local station on the satellite.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jamesjimcie
I think it has always been that way too. Maybe some are not understanding how much the cost to providers have gone up due to locals. In the other site someone posted how locals only cost $5.99 so DISH is making so much money in the Flex Pack for the $10 locals charge. There is no way in ---- the cost to DISH and providers is that low and I'm not even including other costs besides payments to them.
People simplify things too often. They think that the locals cost $5.99 / month today and there's room for some profit in there for Dish. No one here knows that... Dish may be losing money, breaking even, or making money at that rate. They may also use it as a loss-leader with the AT packages whereas in Flex, it reflects a more accurate cost.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk
 
Because no one had satellite without local retransmission right.
The millions of C-band dishes were just a figment of my imagination.
The summer of '93 I spent installing them (1-2 a day, for 3 months) with HTS receivers didn't happen.
'95-'97 when I had a BUD and HTS VIII and paid for VCII subscriptions, it was actually a drug induced trip.


Can't have satellite TV w/o local station on the satellite.

Are you really trying to compare Big Dish customers of almost 20 years ago to the close to 30 million small dish subscribers of today? And just how many of those customers still exist? Are you aware DISH didn't even start service till 1996? Directv just previous? They changed the landscape and what people expect.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 2)