Life after the merger

[shilton]

Ok great...now the merger is officially over and life can move on. I would have supported it, but knew we wouldn't get it. Just too bad that D* and E* could not have called it off a day sooner, then maybe we could have heard Charlie slip into "Plan B" mode last night on the chat. Now that this is all behind us, I hope Charlie will waste no time in unveiling the great master plan that is going to move Echostar into the next phase of their growth. From the calls to the chat last night, I am hearing a few things over and over again that till now have gone unanswered...(1) More people want more locals (obviously). I think any of us as of yet unserved want to see our city added even though it may never happen. (2). People want MORE CHANNELS and MORE CHOICES. How many times must subs ask for Trio, Oxygen, HBO-ZONE, etc before someone listens and may I add the FITNESS CHANNEL to my request too? And LOSE TNT??? Hope not. We all know price increases are on the Horizon, but I hope Charlie is ready to back them up with at least a few channel announcements. Of course I will pay more if I feel I am getting more.

Sounds as if Charlie is geaing up for another go at ammending the SHVA. Let's hope so. I want a piece of that one. I have written my Representatives more times than I can count already asking for revisions that would relax "must carry" and permit better chances for receptions of Distants, etc.

Some say with the merger, the party's over. I say its just starting...Now is the time for Charlie to step up to the plate and dig in to prove to us all that the company can be bigger and better without D*. Any ideas as to what will be coming next???

[Curtis0620]

No TNT, No NESN. Who knows what's next? Maybe ESPN.

[Owner of a TV with no \"Off\" button]

Hey Charlie didn't buy PanAmSat so he's got a few $billion to upgrade his present service.

[jened]

shilton,
do you have a copy of what you wrote that you wouldn't mind sharing. i'd kind of like to do something similiar to my reps but i don't feel knowledgable enough to do so. thanks.

[Sandman]

EchoStar Pays $600M Breakup Fee

By Ted Hearn
Multichannel News
12/10/2002 9:44:00 AM

EchoStar Communications Corp. has paid a $600 million cash breakup fee to Hughes Electronics Corp. as the companies formally called off their merger plans, the companies said in a joint statement.

As part of the termination agreement, EchoStar is no longer required to pay $2.7 billion for 81 percent of PanAmSat Corp., which is owned by Hughes, the companies said.

Shares of EchoStar and Hughes surged on the news.

EchoStar said it would take a $700 million charge to cover the breakup fee and other merger-related charges.

The companies said they called off the deal after the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission refused to approve the merger, which regulators called anti-competitive and injurious to consumers.

[hectorshelagh2001]

I say a new merger looms on the horizon - Charlie will make a call to Mr Dolan and the Rainbow assets will soon be in DISH's control - 11 more frequencies at 61.5, plus a brand new satellite. That would mean DISH would own 22 frequencies, lease 6 frequencies and use 2 frequencies at 61.5. 61.5 is good for those of us in the northeast.

[Geronimo]

61.5 assets are of limited use. If thsi were to happen they would probably be used for more locals. Good news for Baltimore, Hartford and Albany I guess.

Just curious hector have you ever tried to receive the CONUS slots? The reservation is in the Northeast and I know people a lot further East than I am that get them just fine despite living in urban or suburban areas.

[Chris Freeland]

If I am not mistaken that Satellite that Cablevision is about ready to launch is a Spotbeam Satellite. If E* should get control of those assets that would also give them ownership or controle of 30 TP's at 61.5, combine that with a spotbeam satellite it would give E* room to do a lot of locals in the Eastern and Central time zones. The only question is would these assets be worth the cost just to do more locals in smaller markets, all of which would require a 2-dish solution?

[Jacob S]

Maybe this is a good thing and we will see more good out of this than bad. Charlie will have to try harder and make more of an attempt to compete more. Now he realizes he will have to do something to get the prices down and keep them down. Now he realizes that he will have to go through other options to get the locals up. This may make him have to be more competetive in which he did not want to do, but he sees what he has to do now. I think we are still in for some more changes.

[SParker]

I still think Dish and DTV should do some sort of locals sharing so duplication is not necessary, thus being able to have more locals. Is that legal to do?

[Chris Freeland]

Originally posted by SParker
I still think Dish and DTV should do some sort of locals sharing so duplication is not necessary, thus being able to have more locals. Is that legal to do?

I agree, just not shore if it will ever happen :( .

[shilton]

Originally posted by SParker
I still think Dish and DTV should do some sort of locals sharing so duplication is not necessary, thus being able to have more locals. Is that legal to do?
Not sure that is possible, as they both use different technologies to deliver the signal. That was the whole thing with the merger had i gone through that would have required Charlie to replace either all the Echostar Receivers or the DirectV receivers (or at least burn new software to them that would have put them on the SAME type of technology).

I don't think this would be viable unless both companies agreed to adopt the SAME standard and why would they, as then it would be even easier than now to switch back and forth.

Besides, every hear of AT&T sharing services with MCI??? Just won't happen even if it would be good for the consumers, cause it isn't good for them. The only thing they may have going between them now if who has services that the other does not and who costs the least.

[Mark Holtz]

From what I see, GM and Dish came to an agreement to terminate and avoid any litigation. Dish pays $600 to GM, and walks away, and GM doesn't require Dish to buy PamAmSat in exchange for not going through years of lawsuits about possible alternative buy-out plans for DirecTV.

Oh, and remember, Charlie got a real good look at DirecTV books as well through the past several months.

[Mark Holtz]

Also, there has to be a way for DirecTV and Dish Network to work together on the POPs for locals. Oh well.

[Geronimo]

Actually ATT and MCI have shared lines. It is common in telecommunications. There are tech issues to be sure but there are bandwidth limitations too.

I am not sure it will happen anytime soon but it would be a good idea.

I agree Chris that it would mean more locals if DISH took over more 61.5 slots ---exactly what I said.

[hectorshelagh2001]

I think if DISH had use of 30 of the 32 frequencies (11 of their own, 11 in a deal with Rainbow, 6 on lease from Dominion and 2 unallotted) than they could offer full services from 61.5, not just locals.

Am I right in my thinking here or not?

[Bob Haller]

If dish buys those cablevision assetts just put the spotbeam in a full conus and add more 500 Dish LILs....

Cablevisions PLAN is smoke and mirrors, definetely not eniugh bandwidth to be useful.

Theres another plan for more LILs... just wait. Technically they could carry thew entire country, its ONLY a matrter of $

[sorahl]

:) EVERYTHING Cablevision does is smoke and mirrors. I despise Cablevision (said in Bob Grant voice). :)

They do do Internet well though :)

John

[Geronimo]

Well 61.5 is not a conus slot hector. They would not WANT to do it from there. Their west coast customers would scream so unles they can come up with extra capacity at 148 too that might not be workable.

Besides you just put poor Sky Angel out of business.

I know you think the 61.5 slot is the greatest thsing in the world (or the sky) but not everyone can see it. It really does work best for locals.


but since DISH is not likely to do this anytime soon I doubt it matters.:sure: :sure:

[Mike123abc]

61.5 would be ideal to serve the east coast small markets with LIL. 61.5 has a good elevation on the east coast, in fact pretty much to the Mississippi. If they got the cablevision slot and satellite, it is a fairly agressive spot beam satellite, they could probably do another 40 markets of LiL. Of course all the cities would be 2 dish cities then.

Another use for the satellite would be to put up the ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX in HDTV for the top cities in the east. This would be a big win for the DBS war with cable. They could do NY, Chicago, Philly, Boston, Dallas, DC, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Tampa, Miami, Cleveland, Orlando, Pittsburg, St. Louis, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Carlotte, Hartford, Raleigh, and Nashville.

[Geronimo]

Agred MIke it is good for locals. Of course for even this to happen we need all those Rainbow, SA, and unallocated TPs.

My only point is that I think it is not ideal for full national coverage. But everyone lives at Hector's house or here at the reservation (but you are all welcome) so 61.5, like 148 is a side slot best suited for regional programming.

[hectorshelagh2001]

A little info about me ...
I don't own a DBS system
I do have ATT (I guess it's Comcast now)
My only problem concerning DBS is I live on a 90 by 50 lot with trees and hills to the south.

If I did get DBS, I'd get DISH ... they have more frequencies and therefore are capable of carrying more channels.

Hector

[boba]

My big question what will the Headlines be tomorrow will Rupert make a bid for DirecTV?

[Richard King]

Just too bad that D* and E* could not have called it off a day sooner, then maybe we could have heard Charlie slip into "Plan B" mode last night on the chat.I wonder if the timing was related to the fact that there was a chat scheduled for last night. The fact that everything was called off the day after a chat seems interesting to me.

[Geronimo]

NewsCorp is almost certaqin to make a bid but it will take time.

[Jacob S]

Think about it this way, is it more likely that Direct will sell out or are they more likely to sharing bandwidth with Dish to bring all the locals out? Which would benefit Direct more? Which would benefit the customers more? Is it legal?