EchoStar rate hike only the beginning

[platinum]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_1663661,00.html

[razorbackfan]

Still cheaper than cable.

[jeffwtux]

razorbackfan:

not everywhere

[toomuchtv]

not in my market either. PQ isn't as good as good as DBS though. Channel offering comparable (better in some categories). BUT...they shunned suburban areas here for so long that I won't switch to cable as a matter of principle now.

[Bogy]

How do you guys with DBS put up with the constant rate hikes? Sure glad my cable company has more stabe prices. :D

[Lyle_JP]

AT&T is a bit more expensive in my area (about $6 more for a comparable lineup), and they actually offer more channels when you consider the East and West coast feeds of most premium channels and all Cinemax channels. So what keeps me with DBS?

* The still lower price (it's not much lower, but lower is lower)
* No S-Video available on AT&T's cable boxes
* No Dolby Digital sound on any of AT&T's channels
* No HD of any kind on AT&T
* Integrated PVR with Dish Network
* Extra receiver fees still cheaper than per-box rental fees on cable
* The rare outage lasts for seconds or minutes on satellite, not hours or days like on cable
* Customer service at Dish is WAY better than what AT&T has (which says a lot considering how often Dish's C.S. can suck)
* Dish's PQ beats AT&Ts internet streaming video quality digital cable (although their analog PQ smokes anything on either dish provder)

Now, if I had Time Warner or Astound in my neighborhood instead of AT&T this list might look very different. I'm no DBS evangelist, I just like good TV at a good price.

[jonstad]

Well you all know I'd have to put a political spin on this so here goes.:D

What we are seeing here is the direct result of deregulation and subsequent consolidation of media outlets. One effect is the ability of conglomerates like ABC/Disney to hold ESPN hostage to lesser programming like ABCFamily and dictate prices for all of them. Many of us witnessed this recently when ESPN Classic was dropped temporarily by Dish in a price dogfight. Other consequences include, but are not limited to, elimination of competition by increasing allowable ownership of outlets in each DMA, reducing variety, live programming and diverse viewpoints, networks and studios may now produce their own programming, reducing the influence of independent producers and film makers and leading to homogenization of programming, and of course the recent Dish/Direct TV travesty.

I have no illusions Charlie Ergen is a radical leftist or he doesn't have his own agenda, but he's been a real warrior against the system. Mostly because as a relative outsider, he's had to be. He's been fighting dragons and tilting at windmills since day one and as often as not he's surprised everyone by coming out on top. With Direct, I think he may have bit off more then he can chew and it was inevitable that the powers that be(a cabal of corporate media, cable companies, programmers, networks and the NAB) strongly influencing the FCC and FTC were determined not to let this maverick win again.

The FCC heard, saw and spoke no evil when Direct TV gobbled up DSS and then PrimeStar. They also seemed to make little effort to encourage alternatives like Alphastar and others. Suddenly when Dish makes a move on Direct they get all nervous about monopoly and concentration of power. It would have been very interesting what their reaction had been if roles were reversed and GM/Direct had attempted to buy Dish.

Of course Rupert is back in the picture now but probably biding his time for a bargain price. It will also be interesting when Murdoch, much more of an insider, inevitably goes for the last link in his global satellite empire. Will the FCC or FTC be concerned that a major supplier of content and outlets, not just nationally but globally, will then control the single largest media provider? Somehow I doubt it.

As an aside, the Murdoch owned Fox outlet in Hawaii is still the only major network not included in HNL locals. I suspect this is at least partially Rupert's revenge. Does anyone know if any of the other Fox stations Rupert directly owns have come to terms with Dish?

[Steve Mehs]

Why is this in the Potpourri? :) Moving...