Programming news from Dish Network

[Scott Greczkowski]

Occationally I am sent emails with Dish Network programming announcements, today was one of those days.

So here is the information I have to pass to you.

LOCALS UPDATE (Remember: a DISH 500 system is required to activate locals)

• Chico/Redding, CA: effective February 6, 2003, we added Chico/Redding to our locals lineup for $5.99 a month.
• Monterrey/Salinas, CA: effective February 20, 2003, we will be adding Monterrey/Salinas to our locals lineup for $5.99 a month with a $1.00 credit until ABC is included.
• Also on the horizon for February 20, 2003, is Lexington, KY. This market will be available for $5.99 a month unless we do not offer all four of the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX). Local channels are normally priced at $5.99 per month. If there is not a full complement of the 4 major networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX), a monthly credit may apply. Please note: all target dates are subject to change and these markets are not available as Distant Networks or on an a la carte basis.
• Salt Lake City, UT: effective February 6, 2003, (KUPX) PAX Channel 16 will be available in the Salt Lake City locals package.
• Please note that on February 26, 2003, the following stations will not be available in the 700 channel range: Denver, Philadelphia and San Diego’s ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX stations. Beginning February 19, 2003, if a subscriber selects their local channel in the 700/800 range, a slate will appear directing customers to press the guide button on their remote for new channel information. This programming will no longer be available in the 700/800 range but will be available in the 8000 range as well as in their respective dial positions. Know, however, that only the 3900, 4900, 301, 501, 508 and 721 receivers will be able to receive the channels in their respective dial positions. KTVD and KWGN in Denver will be available in the 800 range.

PROGRAMMING

Great News! DISH Network will be broadcasting the NBA All Star Weekend in HIGH DEFINITION on Channel 9428! The events on this channel will be available in free access to all HD subscribers. In order to receive high definition programming on DISH Network, a subscriber must have a Model 6000 or 6000U receiver and an antenna pointed at either the 61.5 or the 148 orbital location. Please see below for a schedule of events.
• February 8, 2003: 8 pm ET – NBA All Star Saturday Night featuring NBA players in skills competitions
• February 9, 2003: 8 pm ET – NBA All-Star Game live from Atlanta

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Effective Wednesday February 12, 2003, the Gran Canal Latino programming service will no longer be available in the Dish Latino, Dish Latino Dos and Dish Latino Max packages. In its place, we will offer GolTV (Channel 632) effective Thursday, February 20, 2003. DISH Network will launch GolTV at the 110 orbital location in the DISH Latino, DISH Latino Dos and DISH Latino Max packages at no additional cost. This is a new Spanish language channel for DISH Network packed with live soccer matches between National and First League teams from Mexico, Spain, Italy and South and Central America. Also included are soccer matches from the UEFA Cup, CONCACAF, EUROCOPA qualifying for 2004. It also includes soccer highlight shows with in-depth soccer analysis and other programming targeted to the Latin American soccer fan.
• Due to popular demand, DISH Network is pleased to announce the launch of Telemundo West (Channel 626) into our DISH Latino packages. This exciting channel will provide the Telemundo programming that customers currently receive with a 3 hour delay based on Pacific Time Zone schedules. Telemundo West will be automatically added into the DISH Latino, DISH Latino Dos and DISH Latino Max packages. Please remember to tell customers about this great addition!

[Cyclone]

Thanks for the Info.

[JayeDVXIII]

What is Grand Canal Latino? No offense, but why do they never say why they drop a channel?

[Steve Mehs]

It's a latin movie channel.

[JayeDVXIII]

hey cyclone,
where can i see your avatar up close?

[MikeW]

For the Salinas/Monterey ADI, why not just include one of the distant net channels (LA would be the same time zone) instead of a credit?

[tampa8]

Originally posted by MikeW
For the Salinas/Monterey ADI, why not just include one of the distant net channels (LA would be the same time zone) instead of a credit?

Because it would be illiegal.

[MikeW]

Illegal???You can receive ABC distant w/o a waiver, but it costs you $1.50 to get it. What's illegal about giving a $1.50 discount instead of $1.00? Not that I'd b?tch about $.50, it's just one of those things..

[Cyclone]

Originally posted by JayeDVXIII
hey cyclone,
where can i see your avatar up close?

Before:
http://www.planethalflife.com/jailbreak/images/tv_nook_sm.jpg

After
http://www.planethalflife.com/jailbreak/images/tv_nook_sm2.jpg

[Steve Mehs]

KTVD and KWGN in Denver will be available in the 800 range.

I think that's a mistake, well at least for KWGN. On ch829 the banner reads 'KWGN Moving to channel 8204 Feb 19' I don't understand why Dish just didn't kill the mirrors of the locals in the 700/800s last year. Really knd of pointless having them in the 7/800s then again in the 8000s. Just more guide clutter.

[Darkman]

Steve - yes - makes sense..

Scott thanks for the info,
just wondering:
"Also on the horizon for February 20, 2003, is Lexington, KY. This market will be available for $5.99 a month unless we do not offer all four of the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX). Local channels are normally priced at $5.99 per month. If there is not a full complement of the 4 major networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX), a monthly credit may apply. Please note: all target dates are subject to change and these markets are not available as Distant Networks or on an a la carte basis."

Why nothing was mentioned on Lexington along with others (Feb 20th, etc)? Maybe Lexington launch was postponed (for now for time being) as it says in the end (above) anyhow: "all target dates are subject to change, etc"

Cyclone - hehe :)

[Edit] - We ll see if they say anything about Lexington, KY on upcoming Tech Chat

[Darkman]

Originally posted by JayeDVXIII
What is Grand Canal Latino? No offense, but why do they never say why they drop a channel?

hehe - well Charlie DID say at Retailer Chat something along these lines: "Gol TV will replace Gran Canal Latino, that wasn't that popular" (or something like that)

But according to TNGTony - another $@# Sports channel will replace pretty good Movie Channel :mad:
:D :hi:

[angiodan]

Scott, any news on Fort Myers, FL? They had it listed on the little flyer they sent out with the price increase letter, but I haven't heard or read anything about it since then.

[TNGTony]

Darkman, It really isn't a "good movie" channel... it's just a commercial free movie channel. I will say that many of the movies on this channel make "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" look like a Cecil B Demil cinematic extraveganza! But most of the movies that this channel played while I had the package were new to me. Most were entretaining and NONE are available anywhere else!

I guess I shouldn't be too upset since I haven't had Dish Latino in over a year. I should actually be happy about this since all thought of picking up the package again has vanished due to this imbesillic move.

See ya
Tony

[TNGTony]

No offence is intended by this post, but it kills me that ANY time that a city is mentioned as coming to Dish or DirecTV, some one chimes in by asking "Hey [insert mame of original poster here] have you heard [if/when/about] [insert city name here]?"

Then evey time a city is added some one always asks: "I have distant network channels, will I lose them once [insert city name] comes on line?"

It's like clockwork. :)

See ya
Tony

[Uncle Peter]

Geez, maybe one of these days (or years) they will add more basic programming like Goodlife TV, VH1-Themed Channels among others that cable offerings have had for years. :(

[tampa8]

Originally posted by MikeW
For the Salinas/Monterey ADI, why not just include one of the distant net channels (LA would be the same time zone) instead of a credit?

Yes, illegal. If it were that easy to do, dish would do it for everyone. (In fact they tried very hard to do just that - FCC said no) If you are in a white area or have a waiver, you don't need Dish to do anything - you can substitute the missing network on your own. But for the vast majority it would be illegal for Dish to simply substitute a missing network with a distant one. That is what the bargaining is all about to get the local networks in the first place.

[Jacob S]

The cable companies in many places where it is now digital has caught up with Dish if not surpassed them in channel availability although the price for the digital cable may be a little more, there is no upfront cost for the equipment and you get your locals. Lets say you take the Digital Home plan. An extra $5 plus an extra $5 for each additional receiver plus $6 for the locals. Seems like satellite has caught up with cable in pricing in some cases as well. I think it depends on the cable where you live. No wonder why so many are switching back to cable or getting on cable when they move where cable is available. That is what happens to a lot of my customers. No locals is the biggest reason. They have to pay $6 if they can even get them which is a nuisance for networks that are not even local.

[MikeW]

It wouldn't be illegal in Salinas/Monterey as there is no ABC affiliate. I could understand them not doing so in Las Vegas as the reason they don't have NBC is because they can't reach a retrans agreement with the local affiliate. IMO, in markets that don't have the affiliate, Dish should add those affililiates at no charge. This goes for supers as well. I think they should give a UPN & WB to local subscribers where one does not exist. I think it is completely unfair to have the same pricing structure for Los Angeles (with over 15 channels) as they will for Salinas/Monterey with only 4 (minus the credit for the one missing channel).

[Darkman]

at Retailer Chat - Charlie and Jim said that they will bring ABC eventually to Salinas/Monterey (more likely) from some other "close-by market".
Therefore - i do not think - it is illegal, otherwise they would not be planning on doing so...
Should be OK - cuz no ABC anyhow at Salinas/Monterey

[tampa8]

Originally posted by Darkman
at Retailer Chat - Charlie and Jim said that they will bring ABC eventually to Salinas/Monterey (more likely) from some other "close-by market".
Therefore - i do not think - it is illegal, otherwise they would not be planning on doing so...
Should be OK - cuz no ABC anyhow at Salinas/Monterey

I still disagree. It would be illegal as first posted above. Now if Dish comes to some agreement with ABC about carrying a distant ABC station that would be different. That in all likleyhood would be a blanket waiver given by ABC. The mere fact that they haven't done it yet tells me they need an agreement from ABC.

[MikeW]

Tampa...why do you insist a waiver is needed. THERE IS NO ABC AFFILIATE IN SALINAS/MONTEREY !!!! A waiver is requested of a local affiliate to receive distant nets. How can a request be processed from a non-existent affiliate??? You can currently subscribe to two of the distant nets without a waiver. I am simply suggesting they don't charge you for one of them.

[JohnH]

DISH needs no agreement with anyone to offer a distant ABC affiliate to an area which is a "white area", especially to an unserved DMA. They have SHVIA to cover this. They will have to pay the mandatory copyright fee to the fund. The problem will be with the fringe area within the DMA. There may be some ABC stations which provide a Grade "B" signal there and would require a waiver process for that area.

BTW: ABC network cannot give a waiver. The waiver must come from the affected station or its owners, which might not be Disney. That is the station whose grade "B" area is being entered.

[tampa8]

If everyone in Salinas is in a white area for ABC I will stand corrected - you would probably be correct they could offer a distant to make the package complete at the correct price. I really had thought there would be some areas that would actually be in an ABC DMA. (KGO for example).

[retired_in_Chico]

Does anyone know if Santa Cruz falls in the Monterey/Salinas area?

[mkramer900]

Santa Cruz is in the Salinas/Monterey DMA. AT&T Broadband has a makeshift ABC Cable only channel that includes some programming from KGO-TV San Francisco.

[MikeW]

The closest city in the Salinas/Monterey ADI to ABC affiliate KGO in San Francisco is about 90 miles away. The terrain does not allow signals to travel well throughout the region. Anybody in the Salinas/Monterey ADI can get a distant ABC.