Well folks, it's official.

[raj2001]

This morning on FOX (WNYW Fox 5) they announced that "their boss" Rupert Murdoch now has a controlling interest in DirecTV.

[AJ2086]

WOOOOOOOOO!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[Karl Foster]

It is just good to get the whole issue resolved. Now they can move forward with new products, marketing, etc. Hopefully stockholders will reap some sort of benefit as well.

[DCSholtis]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[gcutler]

How did it happen so fast (SEC or FCC approval wise?) Or was it obvious there was no "Conflict of Interest" or monopoly issues???

[DarrellP]

Bring on the 480P FAUX Widescreen!!!

[DaYooper]

Originally posted by gcutler
Or was it obvious there was no "Conflict of Interest" or monopoly issues???

There are even bigger "conflict of interest" and monoploy issues than with the the E* deal. Murdoch just paid off the right people and Charlie didn't. Simple as that.

[platinum]

Originally posted by DaYooper


There are even bigger "conflict of interest" and monoploy issues than with the the E* deal. Murdoch just paid off the right people and Charlie didn't. Simple as that.

Dude...drop the crack pipe...:eek2:

[James_F]

Well I guess I am really going back to Cable. I can't believe how much this sucks! No more HDTV, crappy Fox channels and bad reality tv shows. :bang

Remember DirecTV for what it once was, not what its going to become.

[Jacob S]

Dish will be the leader in HDTV as they say, but Cablevision is bringing out more HD channels at the end of the year if nothing happens with a 13 inch dish. Think of it this way, I think its better for one provider to offer the HD channels, just like I think it would be better for one provider to offer all the locals, although there would be little or no competition on HDTV except with Cablevision. Come on Charlie HD leader. I guess the 121 slot will help him get the HD lead again if he chooses to use it for that. Even Canadian satelite has more HD channels now dont they?

[DCSholtis]

Everyone just chill....There is NO way Rupert would abandon HD...He just wont be using it in places where to him financially is makes no sense..like for example the Fox Network....He WILL however IMHO be very active in HD applications where it matters most, in an HD package that he will charge a fee for to receive...C'mon Rupert isnt so stupid he would leave behind a growing group of subs due to his so-called aversion to true HD....you just might NEVER see it on the OTA network is all...Dish is ONLY going to be the so called leader in HDTV until Rupert gets in there....Once its all approved watch out....Charlie will at that time or shortly thereafter no longer be the HDTV leader in DBS...

[AJ2086]

He said on Fox News last night he wants to expand HD offerings. He also said he isnt removing any current HD offerings.

[Geronimo]

First of all the deal is not approved. So why is anyone talking about paying anyone off? As for monopoly issues I guess I see a vertical monopoly but I am not sure the FCC cares about that as much. But we shall see.

[James_F]

Rupert is the worst thing that can happen to DirecTV. I'd rather have Charlie run it than him. I trust Rupert less than Charlie. Basically anything that Rupert says needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

[Curtis0620]

No, the worst thing was that they didn't do this 18 months ago.

[durl]

I seriously doubt that Murdock will shrink HD offerings. It's the wave of the future and as a businessman he must know that you don't survive by living in the past. (I HOPE he understands that anyway...) I've always wondered if Fox's hesitancy to go HD with their network broadcasts was tied more to the financial overhead involved in revamping programming to HD. Still, CBS gets sponsors to help them offset the cost, Fox could do the same.

Look at it this way, we may get Fox Regionals in HDTV before ESPN-HD is picked up by Directv!! :-)

[AJ2086]

ESPN-HD is already picked up by D* and will be launching soon.

[Adam Richey]

AJ, that hasn't been confirmed, and NO press releases have been made yet.

[TerryC]

Originally posted by durl
I seriously doubt that Murdock will shrink HD offerings. It's the wave of the future and as a businessman he must know that you don't survive by living in the past.
I agree with that. He is too good a businessman, although I don't know if this is good or bad for DirecTV subs.

Plus, Dish is going full steam ahead with HD and, as a good businessman, Rupert must realize that he needs HD to compete.

[Scott Greczkowski]

AJ you information is false.

I have spoken with DirecTV this morning on it and from what I am told no ground has been made on it.

[normang]

The articles I read say regulatory approval is required, we'll have to see how that goes before one can say done deal..

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
AJ you information is false.

I have spoken with DirecTV this morning on it and from what I am told no ground has been made on it.

Scott, I'd take anything you hear from D* with a grain of salt right now. I've been through two mergers with my company already, and I can tell you that pretty much no one except top level senior executives know what is going on (and even they don't know how everything is going to pan out).

Anything you hear now is either speculation or vapor. This deal is in the very preliminary stages, we'll have to sit tight and see what's going on.

[Scott Greczkowski]

Scott, I'd take anything you hear from D* with a grain of salt right now. I've been through two mergers with my company already, and I can tell you that pretty much no one except top level senior executives know what is going on (and even they don't know how everything is going to pan out).

I have been talking with Top Level Executives. :) Again no deal for ESPN-HD Yet.

[James_F]

It doesn't change anything. DirecTV will raise prices and Dish will follow. This is the WORST thing that could happen for the consumer.

[normang]

Read one article from Smart Money, they think GM/Hughes got screwed. and while they think that perhaps Murdoch will change things, its still losing big bucks, and losing ground to Echostar, so the future is not so clear.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski


I have been talking with Top Level Executives. :) Again no deal for ESPN-HD Yet.

Oh my mistake, I thought you were referring to the part about Murdoch's position on D*'s HD content, as AJ mentioned earlier.

[Chris Freeland]

I do not particularly like or trust Rupert, however I do not think anyone has anything to fear about D* and HDTV. With the FOX Network it involves a big investment with possibly not much of a return to upgrade their tv stations to HDTV. D* on the other hand is a subscription service with very little additional investment and the opportunity for a good return, especially if D* does a HD channel package, which would produce an additional revenue stream. I believe their will soon be HDTV packages from both D* and E* as already rumored.