Charlie screwed up on Jackson, MS locals negotations

[gor88]

%^&* it, Charlie!!!!!

I just read the local paper this morning. Both DirecTV and Dish Network locals premiere today.

Guess what? DirecTV is carrying all the network affiliates, including WDBD-WB40 and WXMS-LP(UPN) for $4.99.

E*, for some reason, refused to carry low-power WXMS, even though it is a UPN affiliate. This caused Pegasus to refuse rights for the WB affiliate. D* did it right by getting retrans rights for both, making their package complete for their debut.

Apparently, E* is just finding out about this. Here is a quote from Michelle Portillo, Dish Network company spokesperson:

"As of today, we are in negotiations to add WDBD and its sister station WXMS, to the Dish Network lineup." :rolleyes:

Well, Charlie, you had BETTER be busting your tail to get these on SOON. I am NOT going to buy a superstations package to get WB and UPN. I should be getting them in my locals package NOW! I don't mind paying $1 more than D*, but MAKE SURE I HAVE ALL THE IMPORTANT CHANNELS, CHARLIE!!! :mad:

I just had to vent my frustration.

[ChrisPC]

WXMS isn't on D* right now, but everything else is.

[gor88]

Ok, I missed that small detail in the article. My bad. Thank you for correcting me on that. :o

However, D* DOES HAVE plans to carry it. Probably just an uplink issue for them at this point.

E* is still in "negotiations", though! Had they played their cards right the first time, they could have had both online NOW. Charlie still messed up! :rolleyes:

Anyone know when D* will add WXMS (UPN) to Jackson locals? Just curious.

[Mike123abc]

This was out last week. Dish probably figures it has the Superstations pack if they cannot reach rights with UPN/WB so it does not want to try very har.

[gor88]

Mike,

Yes, that is true. However, E* and D* are supposedly in a war to win customers. Even though 32% of households in the Jackson market own a dish, there are still more that would own one if they could get ALL the locals. Why would I pay $5.99 extra for WB and UPN (once uplinked) when DirecTV includes them at no extra charge above the $4.99 local charge? That makes D* a MUCH BETTER deal than E*, especially if the new customer buys a base system with no Tivo and with locals. D* even offers an upgrade to Total Choice Plus for only $1 extra with purchase of locals.

E* needs someone in management who can understand this concept. E* should also reduce the price of the Top 150 for customers with Locals, say about $3-5. This would make the per channel cost roughly the same between D* and E*.

[Karl Foster]

Directv does not charge $5.99 for local any more. They revised their pricing structure back in February.

If you bump your progamming up to Total Choice Plus w/locals, the locals end up costing $2.00 per month ($37.99 for TC+, $39.99 for TC+ w/locals). If you keep Total Choice, you pay $5 for locals ($33.99 for TC, $38.99 for TC w/locals). The additional fifteen stations are well worth the extra $1 each month.

[gor88]

Karl,

Sorry for the confusion. I subscribe to Dish N. They charge the $5.99, DirecTV charges $4.99 with Total Choice. I was comparing Dish to Direct. As it stands, Direct is the best deal in Jackson, MS b/c all chs. will be offered and they throw in Total Choice Plus for $1 more. I definitely agree that $1 is a great deal for the 15 extras, especially Biography, Boomerang, and VH1 Classic. It would be silly to get locals w/o the Plus package.

My only advantage with Dish is that I have a PVR508 receiver that I don't have to pay a Tivo fee on, which allows me to get the Top 150. The PVR function is totally free. Given that, Dish would be better for me once they get WB and UPN, not to mention saving myself a new installation.

[Jacob S]

How can DirecTv afford to do it so cheap and Dish Network cant? Also why dont they give you a distant WB or UPN that is in the superstations package if they dont give you one locally or one is not offered? They substitute a network channel from another city, why not the superstations?

[RichW]

Originally posted by gor88
Mike,

Yes, that is true. However, E* and D* are supposedly in a war to win customers. .....

E* needs someone in management who can understand this concept. E* should also reduce the price of the Top 150 for customers with Locals, say about $3-5. This would make the per channel cost roughly the same between D* and E*.

The problem is that E* feels it is winning the war over new customers and the net subscriber adds prove it. They continue to gain market share over DirecTV. Also, they are more profitable than DirecTV right now. Will this change with Rupert at teh helm? Who knows.

[MAllen]

WELL I FOR ONE am EXTREMELY HAPPY about Jackson, MS Locals. GOT 'EM NOW!! Now I can call the cable co. and tell them to turn off their Lower tier that I pay almost $15.00 a month for JUST TO get the network affiliates and PBS. I haven't watched WDBD much since they switched from FOX to WB. I see folks complaining about poor signal on locals off SAT, but mine are as good if not better than what I got off cable AND they show up as the correct channels on my PVR721 AND I can (or rather my wife, she never let's me use the 721, lol) now record LOCALS..... YEAY.

[gor88]

Don't get me wrong. I am happy to have ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS on E*. I just ordered them this afternoon. I'll be gladly taking back rabbit ears I bought two weeks ago from Wal-Mart recently. My fiance is happy too, since she watches many shows on the major nets. Having WB and UPN would have rounded out the package nicely and allowed me to record everything on my PVR.

After letting them know about D* carrying WB and planning to carry UPN soon, E* replied saying that they are attempting to get rebroadcast rights for both stations now.

Also, it appears that Pegasus may be firing up a tower for Channel 35 at 5 million watts pretty soon to broadcast UPN, which would make it full power. This may be why D* went ahead and got rebroadcast rights to carry both (requirement of Pegasus -- had to rebroadcast both affiliates, not just WB). I found out that UPN is not carried yet on D*. D* may be waiting for WXMS to go to 35 first. The FCC web site listed the station as having a Construction Permit, but off air. I think that this means a working tower exists, but is turned off. They could probably start using it with FCC approval.

I do feel confident now that E* will eventually get WDBD and WXMS. They should, however, offer distants when the locals of WB and/or UPN are not available. They should be able to do this (at no extra charge), since they are not major nets.

Note: You can still get one WB and one UPN a la carte for $1.50 each. You don't necessarily have to buy the superstations package to get them.

[Mark Holtz]

Originally posted by gor88
Note: You can still get one WB and one UPN a la carte for $1.50 each. You don't necessarily have to buy the superstations package to get them.

Not quite...

Superstations Only = $5.99
Locals Only = $5.99
Locals + Superstations = $8.99

At least, that's what my bill says...

[TNGTony]

Any of you Dish Network Jackson subscribers also getting WAGA from Atlanta? If so, what channel number (8000/9000 range) is it on?

See ya
Tony

[gor88]

Tony,

WAGA is channel 8303. They include it in the locals package if you ask for it.

Jackson subscribers who already get Fox Atlanta need to point out to CS during the order to make sure and drop the a la carte charge.

Z'Loth, I checked with my brother about WB and UPN. He gets them a la carte for $1.50 each. Admittedly, with Locals and Superstation package combined, it comes to roughly the same amount. Just wanted to point out that the whole Superstation package is not required. to get your WB and UPN.l

[ngoering]

Further clarification on WAGA.

There is no local channel designation on E* as there is on D*. D* uses the FoxNet national feed and assigned it to local channel 48, which will be our FOX affiliate once they warm up the tower in SW MS. Apparently, since Fox still treats WAGA as a distant net for those of us in Jackson, they don't renumber it in the locals range. It would be nice if they did.

[Darkman]

I am pretty sure Tony, that there is only one WAGA - and it is 8303...

[ChrisPC]

FYI, D* has just put up UPN 27 on 461.

[olemiss78]

D* has Jackson locals in SELECT ZIPS ONLY. Some of the northern counties in the Jackson DMA can't get Jackson locals but are able to receive them on E*. Why is this?

[TNGTony]

Two possible reasons I can think of:

1: The spot beam that the Jackson locals are on may not reach the northern counties.
2: DirecTV is using Nielsen maps from a different year than Dish. The markets change slightly every year.

See ya
Tony

[ChrisPC]

D* doesn't have them on spotbeam yet. I think it has something to do with the Nielsen maps.