Apparently, D* is not issuing press releases for new locals

[gor88]

I wonder why D* hasn't sent press releases for the new locals in Columbia, SC or Huntsville, AL?

Wouldn't they want people to know about the new locals??

[AJ2086]

The will probably save it for years end when they get to announce 50 additional markets. It looks more impressive and it will help them in the last quarter of the year because TONS of people will jump to D*.

[gor88]

AJ,

D* should be announcing each local as it is released. Studies show that 90% of new subscribers in a recently launched local market subscribe because they can now get locals. Considering that E* already serves Huntsville, word needs to get out that D* is serving them now. As to Columbia, SC, D* could dominate that market, since it beat E* in releasing locals. The best way to do that is to have an announcement in all the newspapers, radio stations, etc.

My mother lives in Coffeeville, MS, which is in the Columbus-Tupelo-West Point, MS market. This was the last market announced in a D* press release. When I go back there, I do notice that new D* dishes are appearing all over town on every visit. The cable there has a very crappy picture and only 39 channels for $40.

D* and E* released locals in the Jackson, MS area where I live about three months ago. SusCom cable is starting to see a lot more defections, since they have a good alternative to the crappy, overpriced cable they offer. In my subdivision, new dishes keep appearing. By my rough estimate, almost 1 in 4 residents have a dish now. I figure within a year, it will probably be 1 out of 2, unless the cable company cuts rates and offers better service.

Considering that D* has delivered when promised and E* is falling behind their planned release schedule, D* should "shout it from the mountaintop" when it comes to new locals releases.

By aggressively adding locals, allowing the upgrade from TC with locals to TC+ with locals for only $1 more and pricing TiVo units very reasonably for new subscribers, D* may become the most popular satellite provider.

[JOE]

AJ,

D* should be announcing each local as it is released. Studies show that 90% of new subscribers in a recently launched local market subscribe because they can now get locals. Considering that E* already serves Huntsville, word needs to get out that D* is serving them now. As to Columbia, SC, D* could dominate that market, since it beat E* in releasing locals. The best way to do that is to have an announcement in all the newspapers, radio stations, etc.

My mother lives in Coffeeville, MS, which is in the Columbus-Tupelo-West Point, MS market. This was the last market announced in a D* press release. When I go back there, I do notice that new D* dishes are appearing all over town on every visit. The cable there has a very crappy picture and only 39 channels for $40.

D* and E* released locals in the Jackson, MS area where I live about three months ago. SusCom cable is starting to see a lot more defections, since they have a good alternative to the crappy, overpriced cable they offer. In my subdivision, new dishes keep appearing. By my rough estimate, almost 1 in 4 residents have a dish now. I figure within a year, it will probably be 1 out of 2, unless the cable company cuts rates and offers better service.

Considering that D* has delivered when promised and E* is falling behind their planned release schedule, D* should "shout it from the mountaintop" when it comes to new locals releases.

By aggressively adding locals, allowing the upgrade from TC with locals to TC+ with locals for only $1 more and pricing TiVo units very reasonably for new subscribers, D* may become the most popular satellite provider.
I THOUGHT THEY WERE ALL READY THE # 1 SATTELLITE PROVIDER

[Jacob S]

DirecTv is, in fact, the main satellite provider with the most subscribers. Dish Network is in second place. Dish Network is not doing a good job lately in satisfying customers. It is so so poor, no wonder they lost their J.D. Power and Associates award because their customer service went downhill. They tell you they will call back, they wont. When you order product they will not deliver it in which is FRAUD! They ship out a remanufactured 301 to replace a 721. They ship out a product that takes nearly three weeks when they first say two days then overnight then they say two days again then it takes another week. They tell customers that they can shut their service off even though they are still under a contract and try to tell their customers that their contract with the retailer is no good. They tell customers lies and do not know what to do or what is going on half the time. They hang up on you for no good reason.

Then they try to charge $4.99 without lowering the price of their DVR's and delay locals when DirecTv done it right the first time obviously. What the heck is going on Dish? Things used to NEVER be this way. Why is DirecTv doing things so much better now? Did things do a flip flop or something? Just wait until Rainbow comes out and see how things get. Dish thinks Rainbow will not make it but they will if they keep doing the things that they do. Can you imagine the competition Rainbow may give Dish when they come out?

To get back on the subject, if DirecTv gets these markets out soone, Dish will lose lots and lots of potential customers and Dish should know this. Dish cannot delay these locals too long or they will lose their but in those markets.

[bcushman]

D* added 2 channels in the Boston market in May and i just got a postcard from them this week announcing the additions.

[gor88]

Oops, I goofed. More recently, E* was gaining subscribers faster than D*. I meant to say that D* would reclaim the position of having the fastest subscriber base growth. My mistake.

In any case, now that E* is doing what it is doing, D* should maintain that number 1 position.

[Greg Bimson]

DirecTV did offer a press release for Huntsville. Take a look on DirecTV.com.

As a matter of fact, DirecTV issued the press release for Huntsville on July 30, and announce service to Topeka later in the year on July 31.

[Smoot]

Couldn't agree more with you, gor88. I switched to D* from Suscom at the beginning of June because ALL Jackson locals became available (not just a few like E*) and due to the poor service of Suscom (the company that clear signals and customer service bypassed long ago). I also felt D* is a much better buy in the Jackson area due to the $39.99 for Total Choice Plus and all the locals; E* would have been more. My wife resisted the idea at first, but when I showed her the benefits (we are paying a little less now and getting much, much more), and that the kids would get more channels than either cable or E*, she agreed. Now, she has said the virtually unheard of statement "you were right." We watch a lot of the channels we previously never had (we could care less about the premium channels . . . that's why I have a DVD player and a card for Blockbuster :))

I live in Laurelwood, and I've noticed that about 40-60% of the neighborhood of 500+ houses have a dish. Most seem to have E*, but the "boom" occurred once the locals were added.

Thank goodness for competition.

[gor88]

Greg,

I noticed that this morning that the releases for Huntsville and Topeka were sent out. I just wonder why Columbia, SC didn't get a press release. Weird.

Smoot,

I live just north of you in a subdivision off Old Fannin Road. We're almost neighbors. I don't want to name the subdivision because I have allowed a close relative of mine to use my address in a "move" so he could get Jackson locals. He lives about 20 miles outside of the Jackson DMA, according to E* standards. D* is wonderful. It's even better when you have TiVo.

[Karl Foster]

Directv added one new station to our local line up - BYUTV. It is a local station for us (Channel 68). I had no idea when it was added, as there was nothing from D* telling the local community that it had been added. It technically isn't a local station, as it is offered to anyone who can receive it (requires an oval dish on D*). I really feel they need to send out a postcard, or something to subscribers in areas where stations are added.