Supers being promoted again

[Steve Mehs]

I was at WalMart this afternoon and noticed they already had the new E* literature. After at least 2 years of not being promoted, the superstation pack is back on the brochure. I was kind of surprised to see that. Dish is even promoting the subscription interactive services.

[JohnH]

Maybe these new markets with no WB and UPN have something to do with it.

[James Long]

Maybe these new markets with no WB and UPN have something to do with it.
I wonder what kind of price we will get?

Currently I can get supers for $5.99 and locals are not available. SHIVA doesn't allow me to get distants (unless I move 10 miles, then I can get ABC - which won't be offered as a local as it is LP).

So will I get my four out of five networks for $5? Normally locals are $5.99 or $4.99 if a big network is missing. So will people get $1 off their AT+locals package like they did before for missing a network? I doubt it!

And now we add supers so I can actually get WB and UPN that are available from cable, but NOT from dish. So that's $8.99 this month. Is that going to wrap into the "package price" and be only $3 more than AT+locals or will this be yet another price increase? And why should I choose AT60+locals & supers for $33.99 and STILL not get ABC?

Yeah, the supers are good for markets missing WB/UPN. But the price is bad.

JL

[TonyM]

Currently I can get supers for $5.99 and locals are not available. SHIVA doesn't allow me to get distants (unless I move 10 miles, then I can get ABC - which won't be offered as a local as it is LP).

So will I get my four out of five networks for $5? Normally locals are $5.99 or $4.99 if a big network is missing. So will people get $1 off their AT+locals package like they did before for missing a network? I doubt it!

And now we add supers so I can actually get WB and UPN that are available from cable, but NOT from dish. So that's $8.99 this month. Is that going to wrap into the "package price" and be only $3 more than AT+locals or will this be yet another price increase? And why should I choose AT60+locals & supers for $33.99 and STILL not get ABC?

Yeah, the supers are good for markets missing WB/UPN. But the price is bad.

JL

Where do you get 5 networks? (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX)...PBS isnt considered in the local pricing..if you don't have a PBS, oh well, no discount.

If one of your Big 4 isnt on dish because of must carry (not retrans. disagreement) or there is no local affiliate, they will probably do the "if you qualify, you can get X network from X city". Like in Sherman, OK/Ada, TX. If you qualify, you can get the 2 networks that arent in your area from Dallas. Then it would be 5.99.

Dish supposedly figures out the best pricing
AT60+locals=29.99+Supers (5.99)=35.98
AT60(24.99) + Supers/Locals (8.99)=33.98..better price

[James Long]

If one of your Big 4 isnt on dish because of must carry (not retrans. disagreement) or there is no local affiliate, they will probably do the "if you qualify, you can get X network from X city.
Going back to my post, I don't qualify. Neither does most of the population of my DMA, who just happen to live in the Grade B of the low power ABC that E* won't carry even though it DOES count on the qualifications page to block distants.

Dish supposedly figures out the best pricing
AT60+locals=29.99+Supers (5.99)=35.98
AT60(24.99) + Supers/Locals (8.99)=33.98..better price
$33.98 or $33.99 ... and no ABC. E* wants to compete with "cable"? They are becoming cable, just shy of the $41.99 "Standard Cable" offering (which is more comparable to AT100/120 since AT60 lacks many basic cable channels).

$43.98 for one receiver vs $41.99 for cable = oink! Charlie oink!

JL

[scottchez]

Im still with DIshnetwork for now becuase Direct TV has NO UPN option.

Many like me do not have an over the air UPN option as the cable company owns all the rights to UPN and they do not do over the air.

I talked to a UPN rep, He was going to look into why Direct TV does not have a UPN option for those that cant get it via locals. YOu never know. Never hurts to ask.

[Mike Richardson]

You can get individual superstations for $1.50/each, so you can buy one WB and one UPN for $3 total. Traditionally if your local package is missing a major net it is $4.99 but remember they are bundling locals with the AT packages for $5 now for everyone so the discount may not apply anymore.

So basically you could get AT60 + Locals for $30 and WB/UPN for $3 more totaling $33.
Or you can get AT120 + Locals for $40 and WB/UPN for $3 more totaling $43.
Or you can get AT180 + Locals for $50 and WB/UPN for $3 more totaling $53. And this package includes Encore Theme Channels and The Movie Channel #1 AND #2.

First receiver is free, each additional is $5 monthly.

[BobMurdoch]

For a while it looked like the Superstations were going away. Every other week had some story about E* losing their ability to send them out of market. Then for whatever reason, about a year ago the Chicken Little stories stopped.

I guess E* somehow got some assurance that they would be safe to continue offering these stations.

[James Long]

AT60(24.99) + Supers/Locals (8.99)=33.98..better price
You can get individual superstations for $1.50/each, so you can buy one WB and one UPN for $3 total. Traditionally if your local package is missing a major net it is $4.99 but remember they are bundling locals with the AT packages for $5 now for everyone so the discount may not apply anymore.

So basically you could get AT60 + Locals for $30 and WB/UPN for $3 more totaling $33.
Cool ... I can drop three channels and pay 98 cents less. :rolleyes:

Or I can stick an antenna on the roof and get what cable provides as part of the basic package ... LOCAL TV. ALL local TV, not just the big stations that E* cares about. :(

JL

[jrbdmb]

For a while it looked like the Superstations were going away. Every other week had some story about E* losing their ability to send them out of market. Then for whatever reason, about a year ago the Chicken Little stories stopped.

I guess E* somehow got some assurance that they would be safe to continue offering these stations.From past information posted here, rules allowing "superstations" were set to expire at the end of 2004. However, the new SHVIA legislation apparently has text to continue the superstations through 2009, and Dish must feel comfortable that the bill will pass.

[James Long]

If DBS carries your DMA then DBS must carry all full-power local channels in the DMA assuming that they can get consent. These are the exact same rules cable has to go by - "must carry" rules. Echostar may place some of the independent channels on a second dish but this dish is free of any charge.
If only that were true!

Carriage rules for cable rely on the ability of the broadcaster to reach the community OTA. Carriage rules for DBS rely on the station holding the right license and being in an offered DMA. Cable systems that receive good quality signals from outside the DMA where their customers are have to carry those signals. DBS providers do not.

By no means are DBS providers under the "exact same rules".

JL

[moedog]

The idea that cable systems are required to carry out-of-DMA OTA stations on their systems if the OTA signal is good is simply not true. As an example, I cite Time Warner's Salisbury NC system located half- way (about 35 miles) between Charlotte and Greensboro. For various reasons, the 10 Greensboro channels are better recieved OTA in Salisbury than the Charlotte channels, but it is only the in market Charlotte channels that are carried, including a horrible religous/shopping channel from Hickory NC, about 60 miles away. Meanwhile Greensboro's channel 2 (CBS) broadcasting from a 2000 ft tower 30 miles away and no doubt a grade A signal is not carried. After a community outcry years ago, TW did consent to carrying FOX 8 (though it was then ABC) on an upper channel public service channel that is not even listed inthe program guide. I believe that TW's carriage deals with the Charlotte stations precluded their carriage of out of market stations, no matter what their signal strengths. I believe this set-up is the norm rather than the exception on other systems as I have observed many similar situations on other systems.

[Link]

So how does Dish decide what value packs to use now? If you have your locals and superstations for $8.99, does that mean you'll get the Top 120 for $34.99 plus $8.99 = 43.98 because it will cost you more if they do the Top 120 for $39.99 plus $5.99 = $45.98 for superstations.

[Link]

Why would Dish be taking the Denver distant channels off? The Denver channels have been a staple on C-Band service for years and viewers have come to enjoy getting them. Plus it makes sense to offer East Coast (New York) stations, West Coast (LA stations), Central (Chicago) stations, and Mountain time stations from Denver. If they were going to drop a city, why not Atlanta?? I remember originally Dallas and Seattle were distant choices for awhile but Dish dropped those as well.

[Geronimo]

IF you cutrrently have a numberd package, locals and supers you will be charged the package price plus $8.99 for the locals and supers. That si $2.00 cheaper than the alternative. New subs or existing subs adding packages will have to pay The package price with locals plus $5.99 for supers.

[FTA Michael]

Why would Dish be taking the Denver distant channels off?1) As more and more markets get their locals, a shrinking percentage of Dish viewers want distant locals.

2) Freeing channel space on the main transponders gives Dish more room for international channels, shopping channels, and more space for Bingo TV. Or maybe some extra channel that Dish finds itself adding because of must-carry negotiations. (Or a channel that subscribers really want? Nah, that'd never happen.)

Back to the original topic, I hear rumors that D* might add the Supers, then E* returns the Supers to its advertising. A cynic might believe that someone has an odd assurance that the SHVIA extension will sail through Congress.

[Mike Richardson]

If you only get supers for WB and UPN then you can just get one UPN and one WB for $3 total. Just call and ask to buy JUST one of the UPN stations and just one of the WB stations.

[Jacob S]

The Superstations is one of the main reasons why I stuck with Dish. It is some of my favorite stations on satellite.