DirecTV™'s Fox agreements end at the end of November? (answer is "no")

Whether the rumors are true or not, one of two things are certain to happen:

• DirecTV, like DISH and Cablevision, will lose channels for a considerable length of time in a carriage dispute, after which subscribers will be paying higher prices for the same programming, or
• DirecTV will not lose channels for a considerable length of time because a carriage agreement has been worked out, after which subscribers will be paying higher prices for the same programming.

 

Or a carriage agreement has been worked out and we will not be paying higher prices or they did not go up very much, because:

• Direct has a better working relationship with Fox
• Direct has more viewers and can get a better deal
• Direct has more people watching RSNs because of the sports packs so Fox was able to give them a better deal
• A combination of some of the above or all of the above

 

Combination, plus throw in:

- DirecTV has full time HD RSNs, which means the value is better for the price
- DirecTV's placing of channels and RSNs is more in line with what Fox wants.

Seems a large part of the Fox dispute with Dish is package levels.

 

if im a betting man, i bet that directv and fox will reach n agreement before dish and cablevision does

 

Well since SatRacer said DirecTV and Fox don't have to renew their agreement for a long time looks like you'd win.

 

Yes, Virginia, there is nothing to see here ..

 

Agreed, do you have any idea how stubborn Cablevision can be? Biggest market in the country and they quibble about such little things. That's the Dolans for you. I'll never forgive them for dropping the Yes Network in '02.

Rich

 

It has already been done. I have heard from another source as well

 

I've never understood the whole threat of dropping local affiliates. I thought cable and sat companies were mandated by the FCC to carry the locals and there was no money exchange taking place to carry the locals?

 

Not really a threat, since it's actually happened.

 

I believe they have to have the capability to carry the local and if the local elects for "must carry" status, then no money changes hands. If the MSO wants to provide a channel and the channel wants a carriage fee, then a contract must be agreed to.

 

Much to do about nothing.

Unlike 2 others...DirecTV will be dodging this viewing nightmare bullet.

 

I'm expecting a 3 dollar per month increase soon. Its fine with me, I left Dish knowing fair well I'll be paying more.

 

And you're basing that on what? I don't recall DirecTV doing a 'mid year' increase, they've been in the February/March time frame as far back as I can remember.

 

"Must Carry" actually had a deadline (might be an annual deadline) in which that if any station is carried in a market, then any other station in the same market can claim "must carry" status and the satellite provider must carry that station as well. There are some other basic rules in place such that it must be an actual station, etc. etc.

However, 'must carry' does not imply 'must pay' .. A station that falls under must carry generally isn't going to also be asking for the sat provider to pay and I think the station simply can't have it both ways. Either it's must carry and there are no carriage fees or it's negotiated (not must carry) and there may be carriage fees. Often a local station is gonna say "thanks for carrying our signal" and be done with it, but other stations feel that their content is worth getting a kickback from the sat provider(a legal kickback, in this case).

So in other words, it doesn't work both ways. A sat provider can't claim must-carry against a content provider, but a content-provider can claim must-carry against the sat provider. If the content provider refuses to allow their content to be redistributed by the sat provider, then the sat provider would be in violation of Copyright laws if they didn't pull the signal.

 

The current agreement does not end until well after 2010

 

Since this thread's question has been asked and answered (now in the title itself, no less), I think we can close it.

 

One would think so....otherwise some might interpret this as rubbing the Dish problems in their followers' faces.