[BrettR]

There are channels like All News Channel not on Dish Network and Wisdom Television not on DirecTV.

Now Hughes and Echostar are for the merger. Are they trying to hold off adding some of the cheaper channels by using it as an incentive for the merger, that with merger, you'll get more programming? Where are these channels, and why are the missing one of the provider's lineups (meaning if you want both, you must subscribe to both services).

I know Hubbard Broadcasting is for the merger. One reason, is they own All News Channel. I suppose E* originally thought this channel was like CNN Headline News, and there wouldnt be demand for it. Lot of providers think news channels are useless. FOX had to demand FOX News, NBC same with MSNBC onto Comcast, but Comcast didnt add it immediately to many systems by choice. They added Animal Planet, TV Land, and some other entertainment channels first. But with merger, E* will carry ANC as they'll honor D' agreement. As for Wisdom, they want to be on DirecTV services.

:rant:
BTW, I dont like mustcarry, because it promotes duplication of channels (36 PAX stations), raises the cost of doing local channel service(DirecTV must raise Select Choice basic package cost, must add small fees), takes up bandwith with no sign of increase of value into local channel service (PAX station produced no local programming, instead ran reruns), promotes unfairness into packages (NY has Telefutura channel, Philadelphians dont get Telefutura), some DMAs get sacrificed (no Harrisburg LIL because of lot of mustcarry from Philly), and channels like Wisdom and All News Channel carriage gets sacrificed because channels like KCAL 9 ended up needing to be on CONUS because L.A. DMA has over 15 mustcarry stations filling up TPs. Then lack of bandwith and no encouragement of national channels by FCC (except if they are PI) makes some of the national channels near going out of business or on the selling block to Viacom, because national programming is less encouraged over local channel duplication which is more encouraged. All News and Wisdom are not owned by big media giants (Viacom, AOL TW, Hearst, Disney, Tribune, NBC, FOX, Discovery Networks, Cablevision Rainbow, Comcast, Vivendi/Universal USA, SONY) and are not given protection by govt at all, but Full power stations running car lots are given mustcarry protection.

Slightly off topic:
If there are 2 ABC stations in a DMA owned by different station groups but both are licensed to the same state (say Florida), the DBS provider has to carry only one. The 2 ABCs could have local news, local community efforts, but SHVIA says only one is eligible. If the secondary ABC drops ABC Network programming and thus all local news (its very difficult to keep local programming without network buildup unless you are big like KTVK) to run ShopNBC, its eligible for mustcarry. Seems odd, but SHVIA actually encourages this.

 

[Jacob S]

I am also strongly against must carry, because of the duplications, because these are less cities that are put up, and more of an expense for Dish. Maybe this is why some of the more popular populated cities are not being put up by Dish because they would actually make less with all of these extra channels having to be put up on the satellite whereas some of the somewhat less popular DMA's would require a LOT less channels and maybe half as many channels resulting in twice as many DMA's going up and less cost for the company and a greater profit margin this way. Maybe this is something that htey have figure out.

 

[Guest]

My local cable company just added betjazz and the International Channel. I hope Dish Network adds these as I went to a friends house to watch them and the International Channel shows dramas, musicals, variety, and news from different countries--very interesting. Betjazz shows lots of jazz and blues concerts. Both channels are quality and should be added.

 

[Brian Rector]

No matter what the merger situation is, you will not get every channel imaginable on TV. BetJazz, International Channel, CSpan3, and Ovation are just a few channels that are definitely satellite-bound. However, there are those what will never make it to satellite. For example, G4 ( a 24 hour videogaming channel, which is owned by Comcast and right now is only shown on Comcast and Insight Communications Digital Cable systems), the Bad Movie Channel (Mystery Science Theater 3000 movies) are just a few of those channels.

Have ya noticed that there hasnt been much of a channel request ever since Dish added National Geographic?

 

[DS0816]

Brian Rector,

You write "Have ya noticed that there [hasn't] been much of a channel request ever since Dish added National Geographic?"

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying that perhaps there isn't a great urgency from most Dish Network subscribers to see even more programming -- that's not locals -- get added to Dish? Like that Bet on Jazz and the International Channel (and maybe even Goodlife Television) haven't generated much interest as some would like to believe?

I'm a DirecTV subscriber, and believe the merge will go thru. I think it's obvious what DirecTV has Dish doesn't -- and what Dish has DirecTV does not -- will be made available once the new systems (again, if the merge happens!) become established.

I ask because, while believing the merger will happen, I think that both Dish and DirecTV are going after locals to go after new subs. I'm sure I wouldn't get much argument on that remark. But I think Dish and DirecTV are really, deliberately, holding off on adding premium and/or non-premium (that's not locals) programming because bringing in additional DMAs are at the top of the priority list. (Sorry if I'm assuming there really is a list.)

 

[Jacob S]

I think the customers have brought their attention from adding basic/premium movie channels to the local channels or on the merger or on the pvr units. The things that customers have focused on lately has really changed this past year because of the pvr and locals and merger, and it made people forget about simpler things, bc as technology advances, things get a big more complex, and the things that are concentrated on becomes more complex as well.