Charlie to unveil Family Tier before Senate Committee

[Scott Greczkowski]

Charles W. Ergen, Chairman and CEO of EchoStar Communications Corporation, will testify at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2006, at 10 a.m. ET in room 562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Co-Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) have scheduled a Full Committee Hearing on decency in broadcasting, cable and other media.

During this hearing, Ergen is expected to unveil DISH Network’s new low-cost, robust family-friendly programming tier and a legislative proposal to help give consumers more choice in programming.

A live webcast of the event is available at http://commerce.senate.gov/​

 

[M Sparks]

As much as I oppose true a-la-carte pricing, as it would kill many niche programmers, this is a step in the right direction. I would love to see pricing structures similar to ExpressVu.

And maybe a "clean" tier will discourage the religious nutballs from thinking they have a say in what I can watch.

 

[TNGTony]

The word "Robust" needs to be removed from the corporate vocabulary. It is a fancy-sounding word that means nothing in reality. Like synergy, interface and networking it is overused and misused to make something sound more important or fancier than it really is.
See ya
Tony

 

[Brewer4]

I agree but we are a marketing society and nothing I mean nothing happens in this country without spin, hype, marketing, selling, etc.

 

[CPanther95]

And maybe a "clean" tier will discourage the religious nutballs from thinking they have a say in what I can watch.

Disney (ABC/ESPN) are already on record stating that broadcast decency standards applied to all cable stations is preferable to a la carte. Amazing how quickly the programmers are willing to sacrifice artistic vision, free speech, freedom for consumers to watch whatever material they want - all because of the economics.

If the decency folks keep up the pressure for a la carte (which they've said they will) this can only end in a la carte (great for us) or decency standards for all pay stations - cable and sat.

 

[CPanther95]

The word "Robust" needs to be removed from the corporate vocabulary. It is a fancy-sounding word that means nothing in reality. Like synergy, interface and networking it is overused and misused to make something sound more important or fancier than it really is.
See ya
Tony

I discount what anyone says the minute they use the words "pro-active" or "paradigm".

 

[jeffwtux]

Disney (ABC/ESPN) are already on record stating that broadcast decency standards applied to all cable stations is preferable to a la carte. Amazing how quickly the programmers are willing to sacrifice artistic vision, free speech, freedom for consumers to watch whatever material they want - all because of the economics.
If the decency folks keep up the pressure for a la carte (which they've said they will) this can only end in a la carte (great for us) or decency standards for all pay stations - cable and sat.

The most aggregious violation of "BROADCAST DECENCY" that ESPN has committed is their CARRIAGE RATE. That's innappropriate for anybody.

 

[JohnH]

Well, DirecTV beat them to the punch. According to The Evening Bridge DirecTV said their family friendly(Total Choice Family) is coming in mid-April. 40 channels plus locals for 34.99

 

[jeffwtux]

Well, DirecTV beat them to the punch. According to The Evening Bridge DirecTV said their family friendly(Total Choice Family) is coming in mid-April. 40 channels plus locals for 34.99

I hardly call that "beating them to the punch". Even after the February rate hike, you can pay $34.99 and get way more channels(even the most massively overpriced channel, ESPN) with AT60.

 

[JohnH]

Perhaps we have to wait and see what the EchoStar package is.


Here is some press on the DirecTV thingy.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060118/20060118005656.html?.v=1

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060118/ap_en_tv/directv_family_programming_2

 

[BrianMis]

I thought the new Dish Family Package was to launch on Feb 1, and at 19.99. Cheaper and sooner than Direct TV's package.

 

[jeffwtux]

IMHO it's irrelevant who announces or launches it first. If people are that impatient, they deserve to be screwed.

 

[jeffwtux]

Based on the pricing and contents of DirecTV's family pack(SAME PRICE AS AT60), I just think Charlie could fall out of bed tomorrow and beat DirecTV's deal.

 

[maximum]

Based on the pricing and contents of DirecTV's family pack(SAME PRICE AS AT60), I just think Charlie could fall out of bed tomorrow and beat DirecTV's deal.

I agree. That's a pretty sorry list of stations for $35/month. Sounds like they're targeting the hard core "not in my home" subscribers who are willing to pay extra to keep MTV from getting a cut of their entertainment dollar.

 

[CPanther95]

Viacom is likely to get very close to the same cut - with or without MTV in the lineup.

D* & E* are not competing with each other for family tier customers and the "not in my home" customers that would subscribe to any of these weak "family" lineups are few and far between - despite the rhetoric.

 

[jeffwtux]

Viacom is likely to get very close to the same cut - with or without MTV in the lineup.
D* & E* are not competing with each other for family tier customers and the "not in my home" customers that would subscribe to any of these weak "family" lineups are few and far between - despite the rhetoric.

I don't think they are either. I think they want to force ESPN to face the free market. Right now, they can pay whatever they want for sports league broadcast rights and pass on that cost directly to the consumer with no reprecussion. That HAS TO CHANGE. Anybody that isn't outraged by that, isn't a capitalist.

 

[CPanther95]

ESPN won't face the free market until a la carte becomes a reality. D*'s family tier basically sends the message that ESPN is virtually free if you upgrade to Total Choice.

If somebody would offer a $34.99 tier (TC or AT60) or $28.99 for the same thing minus ESPN - then maybe the message would get across. However, Disney will never let that happen without government intervention.

 

[M Sparks]

I hardly call that "beating them to the punch". Even after the February rate hike, you can pay $34.99 and get way more channels(even the most massively overpriced channel, ESPN) with AT60.

Yeah, but the people this package is aimed at are the kind of nuts who complain about something like Logo with the argument "I don't want to give my money to those heathens"...even though it's 3 cents.

I don't mind paying 3 cents for something I don't like, because I figure the guy that likes that is paying 3 cents for something I DO like. That's why I oppose TRUE a-la-carte. My problem is paying $4 for this, $2.50 for that.

ExpressVu style pricing would protect the smaller niche channels, while still allowing more freedom for customers.

For example, take a channel like Golf Channel. It used to be a premium channel- $6.95 a month. Eventually, they got enough carriage deals to lower the price to the level of a "basic" channel.

If true a-la-carte happens, DOZENS of channels would either go out of business or go up to a premium price. But if you bundle Golf with ESPN, Speed, OLN, ect, they can still reach all the sports fans at a realistic price.

I honestly don't know how they even found 40 channels to make the bluenoses happy.

BTW, Wisdom channel, which has always been amongst the religious channels (even though it shouldn't be), has changed formats. Last night, they were showing some racy British sitcom.

 

[CPanther95]

Bundling by genre won't change a thing.

True a la carte is the only way - let the market decide. You'll find more networks that decide to become free - truly ad-supported channels - than you will $4.00 channels that will garner limited subscribers.

 

[Stargazer]

I am very surprised that they did not create a family package that is the same cost of the basic package that they have now and take out the expensive channels and replace them with channels in the higher priced packages.

But then again after I think about it, people would not have the incentive to get the higher priced packages if they do that. They would have to have a balance of a lower price to keep out those channels in the higher priced basic packages while still being able to add a few others that are in them and make just as much as they would if the customer chose the basic package. For example, if they would have dropped the price of the package $5 cheaper, took out $10 worth of channels and added $5 worth back on, their making the same amount.