Dish Network Retailer Chat Recap - March 12, 2008

[Scott Greczkowski]

Welcome to another SatelliteGuys "Live" Dish Network Retailer Chat Recap.

Currently as I am typing this welcome you will notice that this thread is closed for new posts, once the chat starts and the information starts being posted I will open it up for your comments.

As always we only cover the information from these chats that you could find out by calling a dealer and asking them is anything new coming from Dish Network. We don't give dealer sensitive information such as costs of good, profits etc. We only cover stuff of interest to you the consumer.

While this chat is LIVE, I am watching it via a Slingbox connection and am watching it via a Dish Network DVR, this allows me to pause stop, rewind and grab screen shots, so while its labeled as live it can be delayed a few minutes.

Thanks for being SatelliteGuys! Enjoy our coverage!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Jim greets us and has a new co host Tom Singley who has been promoted.

Erik Carlson has been promoted in Dish Network.

Tom says hello and tells us we will have a packed show today.

They go over the adgenda of todays show and jump into things talking about Team Summit.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The start off about talking about this years entertainment at Team Summit which will be held May 15 - 17.

This years entertainment is
Barenaked Ladies
Hootie and The Blowfish
Frank Caliendo
and Eric Sahl (Entertainment?? Sorry Eric!)

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Still talking about Team Summit...

Now talking about Dish Retailer Development events they are having around the country...

Now on to HD and talking about Monday Nights Charlie Chat.


They show slides of what some of the possible new HD channels "may" be adding, Jim notes they are still in negoations with a number of these channels.

Jim Mentions that AMC14 will be launching tomorrow (I thought it was Friday) and to carry around your lucky charms tomorrow.

He then mentions the Local Cities which will get their Local Network Channels in April and shows those slides.

Jim tells us to do all this a lot needed to be done including new uplinks and lots of negoations with programmers in each of the cities.

Jim says Dish is committed to HD and is working hard to bring us more and they will be wowing folks by the fall selling season.

Tom mentions the launch of AMC14 and says that it is Friday for the Launch.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

They then tell us that the Big10 Network will be moving out of free preview and will become a RSN on March 19th.

They then go over which areas will receive the Big10 Network (see Slide 21) and let us know those folks out of region can get the channel in the RSN package. (see Slide 22) this includes the HD version of the channel.

 

[jcrandall]

What do the different colors red/yellow/blue indicate on the HD Locals map?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Next up they go on to talk about the NFL Network and why it was removed from the AT100 package. Again here they say in the AT100 package that the NFL Network was a "free Preview" when it was not, it was part of the AT100 package. (GRR)


They then talk about how a retailer can apply to accept the Goverment Cheese Coupons... Whoops I mean the Goverment Digital Conversion Coupons... This is lengthy and nothing a customer would care about so I am going to skip it.

 

[Derwin0]

What do the different colors red/yellow/blue indicate on the HD Locals map?

Green = Already Available
Yellow = Coming soon, starting in April (cities listed in slides).
Blue = Later

 

[hendrix04]

green is current, yellow is april, blue is this year...

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

What do the different colors red/yellow/blue indicate on the HD Locals map?

Red = Current HD local City
Yellow = Coming in April
Blue = Coming by the end of 2008

 

[darrencp22]

I wonder how scientific these dots are. Look at the one near/at Buffalo. It's not eactly where it should be, but pretty close. I still remain curious on how they will do this with no spotbeam that covers Buffalo.

Hey scott, i'm curious if you can leverage your contacts to get a city listing name rather than trying to decipher this map.

 

[jcrandall]

Now that is some answers!

I would venture that Dish will need to change their football advertising strategy this fall given they keep taking the football channels to higher packages.

Not much new today that wasn't in the Monday night customer chat.

 

[whitewolf8214]

Scott,you mentioned monday as chiller is that in hd also being one of the channels were getting is that true?thank you for for any response

 

[Juan]

I wonder how scientific these dots are. Look at the one near/at Buffalo. It's not eactly where it should be, but pretty close. I still remain curious on how they will do this with no spotbeam that covers Buffalo.

Hey scott, i'm curious if you can leverage your contacts to get a city listing name rather than trying to decipher this map.

there are 3 or4 satellite launches set for this year

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Next up we have the SVP Cheif Marketing Officer Jessica Insalaco join us. She incurages dealers to apply to be able to accept the digital transition coupons and then moves on to talk about the Dish Racing Team and their recent wins.

You can check out dishracing.com for more information on the Dish Racing Team.

They show the new Never Miss a Race ad showing the Dish Wins.

They then show some new Frank Caliendo ads with Frank as Donald Trump.

The Sharp TV Promotion Continues...

The Frank Caliendo ads are working very well.

 

[mdonnelly]

there are 3 or4 satellite launches set for this year

Three launches, and at least one other satellite location lighting up with an existing satellite.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Scott,you mentioned monday as chiller is that in hd also being one of the channels were getting is that true?thank you for for any response

No... just that Chiller HD is one of the channels offered by NBC Universal.

 

[rjruby]

Great!
I'm in the Philadelphia DMA so I lose the Big 10 Network!
What's the reasoning behind that?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

After more talk from the Marketing lady (she showed us a bunch of Dish Latino cmmercials) we are back with Charlie and Jim with International Launches..

Geo News
AAG TV
A few Star Channels (see the slides)

They are taking questions now...

 

[Juan]

Great!
I'm in the Philadelphia DMA so I lose the Big 10 Network!
What's the reasoning behind that?

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