DISH-Northwest Broadcasting

[PJW99]

Any news or insights on how talks are going between Dish and Northwest Broadcasting? Something tells me this is going to drag on and on and on. I live in the Spokane DMA, and have seen this same thing happen before with DirecTV, and Time Warner Cable. Out of all the companies that own affiliate stations in Spokane(Belo, Morgan Murphy media, etc), I think that Northwest is the absolute worst. It seems like every time a contract with a major TV provider expires, Northwest will use the opportunity to "up the ante" and ask for a ridiculous price increase per customer. I cant speak for others around here, but Im sure many people are getting "fed up" with this.

With the DirecTV talks going on for months, Im wondering if its time for me to "move"

 

[Tampa8]

Normally the locals disputes don't last too long. Sounds like Northwest Broadcasting might be an exception.

 

[KAB]

With the DirecTV talks going on for months, Im wondering if its time for me to "move"

Move where? You yourself pointed out they play the game with all providers...unless you mean move out of Spokane.

 

[PJW99]

Move where? You yourself pointed out they play the game with all providers...unless you mean move out of Spokane.

I was thinking maybe a move to Missoula,MT. Its close enough geographically and I believe on the same spotbeam. The other option I was thinking was maybe purchasing an HD FOX feed from Sobango(All American Direct) I know they provide the networks in SD, but does anyone know if they have HD network feeds?

 

[Tampa8]

Just SD. Great however for times like this for you.... (Can you do OTA?)

 

[Rolling Joe]

I was thinking maybe a move to Missoula,MT. Its close enough geographically and I believe on the same spotbeam. The other option I was thinking was maybe purchasing an HD FOX feed from Sobango(All American Direct) I know they provide the networks in SD, but does anyone know if they have HD network feeds?

Or, you could get yourself a subscription to one of the Canadian DBS services (Shaw or Bell TV). I've had Bell TV service since 1999. They provide Fox stations from Seattle and Boston. I've never missed a single show on Fox.

 

[Mark47]

Hey PJW99,
I'm about 80 miles north of Spokane, and I'm fed up with Northwest Broadcastings style myself. I've been with DISH for several years now, and could not be happier with their service and fighting to keep prices down. I get no over the air reception where I'm at, and do get the distant networks which is great for watching regular programing. But my main reason for even getting satellite in the first place, was to watch the Seahawks. Guess what I DON'T get to watch this week, or for, most likely, the rest of the season? And with them fighting for a playoff berth, it makes me even happier with Northwest Broadcasting. I'm not moving anywhere, but I am ticked off at Northwest Broadcasting, and would like to hear their reasons behind this. I'm not going to get mad at DISH for trying to keep the prices down, I'll save my ire for Northwest Broadcasting. Thanks for letting me vent. Sundays getting closer, and I'm getting more anxious. Is there any way to know how the negotiations are going? A site where they might give an update or something?

 

[PJW99]

Hey PJW99,
I'm about 80 miles north of Spokane, and I'm fed up with Northwest Broadcastings style myself. I've been with DISH for several years now, and could not be happier with their service and fighting to keep prices down. I get no over the air reception where I'm at, and do get the distant networks which is great for watching regular programing. But my main reason for even getting satellite in the first place, was to watch the Seahawks. Guess what I DON'T get to watch this week, or for, most likely, the rest of the season? And with them fighting for a playoff berth, it makes me even happier with Northwest Broadcasting. I'm not moving anywhere, but I am ticked off at Northwest Broadcasting, and would like to hear their reasons behind this. I'm not going to get mad at DISH for trying to keep the prices down, I'll save my ire for Northwest Broadcasting. Thanks for letting me vent. Sundays getting closer, and I'm getting more anxious. Is there any way to know how the negotiations are going? A site where they might give an update or something?

LOL. No problem. Im the opposite of you in that I live about 80 miles south of Spokane but I can tell you Im so mad at NW Broadcasting that if I was living in Spokane I would be raising hell about this. In fact if I was someone that advertised on KAYU I would immediately pull my advertising until they restored their channel to DISH. What is the point of continuing advertising when a substational portion of viewship is gone.

 

[AKAWalrus]

I'm wondering how many more of these pay-TV extortions Fox will take before they finally tell Northwest Broadcasting to go pound sand. They habitually hold sections of their viewers hostage when contract renewal time comes up with cable or satellite providers, and deprive entire groups of people easy, convenient access to their programming (CBS terminated KXLY in Spokane and switched to KREM over a much smaller trespass). I'm sure Fox, who isn't above stripping stations of their affiliation, isn't happy that this keeps happening with this group of stations

There are CW and MyNetworkTV affiliates in all of Northwest/Stainless' markets who would be thrilled to switch their affiliations to Fox.

 

[Joe Capitano]

Don't forget, Fox is part of the problem, too. They'll be wanting their five bucks a head next year (42 or so cents a month) from all that retrans money - or else. That forces NWB's hand somewhat.

 

[ess]

I sent a complaint form to the FCC about this problem. Haven't gotten a response yet but if all of us send a complaint it might have some weight.

 

[mike123abc]

I sent a complaint form to the FCC about this problem. Haven't gotten a response yet but if all of us send a complaint it might have some weight.

Aside from acting all concerned, the FCC really has little power in this situation. It is a contract dispute between 2 large companies.

 

[jgarrison]

I'm really getting tired of this dispute. If I have to watch the Seahawks playoff game this weekend in staticky SD or at the bar I'm going to be very very angry.

 

[PJW99]

I'm really getting tired of this dispute. If I have to watch the Seahawks playoff game this weekend in staticky SD or at the bar I'm going to be very very angry.

You can expect these jack asses to continue to hold out and demand Dish pay an exorbitant amount to carry there channel. Your best bet I would say would be to "move" to another Northwest area DMA to watch the FOX game in HD. I am extremely close to doing this myself. Dont bother calling any of the Northwest Broadcasting stations, they'll just try to pull the "We're the little guy who wants our fair shake" crap.

At this point any shred of respect I had for Northwest Broadcasting is long gone. I dont expect them to ever come to an agreement with FOX. It will take an act of God, or the FCC stepping into pull their affiliate status to make something change. And even if (by some miracle) they do come to an agreement it will only be a matter of time before they yank their channels from the next pay TV provider.

 

[shemya]

I'm really getting tired of this dispute. If I have to watch the Seahawks playoff game this weekend in staticky SD or at the bar I'm going to be very very angry.

Hi Neighbors, I feel your pain. I have a place 40 miles North of Spokane close to Newport, I'm lucky to get a few OTA channels from Spokane but a low signal, I have Dish also, I don't think the Seahawks Playoff game will be blacked out this weekend on the Dish locals. We have Dishnetwork where I work in Alaska and nothing is ever blacked out up there! GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!

 

[Mariah2014]

Stations are back up, but for those who haven't visited the fox pages for those in Seahawks territory I would recommend doing it before they change their main pages. The message from the CEO has to be the worst I have ever seen. It still can be found on the myfoxyakima and myfoxspokane webpages.

 

[Tom_T]

For all the people that have contacted us regarding the ongoing FOX outage with DISH Network I would like to set the record straight.

Whereas DISH has claimed that they have offered Northwest Broadcasting the same rates and terms that DirecTV has agreed to and have declared that we have turned them down, please see the following email that was sent earlier today from Brian Brady C.E.O. and President of Northwest Broadcasting to Dave Shull Sr. Vice President of Programming at DISH Network. Either the executives at DISH have misled you, their paying customers or you will see KAYU FOX 28 and KCYU FOX 41 shortly


Dave,


You have asked that our viewers who are also Dish Network subscribers contact me and demand that I restore the FOX signal in time for this weekend's football games. Thank you for steering these viewers my way. Today alone I have spoken personally with several dozen of our viewers and I regret that Dish has misled them about our contract dispute. Let me be clear that Northwest Broadcasting remains eager to do a deal with Dish Network.


You and your Dish Network colleagues have told our viewers that Dish has offered us a deal identical to your primary competitor DirecTV, and that we have rejected that deal. My January 8, 2013 email to you clearly states the contrary: We are ready to close a deal with Dish on exactly the same terms, for the same periods and at the same rates as DirecTV.


Dave , Dish has repeatedly told people that there might not be any more FOX station in Spokane, Yakima, Medford and Binghamton. I think it is only fair that the viewing public see the unfiltered and actual correspondence between Dish and Northwest and let them decide for the themselves who is responsible for the FOX programming not being available on the Dish Network in our markets and who is keeping them from getting the games this weekend. To that end, I am copying all of the viewers who have taken the time to reach out to me(at your urging) and let them read our repeated offer first hand. This email will also be posted on the stations' websites.


I am prepared to do the deal you claim you have offered which is the exact same deal that DirecTV has for the exact same terms and time period. If Dish was sincere about their offer and want their subscribers to be able to watch the games this weekend then let's get the deal done before kickoff on Saturday. You have my contact information and I will be available to get this done.


Brian W. Brady
President/CEO
Northwest Broadcasting, Inc.

I am just glad to see the station back up. I don't have the choice of receiving the channel over the air and Dish is prohibited from giving me a signal from another area........sorry NW but I'm on Dish TV's side.
Just hope they're back for good!

 

[ess]

I have never read so much BS in my life. I don't know who Bradly thinks he is trying to reach. They have done this to almost every pay broadcaster in our area. I had to switch from cable several years ago because the pulled the same stunt. I hope to be able to see the Hawks game tomorrow on TV but if not I will do as I did today and pickup a live feed on my computer. I hope DISH never caves into them and I hop FOX gets a clue and pulls their franchise.