DishFamily - a weird selection or what!

[clj2]

Well I am looking at downgrading (yes, financial worries here) and saw the DishFAMILY package...wow...nice price, and without the ESPN/MTV-type stuff we never got any use from.

However, looking at their selections....how on earth did they pick some of these channels? I am quite familiar with cable networks/companies and what they offer. Seriously, Investigation Discovery? Fine Living? Nick GAS? Nick GAS has been gone for over a year. ID is barely what I would consider "family friendly"...

Seems more logical, at least to me, they should have:

HGTV instead of Fine Living
Discovery instead of ID
ABC Family, WGN America, or maybe Travel Channel in place of Nick GAS. It's got to go sometime.

Anyone else share the same thoughts? Seriously, why carry ID instead of Discovery? Fine Living instead of HGTV? Keeping Nick GAS? HGTV and Discovery are extremely widespread and much more fitting than their sister 'niche' channels.

I think ABCFamily (heck, family's in the name) or a more family-friendly general interest network like WGN America (who is really coming up) should replace GAS. Of course one of those religious channels could go, but they are probably cheap and give them more numbers, channel-wise.

Thoughts? Am I not thinking clearly or something?

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Here might be a better list.
DISH Network - 1.888.825.2557


Or This
http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/whats_on_dish/programming_guides/OnlineChannelLineUp.pdf

 

[allargon]

Are you seriously asking why they have lesser watched channels like Fine Living instead of HGTV on a cheaper package? Duh... Fine Living is likely dirt cheap to carry unlike HGTV which will probably insist on having DIY, Food Network, Fine Living and GAC carried along with it. There's a reason why Dish Family is cheap!

 

[clj2]

OK, factoring in prices, I guess it makes sense.

Then does the same theory factor in for Discovery? ID isn't exactly "family." If Discovery is too 'expensive', seems they could get Travel Channel.

WGN is dirt cheap. It's on the base-base-BASE cable packages usually. I'm sure they could add it for nothing almost and it has some pretty good stuff too. Should replace GAS, IMO....guess ABCFamily isn't "cheap"..

 

[gillham]

Take a look at the Welcome Pack, it includes HGTV & TLC.

 

[Pepper]

ABCFamily has gone through several new owners and rebrands and is truly now "a different kind of Family" than what the Rev. Robertson had in mind when he owned it.

 

[CowboyDren]

Think of it like a gift bag at a Tupperware party; you're too cheap to buy anything useful, but you're not walking away empty handed, either. I mean you no offense, Dish is the one calling you cheap, not me.

 

[mistercoke]

Well I am looking at downgrading (yes, financial worries here) and saw the DishFAMILY package...wow...nice price, and without the ESPN/MTV-type stuff we never got any use from.

However, looking at their selections....how on earth did they pick some of these channels? I am quite familiar with cable networks/companies and what they offer. Seriously, Investigation Discovery? Fine Living? Nick GAS? Nick GAS has been gone for over a year. ID is barely what I would consider "family friendly"...

Seems more logical, at least to me, they should have:

HGTV instead of Fine Living
Discovery instead of ID
ABC Family, WGN America, or maybe Travel Channel in place of Nick GAS. It's got to go sometime.

Anyone else share the same thoughts? Seriously, why carry ID instead of Discovery? Fine Living instead of HGTV? Keeping Nick GAS? HGTV and Discovery are extremely widespread and much more fitting than their sister 'niche' channels.

I think ABCFamily (heck, family's in the name) or a more family-friendly general interest network like WGN America (who is really coming up) should replace GAS. Of course one of those religious channels could go, but they are probably cheap and give them more numbers, channel-wise.

Thoughts? Am I not thinking clearly or something?

What wrong with Nick GAS ?

 

[clj2]

Nick GAS has been gone as a network for well over a year. Dish is the only one still carrying it and it is continuous reruns. A waste.

I say replace Investigation Discovery with Discovery....lord, the last thing that network is would be family friendly. And yes, I'm aware of the changes at ABCFamily....it's nothing like the Family Channel, but is probably not offensive to most families these days.

 

[Mr Tony]

it actually isnt a bad package. Then throw in the free PI package and ya got a pretty neat setup

EKB: Free Public Interest Programming Package

 

[Cyclone]

ABCFamily has gone through several new owners and rebrands and is truly now "a different kind of Family" than what the Rev. Robertson had in mind when he owned it.

No kidding. I'm watching Willy Wonka with the kids and ABC Family keeps showing commercials for some sitcom they have with young adults hooking up and other innuendo. Relativelly tame, but not something I want to kids exposed to yet.

Better yet, was Cartoon Network which had a Jurrasic Park commerical on during the Clone Wars. My 4 & 5yrs olds are watching Yoda and Friends and the next thing you know T-Rex is chasing scream people and a Pteratactlye is snatching some kid into the air. Surprised there weren't any nightmares after that commercial.

 

[tkyoshi]

You know, its interesting why Disney Channel isn't included. You'd think that would be family oriented as well..... ID channel haha they were showing things about gangs/drugs on the weekend, great family material!

 

[Mr Tony]

Disney costs $$$$

 

[clj2]

Disney probably costs a ton. The thing that makes this cheap is that they have very few hi-tier, hugely popular channels. I don't have the list with me, but like discussed earlier, they carry these more 'niche' channels than the 'flagships' for their parent companies (Bio instead of History; FLN/DIY/Food/GAC and no HGTV; Discovery this and that but not Discovery itself; Boomerang but no CN; HLN but no CNN). The Dish Family package is way better than DirecTV's....but DTV's has National Geographic and HGTV.

I guess Discovery or Travel Channel are too expensive as well? I don't see that Discovery crime one lasting on a 'family' package....I've seen it and it's a bit extreme.

I mentioned WGN America earlier. They're on all BASIC BASIC cable packages and they have made great strides to improve themselves. I would assume they're cheap then? I think it's pretty family oriented, no 9 yo is watching Reno 911 at 2AM. http://www.wgnamerica.com

Just tossing ideas around.

 

[Milmanias]

I currently have the D* Family package but will probably change to the Dish version after my contract expires. I'd rather go locals only but my kids want Nick and Nicktoons and my wife wants Food Network and TWC. I want a dvr and it would be nice to get Fox News and HLN so it looks like the Dish version is the cheapest way I can get everything I need.

 

[empiretc]

Sounds like my situation Milmanias. Then we were given a vip722 for xmas (think the wife set that up but who knows) and I am now paying $60/mo for tv. The Bronze 100 +HD and locals. Even though I have the OTA hooked up to it, I have to pay for the locals cuz dish blocks the guide info if you dont sub. I was hoping to get dish family + hd when I was first looking, but no dice.

We are happy with it but the wife is starting to hint about HBO and showtime

 

[wetz73]

Better yet, was Cartoon Network which had a Jurrasic Park commerical on during the Clone Wars. My 4 & 5yrs olds are watching Yoda and Friends and the next thing you know T-Rex is chasing scream people and a Pteratactlye is snatching some kid into the air. Surprised there weren't any nightmares after that commercial.

In Jurassic Park III's defense, there is as much if not more violence in an episode of Clone Wars than there is in any of the JP movies! It is TV-PG for moderate violence and is designed for a 10-year-old, but I can see how something that looks real would bother a kid more than something animated. Guess they figure if you can deal with the Clone Wars body count, you can deal with a 30 second dinosaur commercial!

 

[Cyclone]

I don't know. My kids don't seem that bothered by Battle Droids being slashed or Clones dropping like flys. Like you said, animated vs live action is also in play here. Is one thing to seen unbloody "blaster shot" drop someone, but its another seeing a monster about to dig into a live person with their teeth.

 

[mixedday]

OK, factoring in prices, I guess it makes sense.

Then does the same theory factor in for Discovery? ID isn't exactly "family." If Discovery is too 'expensive', seems they could get Travel Channel.

WGN is dirt cheap. It's on the base-base-BASE cable packages usually. I'm sure they could add it for nothing almost and it has some pretty good stuff too. Should replace GAS, IMO....guess ABCFamily isn't "cheap"..

WGN is cheap but the parent owner Tribune isn't aggressive in requiring Dish or DirecTV to keep it in any of the most viewed/low-end packages. Compare that, to Viacom/TV Land, where Viacom insists that their channels well, a certain number of them, reach the most HH, whether it be basic analog cable, CB100 (the former AT40), or DishFamily, DirecTV Family. Comcast in my area still doesn't carry WGN, even though Comcast has a number of digital channels and services like Bollywood on Demand. Comcast still doesn't view WGN as a cable network, but rather as some Chicago superstation.

As for the lowsiness of DishFamily, I agree but I remember both providers started the family channel packages around when Time Warner debuted it: Time Warner Details New Family-Friendly Package - Technology News - redOrbit
to play down "indecency" issues raised by Congress. DirecTV had an alacarte Family package sometime earlier (as an add on to Total Choice), but it was phased out and unrelated to the the creation of the basic Family package that they created when every other provider was creating a Family package.


In all truthiness, it was a pure business move to quell the
-pick and choose cable channel argument, by saying ok we'll make a package that take cares of another issue, indecency, and with DirecTV,
they phased out their better Select choice for a weak Family package as the entry package.

Dish fortunately kept their AT40/AT50/60 and this was just a response to have a familypackage as well, without channels like MTV.
Also at the time with Dish, there were SkyAngel customers who could sign up with basic programming, minus MTV, so it was a bone for them.

It was never the intent however by either Dish or DirecTV to make the packages really good (they'd rather customers take higher packs). It just satisfy the indecency issue, quells the pick and choose argument, with a marketing of this "new" package.

However, Dish has launched The Welcome Pack much more recently. its 10 channels I believe but popular ones. Its unadvertised, as its only for customers that bought their equipment. In some ways its better Dish keeps it unadvertised. If advertised, then when Disney and all providers when negotiating with Dish upon contract renewal, they'd in effect insist channels be put to that package (the new lowest package), ruining the continuity of Dish even being able to offer it.

 

[clj2]

Good insight, mixedday. I'm just sick of all of the ESPN/MTV type stuff that I'm sure adds to the bill. That's why, even though I'm not fond of it, I'm going to switch to DF. I don't watch that stuff and the kids don't even care for it, and they're of that age (MTV).

Heck, here's what I would do.

Drop DishFAMILY (or add a package to slot between that and top 100) and do a "top 45" or "top 50" package. No music stations, ESPN/sports, or MTV.
Drop the family branding, but still keep it fairly family-focused. Have Discovery, Travel, TLC, Animal, maybe Discovery Kids. TWC, CNN, HLN, CNBC, and Fox News....HGTV and Food...TV Land, Hallmark, ABC Family, USA, TBS, WGN, a couple Nick channels. Cartoon Network, AMC, and TCM. Then throw the religious/shopping stuff in there and that would be a home run in my house. It's a little something for everybody (adults too) and if anything was offensive, heck, isn't that why they have parental controls?
Any thoughts? Have a pack with the basics, but minus the ESPN/MTV types/radio stations and the extreme niche/offensive channels, such as Spike, TNT, FX, etc. I have no idea about pricing, so what I suggested may not be logical.

Too bad about WGN. I really like the way they're going, especially the Sunday night thing.