FCC needs to get involved now

[llzel]

It appears it's a free for all now, with subscribers the one losing.:

Dish has their problems now Uverse, where am I going to go?

Uverse to drop DIY HGTV FOOD BLOOMBERG, etc and many others as of 10/31/2010

These programmers know that the gravy train is almost over so they're trying to squeeze the most cash they can.

 

[Rusticus]

Not sure why we want the government involved. These companies are free to sell their products for the price they want. You are free to buy the products if you feel the price is right. Sure, I would like more stability in the channels, but if you think getting the government involved is going to make things better I doubt that it will.

 

[tedb3rd]

The LAST thing we need is government involved. It will end up like the phone bill--half of it is government fees and taxes.

Let the laws of economics take effect. The providers will take a big hit too if they don't have the revenue from the big ones like Dish, Direct U-Verse, etc. If you let the businesses work it out, the customer will ultimately win.

 

[mdram]

let the people tell the programmers what they want. if subs leave when channels are dropped the messege will be clear

the goverment will just screw it up, nothing they touch works right

bring on alacarte

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Even though I don't agree with the disputes and it is true that the consumer is the loser, this is also the free market at its best.

I dont want the government getting involved forcing any company to carry channels they may or may not want.

FX and Nat Geo lost 14 million subscribers that is going to cause a big loss of ad revenue for them. Both them and DISH will meet in the middle somewhere.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Why not let the FCC force both sides to use arbitrators force a compromise? Don't they do this with sports teams so they can't screw up a season of baseball, football etc? This would make both sides compromise and the viewers don't lose their channels in the mean time. This is fair to me and it still allows both sides to work on a solution up to the end of their contracts. IF no solution , forced arbitration will create a compromise and no one loses their tv channels , everyone wins.

 

[chuckster_dude]

Even though I don't agree with the disputes and it is true that the consumer is the loser, this is also the free market at its best.

I dont want the government getting involved forcing any company to carry channels they may or may not want.

FX and Nat Geo lost 14 million subscribers that is going to cause a big loss of ad revenue for them. Both them and DISH will meet in the middle somewhere.

I agree. Uverse will face the same loss in numbers/ad revenue on 10/31. As long as they don't demand the moon, the sun and the sky, it shouldn't be an issue.

The other factor is that November is a Nielsen month so ad rate settings will seriously come into play the next day for those networks.

 

[empiretc]

put the government in charge of the deserts and we will have a shortage of sand...

an unbiased advisory committee would be more beneficial to everyone

 

[AriesGodofWar]

I am not happy with the Dish situation, but the government does not do anything well. The free market will play out, and a resolution will be reached. When the goverment artifically inflates or props things up, bad things happen.

 

[datwell]

I just don't understand the programming providers being greedy during a recession! That's just crazy. Straightline everything and keep on cashing the checks for the time being sounds like a much better strategy to me.

--Doug

 

[llzel]

Last year i lost 35 St Louis Blues games because of a dispute. nothing got resolved. You're going to see alliances develop with programmers and suppliers much like hardware alliances.
In the long haul the consumer will lose in this. Carriers should be given some support in retransmitting programming and not be held hostage by the providers. hence the FCC.
Right now FX and NatGEO could careless about the 14mil viewers they just lost.
Until someone steps in these disputes are going to skyrocket. And why not? CNN will say screw it, we're going to triple our cost DISH and if you don't like it we'll pull programming. Consumers will complain dish will blame CNN and CNN will blame Dish and eventually CNN will get more money then what they would have gotten before. Won't be long before other providers see the trend. Regulation isn't always a bad thing.

 

[DBS Commando]

Disputes like these will ultimately cause a revolution in how the average American watches TV. With the implementation of the internet and faster speeds, people will just start hooking up Home Theater PC's and access all of their content online without the "middle man" TV providers.

Want to watch a Fox broadcasting show? Head over to their website and you can stream in HD
CBS? Same thing
Want to watch a movie? Netflix.

etc, etc.

Doing this will allow the average consumer to eliminate a bill and probably save around $1,000 a year.If more people switch to VOIP, there's another bill you get to save money on.

The key is getting high speed internet access everywhere. Unfortunately, I know many dish subs have nothing but 56k lines. OTA could also serve as a substitute for some live broadcasts. Sports is another issue. As soon as they start streaming games online for free (with commercials), I think that will mark the beginning of the end for broadcast TV.

 

[goaliebob99]

It appears it's a free for all now, with subscribers the one losing.:

Dish has their problems now Uverse, where am I going to go?

Uverse to drop DIY HGTV FOOD BLOOMBERG, etc and many others as of 10/31/2010

These programmers know that the gravy train is almost over so they're trying to squeeze the most cash they can.

Uverse sucks, they shot themselfs in the foot by not completing the fiber loop to the home. Instead they are trying to put cabbage through a keyhole! Once uverse can give me more than 6 HD streams in my home plus the speeds comcast give me for internet, without any slowdowns, Ill consider them.

I get right now with comcast, double the speed that uverse was delivering for all of there services combined.

 

[goaliebob99]

Why not have a national distribution system (let D* and E* combine transmission resources) and the consumer pays the providers directly with a transmission fee of like 5 bucks for satellite launches, maintenance, upkeep, ect. plus the rental cost of the boxes. That way you get access to all channels, and at a super high quality you want.

 

[mike123abc]

The FTC not the FCC is probably better suited for the Fox dispute. Essentially RSNs are monopolies, there is no other source of game coverage. The FTC should look into RSNs as monopolies.

The other disputes are capitalism. If you do not have Disney channel there are competing kids channels. While some channels are a lot more popular there are alternatives. Nat Geo and FX certainly have alternatives for the same type of programming. But using the RSN monopoly to force carriage is probably the only reason I can see for the government to get involved.

 

[navychop]

I think sports has a specific exception to the anti-monopoly laws.

 

[Taylork]

Why not let the FCC force both sides to use arbitrators force a compromise? Don't they do this with sports teams so they can't screw up a season of baseball, football etc? This would make both sides compromise and the viewers don't lose their channels in the mean time. This is fair to me and it still allows both sides to work on a solution up to the end of their contracts. IF no solution , forced arbitration will create a compromise and no one loses their tv channels , everyone wins.

Gotta agree with MikeD. I understand why many folks don't want the government involved, but at times there is a valid reason why things like arbitration take place. Unfortunately, the FCC, to my understanding, does not have the power or authority to require arbitration. But that said, it seems we would be better served if there was a method to get past all the posturing and in essence move to a compromise. Unfortunately, in today's climate, no one seems to be willing to compromise on anything, and until that attitude changes, IMHO, we will continue polarizing. Thus, if we can't get folks to "voluntarily compromise" in the free market, methinks no one is going to budge and thus nothing will get done. It just seems appropriate intervention could do wonders if not abused, but again, its just a pipe dream for this situation. Takes Congress to allow this via the FCC, and as we all know they aren't working right now!

 

[navychop]

....the goverment will just screw it up, nothing they touch works right

bring on alacarte

Reminds me of the lady who said, rather indignantly, "I don't want the government messing with my social security."

 

[mdram]

Reminds me of the lady who said, rather indignantly, "I don't want the government messing with my social security."

they do such a great job of running that
maybe someone else should take over

 

[Young C]

Dish needs to file for chapter 411 bankruptcy.

Dish fails as a whole.