The loss of subscribers is 100% their problem. It is pure greed - and stupidity - for them to think they can simply charge more for what their viewers obviously consider an inferior product.
Free ota antenna email from dish
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The loss of subscribers is 100% their problem. It is pure greed - and stupidity - for them to think they can simply charge more for what their viewers obviously consider an inferior product.
Same principle above applies here. With a certain number of viewers a station can charge "x" per minute for ads. If their viewer numbers decrease, no advertiser in their right mind will pay those same rates.
Agree the total payment would be less. Still doesn't explain how it helps Dish at the negotiating table (which is all I'm discussing).
No. If you bought eggs for $12/dozen (just making the math easy), but the next time you go to the store you only needed 6 eggs. Are those 6 eggs now worth less than $1/each to you?
If it's such an inferior product, why do more viewers watch broadcast networks than cable networks?
I don't believe so. I mean obviously, certain events (CFB Playoffs come to mind) that are only broadcast on cable nets would have higher ratings, but I'm pretty sure broadcast TV overall has better ratings.
ETA: I think I am comparing this correctly. This site July 2017 Ratings: Fox News No. 1 Cable Network for 13 Months show Fox News having the most viewers at 1.3M for the total day (which doesn't make sense since it says 2.1M for primetime viewers).
And this site NBC Wins 2016-17 Season In Ratings Demo; CBS Takes Total Viewers shows CBS with 9.6M, NBC with 8.1, ABC with 6.2, Fox with 5.8.
A free product would always get more customers than a pay product. Broadcast networks used to be only available free OTA, and they flourished. Then they got added to cable and sat subscriptions out of convenience, but in the minds of the customers, they were still "free", even though they were paying for them as part of the subscription. It wasn't until the retransmission rates jumped 50x higher in the last 10 years that cable and sat providers started "surcharging" and "line-iteming" them on their bills, and the cord-cutting/shaving and swinging back to OTA began to gain momentum.
I don't pay for locals anymore, and I barely watch them OTA either. I spend more time on OTA subchannels with older classic shows. The current shows on major broadcast TV I get from their websites, with no need for cable/sat authorization.
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If I need just (6) eggs vs (12), I have no influence on dictating the price. Yes, I'll still pay $1/ea.
This is not a comparison between broadcast and cable networks. But since you can't stay focused, ratings for ALL channels are decreasing. This all goes along with the drop in subscribers to cable and satellite providers.
Because the cable networks are even more inferior.
Just to be clear too, maybe "inferior" was the wrong word to use and maybe "unpopular" would be a better choice. It's all the same end result though - fewer viewers.
Just guessing here but possibly Dish's leverage comes from having the majority of users on antenna and OTA dongle. Dish could then be in a situation that just not re-broadcasting the OTA station would become a viable option. Pretty sure that the OTA station would then see an impact to advertiser rates and also lose all carriage fees from Dish, hence financial leverage.
It the station then tried to opt to "must carry" I am pretty sure re-broadcast fees are not available to the OTA station.
It the station then tried to opt to "must carry" I am pretty sure re-broadcast fees are not available to the OTA station.
Nah, pretty much everyone gets the different angles that Dish is approaching this from. There's just 1-2 that refuse to look at it with an open mind.Exactly the point I’ve been trying to make, but you said it better than me
On cable, that's the case. Stations have (2) options: 1) Negotiate a fee that the cable company agrees for carrying the channel (or the cable company can refuse the fee and not carry them) or 2) charge no fee and the cable company has to broadcast their channel.
My understanding is that must-carry doesn't apply to satellite providers though but I'm not 100% certain on that.
Yes it most certainly does apply to satellite.
It's funny. I've been saying on here for YEARS that the majority of viewers can get their locals from OTA, and every time I say it, I get told I'm wrong. But now that Dish is giving out antennas, suddenly it's the magic bullet. IF Dish ever gets to the point of not retransmitting a local broadcast, they will lose viewers (Dish as well as the local broadcaster). Rural customers will go where they need to get the content. If that's Direct or the local cable company, they'll find it.
I said it before and I'll say it again. Dish giving out antennas, much less installs, is a good move on their part. I still don't see how that helps at the negotiating table. The only proposals on here are "well, if Dish decides to not retrans, then they can hold the broadcaster hostage." Personally, I don't think that will happen, and if it does, it's years down the road.
Here's some more reading for you : Millennials Care More About TV (and Its Ads) Than YouTube – Adweek. Yes, TV ratings are down, but consumers still spend more time watching TV than streaming.
Not having the local stations is a MAJOR drawback for a satellite carrier.
Most people watch their locals more than any 2 or 3 cable channels.
If Dish were to drop locals it would severely degrade their desirability for most people.
This is exactly why there is such a fuss about charging for locals, almost every on wants them but many do not feel they should be charged for them since they are also FTA.
When ? Where ? This crowd is much, much more likely to use/encourage OTA viewing, in fact.
Have you missed the topic of this thread ? Dish is providing, or planning to provide, OTA antennas to customers so that they can still receive their local channels.
Everyone is free to install an antenna and get them for free. I see the 'fee' that is charged by satellite or cable companies as a "service" fee as much as anything. The service that the satellite or cable companies are offering is bringing the locals to their customers. Again, if one objects to this fee or charge, put up your own antenna. Pretty simple....
