Media General Stations Removed from DISH, Agreement Reached

[king3pj]

Where did you get the 4 cent increase from? What I have read in past threads about local channel disputes leads me to believe that locals are asking to be paid rates comparable to other popular cable channels and that's a lot more than 4 or 5 cents per month.

I don't think any of us know what the real numbers are. That was just an example to show that percentages can be misleading and then other people used my 4 cent increase for their points too.

Someone posted that these locals were asking for a outrageous 500% increase. I simply posted that if the channel used to cost 1 cent and they asked for 5 cents that would be a 500% increase but most people wouldn't consider asking for 4 more cents outrageous.

I would love to see how much these channels are asking for but can't find actual numbers anywhere. Until we know what the real numbers are the percentages are pretty meaningless though. That was the whole point of the 4 cents.


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[sam_gordon]

While I agree in principle that a 4 cent increase is pocket change, I don't believe a cost increase is justified at all since they do nothing but pass along the national feed 98% of the time while injecting local commercials that advertisers pay to run. Exactly what is costing them that big of an increase for the 2% of news and crappy shows they run in the offtimes? Its a moot point in that we will never know the answer to that question, but it would be nice to see a breakdown of the books from one of these stations in dispute to see exactly what the deal is.

The big 4 MIGHT provide 50%-70% of the programming schedule when looking at an entire week. On a daily basis, you (generally) will have Midnight - 6am (6 hours), 7-9am (2 hours), MAYBE a 1 hour soap opera (1 hour), 6:30-7pm (30 min), 8-11p (3 hours) and 11:30-midnight (30 min). That's 13 hours out of a 24 hour day. Some stations run more local news (start at 4 am in the morning or do a replay during the over night hours). Weekends will have more network content (again, generally), but you're nowhere close to 98%.

The rest of the time is filled with local or syndicated programming (which is different for each station).

 

[jerryez]

I have a 722k and a 211k. I use the 211k for overflow recordings. I programmed my 211k to record all my CBS programs off of my antenna.

 

[Dudleydog73]

The big 4 MIGHT provide 50%-70% of the programming schedule when looking at an entire week. On a daily basis, you (generally) will have Midnight - 6am (6 hours), 7-9am (2 hours), MAYBE a 1 hour soap opera (1 hour), 6:30-7pm (30 min), 8-11p (3 hours) and 11:30-midnight (30 min). That's 13 hours out of a 24 hour day. Some stations run more local news (start at 4 am in the morning or do a replay during the over night hours). Weekends will have more network content (again, generally), but you're nowhere close to 98%.

The rest of the time is filled with local or syndicated programming (which is different for each station).

OK, just for grins I'm looking at the Media General station in my area that is in dispute for next Monday. The schedule is:

EXTRA, Star Watch (whatever that is), Dateline NBC, Meet the Press, Early Today (national early news), WNCN morning news starts at 4:30 and runs until 7AM, TODAY SHOW, My Carolina Today (half hour of crappy tv I mentioned above), Extra again, Cash Cab, Half hour of Focus T25, Days of our Lives, EP Daily (not sure what this is), OK! TV (again not sure what this is), Judge Judy x2, Ellen Degeneres, Judge Judy, WNCN 6pm news, NBC nightly news, WNCN 7pm news, Extra at 7:30, Primetime kicks in, WNCN 11pm news, Tonight show....

For a grand total of 4.5 hours of local programming (not knowing what the half hour shows of EP Daily and OK! TV are I will leave them out for now). 19.5 hours of national/syndicated programming is what I was talking about, so my original percentage might have been hyperbole, its not far off.

 

[king3pj]

OK, just for grins I'm looking at the Media General station in my area that is in dispute for next Monday. The schedule is:

EXTRA, Star Watch (whatever that is), Dateline NBC, Meet the Press, Early Today (national early news), WNCN morning news starts at 4:30 and runs until 7AM, TODAY SHOW, My Carolina Today (half hour of crappy tv I mentioned above), Extra again, Cash Cab, Half hour of Focus T25, Days of our Lives, EP Daily (not sure what this is), OK! TV (again not sure what this is), Judge Judy x2, Ellen Degeneres, Judge Judy, WNCN 6pm news, NBC nightly news, WNCN 7pm news, Extra at 7:30, Primetime kicks in, WNCN 11pm news, Tonight show....

For a grand total of 4.5 hours of local programming (not knowing what the half hour shows of EP Daily and OK! TV are I will leave them out for now). 19.5 hours of national/syndicated programming is what I was talking about, so my original percentage might have been hyperbole, its not far off.

Just because it isn't all local programing doesn't mean they don't have to pay for it. They have to buy those syndicated shows they put on during the day.

 

[Deadlocked]

NBC, CBS, and ABC rarely buy that much syndication.

 

[sam_gordon]

OK, just for grins I'm looking at the Media General station in my area that is in dispute for next Monday. The schedule is:

EXTRA, Star Watch (whatever that is), Dateline NBC, Meet the Press, Early Today (national early news), WNCN morning news starts at 4:30 and runs until 7AM, TODAY SHOW, My Carolina Today (half hour of crappy tv I mentioned above), Extra again, Cash Cab, Half hour of Focus T25, Days of our Lives, EP Daily (not sure what this is), OK! TV (again not sure what this is), Judge Judy x2, Ellen Degeneres, Judge Judy, WNCN 6pm news, NBC nightly news, WNCN 7pm news, Extra at 7:30, Primetime kicks in, WNCN 11pm news, Tonight show....

For a grand total of 4.5 hours of local programming (not knowing what the half hour shows of EP Daily and OK! TV are I will leave them out for now). 19.5 hours of national/syndicated programming is what I was talking about, so my original percentage might have been hyperbole, its not far off.

I'll readily admit stations don't do much local programming. But the NETWORKS provide only about 50-70%. The rest is made up of syndicated shows.

I just wanted to point out the Big 4 don't supply everything to affiliates.

 

[sam_gordon]

NBC, CBS, and ABC rarely buy that much syndication.

They don't buy any. The LOCALS buy all the syndication. I'm willing to wager even O&O's buy a bunch of syndication. The time has to be filled somehow.

 

[Deadlocked]

They don't buy any. The LOCALS buy all the syndication. I'm willing to wager even O&O's buy a bunch of syndication. The time has to be filled somehow.

Maybe i should've been more clear. NBC, CBS, ABC affiliates*

 

[jim090]

Might loose NBC in Roanoke/Lynchburg market--Would be nice if Dish could just give us next closest station-stations. until they work out a deal..

 

[sam_gordon]

Maybe i should've been more clear. NBC, CBS, ABC affiliates*

Then it depends on your definition of "that much". You're probably looking at 4-6 hours per day (weekday) of syndication on affiliates. Figure 10-12 and 1-5 depending on local news and if the network sends a soap opera. Then there also might he something overnight/early morning.

That's about the same amount of local news (figure 2 hour morning, 1 hour midday, 90 min evening, 30 min late night). Some do more, some do less.

 

[sam_gordon]

Might loose NBC in Roanoke/Lynchburg market--Would be nice if Dish could just give us next closest station-stations. until they work out a deal..

They're not allowed to. Is OTA an option for you?

 

[Barry Erick]

Or switch the tv to Antenna and watch live. All is not lost.

 

[jerryez]

Now $5 for locals times 14 million subscribers and that's $70 million dollars they bring in from locals. That $3.36 million increase still leaves plenty of room left for their overhead and a very nice profit.

The imagined 3.36 million dollars is an increase for one station out of many locals in some areas. So, you would have to figure the base price plus the increase times a minimum of four stations in each local area out of nearly 200 areas.

 

[king3pj]

The imagined 3.36 million dollars is an increase for one station out of many locals in some areas. So, you would have to figure the base price plus the increase times a minimum of four stations in each local area out of nearly 200 areas.

Unless I did the math wrong that was for all 14 million customers with 6 locals for each customer.

 

[skyviewmark]

I really wouldn't care that they shut off our CBS here if Dish would continue to provide Guide Data for the Over the Air channel.. But if like the past the guide data goes away and no timers can even be set then that is a buzz kill. Already setting my timers on my DirecTV setup just in case..

 

[miguelaqui]

If there is no guide data, then set up manual timers.

I hope ESPN becomes a pay channel.

My local NBC may go, but I have OTA with the antenna pointed to another DMA.

My OTA locals look a hell of a lot better anyway!

 

[Foxbat]

To advocate for your local broadcaster, remember that they are probably still paying off the costs of completely swapping out their entire signal path, transmitter, and antenna to comply with the transition to ATSC and the reduction in the available OTA spectrum.

Maybe if the FCC came out and said that cable and satellite providers need to pay a fixed amount per subscriber, no negotiations, no crawls, no threats.

 

[sam_gordon]

OK, just for grins I'm looking at the Media General station in my area that is in dispute for next Monday. The schedule is:

EXTRA, Star Watch (whatever that is), Dateline NBC, Meet the Press, Early Today (national early news), WNCN morning news starts at 4:30 and runs until 7AM, TODAY SHOW, My Carolina Today (half hour of crappy tv I mentioned above), Extra again, Cash Cab, Half hour of Focus T25, Days of our Lives, EP Daily (not sure what this is), OK! TV (again not sure what this is), Judge Judy x2, Ellen Degeneres, Judge Judy, WNCN 6pm news, NBC nightly news, WNCN 7pm news, Extra at 7:30, Primetime kicks in, WNCN 11pm news, Tonight show....

Just for grins, I went back to this posted schedule. The bold is syndicated programs, italics is provided by the network.
4.5 hours local (18%)
6 hours syndication (25%)
13.5(?) hours network provided. (56%)

?Pretty much right on what I had posted.

 

[skyviewmark]

If there is no guide data, then set up manual timers.

Please explain how I can set Manual timers on my Hopper..