Murdoch: Gov't Would Approve DirecTV/Echostar

[MikeD-C05]

A service (DTV) with the fewest HD programs merging with a service (DISH) that has the most HDTV since VOOM. Sounds one-sided to me.

Exactly what I thought. They buy Dish and get all the hd national channels they lack , but Dish would get all the hd locals they lack. I guess that part would be about equal. Still it sounds a bit like buying out your competition to me. Then you don't have anyone to stay up with except cable and the telecos. Then they wouldn't have to add anymore hd national channels for a great while since cable isn't adding any either.

 

[Stargazer]

I think the chances of a merger happening is greater today than it was in the past even though we do not have VoOm as a competetor anymore. The other competition that has come about is MUCH greater. This is what Dish/Direct may need to survive in the future and to allow competition at all. What do you think will happen if Dish/Direct goes out of business and there is only one or two people in town then? Or maybe Dish/Direct is asking TOO EARLY for a merger and some losses and suffering has to be seen before one will be allowed. By that time FIOS/cable/IPTV may want to buy them out and would that be allowed?

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Is HD a huge market right now? No.

Is it growing? By leaps and bounds. Sales in the 1st Qtr of 2006 were up 101% from a year ago.

Do "normal" people own digital TVs? More and more of them. Sales of digital TVs, which include the small LCD sets, were 3.6M in the first three months of 2006. It is likely that about 15 million digital TVs will be purchased in 2006. And more than that in 2007.

The reason why D* and E* are pouring hundreds of millions into HD is that the big growth in HD demand is not in the distant future, it is in the near future. They know they have to have a lot of HD by 2008.

 

[navychop]

Waltinvt:
What exactly did you mean by "with all affiliates swapping out digital for analog as they become ready."?

 

[waltinvt]

Waltinvt:
What exactly did you mean by "with all affiliates swapping out digital for analog as they become ready."?

Only that the affiliates that are not yet doing digital but do have their analog signal being carried, could just replace it with the digital feed when they are ready.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I spotted this story ... few have more political connections than Rupert. Read about his big weekend party.

"July 30, 2006

Over the years, Rupert Murdoch has hobnobbed at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, the Allen & Company conference in Idaho and other gatherings of the global elite.

But he could put them all to shame with the star-studded retreat he is holding for the 250 most senior managers of the News Corporation and their spouses starting today at the Pebble Beach Resort near his ranch in Carmel, Calif.

The gathering kicks off with an introduction by Mr. Murdoch, remarks by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and an address by Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain.

The agenda includes discussions featuring Senator John McCain, the former House speaker Newt Gingrich and the former Vice President Al Gore, and a “town hall meeting” with Bill Clinton. Bono will deliver a keynote speech, as will former Prime Minister Shimon Peres of Israel.

Clearly, Mr. Murdoch, whose empire includes movie studios, newspapers, TV networks, Internet companies and satellite broadcasters, prefers owning the stage to being on it: on Wednesday, when it all wraps up, he has reserved only 15 minutes for his closing remarks."

 

[navychop]

Will he have Senators tending bar and Congressmen as waiters?

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Navychop, you could go if you agree to lick their boots clean.

 

[DS0816]

In 2001, DirecTV was behind Dish Network in expanding its non-premium lineup. Dish had before DirecTV The Biography Channel, Hisory International, GAC, VH1 Classic, and all Discovery channels. I felt frustrated at the time, but DirecTV caught up.

Now there has been little talk here of missing SD channels DirecTV oughta be carrying that Dish has (like Style Network) because the subject is about a possible merge.

I don't see a merge, because it harks back to 2001 when Charlie Ergen was approved to buy DirecTV but he didn't make it past the FCC.

So for the latest postings about HD, it's just not making the impact right now that was meant to be. I'm wondering if 2009 will really be the year requiring all broadcasts in the U.S. to become digital. But for HD, this country has been behind Japan for over two decades, so my betting is that HD is the future -- but I'm not willing to bet on specifically when said future arrives.

There's a reason for this.

Price. Consumers do want the latest stuff. But if it costs more than what they're willing to accept -- which has been the case with HD -- the American public will not bite. 2009 isn't long from now. So those prices on HD sets better come down in price to the level we see nowadays of under-$1,000 sets from leading manufacturers containing sizable pictures (36 inches and above). The Plasma thing isn't hot like Plasma was hoping.

When it comes to future DirecTV programming, it will add those slew of national-based HD channels. I anticipate more of the channels from well-established cable programmers with HD content: HGTV HD, Food Network HD, Outdoor Channel 2 HD, National Geographic HD, all the premium movie channels in HD, along with plenty of sports in HD (NFL Network HD, etc). And the reason for this is because DirecTV would become a failure of a company if it were not to be adding these channels as soon as technology will permit. So all the frustrations expressed about Dish being ahead is, while worth considering, a whole lotta steam. You gotta be a little more patient, fellas!

 

[dishcomm]

My concern is more with HD. My one and only cable provider doesn't even do HD. My ONLY options for HD content are D* or E*.

So, tell me again why a merger wouldn't be a monopoly?

Although
such a merger would place all small dish tv reception under one roof, the pay tv market would still be 80% cable....Therefore a merger would npot vreata monooly for pay tv.....Of course the first time around the cable lobby, NAB and other opposed a D*/E*merger.....
I would like to see the two sat co's molded into one...This would give those who choose satellite a much wider range of EQ and service choices....
DO I think this is going happen?..No. Not for the next few years(that's a guess) it won't..

 

[Stargazer]

Maybe this is wht Directv keeps delaying their MPEG-4 HD DVR.