Puerto Rico's Senate Law 2777 to intervine with Dish Network Discriminatory Practices

[splino]

If anything I can see this chest thumping from PR actually slowing down progress by DISH Network in PR more then anything. Over the past 2 years DISH has made some major improvements into PR which nobody else has done. They are not perfect, but honestly what else is there?

I gotta agree with you Scott. Not only has Dish Network made major improvements in the past 2 years, it has really been the reason that all other TV providers on the island have had to better their offers to compete (program and price wise).

It's beyond me. Why will you go after the company that's making your TV programming cheaper and better?

 

[rdavidowski]

Scott, after reading what you wrote I have to agree with you on that. PR's local government may be oversteping some federal laws here. And like technoguy said what they were capable of doing which was imposing taxes, they already acomplished. Still they, as the newspaper reported, are trying to put the law into place. What effect will that have is something to be seen in the near future because aparently they are ready to give it a go ahead. I think they are also looking for support of the FCC so they are not going at it alone.

And when I said that if DirecTV switched sat service from Venezuelas sat to US sats was just to illustrate why Dish has more costumers here. Which makes it obvious that people here are after the American programming. Still, and this is my opinion I am sure for DirecTV it makes no sence money wise because of the small market PR is; they will be getting more costumers here if they had service from the US sats. I think they made a bad choice, programming wise, when they decided to provide service off of Venezuela's sat. here.

 

[technoguy]

I gotta agree with you Scott. Not only has Dish Network made major improvements in the past 2 years, it has really been the reason that all other TV providers on the island have had to better their offers to compete (program and price wise).

It's beyond me. Why will you go after the company that's making your TV programming cheaper and better?

Why they are after DN?Easy answer,Cable co lobbyists.They accretion DN for those improvments you mentioned,Since the time of piracy Cable cos have been loosing costumers here ant they been forced to invest more in their systems,They're who were comply DN(no Direct Tv)wasn't paying sales taxes,That's when the local Treasury dept storm every single retailer in Puerto Rico,after those facts the rest is history,and I'm say to all residents who have svc with DN here,they're not still happy and they won't back down until 2 things happens: The market goes how they want or consumers fight them those practice back.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Directv would need to do a lot of work to launch birds to serve PR they would then need the proper licenses from the FCC to build the satellites. And that's assuming there are transponder licenses available to serve PR.

On the programming front you need to remember DISH can't sell you programming which they are not allowed to broadcast into PR.

Dish would LOVE to sell you every channel they could in you area but if the contract does not allow for it there is nothing they can do.

The question is why some of these channels can not be broadcast into PR? Does someone else own the right for the area?

As I said before DISH would love to sell you everything they can, they are a business to make money. To think that dish is holding back services just because they don't want to serve PR is just silly.

 

[rdavidowski]

Scott I am sure DirecTV is not going to make that kind of investment only for PR. Now is to late for them, they will never be able to compete with Dish Network here on the island. They just made a bad decision when they tought that because PR residents speak spanish people would be interested in Latin Americas programming. That is simply not the case, for that we have our local stations. We even resented when Univisoin took over control of channel 11 here and imposed their mexican programing. Have nothing against my mexican friends but PR residents only want their own local spanish channels wish are 3 or 4 channels and the rest of the channels from Americas programming. Hell a testament to this is that we now have our own local NBC,CBS ,ABC, Fox and CW.

As for licencing it is obvious that Univision, Telemundo because they are local stations here have local transmision rights. But we as costumers of Dish Network what we are asking from them is to just provide the same HD channels as the rest of the nation. And this we are asking only because we know they have the technical ability to do it. They have the sats in place and the space avilable. It is just a matter of taking the decision of doing it and not making future plans without taking us into consideration because we spend the same amount of money as any other costumer in CONUS for less channels. We are not asking this from DirecTV because we know they don't have the technical systems put in place and thats why because of that we are leting them know with our wallets.

We all know Dish is a great company, that is why Dish has a large costumer base here. And we know that because of Dish every other TV provider here is scrambling to make changes to better their offerings. But we as costumers have to let Dish know what we want, that way they will not loose any ground all ready made up. So please Dish hear out your costumers here and complete the HD offering, that is all that is missing.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

We all know Dish is a great company, that is why Dish has a large costumer base here. And we know that because of Dish every other TV provider here is scrambling to make changes to better their offerings. But we as costumers have to let Dish know what we want, that way they will not loose any ground all ready made up. So please Dish hear out your costumers here and complete the HD offering, that is all that is missing.

That is all well and good, but making a bogus law is only going to slowdown thr groth that DISH Network has been showing over the past 2 years, not speed it up.

I think others in this thread are correct when they say this law was put in place by the cable guys. Since DISH has started expanding in PR the cable companies have had to spend some good money trying to keep up meaning less profits for them. DISH forced the cable companies to have to get better and they didn't like it.

As I said the only thing this unenforceable law is going to do is slow down the growth that DISH has shown and I am sure that is exactly what the cable guys want.

 

[ljdonato]

After reading the bill

I have read the bill.

First, I need to make some clarifications:
It is not a Senate Bill, but a House of Representatives Bill
It is not 2777, but 2277. In this regard, this discrepancy was an original error of the newspaper, which used both numbers in their piece.

So HR Bill 2277, from December 21, 2009, which intends to ammend the PR Telecommunications Law of 1996, is a bill proposed to:
a) give power to the JRT (Telecommunications Rules Board) to regulate terms of the service contracts of satellite providers.
b) give JRT jurisdiction to revise the resolution of complaints, as established by the satellite providers procedures for the resolution of such complaints
c) to create a registry of satellite providers companies in PR

And here, some translated snippets from the body of the bill (it is just 6 letter-sized pages long):

1. 1- JRT will guide all their actions based on Federal Communications Law (the US Telecommunications Act of 1996)
2. 2- PR 1996 Law gave TV/cable companies a mandate to notify customers that they (the customers) can ask the JRT to verify or revise the resolution of complaints. Also, JRT do not deal with complaints that have not been submitted to the TV companies first.
3. 3- Satellite providers (called "DBS" companies) were not included in the original bill, so for all means, they are unregulated by the JRT, in terms of service and contract complaints. Examples of these complaints mentioned are: changes in their monthly bill, like changes in price or unsolicited additions to their service which result in a higher amount due. A significant number of these complaints are being satisfactorily dealt with by the JRT, but only because of good faith on both the JRT and one the "DBS" providers, not because there is really a law to abide by. That DBS provider (it is not mentioned, but I believe it is DirecTV) have a Customer Service Office in PR, "other companies do not".
4. 4- Every aspect of the operation of "DBS" businesses are regulated by the FCC, by the 1934 Law, ammended in 1996.
5. 5- "No state or territory of the US has faculty to regulate the transmissions of these companies, but there is no Congress or FCC explicit prohibition on states in terms of adopting consumer protection procedures to deal with complaints.
6. 6- This bill will deal only with service contracts and procedures of complaints, and with mandating companies to register (in a registry of sat providers
7. 7- There will be NO overstepping of the powers of the FCC, which will maintain primary jurisdiction.

So, as I suspected, this is "much ado about nothing". This will only be for service contracts, breach of those contracts and minimal complaints. I don't think this have any effect whatsoever on programming.

 

[ljdonato]

And I don't think this should slow anything. All Dish could do is assign someone to talk to JRT.
And note that first, the customer has to complain to Dish, if things are not resolved, THEN and only then, complain to the JRT. The customer only has 30 days to do so, from the moment he/she receives notification from Dish about the resolution of the complaint.

And all JRT does is follow the regulations of the company. They do not go over them, they just make sure that the company played by their own rules.


All of this is, somehow, a relief. I still have hope (given by neljtorres comments --- or rumors), of Dish doing justice to PR.

 

[falkor]

Puerto Rico has a Senate ?

 

[TNGTony]

LOL... PR has a bicameral legislature and an elected governor just like most states in the union. They do not have US senators or voting US representatives in the federal Congress. There is an official "observer" in the US House which could be considered an official lobbyist.

 

[neljtorres]

I am not sure PR can make any law which will change the way DISH operates, DISH is licencesed by Federal bodies and laws and that trumps any state laws that are made. (And PR is not even a state.) the government can do all the chest thumping they want but unfortunately its not going to change anything.

I have talked in the past with DIRECTV and PR and was told it would never be a profitable market for them. They are much more interested in DirecTV Latin America. The PR audience is small potatoes compared to DirecTV Latin America.

If anything I can see this chest thumping from PR actually slowing down progress by DISH Network in PR more then anything. Over the past 2 years DISH has made some major improvements into PR which nobody else has done. They are not perfect, but honestly what else is there?

Yup You are right Scott! I have been with Dish for almost 10 years and the only good service that really exists in Dish the other companies stinks!
This law will not reach first base!

 

[neljtorres]

Directv would need to do a lot of work to launch birds to serve PR they would then need the proper licenses from the FCC to build the satellites. And that's assuming there are transponder licenses available to serve PR.

On the programming front you need to remember DISH can't sell you programming which they are not allowed to broadcast into PR.

Dish would LOVE to sell you every channel they could in you area but if the contract does not allow for it there is nothing they can do.

The question is why some of these channels can not be broadcast into PR? Does someone else own the right for the area?

As I said before DISH would love to sell you everything they can, they are a business to make money. To think that dish is holding back services just because they don't want to serve PR is just silly.

Well the Galavision and Telefutura Univision form Puerto Rico blocks it but the programming they show its about two weeks late. but in the old days i was able to get them

Telemundo East and West because their sister station here ask dish to block those channles but the same things happen the show old stuff.

 

[Bobby]

Puerto Rico has a Senate ?

Why not, California does...... Many, if not all, States, or Territories, have established their governments according to that as was set up by the U.S. Constitution....

 

[rdavidowski]

Puerto Rico has the exact same setup as any local government of any other state. They can do what ever law they want as long as it does not overstep any federal law. All federal laws and regulation apply without any exception. The only difference is we do not have 2 senators in congress and we only have one congress man in the House which can vote as long as he is not the deciding vote. Also we vote in primaries but not on general elections for the president, unless you have a residence in another state in which case they will send the valot to whatever address you give them. That is my case because I have a residence in FL. As for taxes we do pay Federal taxes, we pay Social Security tax and Medicare tax but are exempt from fedral income tax. But belive me state tax compensates and a bit more to make for that; at least that's how it feels. If you receive federal wages or are a soldier you are not exempt of federal income tax. Everybody else can and some do fill out the federal income tax return. Most of whom fill out federal income tax, that are not require to do so, do it because of the benefit of a credit for child support. And also by order of the president since Ronald Regan every federal agency has to treat PR as if it was a state, no other territory has that put in place. Strange but that is how it works.

 

[falkor]

At least now I know a couple of people who have no sense of humor . VERY sorry guys .

 

[rdavidowski]

Sorry Falkor no intention to be "un-humorous". If that word even exits. Is that even for us that leave here in PR day in and day out, the status quo is kind of confusing. You can go ahead and put any coment you like it would be gladly taken, that is the reason of the forum in the first place.

 

[falkor]

Thanks . yes , I was just teasing . My attempt at brevity did not work so well

 

[elTiTANio]

in other cities and markets in the US Telemundo and Univision also have their local station along with their national network channel, to my knowledge there is no blackout of the network feed in any other market only in Puerto Rico. The reason is pure greed from the local affiliates backed by the local government, because the main language here is spanish, and they want to capitalize on that. I belive (not sure) there is some kind of regulation for that here in Puerto Rico and someone has to come up and ask the government for de-regulation for spanish television. they are forcing us to watch the local affiliates on spanish TV. we want equality NOW!

also the lack of daylight savings makes it a plain EXCUSE for univision to treat PR as second class audience. For example they broadcast "despierta America" at 8am always in PR. To do this they delay one hour in the summer and in winter it goes live. Telemundo in the other hand, adjust their schedule to broadcast "Levantate" live all the time, at 7am in the summer, and at 8am in the winter. Telemundo also broadcast other programs "synchronized", for example "Caso Cerrado" that is broadcasted nationally at 4pm including PR, the same program. how they do this? as the program is pre-recorded (as most programming on all TV) they actually broadcast it here one hour earlier that in the easter zone in the summer. Univision always delay programming for their own amusement sometimes up to two weeks, I dont see why they could not use the same model Telemundo does.

Soap operas always get months behind of national broadcasts, god knows why, on both networks. I dont watch them, so I dont mind about them, but this reflects a lack of respect for our market from these networks, that is being backed by the local government with their local regulations.

None of this happens with english networks.

And for the HD issue, Dish has to put their main satellite for CONUS HD back in the EA on 61.5 (back from the 72.7), get back ALL THE CHANNELS including all new on echostar 15, and the problem for all gets all solved.

Also I believe in applying the Altantic Daylight saving here in PR. It will add one hour of daylight in the night and also would end scheduling and stupidness discrepancies from these networks. it would separate us permanent from the eastern time, though I dont see any disadvantage with that. But atlantic daylight savings is another political topic, it has not to do with DISH. all Dish need to do its get us FULL national HD on 61.5 and THEY CAN!

 

[dbs2000]

DISH HAS BETRAYED PUERTO RICO

That is why people are starting to put their money not paying DISH but instead in "other technologies"

Did you hear that the HDMI code was broken and published on the net.

If they don't want my 193.00 a month oh well ....................................

 

[Lord_Vader]

Can't you guys just "sling" from NY? Just kidding.