Rainbow Media puts pressure on Dish Network

[riffjim4069]

That's why they should package the RSNs along with WE, IFC, AMC, etc. (you don't just buy ESPN these days...you buy multiple channels). It's easy to pull the plug on one largely unpopular channel, but quite another story to wipeout a significant portion of your lineup.

 

[Sean Mota]

and I believe they do. The current negotiations does not only involve WE, IFC and AMC but the RSNs as well.

 

[johnalan]

LOL

(sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[gutter]

Sean point is well made. The difference between the number of cable subscribers vs DBS are like the difference between Direct and VOOM currently. The difference is that cablevision own those those selective channels. Gentlemen, stand back... we are seeing some high stakes poker and I don't mean the poker channel either.

 

[mike123abc]

Sean point is well made. The difference between the number of cable subscribers vs DBS are like the difference between Direct and VOOM currently. The difference is that cablevision own those those selective channels. Gentlemen, stand back... we are seeing some high stakes poker and I don't mean the poker channel either.

Hardly a valid comparison... 26,000 VOOM vs 12,000,000 subscribers for DIRECTV. DIRECTV has 460 times the subs of VOOM.

DIRECTV and Echostar together are over 20% of the households in the US and are around 25% of the subscribed TV business.

There is not THE BIG CABLE company that has 75% of the market. It is a bunch of cable companies like Time Warner, Comcast, Cable Vision, Cableone, Adelphia, etc. DIRECTV and Echostar both are now getting to be about the same size as most of the large cable companies.

 

[Bruce]

and I believe they do. The current negotiations does not only involve WE, IFC and AMC but the RSNs as well.

I think it is a bad time for negotiations of the RSN, the only thing on them right now is Basketball, no Hockey of course, Baseball is four months away, and if those people in the six RSN's area bit*h about no basketball, Charlie could give them NBA League Pass free for a couple weeks, if not free because of anti-Trust stuff and all that, then he could charge them $10.00-$20.00 dollars for the time its (local RSNs) off then give them a rebate off other programing for the same amount.

 

[Sean Mota]

What it is implied here is that these channels are carried by cable companies nationally which has a bigger sub based than both dbs companies combined. Take them out of the dbs companies and the cable companies can have a slight advantage over dbs. Granted that you and I do not care about them but there are people out there that will care about them. I do not hard facts regarding total numbers since you need to pay for the reports but all the cable companies combined in a single total number does not compare to dbs total numbers of subs. Cable numbers being much bigger. Cable companies do not only offer TV but offer broadband and Voice Phone which attracts a lot of people just for those two other services. Whether we like it or not DBS can not compete against cable on broadband internet or phone over IP. This is incentive enough for some to remain with cable. I am thinking about it myself and completely erased E* from my bills since I can get a better tier of programming, broadband and VOIP. Yes, some of us do not like our cable companies but there is no doubt that they offer the best deal when you put these three services in a package. Anyway, we can say a whole lot here one way or the other but it does not amount to much because at the end of the day they will come to an agreement whether we like them or not.

 

[Sean Mota]

I think it is a bad time for negotiations of the RSN, the only thing on them right now is Basketball, no Hockey of course, Baseball is four months away, and if those people in the six RSN's area bit*h about no basketball, Charlie could give them NBA League Pass free for a couple weeks, if not free because of anti-Trust stuff and all that, then he could charge them $10.00-$20.00 dollars for the time its (local RSNs) off then give them a rebate off other programing for the same amount.

When you buy RSN channels, you don't buy them because of a seasonal package. You have to look at the whole year and what they offer. Whether there is no hockey or not either or both can hold out for whatever period but at the end either one will have to pay or underpay for the channels.

 

[rtt2]

The point is that in many systems and cable companies DO NOT carry most of these channesl.

Of IFC's 33.65 million viewers 20-25 miillion com from DBS. The rest come fromthe the scant few digital cable viewers.

We is not much better - its penetration is much lower and it als gets the majority of its viewers from DBS.

Only about 50% of cable subscribers even purchase digital cable. These digital cable channels do not get the penetration that they get on satellite.

 

[Sean Mota]

Where are you getting this data from if I may ask?

 

[Tvlman]

IFC is the only non HD channel I watch for movies other than TCM. AMC edits the films and has commercials so forget it. But IFC is an important film channel which brings us movies from other countries in OAR which we would never see otherwise. Wish both TCM & IFC were in HD which greatly improves the quality of even B&W films.

 

[Threv]

Looks Like Voom Won this Round I just got a notice from Dish Network that the Programming fees for some of my "Extra Channels" will go up due to increases from the channels Provider. I don't have the excact wording in front of me but I do know the Rainbow wasn't mentioned in the Notice.

BTW I canceld Dish network after my 30 days free comparison expired (They gave me a month free when I tried to cancel the first time after getting VOOM, So I could "see the difference" Har har what laugh! still the month gave me plenty of time record all the NOGGIN shows my kids will ever watch!

 

[DarrellP]

In case you are not aware, Voom went up $10 January 1st, that's a much higher percentage than Dish went up. It's a 25% increase for me.

 

[madpoet]

Didn't go up for me yet...

 

[DarrellP]

Mine hasn't either, but my latest statement date is 12/14, we all know it's coming.

 

[Threv]

My latest Statement date is 1/7/2005 and my bill is the Same. Where did you read about the Price increase? (I musthave missed the thread here)

 

[DarrellP]

It's all over this forum and has been discussed to death over the last year.

 

[SeattleVoomer1]

Hey, Darrell,

I've read most of the posts on this forum and VOOM/Yahoo since Dec. 2003 and have never seen an official announcement of a price increase. Many, many posts speculating and a couple quoting CSRs (not the most reliable source) but nothing definite.

If someone can come up with an official price increase statement looks like I'll have to eat crow.

Still watching HDTV under snowless Seattle skies, Gill

 

[Threv]

I did another quick search for Price Increases and the only thing I've been able to find is a thread about Grandfather's (nothing real specific) and the DISH Sub price going up. When I called the CSR to inquire about my Jan 7 Billl he said that he had no knowledge of a price increase. (of course this is a CSR and we know how reliable they can be..)
Maybe I'm missing the thread that this was discussed on. Or perhaps any pricing plans affect only the early adopters who bought thier gear. I'm not sure but I'll keep looking. Maybe Darryl could find the link and post it for me.

 

[boatman]

I get a invoice from VOOM every month. I have never seen anything about a price increase, or been told of one thru email or phone.