I can understand the no guide thing being a pain in the butt. I would just do an online chat and see if they can offer you anything. I just did a chat this morning to see if I could get a deal on HBO so I can watch Hard Knocks this month.
I'd say the biggest cost to provide locals is the guide. Look how much Tivo charges monthly for their service which includes guide data.I don't plan on calling Dish for a few bucks discount over this although I was wondering what they were offering, if anything. I don't need the money, I don't need the locals through DishTV. What I really need is the program guide. With the guide I could easily see what was on that day and in the future and also just hit a button and record a show. Now, I have to go to my pc and look at the channel schedule and go back and use the manual timer if I want to record something. It is not a matter of money, it is a matter of not getting what I'm paying for (the principle of the thing) and also the inconvenience I just noted. I don't know what the rules are for others but this seems to make sense to me.
That may be the only reference to a fee for locals. Didn't they just raise everyone's rates across the board and then start claiming "locals are free now".*Local channels for non-qualifying packages are $6.00 per month. Call 1-888-884-2741 for additional details.
http://www.dish.com/entertainment/channels/local/?WT.svl=main-content-button
This is Tivo's way to make a lot of money and to subsidize lower cost DVRs. I have a MythTV DVR and guide data from Schedules Direct, costs just $25/year.I'd say the biggest cost to provide locals is the guide. Look how much Tivo charges monthly for their service which includes guide data.
It's not a case of fixing it, it's a case of not breaking it on purpose.shortspark,I do agree with you about the guide info.I wish there was someway Dish could fix that.
Thought i would mention a station not on this list. I am in the Columbus, Ga DMA and lost both ABC and the FOX affiliate WXTX.
Granted, My Network probably provides 24/7 (or pretty close to it). I'm guessing CBS provides a little over 12 hours/day to the locals. Also, if you think about it, the network is just distributing the programs. They pay the producers (or whoever actually "makes" the show) and just distribute it.I personally don't like the idea of paying for a channel that has virtually no original programming. CBS, My Network provide the programming... the local channel just distributes it.
Just to be more specific - it wasn't the moving as we now look at "moving" that caused the problem, It was giving Distants when some did not qualify.
I NEED CONFIRMATION: WXTX is an American Spirit Media station. Have all the Spirit Media stations been pulled along with the Raycom channels? Looks like they all have marketing agreements with Raycom - ie, Spirit Media looks like a shell company so Raycom can get around ownership caps:
KYOU Fox, Ottumwa, Iowa
WDBD Fox , Jackson, Mississippi
WSFX-TV Fox, Wilmington, North Carolina
WUPW Fox, Toledo, Ohio
WUPV CW, Richmond, Virginia
Ouch, TWC lost Showtime and CBS stations. CBS has also blocked their internet subs from watching CBS shows on the CBS website. Times are fun...
That really puts the consumer first and shows CBS's true colors, just because one has Time Warner internet doesn't mean they also have Time Warner TV