Satellite TV Bills to increase

[Tampa8]

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fcc-proposes-sub-dbs-fee/133594

Remember, this is actually a new tax on you, John Q. Public if you have DISH or Direct.

 

[Centex]

Do cable subscribers pay these fees?

 

[KAB]

According to the article, yes.

 

[Yespage]

What is the regulatory fee for?

Terrestrial providers have stuff on the ground. Sat providers have stuff in orbit. I presume there are regulatory fees for satellites, right?

 

[klang]

It seems fair to me to treat the two satellite companies the same as cable providers BUT the article doesn't really say what the fees are used for in the first place. What is funded by these fees?

 

[dare2be]

It seems fair to me to treat the two satellite companies the same as cable providers BUT the article doesn't really say what the fees are used for in the first place. What is funded by these fees?

If fairness was the goal to treat the satellite companies the same as cable providers, then we would have a cablecard equivalent for satellite.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Wonder how much our bills are going to go up by?

 

[Bobby]

Whatever they decide it will be.... There's no negotiation here at all....

 

[Jim5506]

This is a fee on satellite providers according to the number of bureaucrats it takes to administer the government boondoggle that is the FCC.

So, if the FCC determines that they need 200 drones to adequately administer the rules and regulations governing Dish Network, Dish will be charged a fee for each government employee they "support".

Does this mean that our income taxes will no longer go to this government agency (since they are now funded by their victims), NOOOOOO! they will need that money, too!!

Just another way for the government to suck the life out of the economy!

 

[klang]

If fairness was the goal to treat the satellite companies the same as cable providers, then we would have a cablecard equivalent for satellite.

I know next to nothing about cablecards, but from a quick look at the wiki it appears the FCC dropped the ball. The section of the 1996 telcom law refers to 'multichannel video programming distributor' which would seem to fit Dish and DirectTV too. No idea why the FCC didn't make Dish support something like a cablecard.

I'm more curious what this fee is used for. If it is simply to support the FCC I would oppose it. Not that what we think matters........

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now cable companies pay regulatory fees because their cables are strung all over the town or buried around town. Satellite does not have this infrastructure since their satellites beam programming from space and reaches the entire country. I am not sure why satellite companies would need to pay these fees, but nothing that the FCC does lately surprises me.

If the satellite companies must pay these fees, that means ultimately WE pay these fees as the costs are passed on to us.

 

[Yespage]

Now cable companies pay regulatory fees because their cables are strung all over the town or buried around town. Satellite does not have this infrastructure since their satellites beam programming from space and reaches the entire country. I am not sure why satellite companies would need to pay these fees, but nothing that the FCC does lately surprises me.

If the satellite companies must pay these fees, that means ultimately WE pay these fees as the costs are passed on to us.

I can't imagine Dish and Directv don't have to pay fees to have satellites orbit the Earth. That has to cost something to some Government entity.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Now cable companies pay regulatory fees because their cables are strung all over the town or buried around town. Satellite does not have this infrastructure since their satellites beam programming from space and reaches the entire country. I am not sure why satellite companies would need to pay these fees, but nothing that the FCC does lately surprises me.

If the satellite companies must pay these fees, that means ultimately WE pay these fees as the costs are passed on to us.

This is where the whole thing goes sideways...what, the FCC wants to charge DBS providers for using frequencies? Orbital slots? The space and the air between the sat and our homes? There's no "equality" to cable companies at all in this situation, none whatsoever...

 

[david_jr]

You're forgetting that it is a bureaucracy and it doesn't have to make sense, be equal, fair or justified in any way other than they say so. Reminds me of growing up and Mom would say, "Because I said so! That's why!"

 

[dvrexpander]

Who really cares?? I mean they will go up regardless of this or whatever and just say they are going up for something else to offset it and make it look more "OK" to the consumer. I expect a hefty increase once again from Dish this coming spring to make up for the BS promo of 3 years with no increases.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I expect a hefty increase once again from Dish this coming spring to make up for the BS promo of 3 years with no increases.

When was that? I dont seem to remember a promise of 3 years with no increase.

 

[Bobby]

Me either, we had a two year deal (we actually paid up front for that one) but that was a few years back...... Instead of a rate increase during that deal we got a hefty equipment fee....

 

[KAB]

When was that? I dont seem to remember a promise of 3 years with no increase.

There wasn't one. There was a two year, that ended two years ago this spring.

 

[ChadT41]

February of 2011-February of 2013. They price froze the core programming costs. All other costs were still subject to change. And some did, such as HBO and DVr service fee.

 

[empiretc]

it's getting time to move on.