I can't do that--there would be a lynching++i have to cut down trees,and a few houses across the street--oh wellIndy said:
The End of VOOM?
- Thread starter Sean Mota
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graphiteRT said:
You're probably right, how can it go from Dolan, Sr. wanting to buy Voom to Echostar buying the bird in less than 24 hours.
I rather enjoy seeing people eat crow
Let's face it. . . E* nor D* care that much about us. As I search for my new HD provider I am thinking about cost and content. Also with the new Motorola DVr's, Tivo's contract ending with D* in 2005, etc. I would like a lease option, but I don't think that is availbe for satellite providers. No Comcast HD in my South Florida area, so no choice there.
I was so excited about Voom's new DVR. The whole house solution was an awesome idea.
I was so excited about Voom's new DVR. The whole house solution was an awesome idea.
I am sure we will not hear about this deal on HDNews, but I wish we would. It would be nice if they made a statement, or posted something in the guide.
Damn, I need the SuperBowl in HD. I think I still have an old OTA box in my closet.
Damn, I need the SuperBowl in HD. I think I still have an old OTA box in my closet.
Well, financially I'm not bad off as I only paid $49 for installation in November and was leasing the equipment. I got an off-air antenna and a run of coax for my $49 install fee, so I really can't complain too much.
I always thought that if Dish bought VOOM they'd fold the HD content into their current lineup and bring the extra 30,000 or so subscribers on board as well.
I never cancelled my Dish service since I had a SD DVR with them. And, VOOM was supposed to have a DVR in a few months, so paying for "double service" for a just few months seemed tolerable.
I like to root for the underdog, too, so it hurts to see VOOM fold.
I'll probably add Dish's HD content package when VOOM pulls the plug, unless Charter Cable offers up something better. I can't stand Rupert, so I'll never go with Direct.
Forgive me if I rant here for just a moment.
To all Cablevision Board members who voted to kill VOOM:
(offensive remarks toward board members, their relatives and their pets deleted)
Rant over.
I suppose that I may have anger issues, but I must admit that I feel much better now.
I always thought that if Dish bought VOOM they'd fold the HD content into their current lineup and bring the extra 30,000 or so subscribers on board as well.
I never cancelled my Dish service since I had a SD DVR with them. And, VOOM was supposed to have a DVR in a few months, so paying for "double service" for a just few months seemed tolerable.
I like to root for the underdog, too, so it hurts to see VOOM fold.
I'll probably add Dish's HD content package when VOOM pulls the plug, unless Charter Cable offers up something better. I can't stand Rupert, so I'll never go with Direct.
Forgive me if I rant here for just a moment.
To all Cablevision Board members who voted to kill VOOM:
(offensive remarks toward board members, their relatives and their pets deleted)
Rant over.
I suppose that I may have anger issues, but I must admit that I feel much better now.
Well, what can you say. Voom is dead. It was great while it lasted.
I have been a E* subscriber for a month now and am pleased that I can watch my Wizards on my RSN. But Voom was special. I missed it. Especially whe you first get it. I think that I am like most people in the sense that I can only afford 1 provider, and E* gave me more overall choices.
I am the reason Voom is dead. Sorry.
We'll get more as the sun rises tomorrow. Nothing will happen 'til SEC approval. They will not have any problem with E* aquiring a satellite, though.
We know that Voom was a money drain. But what about the content? I am very curious what will happen to the content and rights to that programming. Contrary to what you might think, the programming was not part of the money drain. Voom aquired much of it's content, and was not involved in all of it's production. Sean posted an article earlier about the production facility they used (they did not own it).
I have been a E* subscriber for a month now and am pleased that I can watch my Wizards on my RSN. But Voom was special. I missed it. Especially whe you first get it. I think that I am like most people in the sense that I can only afford 1 provider, and E* gave me more overall choices.
I am the reason Voom is dead. Sorry.
We'll get more as the sun rises tomorrow. Nothing will happen 'til SEC approval. They will not have any problem with E* aquiring a satellite, though.
We know that Voom was a money drain. But what about the content? I am very curious what will happen to the content and rights to that programming. Contrary to what you might think, the programming was not part of the money drain. Voom aquired much of it's content, and was not involved in all of it's production. Sean posted an article earlier about the production facility they used (they did not own it).
David D.
Chillllllllllll. It's just television. Now you'll get a chance to catch up on all that reading that you've been telling yourself you need to do.
Chillllllllllll. It's just television. Now you'll get a chance to catch up on all that reading that you've been telling yourself you need to do.
Well, my sentiments are clearly with the hardest obscenities posted in this thread.
I am SO BUMMED
about losing Voom :down :down :down :down I don't even know what to say or what to smash.
I totally disagree with anybody who said Voom's problem was it had no content. VOOM WAS FINALLY FRIGGING TV WORTH WATCHING. They didn't call TV "the boob tube" for nothing. I learned so much about great art on Gallery HD. I loved Equator, and the documentaries and foreign films on Cinema10, and the new direction they were going with Film Fest avant garde films. I also love Discovery HD, but I am not about to get another service for ONE channel.
IMO the other providers are a brain dead wasteland. Mostly SD. TV commercials up the wazoo. I definitely "lost a friend on life support" here. :river
I will go back to renting an occasional foreign film at 480p :down and reading more. Forget TV until something good comes along again. Maybe this is for the best anyhow.
I am so bummed, and this is my FINAL POST in this forum.....
I am SO BUMMED
about losing Voom :down :down :down :down I don't even know what to say or what to smash.I totally disagree with anybody who said Voom's problem was it had no content. VOOM WAS FINALLY FRIGGING TV WORTH WATCHING. They didn't call TV "the boob tube" for nothing. I learned so much about great art on Gallery HD. I loved Equator, and the documentaries and foreign films on Cinema10, and the new direction they were going with Film Fest avant garde films. I also love Discovery HD, but I am not about to get another service for ONE channel.
IMO the other providers are a brain dead wasteland. Mostly SD. TV commercials up the wazoo. I definitely "lost a friend on life support" here. :river
I will go back to renting an occasional foreign film at 480p :down and reading more. Forget TV until something good comes along again. Maybe this is for the best anyhow.
I am so bummed, and this is my FINAL POST in this forum.....
David Dietzel said:
I am in exactly the same boat. And although knowing that I am not really out any money helps soften the blow, I am still very upset by this whole thing. VOOM is (was) so much better than the competition, I almost take it personally that it didn't make it.
Not that this is the first time that the better product lost out to a competitor!
Cablevision Sells Satellite to EchoStar
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and GERALDINE FABRIKANT
Ending a father-son boardroom battle, Cablevision Systems Corporation dismantled its struggling satellite business last night by selling its satellite to EchoStar Communications for $200 million in cash.
The sale comes just two days after Cablevision's 78-year-old founder, Charles F. Dolan, lost a showdown with his son James L. Dolan, the company's 49-year-old chief executive, over the fate of the satellite business.
The younger Dolan and the board voted to sell the satellite business, which had been criticized by investors as a black hole, despite vehement opposition from his father, who has heralded the business as the future of the company.
The family rift has renewed speculation among some on Wall Street that the Dolans could be driven to put Cablevision up for sale.
The schism became so great that there were times when the elder Dolan stopped speaking to his son, according to executives close to the company.
Even as late as yesterday, the elder Dolan and other members of his family including his other son, Thomas Dolan, executive vice president of the company, had been trying to hatch their own plan to buy the satellite business, called Rainbow DBS, according to the executives.
A recent memorandum distributed to employees said, "Potential bidders for RDBS include members of the Dolan family."
A spokesman for Cablevision declined to comment. Cablevision stock rose $1.10 yesterday, or 4.5 percent, to close at $25.48.
The sale of the satellite business to EchoStar ends Mr. Dolan's dream to create his third major media sensation.
In addition to creating Cablevision, Mr. Dolan founded HBO, the subscription-based cable network now owned by Time Warner. Mr. Dolan often compared his fledgling satellite business to HBO, frequently reminding investors that skeptics had belittled his early efforts to start that network, too.
Mr. Dolan had tried to create a niche in the satellite market by specializing in broadcasting more high-definition television programming than the other satellite providers or cable operators. But his vision may have been ahead of its time. Sales of high-definition televisions and demand for programming to match have not materialized as fast as he and many analysts had predicted.
The service, called Voom, which started in 2003, has only 26,000 subscribers and has lost more than $76 million. The company said it would continue to provide service to its current customers during a transition period, but did not elaborate on what would eventually happen to them.
Under the terms of the deal yesterday, EchoStar will pay $200 million in cash for Cablevision's satellite, called Rainbow 1, as well as federal licenses to construct, introduce and operate satellite services over 11 frequency channels. In addition, EchoStar will buy the company's ground facility in Black Hawk, S.D., and related assets.
EchoStar, which operates under the Dish brand, said it was "assessing how the Rainbow satellite's flexibility can best be utilized to enhance Dish Network's existing service."
Cablevision, which is based in Bethpage, N.,Y., said it would continue to explore strategic alternatives for its remaining Rainbow DBS-related assets, including programming, equipment and spectrum.
Cablevision originally said in October 2003 that it planned to spin off the satellite business into a company called Rainbow Media Enterprises, which was also supposed to include three of Cablevision's networks: American Movie Classics, the Independent Film Channel and Women's Entertainment. But after those plans were delayed twice, Cablevision shelved them and began exploring alternatives for the business.
Besides their own infighting, Cablevision and the Dolans are enmeshed in a public fight over the construction of the proposed $1.4 billion football stadium on the West Side of Manhattan. Cablevision, in addition to operating a cable television service, owns Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall, and it views the stadium as competition. It has spent millions of dollars in advertising to oppose it and is also part of a lawsuit against the city seeking to block the building's development.
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and GERALDINE FABRIKANT
Ending a father-son boardroom battle, Cablevision Systems Corporation dismantled its struggling satellite business last night by selling its satellite to EchoStar Communications for $200 million in cash.
The sale comes just two days after Cablevision's 78-year-old founder, Charles F. Dolan, lost a showdown with his son James L. Dolan, the company's 49-year-old chief executive, over the fate of the satellite business.
The younger Dolan and the board voted to sell the satellite business, which had been criticized by investors as a black hole, despite vehement opposition from his father, who has heralded the business as the future of the company.
The family rift has renewed speculation among some on Wall Street that the Dolans could be driven to put Cablevision up for sale.
The schism became so great that there were times when the elder Dolan stopped speaking to his son, according to executives close to the company.
Even as late as yesterday, the elder Dolan and other members of his family including his other son, Thomas Dolan, executive vice president of the company, had been trying to hatch their own plan to buy the satellite business, called Rainbow DBS, according to the executives.
A recent memorandum distributed to employees said, "Potential bidders for RDBS include members of the Dolan family."
A spokesman for Cablevision declined to comment. Cablevision stock rose $1.10 yesterday, or 4.5 percent, to close at $25.48.
The sale of the satellite business to EchoStar ends Mr. Dolan's dream to create his third major media sensation.
In addition to creating Cablevision, Mr. Dolan founded HBO, the subscription-based cable network now owned by Time Warner. Mr. Dolan often compared his fledgling satellite business to HBO, frequently reminding investors that skeptics had belittled his early efforts to start that network, too.
Mr. Dolan had tried to create a niche in the satellite market by specializing in broadcasting more high-definition television programming than the other satellite providers or cable operators. But his vision may have been ahead of its time. Sales of high-definition televisions and demand for programming to match have not materialized as fast as he and many analysts had predicted.
The service, called Voom, which started in 2003, has only 26,000 subscribers and has lost more than $76 million. The company said it would continue to provide service to its current customers during a transition period, but did not elaborate on what would eventually happen to them.
Under the terms of the deal yesterday, EchoStar will pay $200 million in cash for Cablevision's satellite, called Rainbow 1, as well as federal licenses to construct, introduce and operate satellite services over 11 frequency channels. In addition, EchoStar will buy the company's ground facility in Black Hawk, S.D., and related assets.
EchoStar, which operates under the Dish brand, said it was "assessing how the Rainbow satellite's flexibility can best be utilized to enhance Dish Network's existing service."
Cablevision, which is based in Bethpage, N.,Y., said it would continue to explore strategic alternatives for its remaining Rainbow DBS-related assets, including programming, equipment and spectrum.
Cablevision originally said in October 2003 that it planned to spin off the satellite business into a company called Rainbow Media Enterprises, which was also supposed to include three of Cablevision's networks: American Movie Classics, the Independent Film Channel and Women's Entertainment. But after those plans were delayed twice, Cablevision shelved them and began exploring alternatives for the business.
Besides their own infighting, Cablevision and the Dolans are enmeshed in a public fight over the construction of the proposed $1.4 billion football stadium on the West Side of Manhattan. Cablevision, in addition to operating a cable television service, owns Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall, and it views the stadium as competition. It has spent millions of dollars in advertising to oppose it and is also part of a lawsuit against the city seeking to block the building's development.
Hi all. I'll be disappointed to lose Voom, if or when we do. Seems imminent.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the FCC has shown some active regulatory interest in the DBS field, and this deal is subject to their approval. Voom was granted a Special Temporary Authority (STA) from the FCC to broadcast on two transponders, basically to promote competition away from the Two Big Guys. However, I doubt the FCC would prohibit the sale, as CVC's Voom losses make a strong case for its sale.
The E* press release makes no mention of Voom or its customers, but I'm pretty sure we're toast. I'd doubt we'd get anything more than a solicitation to join E*; Maybe we'll get a token perk, like free HD for a year (instead of 6 months), but I'd doubt it.
Nice meeting all of you; Sean, Ilya, others, thank you! See you around in whatever guise is next.
Cheers
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the FCC has shown some active regulatory interest in the DBS field, and this deal is subject to their approval. Voom was granted a Special Temporary Authority (STA) from the FCC to broadcast on two transponders, basically to promote competition away from the Two Big Guys. However, I doubt the FCC would prohibit the sale, as CVC's Voom losses make a strong case for its sale.
The E* press release makes no mention of Voom or its customers, but I'm pretty sure we're toast. I'd doubt we'd get anything more than a solicitation to join E*; Maybe we'll get a token perk, like free HD for a year (instead of 6 months), but I'd doubt it.
Nice meeting all of you; Sean, Ilya, others, thank you! See you around in whatever guise is next.
Cheers
Wow I remember reading many months ago that these events would occur. Somehow there were a few members who hit the nail on the head. Heck I even remember one really intelligent guy, I think his name was zubinh, (hint hint) who bashed Voom so much he even got banned from here.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=196872&postcount=10
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=196872&postcount=10
I don't understand. Did they buy the old uplink or the new uplink facility? What of the contacts for programming and satelites in place? There are penalty fees I thought...and big ones? How can a sale be approved in 24 hours by both boards when the major stockholder is a hold out? Or was he? Seems there is more to this story...and
"Tomorrow is another day" (MGM--"Gone with the Wind") Like VOOM.
"Tomorrow is another day" (MGM--"Gone with the Wind") Like VOOM.
Damn......
How disappointing can one day be??
Bush's second reign of terror begins.
Had to go to work... always sucks
Had to login from home a work some more after I got home.
Found out Voom equipment has been sold to Echostar.. who I left last year because I bought a great TV.
I honestly doubt we will be offered anything from Dish and I doubt even more that we will find out when the signal will be shut off, since the customer base is so small.
BUT consider this... in the world of competition is better for consumers, there are no rules prohibiting one major company from owning and maintaining the backbone equipment and then leasing it to competing companies to make the FCC happy.
Which means that:
E can own the sat, the license, and the uplink center. Voom can provide the content that travels over it and it's all transparent to the end user. This is currently happing in almost all major communications industries...
So Voom could remain an independent entity under the premis of providing HD content at affordable competitive prices with not much else included.
I am just trying to remain positive, so I don't smash my STB into tiny little pieces.
How disappointing can one day be??
Bush's second reign of terror begins.
Had to go to work... always sucks
Had to login from home a work some more after I got home.
Found out Voom equipment has been sold to Echostar.. who I left last year because I bought a great TV.
I honestly doubt we will be offered anything from Dish and I doubt even more that we will find out when the signal will be shut off, since the customer base is so small.
BUT consider this... in the world of competition is better for consumers, there are no rules prohibiting one major company from owning and maintaining the backbone equipment and then leasing it to competing companies to make the FCC happy.
Which means that:
E can own the sat, the license, and the uplink center. Voom can provide the content that travels over it and it's all transparent to the end user. This is currently happing in almost all major communications industries...
So Voom could remain an independent entity under the premis of providing HD content at affordable competitive prices with not much else included.
I am just trying to remain positive, so I don't smash my STB into tiny little pieces.
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