Tribune Broadcasting Company Blacks Out DISH Customers in 33 Markets;

[Troch77]

In your opinion.


Also your opinion. There are local stations across the country that offer local programming OTHER than newscasts.


Good for you. MANY people would disagree with you.


As noted, it's not just NBC stations, in fact, they're a minority.


hmm... a whopping $3.61. Nice to know what everyone is fighting for. Give up a single double mocha latte with foam once an month and you've more than made up the difference. Also, I'm assuming that's the costs for the O&O. What's the cost Tribune is asking for? Or Belo? Or Gray? Or Sinclair? Higher? Lower?


Why do you make your assumptions sound like facts?

Of course there is a market for folks who don't want locals. I think it's an extremely small percentage of current DBS customers though. Most would dump sat and go to cable.

I just can't feel sorry for someone who makes the choice to purchase TV programming. With rare exception, MVPD is not required to watch TV, and contrary to what many believe, TV is not a necessity. IMO, it's like someone who complains about airline prices, but continues to fly. Don't like it, don't purchase it. Again, just my opinion.

I was thinking about posting, but I figured why bother.
But I'm glad you did.
Thanks.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Active

 

[Troch77]

Are YOU kidding? You must have never installed BUDs. Did it for over a year and we had many issues with HOAs in the burbs. That was until they finally passed the rules where they couldn't be restricted to only back yards and were allowed in side or front yards if there was no line of sight in the back yard.

What does that matter?, People that had access to cable, weren't installing these Big dishes.

Only much much later, like 25 years later did the small dish even appeal to urban cable customers, and that wouldn't have even happend hadn't Directv and DISH started providing local DMA markets.

The guys in rural America had those big satellite Dish's .
I bet 95% didn't have access to cable.
That was the point.

Have a look at this 11 year old article.
http://www.denverpost.com/2005/12/16/firms-no-longer-feeding-big-dishes/

Samsung Galaxy S6 Active

 

[HobbyTalk]

What does that matter?, People that had access to cable, weren't installing these Big dishes..... blah blah blah.

Putting out another straw man?

Fact is you stated one thing and when we proved it wrong you changed the argument instead of admitting you were wrong.

Maybe if you throw enough BS at the wall something will stick LOL

 

[Troch77]

Putting out another straw man?

Fact is you stated one thing and when we proved it wrong you changed the argument instead of admitting you were wrong.

Maybe if you throw enough BS at the wall something will stick LOL

You are Delusional ...

Samsung Galaxy S6 Active

 

[long_time_DNC]

Well, at least the Seahawks/Chiefs preseason game is also being carried by the NFL Network live today, so it'll be viewable to those of us in the Pacific NW who can't get KCPQ via OTA... I just wish Tribune and Dish would settle this...

 

[Tampa8]

hmm... a whopping $3.61. Nice to know what everyone is fighting for. Give up a single double mocha latte with foam once an month and you've more than made up the difference. Also, I'm assuming that's the costs for the O&O. What's the cost Tribune is asking for? Or Belo? Or Gray? Or Sinclair? Higher? Lower?

I'm guessing you now that isn't what they are getting now or at least not what affiliates get in negotiations with the providers. I know the article was written in 2014 but not sure from when they got the figures or if they had access to current (then). Contracts have been re-signed even since 2014, CBS acknowledged they were aiming for $2 even in 2014 . I don't believe they got that then but with Comcast and Charter adding a $1.50 charge in 2014 for locals and now have upped that to $3.50 on average it's a reflection of present fees and by now who knows how close to $2 they are. Remember the surcharge is not the actual cost but what they are charging over what was figured as part of the packages. Very likely you are talking about $1.50 - $1.75 per local now. (Surcharge divided by 4 is about 85 cents each, add that to what they likely were getting before the surcharge was added, about 85 cents+ and you are at or above $1.50 each. (Note other cable companies charge the fees, Fios was around $2.50 in 2015 best I could find)

This gives a good overview from 2014.
http://articles.philly.com/2014-01-..._retransmission-fees-tv-stations-similar-fees

 

[STDog]

Give up a single double mocha latte with foam once an month and you've more than made up the difference. Also, I'm assuming that's the costs for the O&O. What's the cost Tribune is asking for? Or Belo? Or Gray? Or Sinclair? Higher? Lower?

1st, I've never had a latte. I'm not a yuppie that needs fru-fru drinks.
I'll stick to coffee, black, made at home for pennies a cup.

As for other costs, we din't know. Neither side will say.
That was just an old data point of questionable accuracy.

But my point about the pricing structure (being based on all customers at a given level) is based in reported info going back to the pre-DBS days.

I remember mid 90s when ala-cart on C-band was $1.50 per channel for distant nets (NYC, Denver, LA) but all 4 nets was discounted.

Cable channels were $0.50 - $2 each, but many were not available ala-cart. Only in packages. When asked why, I was told it was due to contract requirments to have channels in certain package levels.

Again, just my opinion.

That's about all we've got, opinions.

Detailed facts are hard to come by.

 

[lfp302]

WRT my missing KDVR (Fox): Today, instead of the familiar tape-loop, Dish has a graphic inviting us to call their # to watch live coverage of our MLB Game

through FOX Deportes.

And this morning, they were back to tape-loop. "Warren" (from Dish) says Dish's most recent offer has been in Tribune's hands since the end of June, with NO counter offers since.

 

[anex80]

Well, at least the Seahawks/Chiefs preseason game is also being carried by the NFL Network live today, so it'll be viewable to those of us in the Pacific NW who can't get KCPQ via OTA... I just wish Tribune and Dish would settle this...

Are you sure? If it's carried locally it may be blacked out on NFL Net.

 

[STDog]

People that had access to cable, weren't installing these Big dishes.

Except I installed several to replace cable. Lots of channels available on sat then that the local cable co didn't carry.

Even now I can get channels on Dish that local cable doesn't have.
Channels I watch often.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Are you sure? If it's carried locally it may be blacked out on NFL Net.

Bingo! I tuned-in just in time to hear the words "Those of you in the Northwest expecting to see the Seahawks/Chiefs game will not be seeing the game due to NFL black-out rules, but will instead be seeing This Is A Football Life," and then the screen went black. Damn Tribune...I imagine the replay of the game will be viewable (why black-out a non-live game?), but I could be totally wrong... At the risk of being repetitious, damn Tribune...

 

[mwdxer1]

That is why I picked Dish years ago, as Dish carries a lot of channels not available elsewhere. Now that Dish is able to sell locals separately with the Flex Pack, maybe now is the time to look at the way Dish is selling locals. Look at each market and if Tribune or Sinclair wants more money for their channel, agree to it if Dish is about to lose the channel, raise the price for locals to the consumer. If the consumer wants to pay extra for locals, then they do, if not they do without that channel. That way Dish is out of the loop. If the price goes up for Channel A and not channel B, then Dish explains to us that Channel A is charging more so Dish has to. It is unfair for all viewers to lose that channel or group of channels, so those that are willing to pay the extra, get it. Otherwise the rest do without. Then Dish prints the company's phone number to the viewer and the company gets flooded with calls from irate viewers. I really doubt Sinclair or Tribune wants that. Dish will not be the bad guy any longer and the viewer can yell at Station A. There pay be another angle to this, but this can make more viewers happy not to lose their favorite channel. Making a decision to black out all viewers is never a good move. Like in the NW we used to have NWCN (NW Cable news) on Dish. The company wanted more money and Dish dropped the channel. To get the channel I would have paid more. Never drop a channel, still offer it but at an increase if needed. By the way NWCN is still available FTA on my big dish for free and in HD as well as UoW channels and others Dish have dropped though the years.

 

[Joe Capitano]

Bingo! I tuned-in just in time to hear the words "Those of you in the Northwest expecting to see the Seahawks/Chiefs game will not be seeing the game due to NFL black-out rules, but will instead be seeing This Is A Football Life," (snip!)... At the risk of being repetitious, damn Tribune...

Blackout lifted at 4:30 PT. Chiefs feed on now, not that it matters. Replay tomorrow night 10 PM PT on NFLN (dish 154).

 

[HobbyTalk]

You are Delusional ...

Samsung Galaxy S6 Active

You still won't admit you were wrong LOL

 

[Troch77]

You still won't admit you were wrong LOL

What I'm I wrong about?
That satellite customers were always geared towards rural customers?
That Local Channels were required in order for Dish and Directvs Survival?
That Dish would fall flat on their face if they provided locals only from NY or LA?
That customers in big city's and urban areas widely used cable and not Cband dishes in the 1980s and even the 1990s?

Tell me smart guy what am I wrong about.

What are you right about?
Did C band customers even break 5 million across the USA?

Someone Check HobbyTalk and STDOG IP address.
I wonder if it matches.




Samsung Galaxy S6 Active

 

[bobvick]

What I'm I wrong about?
That satellite customers were always geared towards rural customers?
That Local Channels were required in order for Dish and Directvs Survival?
That Dish would fall flat on their face if they provided locals only from NY or LA?
That customers in big city's and urban areas widely used cable and not Cband dishes in the 1980s and even the 1990s?

Tell me smart guy what am I wrong about.

What are you right about?
Did C band customers even break 5 million across the USA?

Someone Check HobbyTalk and STDOG IP address.
I wonder if it matches.




Samsung Galaxy S6 Active

It is hard to know exactly how many TVRO systems were ever sold. In the early 1980's, there was no encryption, you bought the system, you got everything up there.
In 1986, HBO began scrambling with M/A-Com/Linkabit's VideoCipher II, that division of M/A-Com was acquired by General Instrument in 1986. 1986-87 was a dark time for sales.
Things began to pickup with the proliferation of hacks for the VCII. G.I pretended they cared and attempted countermeasures, but they didn't, that was a ruse to fool the programmers into using VCII encryption.
It was estimated by early 1988 a million VCII boards had been sold but fewer than 200,000 had active programming, G.I smiled all the way to the bank with that.
By the early 90's programming prices had become quite reasonable and there were probably more than 25-30 programming providers and third party packagers selling programming by 1992-93.
I want to say that there were "estimated" to be in close to 5,000,000 TVRO systems in use by 1994 when DSS came out.
Now, not all of those subscribed to programming. Some got only ITC channels, and some kept their chipped VCII boards up and got what they could before everything finally went to VCII+.
If one goes and looks at the explosive growth years of DBS, you will see that Dish's introduction of a $199 system in the 1997-98 period, along with both providers introduction of LIL (Local-into-Local) around the same time period, they coincide. I.E. Growth followed introduction of cheaper equipment prices and especially the introduction of LIL.
There is NO WAY, any DBS service could effectively compete with cable TV without local channels. You can kid yourself all you want. Just because YOU don't like or watch locals and could get by without them doesn't mean that Joe Sixpack can.
Hell, there are people I work with that have no idea you can still use an OTA antenna to get television. They think you have to pay for it or it is no longer there.

 

[Troch77]

It is hard to know exactly how many TVRO systems were ever sold. In the early 1980's, there was no encryption, you bought the system, you got everything up there. In 1986, HBO began scrambling with M/A-Com/Linkabit's VideoCipher II, that division of M/A-Com was acquired by General Instrument in 1986. 1986-87 was a dark time for sales. Things began to pickup with the proliferation of hacks for the VCII. G.I pretended they cared and attempted countermeasures, but they didn't that was a ruse to fool the programmers into using VCII encryption. It was estimated by early 1988 a million VCII boards had been sold but fewer than 200,000 had active programming, G.I smiled all the way to the bank with that. By the early 90's programming prices had become quite reasonable and there were probably more than 25-30 programming providers and third party packagers selling programming by 1992-93. I want to say that there were "estimated" to be in excess of 5,000,000 TVRO systems in use by 1994 when DSS came out. Now, not all of those subscribed to programming. Some got only ITC channels, and some kept their chipped VCII boards up and got what they could before everything finally went to VCII+.
If one goes and looks at the explosive growth years of DBS, you will see that Dish's introduction of a $199 system in the 1997-98 period, along with both providers introduction of LIL (Local-into-Local) around the same time period, they coincide. I.E. Growth followed introduction of cheaper equipment prices and especially the introduction of LIL.
There is NO WAY, any DBS service could effectively compete with cable TV without local channels. You can kid yourself all you want. Just because YOU don't like or watch locals and could get by without them doesn't mean that Joe Sixpack can.
Hell, there are people I work with that have no idea you can still use an OTA antenna to get television. They think you have to pay for it or it is no longer there.

Agree 100%
Even to this day Majority of TV subscribers have Cable TV over Satellite.
You can't blame that all on HOA rules Either.
Sure the Little Dish helped bring in customers, absolutely.
But Dish and Directv didn't spend Billions on spotbeam Satellites for nothing.


Samsung Galaxy S6 Active

 

[long_time_DNC]

Blackout lifted at 4:30 PT. Chiefs feed on now, not that it matters. Replay tomorrow night 10 PM PT on NFLN (dish 154).

I didn't check back to see if the game was on...just looked up the final score on ESPN.com...

 

[AIsmail]

And this morning, they were back to tape-loop. "Warren" (from Dish) says Dish's most recent offer has been in Tribune's hands since the end of June, with NO counter offers since.

You still have the channel? For NY CW WPIX 11 customers, the channel was taken down, number and all.

 

[jegrant]

That is why I picked Dish years ago, as Dish carries a lot of channels not available elsewhere. Now that Dish is able to sell locals separately with the Flex Pack, maybe now is the time to look at the way Dish is selling locals. Look at each market and if Tribune or Sinclair wants more money for their channel, agree to it if Dish is about to lose the channel, raise the price for locals to the consumer. If the consumer wants to pay extra for locals, then they do, if not they do without that channel. That way Dish is out of the loop. If the price goes up for Channel A and not channel B, then Dish explains to us that Channel A is charging more so Dish has to. It is unfair for all viewers to lose that channel or group of channels, so those that are willing to pay the extra, get it. Otherwise the rest do without. Then Dish prints the company's phone number to the viewer and the company gets flooded with calls from irate viewers. I really doubt Sinclair or Tribune wants that. Dish will not be the bad guy any longer and the viewer can yell at Station A. There pay be another angle to this, but this can make more viewers happy not to lose their favorite channel. Making a decision to black out all viewers is never a good move. Like in the NW we used to have NWCN (NW Cable news) on Dish. The company wanted more money and Dish dropped the channel. To get the channel I would have paid more. Never drop a channel, still offer it but at an increase if needed. By the way NWCN is still available FTA on my big dish for free and in HD as well as UoW channels and others Dish have dropped though the years.

I'm pretty sure Dish would like this idea just fine. However, almost all programming/channel owners want two things: 1. More money each month for each channel and 2. Forced carriage/inclusion of their channels in packages that most people get.