Want to know when D* is launching the new HD Channels?
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Never????
Seems to me the begining of the year is when they will have all of the promised 100 in place. Thats more like a price increase at the first opportunity! :haha :haha
DirecTV is not a unit of News Corp and never has been. NewsCorp was the controlling (at 34%) stockholder in DirecTV. But even that is no longer the case. To be a unit of News Corp, they would have to own 100%.
They do not, and likely never will. Rupert Murdoch, News Corp's biggest shareholder, never liked satellite--called it a "turdbird"--and no doubt had a lot to do with their divestiture of DirecTV.
Shining Bengal, I agree with everything you posted except for the alleged quote in the last part.
I challenge anyone to find a reputable source for the "alleged quote" in which Rupert Murdoch referred to D* as a "turdbird."
It's been repeated (mostly by D* bashers) so much it's grown to Urban Legend status in the DBS community.
I don't think he ever said it, so someone prove me wrong.
BTW, it has to be a reputable source that is verifiable.
Try it again -- considering NewsCorp owns multiple satellite platforms around the world (Foxtel, Sky, et.al.), I would dare say that reports of Murdoch "not liking" satellite would be erroneous. I know he did have issues with the internal mechanics of DirecTV, but he definitely is not someone who "never liked" satellite television.
May consider selling unit to Liberty Media
(old news - 09:00AM Friday Sep 15 2006)
tags: satellite·competition·business
Bloomberg reports that Rupert Murdoch may sell his 38% stake in DirecTV to Liberty Media in exchange for Liberty Media's 16% stake in News Corp. Meanwhile Variety reports that Murdoch called the unit "a turd bird" after hearing that FCC chief Kevin Martin still wouldn't look favorably upon a merger between DirecTV and smaller competitor Echostar. DirecTV recently failed to nab any spectrum at the FCC AWS auction. Murdoch just months ago hinted at a billion dollar broadband plan the company was considering.
Murdoch: DirecTV a 'Turd Bird' - May consider selling unit to Liberty Media - dslreports.com
Murdoch Waves Goodbye to His 'Turd Bird' (aka DirecTV)
Plan to transfer controlling stake to Liberty Media moves forward
(old news - 09:32AM Thursday Dec 07 2006)
It looks like the long-rumored DirecTV share swap between Liberty Media and News Corp. is about to take off. Liberty has long held a 19% stake in News Corp. that Rupert Murdoch didn't like. Now he's trading John Malone his 38% stake in DirecTV to get it. The swap would give Liberty a controlling stake in DirecTV.
Owning several broadband networks in other countries, Murdoch had hoped that DirecTV would be his ticket into the broadband business in the United States. As many of you probably remember (and would like to forget), DirecTV already had one stint as a broadband provider, and it ended painfully.
The media mogul talked frequently this year about a theoretical billion dollar plan to get DirecTV back into the broadband business, this time as a nationwide Wimax operator. Plenty of scenarios were floated, from a partnership with Wimax operator Clearwire to a merger with Echostar.
But nothing seemed to go Murdoch's way.
The FCC's Kevin Martin hinted that while he likes a good old fashioned telco merger, he wouldn't sign off on such a huge DBS deal. Murdoch also struggled in the AWS spectrum auction, losing out to mobile carriers and the combined muscle of Sprint and the cable industry - who technically nabbed enough spectrum to become the nation's fifth largest wireless provider.
Murdoch then called the DirecTV unit a "turd bird" and expedited the Liberty deal. Speculation has been rife over whether Malone will keep pushing on the broadband or Echostar merger fronts. Investors like the idea of Malone ownership; shares of DirecTV have jumped 20% since rumors of the swap surfaced last September.
Murdoch Waves Goodbye to His 'Turd Bird' (aka DirecTV) - Plan to transfer controlling stake to Liberty Media moves forward - dslreports.com
Rupert - just like all his fellow BILLIONAIRES love MONEY only. They love the hot asset of the day.
Murdoch looks to release bird
Rupe considering DirecTV sale to Liberty
By JILL GOLDSMITH
Murdoch
Martin
In a splattering blow to the satellite biz, Rupert Murdoch supposedly dubbed DirecTV a "turd bird" and is considering selling News Corp.'s controlling stake to Liberty Media.
FCC chairman Kevin Martin on Thursday shot down another possible outcome for the satcaster. He indicated regulators still would be reluctant to greenlight a merger between DirecTV and smaller rival EchoStar.
News Corp. owns 38% of DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite provider. But Murdoch's been down on the business lately. Cablers are successfully rolling out a triple play of video, Internet and telephone -- service that satcasters can't easily match.
DirecTV stock fell 3.23% Thursday to close at $19.19 after a Morgan Stanley analyst downgraded the shares.
A person close to the conglom said a DirecTV sale is being discussed as one of several possible ways to unwind Liberty's large stake in News Corp.
CNBC reported that Murdoch had made the "turd bird" remark.
For well over a year, News Corp. has been trying to find a way to buy Malone's stake in exchange for some combination of assets and cash. Liberty holds voting and non-voting stock worth $10 billion, making Malone News Corp.'s second largest shareholder after Murdoch.
Malone's position made Murdoch so nervous that News Corp.'s board adopted a poison pill, which is meant to deter hostile takeovers. Shareholders, including Liberty, will vote at News Corp.'s annual meeting Oct. 20 on whether to keep the poison-pill measure in place.
News Corp. wanted to resolve the issue before then.
Investors tend not to like poison-pill provisions, and some shareholders had sued News Corp. for imposing it and then extending it.
This past summer, the swap for News Corp. stock was going to include some Fox TV stations, but that option seems to have been tabled.
News Corp. chief operating officer Peter Chernin said earlier this week that "talks (with Liberty) are going pretty positively."
"We'd like to see this resolved, but we're not going to feel pressure to do a deal. We feel that investors are likely to vote in favor of a poison pill because no one wants us to do a deal that's not in our best interest," he said at a media conference.
Chernin also shot down speculation that DirecTV is looking to merge with EchoStar, saying there have been no substantive talks.
The satcasters tried to merge in 2002, but U.S. antitrust regulators killed the deal, and News Corp. swooped in.
Some industryites have argued recently that the entrance of telcos into the video biz has changed the competitive landscape and thus could render a satellite merger allowable. "Obviously, there's the potential for that in the future," Martin said, referring to the growth of the telco TV biz. "But I don't think it's been widespread enough to talk about changing our analysis of the nationwide video market," he said on a conference call with Wall Streeters sponsored by UBS.
Variety.com - Murdoch looks to release bird
Rupe considering DirecTV sale to Liberty
By JILL GOLDSMITH
Murdoch
Martin
In a splattering blow to the satellite biz, Rupert Murdoch supposedly dubbed DirecTV a "turd bird" and is considering selling News Corp.'s controlling stake to Liberty Media.
FCC chairman Kevin Martin on Thursday shot down another possible outcome for the satcaster. He indicated regulators still would be reluctant to greenlight a merger between DirecTV and smaller rival EchoStar.
News Corp. owns 38% of DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite provider. But Murdoch's been down on the business lately. Cablers are successfully rolling out a triple play of video, Internet and telephone -- service that satcasters can't easily match.
DirecTV stock fell 3.23% Thursday to close at $19.19 after a Morgan Stanley analyst downgraded the shares.
A person close to the conglom said a DirecTV sale is being discussed as one of several possible ways to unwind Liberty's large stake in News Corp.
CNBC reported that Murdoch had made the "turd bird" remark.
For well over a year, News Corp. has been trying to find a way to buy Malone's stake in exchange for some combination of assets and cash. Liberty holds voting and non-voting stock worth $10 billion, making Malone News Corp.'s second largest shareholder after Murdoch.
Malone's position made Murdoch so nervous that News Corp.'s board adopted a poison pill, which is meant to deter hostile takeovers. Shareholders, including Liberty, will vote at News Corp.'s annual meeting Oct. 20 on whether to keep the poison-pill measure in place.
News Corp. wanted to resolve the issue before then.
Investors tend not to like poison-pill provisions, and some shareholders had sued News Corp. for imposing it and then extending it.
This past summer, the swap for News Corp. stock was going to include some Fox TV stations, but that option seems to have been tabled.
News Corp. chief operating officer Peter Chernin said earlier this week that "talks (with Liberty) are going pretty positively."
"We'd like to see this resolved, but we're not going to feel pressure to do a deal. We feel that investors are likely to vote in favor of a poison pill because no one wants us to do a deal that's not in our best interest," he said at a media conference.
Chernin also shot down speculation that DirecTV is looking to merge with EchoStar, saying there have been no substantive talks.
The satcasters tried to merge in 2002, but U.S. antitrust regulators killed the deal, and News Corp. swooped in.
Some industryites have argued recently that the entrance of telcos into the video biz has changed the competitive landscape and thus could render a satellite merger allowable. "Obviously, there's the potential for that in the future," Martin said, referring to the growth of the telco TV biz. "But I don't think it's been widespread enough to talk about changing our analysis of the nationwide video market," he said on a conference call with Wall Streeters sponsored by UBS.
Variety.com - Murdoch looks to release bird
Murdoch looks to release bird
Rupe considering DirecTV sale to Liberty
By JILL GOLDSMITH
Murdoch
Martin
In a splattering blow to the satellite biz, Rupert Murdoch supposedly dubbed DirecTV a "turd bird" and is considering selling News Corp.'s controlling stake to Liberty Media.
FCC chairman Kevin Martin on Thursday shot down another possible outcome for the satcaster. He indicated regulators still would be reluctant to greenlight a merger between DirecTV and smaller rival EchoStar.
News Corp. owns 38% of DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite provider. But Murdoch's been down on the business lately. Cablers are successfully rolling out a triple play of video, Internet and telephone -- service that satcasters can't easily match.
DirecTV stock fell 3.23% Thursday to close at $19.19 after a Morgan Stanley analyst downgraded the shares.
A person close to the conglom said a DirecTV sale is being discussed as one of several possible ways to unwind Liberty's large stake in News Corp.
CNBC reported that Murdoch had made the "turd bird" remark.
For well over a year, News Corp. has been trying to find a way to buy Malone's stake in exchange for some combination of assets and cash. Liberty holds voting and non-voting stock worth $10 billion, making Malone News Corp.'s second largest shareholder after Murdoch.
Malone's position made Murdoch so nervous that News Corp.'s board adopted a poison pill, which is meant to deter hostile takeovers. Shareholders, including Liberty, will vote at News Corp.'s annual meeting Oct. 20 on whether to keep the poison-pill measure in place.
News Corp. wanted to resolve the issue before then.
Investors tend not to like poison-pill provisions, and some shareholders had sued News Corp. for imposing it and then extending it.
This past summer, the swap for News Corp. stock was going to include some Fox TV stations, but that option seems to have been tabled.
News Corp. chief operating officer Peter Chernin said earlier this week that "talks (with Liberty) are going pretty positively."
"We'd like to see this resolved, but we're not going to feel pressure to do a deal. We feel that investors are likely to vote in favor of a poison pill because no one wants us to do a deal that's not in our best interest," he said at a media conference.
Chernin also shot down speculation that DirecTV is looking to merge with EchoStar, saying there have been no substantive talks.
The satcasters tried to merge in 2002, but U.S. antitrust regulators killed the deal, and News Corp. swooped in.
Some industryites have argued recently that the entrance of telcos into the video biz has changed the competitive landscape and thus could render a satellite merger allowable. "Obviously, there's the potential for that in the future," Martin said, referring to the growth of the telco TV biz. "But I don't think it's been widespread enough to talk about changing our analysis of the nationwide video market," he said on a conference call with Wall Streeters sponsored by UBS.
Variety.com - Murdoch looks to release bird
Come on Vurbano, even YOU can do better than this!!!
This quote originally came from Variety for Christ's sake, not exactly the Wall Street Journal of the media world.
Try again and see if you can come up with a REALLY verifiable source.
I'm waiting.
I just talked to 2 different DTV reps and they both confirmed the Sept 19th launch date! Keep your fingers crossed!
Lets Hope.
Question will the guides update with the channel info before the channelsa go live?
I went forward in the guide a few hours on the B Band Converter test channel (499) and the name of the channel switches on September 20 at 3:00AM PST to "B Band Converter Failure Channel". Thought this was interesting....
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