My fellow DU Dish Subscribers: Am I not the only one who wants to wring...

[AlFrankenFan]

their necks for taking away Comedy Central and the other channels? I know there is a dispute and stuff with Viacom and Echostar, but I find this especially annoying ESPECIALLY with the "Hennifer Hlopez" episode of South Park on TOMORROW NIGHT! My father refuses to pay the bill unless he gets the channels back, because Comedy Central is my family's favorite channel. Anyone else call them? Vent your anger here.

[PartyPooper]

1. Well, I'm outa' luck, too. Maybe, we should have a special forum

to fill us Dish customers in on all what we're missing!

:shrug:

[KissMyAsscroft]

2. Ah...

Its not so bad.

[ComerPerro]

3. Well, I have cable, but

I heard about this on a scrolling message on Comedy Central the other day. All I could think was, It sucks to be you (you being anyone who has Dish Network).

I extend my heartfelt sympathies.

[Beaker]

19. I'm switching to DirecTv.

in my book, "charlie" is a bigger scumbag than even murdoch at this point.

[AlFrankenFan]

26. It's sounds like a plan, but Direct TV isn't as great as Dish

After trying both, Direct TV is really awkward and different compared to Dish, it really throws me off. Well good luck, be warned.

[Beaker]

29. i've heard others say they prefer DirecTV to Dish-

so it's just a matter of different strokes for different ffolkes, i guess. I've been with DISH for quite a while, and this is FAR from the first issue I've had with them- the customer service at Dish has been AWFUL.

[Ladyhawk]

28. Dish Network BLOCKED the scrolling message the first two times I saw it.

I thought it was some kind of joke at first, but when they finally got the message out, I was pissed!

The problem is, I have to keep my dish service for several more months or pay a penalty fee!

To whom do we complain?

[Terry_M]

4. AAARRGHHHH

I want the daily show back!

[virgdem]

5. I have had Dish Network since 1995 and have been satisfied with them -

up until now. I feel that the subscribers are caught in the middle of a Pi**ing contest between Dish and Viacom. And isn't it always the poor consumer that suffers? I sure am gonna miss the Daily Show -I'm addicted to it. I do intend to call/email Viacom and ask them 1)why they have raised the fees to Dish and 2)Why they are demanding that Dish take on channels that Dish does not feel their customers would be interested in. I do hope that this dispute is resolved rather quickly - the sooner, the better.

[tedoll78]

6. I called and complained.

First, we get a $1 credit for our missing channels. That's all. A lousy buck in exchange for missing the best channels in the bunch. That's bullshit.

Second, Dish & Viacom knew this deadline was coming. Why did they not lock their CEOs in a room without food and water until a deal was reached? Why not? That's just plain irresponsible on both their parts. And no, Dish, it takes two to make a deal - stop pointing the finger at Viacom!

Third, I paid for these 50 channels specifically. Would this not be breach of contract or something? I need to check the wording.. maybe I'd have a viable case in court! Then I could sue for millions in pain and anguish.. what is Jon Stewart saying? I'm missing Jon!!!

AARGH!

[tkmorris]

7. Explain to me

I want to understand. Truly I do. I have DishNetwork too, and The Daily Show is my favorite show on any normal cable channel.

It seems to me that Viacom was trying to FORCE them to accept, and pay for, channels they dont want and we the customers don't want. This would result in higher prices for us, the consumers. It seems to me the DishNetwork negotiators are fighting on our behalf here. The only alternative they had was to capitulate to Viacom and pass on the costs to us.

Is that what you wanted them to do? Who cares that Viacom is behaving EXACTLY like the corporate assholes most of us hate? Just give me my favorite network no matter what?

Not me. I hope they totally refuse to accept the crap package Viacom trying to force on them, even if it means holding out forever.

[Piperay]

8. Agree

I would rather have to give up the stations for now then have Dish give in to what amounts to exhortion. :thumbsdown: x(

[Robb]

12. Me too

If all I gotta do to help knock Viacom down a few pegs is go without some channels for a while, I can deal.

I do miss Jon.

FSTV is still on the air, so maybe I can learn something now and again instead of just watching the pretty ladies bounce around on MTV when I get bored. :D

[Beaker]

16. Dish Network does EXACTLY what they accuse Viacom of-

"It seems to me that Viacom was trying to FORCE them to accept, and pay for, channels they dont want and we the customers don't want..."

that's EXACTLY what dish network does when they bundle their programming, so why do they think it's wrong for viacom to do it?

[mac56]

22. Right.

It's like buying the Sunday paper. You can't cull out and pay for only the sections you want, because the publisher can't afford to sell it that way. To include the sports section and the classifieds, they have to insert the variety section and the K-Mart ad.

[Mixxster]

13. I have been planning to dump Comcast and go with Dish Network

I called a local distributor yesterday for some info. He told me that Dish had a similar incident with Ted Turner recently. Luckily, it was resolved before it got as far as the Viacom situation. He thinks the Viacom channels will only be lost for about a week.

Considering that Comcast raises my rates $2.00+ per month every year without a second thought, I applaud Dish Network for trying to control their costs. It's my understanding that their prices stay pretty stable. OTOH, it would definitely be annoying if I already had Dish and was missing some favorite shows.

[RebelOne]

9. Well, I sent Dish Network an e-mail.

Told them that I expected my bill to be lower since I have less channels.

[Beaker]

17. ooooohhhh- that'll scare'em...

you're getting a $1 break on your monthly bill...$2 if you lost CBS as well.

suck on it- is dish network's attitude.

[JM]

10. Some interesting facts on the issue

From what I understand, DISH/Echostar is basically a reseller in the case of VIacom, with very little power in the deal.

Viacom bundles the channels it wants to sell in a variety of wyas, and DISH has little choice in how they are bundled. This effectively limits options that DISH has, such as Ala Carte programming. This means they cannot simply pull Comedy Central and Nick out of the bndle and sell them as premium add-ons at a higher rate to offset increases. The result is an increase across the board of those channels are included in all packages.

Ther is other BS involved, such as how Viacom, owner of CBS, can let the same CBS programming go free over the air, but charge others for it.

Viacom is clearly in the driver's seat on this one, and unless Mr. Holier Than Thou Powell at FCC steps in, not much is going to change.

DirecTV went through this with HBO a long time ago. We were without the channels for about a week.

The part that may actually piss me off is one of their advertiser's responses to my email yesterday. I emailed a local grocery store chain who advertises on the local CBS affiliate to inform them I was no longer seeing their advertising due to the dispute, and as a result they were wasting money. (No, I didn't use those words). Their response was they told DISH to remove them from the list of contacts since their name was used without consent.

I am no longer shopping there if I can avoid it. They don't support me as a local consumer, I don't support them.

JM

[Beaker]

31. whatever-

that stuff about calling local advertisers put out by shithead charlie reeks of desperation...since the VAST Majority of viewers for lcal advertisers sees the ads on free over-the-air broadcasts-
and NONE of them deal with Dish network directly.

[mac56]

11. There's hyperbole on both sides.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/television/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000456346

(snip)

Viacom in a statement early Tuesday morning said it was "dismayed and disappointed by EchoStar/DISH Network's decision to pull the plug on our channels." The company went on to say that while it "tried for months to reach an accomodation," EchoStar "refused to entertain a reasonable proposal or to negotiate in earnest."

(snip)

"Viacom will not and cannot give (EchoStar chairman) Charlie Ergen a better deal than (News Corp. chairman) Rupert Murdoch or (Comcast chairman) Brian Roberts," (Viacom CEO Sumner) Redstone said. "But if Charlie Ergen wants to have a good deal, he can have it."

(snip)

On Thursday, Ergen publicly blasted Viacom for "extortion" at the highest level," alleging that the entertainment giant was squeezing EchoStar for 40% hikes to unspecified license fees and insisting on carriage for at least 20 different networks. Viacom denied making any such demands.

A Viacom spokeswoman argued that while the monthly rates that EchoStar charges consumers have gone up as much as $3 recently, Viacom's requested increase totals no more than 6 cents per month. "Twenty-five percent of consumers are watching Viacom networks, but our fees are less than 5% of the average EchoStar customer bill," the spokeswoman added.

(snip)

(The blackout) could damage EchoStar's reputation with consumers considerably, according to Glen Friedman, president of cable consultancy Ideas & Solutions. "Anytime a high-profile broadcast or network is removed, they will get hammered with phone calls, and it's not something customers will forget," he said.

Viacom will not emerge unscathed either. With a significant chunk of the number of viewers it assured advertisers unable to access certain programs, it could trigger make-good guarantees to compensate for the shortfalls.

- - -

This is actually similar to a dispute between Time Warner Cable and Disney-ABC in 2000. Disney wanted to bundle the ABC O&O stations with such high-profile stations as ESPN, and Time Warner blocked them all out for a short time. (There were additional issues about Time Warner's broadband system, but this was the main sticking point,) Everything came back in pretty short order. I look for the same here.

edited for accuracy

[NashVegas]

14. I Wonder How Long

Before Viacom or another media content provider tries to buy Dish the way Rupert bought DirectTV and Comcast is trying to buy Disney (vice verse on that one)?

[mac56]

15. DirectTV actually tried to buy Dish.

Back when DirectTV was still owned by General Motors. The two companies agreed in principle, but the government blocked it (FCC or FTC, I forget which).

Shortly after that, Murdoch bought DirectTV. Rumor has it he was prepared to buy General Motors in total, just keep DirectTV, and sell off the rest of the company!

[Beaker]

18. actually, it was the other way around...

before murdoch bought Directv, DISH was trying to aquire them.

[mac56]

20. Right you are.

I stand corrected.

[NashVegas]

23. Actually ...

DirectTV welcomed Dish as a buyer as a way to avoid Murdoch as a buyer. Murdoch helped fight that merge.

I was referring to Dish being bought up by a content provider, which would bring a third scenario (if Comcast's hostile goes through) where a company owns both the product (the creative content) and the pipeline it goes through.

[lazarus]

21. Cox Cable vs ESPN

Cox and ESPN are about to go through a pissing match on the same thing, supposedly. From what I understand, it's more about ESPN's raising its rates again and again, and Cox refusing to pay or pass the rate increases on. Bully for them.

[Beaker]

24. i wouldn't mind losing ESPN.

i watch a total of -0- sports. nada. nilch. nuthin'.

which is one more reason that i'm switching to DirecTV- you can opt out of the fox sports network....dish doesn't let you.

[lazarus]

25. Actually

I just saw a message on Cox that they've signed a deal with ESPN. Apparently, ESPN caved. Good for Cox.

I do watch sports, and a great deal of ESPN. So this was important to me.

But I wish cable companies would introduce a more a la carte system in their packages.

How about $3 for every 10 channels, with a base of $5? 30 channels would cost 14 dollars, and you could pick your channels. With digital switching, it surely couldn't be that difficult.

Actually, I can see the problem. Niche channels would have a hard time surviving. And there are niche channels out there that I like. For instance, Animal Planet probably couldn't survive if it wasn't packaged with Discovery channels. And all of those Discovery Channels couldn't survive on their own.

The economics of digital cable are such that a niche channel doesn't need very many viewers at all, because people are paying for it with the package. If we went to a la carte, that would end, and so would niche programming. Television would become a vast wasteland of Friends reruns. Ick.

So I just changed my mind. I don't want anything but maybe a limited form of a la carte.

[AlFrankenFan]

27. Other news on the topic of: "They better get this settled soon..."

Because a NEW South Park airs NEXT WEEK and I swear I will go insane if they don't give me back my channels.

BTW, I have called everday since they started this. I really hope it'll stop soon.

[Beaker]

30. when you call Dish-

do you push "1" for existing customers, or "2" for new customers?

I push "2" for NEW customers, and then "1" to speak to a Dish "salesperson"- there's almost NO hold time- they always answer that phone line first. and once you get a live person, it doesn't matter if you're new or existing.

[Katarina]

32. Just to let you know

It's over. All the channels are back. There is a discussion in GD about it. :)