Dishnetwork losing Viacom channels.... (1 Viewer)

[Scott Kimball]

I saw a couple of the crawls that went on quite awhile before Dish blocked it. Dish Network doesn't have any way to automatically censor a crawl.. Someone has to see it and respond.

Whether or not Dish was right to censor it, I won't get into - but Viacom making the argument public in such a way was dirty pool.

-Scott

 

[Jason Seaver]

What's even more obnoxious is that it wasn't just for Dish Network - I just have regular cable, and I saw the crawls on WBZ-4.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Well as a former dish subscriber, I remember this problem with I believe ABC/Disney. This situation is a two sided street here. Granted Viacom may have requested an higher than accepted increase but Dish can make an offer that at least would make Viacom re-think there position. Both sides are losing money here. Probably wont be a long standing situation.

 

[Erik Pontius]

Sounds to me like Viacom is feeding Dish a little of their own medicine. Imagine being forced to buy channels you don't want? Shocking isn't it!? I've got plenty of channels on my Dish that I don't want but still have to pay for them to get the ones I DO want!
I've been a loyal Dish subscriber for a number of years...one of the main reasons I got Dish was for the CBS local feed (my reception OTA really sucks) and comedy central and MTV/MTV2. The Austin CBS station is Viacom owned...
So I received a letter just weeks ago informing me that because of the cost to them for programming my rate was going up...so I'm a bit confused as to why my rate is going up if they are dropping all my programming because the cost is too much. I get the feeling they really don't have my best interest in mind with their decision.
To add a bit of irony, The Dish Network website (if you can get the page to load) still has their little jab at the cable companies rate increases...
Good timing on pulling CBS since Survivor/CSI is on Thursday....which if I recall, are fairly watched programs.
I get the feeling I'm a pawn in a staring contest....sure wish Charlie would get his head out of his ass and blink.

Wonder if I can get DirecTV installed before Thursday?

Erik

 

[todd s]

A lot of people are commending Dish over at the AVS forum for sticking up to Viacom. But, why is it that Dish always seem to be in dispute with these companies. If cable and directv can make deals and keep the prices very similar why can't dish?

Erik, You make a great point. Their is a crap load of channels that I don't want. But, I have to pay for. Their are a bunch of religious channels that I don't need. (not that they are bad. But, I don't want them) Yet, I am forced to get and pay for them.

 

[Evan M]

I find it interesting that Dish just raised the rates by a buck or 2 (Don't remember exactly.. ) a month or so ago.

And now they are fussing about Viacom wanting to get a piece ($0.06 per subscriber, I hear). They raise our price by a few bucks and can't give up 6 cents?

 

[ThomasC]

The blackout for the CBS stations is only in 16 markets, but the blackout for the cable stations is being felt nationwide. I can live without Comedy Central if they give me temporary access to a few movie channels, Playboy and all of the other "adult" channels.

 

[Andres Munoz]

I'm with you Thomas, lol.

 

[Paul_Medenwaldt]

For those having an issue with paying for programming that you don't want, that is one think Dish is trying to do now by not caving into Viacoms demands. If they sign the contract with Viacom, they will be then forced to add channels to their lineup that they believe are repetitive to what is already being aired by a another Viacom network.

Paul

 

[Erik Pontius]

What I can't figure out is exactly what Dish is sticking up for. And they are a bit shifty on what kind of a deal Viacom is trying to offer them... According to Dish "Viacom has demanded higher rate increases which are unreasonable..." somewhere else I saw them state that it was a 40% rate increase...while Viacom is saying it was only 6 cents per customer. So what is it? It would be nice if I, the customer, had some say in this decision...how much of a rate increase in my bill to keep the Viacom channels? Is it worth it for me to pay for them? Do I think it is unreasonable? Instead I get the "crazy parent/best interest for you" treatment...Does Dish think I'm too stupid to make my own decisions? If they are trying to protect their subscriber's rates to keep them happy they sure are going about it in a strange way. Cutting your programming and increasing your costs seems to be a very effective means of pissing your customers off...

Erik

 

[David_Jr]

Doesn't seem like good business sense to refund customers $1.00 for stations that only cost $.06. Must be a lot more to it than that.

As far as rates go, I do believe that DISH has been reasonable about the increases. I have been a subscriber since 97 and only remember a few increases over that whole time. My bill has increased mostly because I have upgraded my packages over the years. It seems to me my friends and family that have cable are getting constant increases.



Don't they offer channels ala carte?

 

[Erik Pontius]

an example of this would be?

Erik

 

[Paul_Medenwaldt]

Viacom wants to add more cartoon networks like Nick to the line up with the programs that are already on Nick or Nick jr.

Paul

 

[Erik Pontius]

Well great! What would I do with out Dish Network protecting my brain from being addled by too much redundant cartoon programming?!

Well I'm about to write Chuck and see what kind of an autoreply response I get...

Erik

 

[Dave Voros]

So with all this going on how long do we wait before trying to get out of our contract and heading over to direct tv? thoughts, anyone?

 

[todd s]

I haven't lost Spike TV. But, they keep running ads saying Dish is not going to be airing Spike. Why, if all of the Viacom channels have been pulled, am I still getting Spike? Not that I am complaining. I only need 1 more week to dvd record the last few episodes I need of the show 7 days.

 

[Erik Pontius]

Not all the Viacom channels have been pulled. I think that there are only a few channels that are being pulled out of Viacom's collection. Dish Network's Programming Packages listed on their website have already been updated to show the absence of VH1, MTV/MTV2, UPN, etc. The only music video channel offerings are CMT (a Viacom owned channel) GAC, and FUSE. Also TVLand, Showtime, TMC, Flix, Sundance (all Viacom channels) are still listed.


Erik

 

[Robert_eb]

Charlie just had another live chat not less than an hour ago and I was able to get through on the phone. I asked him about customers that were in the middle of thier 1 or 2 year contract and being able to be released from it. His answer was that if this blackout lasted for any great length that they would look at it as an per case basis, which sounded a little promising but I'm sure they don't want to loose a shitload of customers. I also asked him if it's not $.06 increase per channel what is it? His response was that it was between Dish and Viacom. I guess he doesn't was to let us know the numbers because they probably aren't much higher than $.06 per channel. He said if it was only $.06 per channel, he'd sign the contract tomorrow.

 

[Brian Bunge]

Please name a service provider that allows you to pick and choose what channels you want and don't want. I hate NASCAR, hunting, and fishing. So can I call Dish and ask them to get rid of OLN and any of the other networks that carry this type of programming AND reduce the price of my Top 150 package?

You may not mind them adding a few more cartoon channels that Viacom wants them to carry, but what if other companies force these types of redundant channels on Dish? You'll end up with maybe 20-30 channels that most people don't care about. Then if you want other channels to be added and Dish can't add them due to bandwidth limitations incurred from adding these fluff channels everyone would be bitching about that as well.

 

[Erik Pontius]

My beef is that I think the decision regarding a rate increase should be left up to me, the consumer. Let me decide if I think that the rate increase is unreasonable. They are going to give me a $1 credit on my bill to account for the lost of programming...I'd be willing to pay an additional $1 to keep it, but I'm not given that choice.

Erik