The DirecTV/Echostar merger is officially dead (1 Viewer)

[Wayne Bundrick]

Here's the link to the story:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...edia_hughes_dc
But I and many others thought it was stillborn from the start. It would have been a crime if the merger had passed antitrust scrutiny.

 

[TheLongshot]

I've had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the satelite companies are probably not too far away to maxing themselves out on capacity, meaning not a whole lot of room for Hi Def. On the other hand, it was going to be the crappier company (Echostar) that was going to take over leadership.

I can't help but think that cable companies are cheering over this...

Jason

 

[Jimmy vb]

Now the cable companies have bought some more time before they have to start delivering hd. Satellite had them scared(and still does) because they can roll out products nationally--while cable companies plod along region by region. Small regions like mine take forever to get new technology--and when your provider is Adelphia--who hasn't jumped in the game at all yet--it takes even longer.

Now the cable companies know that their "enemy" is still too small in scale to hurt them. My best hope for getting hd(can't get satellite because of trees and I get only nbc over the air because of mountains) is with cable--and it will be at least three years before I sniff at that.

What is needed is an hd ready set for under $700 available at Wal-Mart. That would get a critical mass going to pressure the cable companies, laggards at the station level, and even the satellites(still only a few stations on there) to move along when joe sixpack buys this great new tv and can only see crap on it(exaggerating for effect--but not too much)

 

[Michael St. Clair]

The real crime is that much larger cable congolerates are allowed to merge. This DBS merger would have created some real competition for the cable juggernaut. This decision was all about the cable special interests screwing the end consumer. Since divided DBS doesn't have the bandwidth to handle HD locals, and Sunday Ticket is likely headed to cable, look for cable's upper hand to grow substantially over the next few years. Striking this merger down is deathblow to true competition in the pay-tv arena.

 

[AllanN]

Sunday Ticket is likely headed to cable

Sorry Michael :frowning:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...rectv_nfl_dc_3
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=112134

 

[Gary Hensley]

I was really disapointed the merger failed as for those of us not in the top 50 dma's still don't have locals available. I was hoping that the combined company would be able to offer more HDTV content to help bring HDTV into the mainstream.

My local cable company is finally going to be offering HDTV early next year and even though I don't want to go back I might. Even with a good Ant I still don't get my locals in and of course I have been denied on my waiver requests twice now.

It just seems wasteful to have such a limited resource being essentially duplicted by two providers who are basically priced exactly the same.

 

[Paul_Medenwaldt]

Not only did the merger not go through now Diretcv will keep their monopoly of Sunday Ticket.
Directv/Sunday Ticket
I was hoping that the NFL would expand their Sunday Ticket offering to Dish and/or cable.
Everyone who wants HD in their living rooms should of been for this merger. The 2 companies combined would of had enough bandwidth to supply all the markets in the U.S. with local channels.
They would of been able to roll out HD quicker then cable companies and would of given them a run for their money.
Paul

 

[Ryan Spaight]

This decision was all about the cable special interests screwing the end consumer.

Actually, I think it was all about Rupert Murdoch (a big Bush contributor) wanting to buy DirecTV and make it part of his Sky conglomerate. (With Fox's hostility to HD, that would be going from a best-case HD-on-satellite scenario for DTV customer to a worst-case.) GM/Hughes would rather have sold to Echo than Murdoch, but now the field's clear for a hostile Murdoch takeover. (He hasn't moved up to now because Echo could have come in with a white-knight offer after he showed his hand.)

I'd be shocked if he didn't make a move in the next year.

Ryan

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

It's interesting that DirecTV got the renewal on NFL Sunday Ticket only after the merger was called off. The merger deal required Echostar to pay DirecTV $600 million if the merger didn't get approval. Perhaps DirecTV used some of that $600 million to bolster their bid for Sunday Ticket to keep it off cable.

 

[BrianB]

Actually, I think it was all about Rupert Murdoch wanting to buy DirecTV and make it part of his Sky conglomerate.

I didn't know he was interested in DirecTV. Great :-(

 

[Paul_Medenwaldt]

Murdoch was very interested in Directv years before Dish made any attempt to purchase Directv.

I do not remember the specifics, but Murdoch made a bid for Directv and there were bumps in the road for him, then Dish decided to get into the picture. Murdoch pulled out and that left Dish for the take over.

Paul

 

[Dan B]

The bumps in the road were Dish/Charlie Ergen beating out Murdoch's offer.

Everyone who wants HD in their living rooms should of been for this merger. The 2 companies combined would of had enough bandwidth to supply all the markets in the U.S. with local channels.

But the merger would not in any way give the company enough bandwidth to carry HDTV locals to more than a few markets. The satellite companies may never have enough bandwidth for this. What new capacity they get will likely go toward carrying standard definition locals in the remaining markets anyway.

My opinion is that, unless there is a guarantee that we will see improved picture quality or lower prices as a result of any merger, there is no good that will come of it for us.

 

[Paul_Medenwaldt]

Back in the early 90's there were roughly 10 cable companies servicing the Twin Cities area. None of these cable companies competed against each other.

In 1996 a Telecommunications Act was signed. One of it's goals were to increase competition between the cable industry and decrease prices.

Now in 2002/2003 there are roughly 2 cable companies that service the Twin Cities area for cable, Time Warner/AOL and AT&T. They do not compete against each other, each one has their own territory.

Prices for their product has not decreased or even stabilized, they have gone up dramatically.

Six years after that bill was signed, I see no improvement in choices in my area for cable, telephone, gas, electric services.

But if I want to pay 5 cents a minute for long distance there are 100 companies I can choose from that will give me that price.

Nothing is guaranteed, even when its legislated by the government.

But thats just MHO.

Paul

 

[Ryan Spaight]

My opinion is that, unless there is a guarantee that we will see improved picture quality or lower prices as a result of any merger, there is no good that will come of it for us.

I don't know, I'd say 100% availability of locals and increased HDTV offerings made the merger appealing, even if PQ and prices stayed the same.

Ryan

 

[David_Jr]

I believe the biggest blow is dealt to those who have no access to cable, crappy or otherwise. Anyone who lives more than thirty-five or so miles from the transmitters can't get OTA unless they live in an area where there are no hills, let alone the mountains in most of the east. With no cable available satellite is the only way to get TV. It isn't bad enough, but even though there is no reception OTA here, the locals who, even though (I think) we're in one of the top fifty markets in the country (Albany, NY), and there is no sign of them going to HD in my lifetime, still refuse to give people waivers to get distant networks on their dishes. The local Dish installer has advised me that the locals in Albany wouldn't give a waiver even if they were sitting in your living room watching the snow on the tube along with you. Satellite was the only hope for people in areas like mine and now that the merger is dead, Satellite can't really grow into much more HD and many of us will continue to wait for our locals to be available. It's not fair, but then most of life isn't.

 

[Tim Sly]

I had hoped for the merger in hopes that it would bring
HD Net to DISH subscribers. At least I can get CBS East HD feed on waiver here in Minnesota. I am thankful for that anyway.