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Dish Network & Viacom Settle Their Differences
weshart writes "I haven't yet seen anyone mention the fact that CBS and other Viacom channels are back on DishNetwork. They've been unavailable for the past day and a half, as was reported earlier. No word on the details of the agreement; and the DishNetwork announcement doesn't say anything about whether or not they'll be raising their rates."
I'm a Dish Network customer, and while I'm disappointed that I could lose Comedy Central, I know where to place my anger. Dish Network seems to be the only provider that goes to any effort at all to keep rates down. Viacom is trying to frustrate that goal by forcing Echostar to add yet another damn channel (Nicktoons) and raise provider rates on channels that are already one-third (or more, counting overnight "paid programming") commercials. Those costs don't get paid by cable/satellite providers - they're paid by customers who get the costs passed on to them.
Great.
So who lost?. Us. We, the consumers, lost. i really do not like this new ease at which the people are pushed aside and ignored so easily. It's really discouraging. The bickering spilled over into ugly text on the screens and then black bars over the ugly text. Who lost? Us. We lost. How many people are *actually* going to switch services? Not many.
No? Oh yes my friend, very few will. Why? Because of the hit they will take from "ducking out early" on the contract or a hit on credit for giving the old providers the finger. Not many people are willing to pay off the rest of their contract *and* start paying a new one just to switch service over this.
Lesson to the providers? We can do whatever the fuck we want (just don't piss off the FCC)...the consumers are too locked in and/or lazy to raise hell on us.
Sad. Very, very sad.
Just going through the pain of 2 days without Comedy Central and CBS have left a sour taste in my mouth. I was seriously considering upgrading my dish setup to include the new 921 DVR, but I'm upset with both Charlie and Viacom. Viacom doesn't directly get my money, but Charlie does... I ain't paying him $900 for a piece of hardware.
I was 1/2 tempted to pull the trigger on VOOM, but they don't carryTechTV, nor offer a PVR device.
Instead of watching Letterman the other night, I started reconsidering my options... Comcast does not yet have HDTV cable in my area. I have 4 TVs (1 HD and 4 standard), and I absolutely require the crack that is TechTV _and_ a PVR now that I've sampled the both of them. What's a geek to do? I currently use a HTPC to pull in local channels over the air, but CBS only comes in at around 50% signal strength (WBBM in Chicago Fiasco.) It would be great to get DVR, HD/Standard Def, and program guide integration so I have a wife-proof solution. Anyone else go through these pains?
DirecTV seems like an option, especially if I pick up the DirecTiVO with DVD recorder, and maybe tack up an HD reciever... but that sounds like it will cost me a bit of coin as well.
Maybe it's time for a provider to try something new. Sure have the basic-plus-premium packages, but also offer total ala carte programming; just pick the specific channels you want. Maybe offer a /. package: sci-fi, techtv. plyby....what else does a /.'er need? Obviously the content rpvoders such as Viacom want to cram all their other useless channels down your throat, but it would be a interesting idea. Just watch hbo, cbs, fox, and espn , just pay for those channels.
The sat/cable providers talk about channels costing the consumer "pennies per day", but what is the real cost? How many channels does the consumer really watch and for how long a period. I wouldn't be surprised if it really cost the consumer $10 an episode to just watch Trippin the Rift, given all the other programming they are paying for an not watching. Bah
"Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change."
There was a time that I wanted the sci-fi channel, but my local cableco wouldn't carry it. It took alot of navigation through their staff to get an honest answer, but it was basicly due to the fact that they them selves couldn't just buy one channel off the link, but they had to get also get a package which included things like bravo. It took a year or so of people like my self sending letters to the cable company basicly saying, "look, we are willing to pay extra for these channels you don't carry, what's the problem". It was the digital age after all, all we need do is phone up a special phone number and poof, we got the channels we've been asking for.
I see this as being a very much diffrent case. Sci-Fi may not be worth extra bucks, but Bravo and IFC on the other hand are worth extra bucks. This is also a diffrent case because we the consumer made it clear we were willing to pay for something extra.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
No? Oh yes my friend, very few will.
Unfortunately there were enough people switching in the span of a day to warrant news articles across the country (check Google News yesterday for 'Viacom Dish Network') stating that cable companies are/were getting an influx of cable orders from people jumping off Dish. In some cases, these people will have to wait up to a week for cable service because of the demand.
I'm sure most of these 'jumpers' did not break their contract because it wouldn't be worth it. Rather, their contract was up already and they needed their Nickelodeon for little Timmy (age 3-4) because he won't go to bed until he watches his Spongebob Squarepants or Dora the Explorer. One day was too much to take after his screaming fit (or they wanted to prevent that fit if possible).
Sadly, now they're just stuck in the position of paying more for cable because they're probably too proud (or frightened) to go back to Dish. I feel even more pity for the few fools who jumped into a DirecTV contract within that 36 hours' time.
...and that's the way the cookie crumbles.
Actually, the very, very, very odd thing is that UPN pulled new enterprise shows until April 21st... UPN is owned by parent company Paramount, owned by Viacomm... I find it odd that a lot of Viacomm owned shows seem to have gone on hold until mid April... I'm sure it was just coincidence that all new shows stopped just around the time they expected Dish network to pull their channels... hmmm... where's my tinfoil hat?
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Programming is like sex... Make one mistake and support it the rest of your life.
It happens every year. They save the final few episodes for late-April/May when the season ends, so they'll get the highest ratings during the May sweeps period. Most networks do it.