04-13-2004, 03:53 AM | #1 (permalink) |
Exhausted
Location: Northeastern US - please send help!
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Having beaten down Viacom, DISH turns to CNN
Last month, Dish yanked Viacom programming in a public dispute that was a primer on how not to treat customers. Viacom eventually folded, though, which seems to have given Dish an inflated sense of worth...
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/...3echostar.html (Link makes you go through a painful subscription process, so reprinted in full below.) DENVER -- EchoStar Communications warned Monday it could drop programming from its DISH satellite network because of a contract dispute, this time over CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network and Headline News. The dispute comes just over a month after EchoStar and Viacom Inc. settled a similar conflict. EchoStar, with 9 million subscribers nationwide, said its contract with Turner Broadcasting System expired Dec. 31. The companies agreed to an extension that has kept Turner programming on the DISH network, but EchoStar spokesman Steve Caulk on Monday refused to say when that extension expires. "If and when the (extension) agreement expires, we would then have to drop the channels in question," Caulk said. He said Turner was seeking "unreasonable rate increases." A spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Turner said negotiations are under way and the company hopes an agreement can be reached. Turner Broadcasting is part of Time Warner Inc. On March 9, Englewood, Colo.-based EchoStar pulled the plug on Viacom programming in a dispute over fees, leaving DISH viewers nationwide without MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, BET, Nickelodeon and other Viacom channels. About 2 million DISH subscribers also lost programming from CBS, which is owned by Viacom. The two sides quickly reached a deal, restoring Viacom programming to DISH early on March 11.
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04-13-2004, 04:08 AM | #2 (permalink) |
who?
Location: the phoenix metro
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yeah... when companies start getting too big for their britches and pulling nonsense like this, it's time for the customers to start showing the company how they feel by taking their money elsewhere.
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My country is the world, and my religion is to do good. - Thomas Paine |
04-13-2004, 04:58 AM | #4 (permalink) | |
Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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umm viacom folded? no. viacom did not fold.
Knowing that Mel Karmazin is a shrewd business man, he would never sign a multi year deal where the company was going to not be able to pace inflation and give a good return. Note that DishNetwork had already increased it's fees to the consumer, Viacom was asking for a .06/sub increase commensurate with the increase from DishNetwork. Note also that there will be increased proramming provided to DishNetwork customers from Viacom. from viacom.com Quote:
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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. |
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04-13-2004, 11:09 AM | #5 (permalink) |
Insane
Location: Flying over your house
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Also, Dish Network didn't pull the channels, Viacom revoked the written permission to let Dish Network air those channels.
Dish Network also didn't feel some channels were worth a shit, so they told Viacom that they didn't want them. Viacom said plainly, "all or none, bitches!" Whatever they agreed on is good, but sometimes these big companies act like little babies throwing tantrums.
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I can't believe I ate the whole thing! |
04-13-2004, 11:18 AM | #6 (permalink) | ||
Not so great lurker
Location: NY
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acording to this article http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...8§ion=news
Quote:
Quote:
Of course the truth is always somewhere between the 2 sides of this issue. |
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04-14-2004, 04:58 PM | #7 (permalink) |
slightly impaired
Location: Down South
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It seems like DISH is trying to throw a little weight around and keep their margins where they want them. Nothing wrong with that and their subscribers should appreciate their attempt. I don't know how many avenues they exhausted before they dropped the programming but overall, it is their option.
If too many subscribers bitch and complain then it will backfire on them but them's the breaks. |
04-14-2004, 05:14 PM | #8 (permalink) |
The Northern Ward
Location: Columbus, Ohio
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They'd better watch it, CNN's imperial cruiser will use it's death ray on their headquarters.
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04-14-2004, 05:24 PM | #9 (permalink) | |
Tilted Cat Head
Administrator
Location: Manhattan, NY
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Quote:
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I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. |
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04-14-2004, 07:37 PM | #10 (permalink) |
big damn hero
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I, for one, appreciate the hell out of it.
I watch my non-Dish friends bitch and complain about how their cable rates are going up or the customer service is really bad. I don't have this problem. I've always had great luck with customer service and pay a pretty decent price for all the channels I get. I'm pleased as a pig in shit that a guy like Charlie Ergen's interest coincide with my own. Sure he's not looking out for me per se, but our goals are ultimately the same and if he can throw around a little extra weight to keep my programming fees down, more power to him.
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Tags |
beaten, cnn, dish, turns, viacom |
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