Dish Billing Change - Network Locals Separate

[Scarab0088]

We just received a notice from Dish that they intend to change billing.

Say they are (as an example) cutting "America's Top 120" from $64.99 to $59.99 ($5 reduction)...
Then, "Locals" (currently included) will be billed separately for $10

Bottomline is a monthly increase of $5...and seems to be targeting RV accounts since home accounts typically don't have the locals.

Anyone else see this?


Seriously thinking about canceling locals

Safe travels

[Lt Dan]

Actually, home accounts do have the locals but I have not seen anything about the billing change yet. It seems that the networks are in constant contract arguments with the carriers about increasing their charge.

Is it just me or is the whole satellite/cable system backwards. The networks make tons of money on ads, then charge the carriers to broadcast their shows. It seems that they should be paying Dish, DirecTV, Comcast, etc to carry their ads to a larger audience otherwise all they would have are OTA viewers.

[what next]

Yes I have locals at home and on the road, probably pay extra just for convenience of be able to record and avoid commercials. Most of the summer Dish was not providing one of the main one because they wanted more money. As Dish keep on saying we could get this free over an antenna why should they have a price increase to get a free commercial station. I guess they are losing.

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

Actually, home accounts do have the locals but I have not seen anything about the billing change yet. It seems that the networks are in constant contract arguments with the carriers about increasing their charge.

Is it just me or is the whole satellite/cable system backwards. The networks make tons of money on ads, then charge the carriers to broadcast their shows. It seems that they should be paying Dish, DirecTV, Comcast, etc to carry their ads to a larger audience otherwise all they would have are OTA viewers.

Yep, the bolded part above is the "why" that Dish described.

It's called "Retransmission Consent" and the network broadcast stations charge for it

It's just bunk IMHO
But, the SCOTUS said it's just the way it is and we're paying, twice...in fees and with commercials

Seriously considering dropping the locals and using the bat-wing...the 211K is designed for that already

But I am not happy about all this

[les.warden]

Above are reasons there's a big uptick in streaming. Example; HULU, no commercials $12/mo. And with the advent of Netflix now being able to download to your phone/tablet/computer and watch off-net, I suspect you'll find Satellite trying to squeeze every dime.

[Agaveguy]

We have Dish at home and in the RV, we haven't used it in the RV for months but is a hassle to call and drop it, then call again to turn it back on. It is a big frustration for us to have to pay for all of the channels when half of them are just plain useless (it doesn't matter which ones). We also hate to have to sit through commercials when we are paying for "pay" channels. It's necessary evil I suppose.

[select55]

Originally Posted by Agaveguy

We have Dish at home and in the RV, we haven't used it in the RV for months but is a hassle to call and drop it, then call again to turn it back on. It is a big frustration for us to have to pay for all of the channels when half of them are just plain useless (it doesn't matter which ones). We also hate to have to sit through commercials when we are paying for "pay" channels. It's necessary evil I suppose.

if you have a account with dish and use it in your mh there is no extra charges there no starting and shutting down? what are you trying to say?
even if u leave the receivers in the house and have one in the Mh its only a extra $7 Dish has no way of knowing where your receivers are nor do they care. I do agree its annoying and a waste of money being forced to take a 79.95 package just to get your own favourite tv shows and the other 150 channels are wasting your time and money

[Scarab0088]

Originally Posted by select55

if you have a account with dish and use it in your mh there is no extra charges there no starting and shutting down? what are you trying to say?
even if u leave the receivers in the house and have one in the Mh its only a extra $7 Dish has no way of knowing where your receivers are nor do they care. I do agree its annoying and a waste of money being forced to take a 79.95 package just to get your own favourite tv shows and the other 150 channels are wasting your time and money

Ironically, the notice also says Dish will offer "FlexPack" to "create your own package".

Don't know what that means - yet.

https://www.mydish.com/tunedintoyou

[select55]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

Ironically, the notice also says Dish will offer "FlexPack" to "create your own package".

Don't know what that means - yet.

https://www.mydish.com/tunedintoyou

flexpac has been out for a while you buy basic package of 36.99 and then add in certain channel packs u want for $10 each.
it would be better if u could buy the basic and then add in the channels u want for $2.00 per channel

[johnhicks]

I just switched to Flex Pack (no locals) from America's Top 120 and knocked $25 off the bill. It also included a couple of channels I wanted that weren't in America's Top 120.

[Lt Dan]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

We just received a notice from Dish that they intend to change billing.

Anyone else see this?

Well, it's what I get for saying yesterday I hadn't received the notice. It came in the mail today with the same notice of a $5 increase and splitting the local channel charge. I'm going to look into the FlexPack and see if the channels we want are on any of the options. There are only half a dozen or so channels that we even watch.

[KF5UMC]

Just got our latest bill. They added $10 bucks for Local Channels so now the bill is $82 bucks. Football season is over tonight...bye bye DISH!

[Dennis Dean]

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

Yep, the bolded part above is the "why" that Dish described.

It's called "Retransmission Consent" and the network broadcast stations charge for it

It's just bunk IMHO
But, the SCOTUS said it's just the way it is and we're paying, twice...in fees and with commercials

Seriously considering dropping the locals and using the bat-wing...the 211K is designed for that already

But I am not happy about all this

AS scaraboo said it is the awesome work of our fantastic congress at work again. They allowed the law "Retransmission Consent" to pass some years ago that allowed the FCC change to allow OTA stations to CHARGE for the cable/satellite provides to carry their channels.
Until the cable operator and the television station reach an agreement, the cable operator is prohibited from carrying that station's signal.* Once an agreement is reached, the station can be put back on the cable system immediately.* In addition, every three years broadcast stations must decide whether to demand carriage on local cable systems without receiving compensation or elect to negotiate a retransmission consent agreement.* The initial election between must-carry or retransmission consent was made on June 17, 1993 and was effective on October 6, 1993.* All subsequent elections*occur every three years.
SO you can expect this to happen every 3 years on every local channel broadcaster, thanks FCC

People like me who live in an area that the only real way for me to get the OTA channels is to put a tower up, it is a must to get my locals. (I do not want a 40 foot tower on my house, JMO) I also looked at the FLEX pack and for me anyways the way it is structured I would be paying the same or slightly more for what I have now. I would love a basic channel pack with locals and the major independent stations(TBS, WGN, AMC,TNT) then let me pay $2 per channel I add, that would be fantastic, but I doubt that will ever happen because then cable stations like CNN, FOXnews and many others would be out of business very soon.

I don't switch my locals when I travel in my RV, but if I was a full timer and that is all I did, no way I would pay for locals on my dish. I have the Razor antenna and it is great for our local channels while underway. I would get the dish OTA attachment and then run it thru my DVR and use the OTA signal to record and watch. In my opinion the OTA channels are getting triple pay for their FREE channel. (advertising, dish contract, and then advertising again from the dish rebroadcast) that's BS

IMO

[wildtoad]

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

Is it just me or is the whole satellite/cable system backwards. The networks make tons of money on ads, then charge the carriers to broadcast their shows. It seems that they should be paying Dish, DirecTV, Comcast, etc to carry their ads to a larger audience otherwise all they would have are OTA viewers.

My thoughts exactly.