Dish Network customers lose FX, Fox Sports, NatGeo over rate dispute
Two of the three possible regular season final games for outgoing Braves manager Bobby Cox may be blacked out for Dish Network customers if a dispute over rates isn't resolved. CREDIT: Curtis Compton/ajc.com
If you’re a Dish Network customer and planning to watch two of the three final Atlanta Braves regularly scheduled season games this weekend, you may be out of luck.
News Corp.’s Fox is blocking Dish’s access to 19 Fox Sports channels, FX and the National Geographic Channel. The sticking point is rate increases. Dish said they are asking for transmission fee increase of more than 50 percent. Those increases are often passed on to customers in the form of higher monthly subscription rates.
In a press release today, Dish said, “Fox has flatly refused Dish Network’s request to allow customers to continue to watch these FOX channels during the negotiations.”
“Dish Network is not going to allow Fox or any programmer to bully our customers into paying such an unconscionable price increase,” said Dave Shull, senior vice president of Programming for Dish Network in the press release.
The University of Georgia football game on Saturday night versus the Colorado Buffaloes is set to air on Fox Sports South, which would be unavailable if this dispute continues.
But good news, Dawg fans: Dish has come up with a work around. It has made some channels available that most Atlanta subscribers don’t normally get, including FSN Rocky Mountain (9664) and CSN Mid-Atlantic (9667) . Those networks are airing the Georgia-Colorado game. (UPDATE: I hear this work-around did not end up happening. I’m checking with Dish to see if that was indeed the case.)
There, so far, appears to be no other option for the affected Braves games SportsSouth is scheduled to air the Braves-Phillies game tonight at 7:30 p.m. Fox Sports South is set to air the Sunday game, which could be manager Bobby Cox’s final game ever, at 1:30 p.m. (The Saturday game at 4 p.m. will air on WAGA-TV, which Dish Network customers will have access to whether this dispute is resolved or not.)
Fox has its own website about the situation at www.getwhatipaidfor.com where it also notes that the Fox broadcast network might be affected on November 1 in a separate dispute. There, Fox points to alternative options such as DirecTV, Comcast and AT&T U-Verse.
In a media statement today, Fox said, “The proposal we’ve offered Dish is fair and in line with the tremendous value we provide. We regret the inconvenience to our viewers, but Dish has asserted its subscribers do not value our channels and has made a decision to go forward without them.”
This move affects Dish Network’s 14.3 million nationwide customers. (Dish does not reveal metro specific numbers.)
According to Scarborough Research covering February 2009 to January 2010, the Atlanta metro area has 1.5 million households that subscribe to cable, 527,700 households who use DirecTV and 320,400 households who have Dish.
This current dispute does not impact Fox News, the Fox broadcast network (WAGA) or Fox Business Channel.
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305 comments Add your comment
Carlton and Carlos W.
October 1st, 2010
12:51 pm
My wife and I just signed a contract not two weeks ago in which I had fox south west at a total cost of about a $100.00 a month. We are retired and on fixed income. I would say that dish has broke the contract not me. If the contracts are not any better than that might as well take to bathroom where they will be used. My dad is 82 yr young and watches Texas Rangers every time they are on. Dad is home bound so there is a lot of dissapointment for him right now.I will probably stay with Dish but I am and my Dad are not past changing.
The Sham
October 1st, 2010
12:54 pm
For those of you thinking about swapping to DirecTV – holler at my email and I’ll share my account #. We both can get $100 that way!!
Seriously, you’ve seen the commercials. When I swapped to them (and LOVE it!), I had my g’mas # and they discounted my first 10 bills $10 a piece… sweet!
cgros127@gmail.com
the real Old Gold
October 1st, 2010
1:08 pm
Direct Tv kicks the cr@p out of Dish…
Ryan
October 1st, 2010
1:12 pm
Don’t blame DISH for the crooks at Fox wanting to charge more for their programming. In my eyes it’s their fault and they should get an old-fashioned A$$ kickin’ for it!
joemoedee
October 1st, 2010
1:17 pm
I’ve had Dish for the past few years, and really have enjoyed the service. What I don’t understand is they get into these p*ssing matches with networks (eg, MLB Network, Fox, ABC/ESPN) and the only ones that suffer are the customer.
I’ve seen my bill increase, and channels decrease. They claim to have these fights so they don’t have to increase the monthly charges, yet they still increase them.
The similar setup/channel lineup to what I have costs the same with DirectTV and Comcast, yet they offer those channels that I lose with Dish.
Comcast’s service was dreadful in my neighborhood when I first moved in, even though the neighborhood was a new install. (Constant drops, blockiness, etc) I may have to revist them, or go DirectTV. (Sadly, ATT U-Verse isn’t in my area yet, or else I would have already switched)
Yonizzle
October 1st, 2010
1:22 pm
Had Dish and comcast. Dish price was nice but like everyone said it goes out if the wind blows hard or really cloudy outside. But the f$$kers you got to watch for is comcast. They will over charge you when they get a chance. After promotion was over my rate went up to $293 for one month. Are you kidding me for cable ( hbo, Showtime and fox soccer channel) and they didn’t notify me at all on my bill or anything the just hit me with the $300 bill. Comcast is about getting new customers and treating the old ones like sh@t. I’m getting DirectTV Monday and hopefully it’s better than dish and comcast
Gary Miller
October 1st, 2010
1:24 pm
Great News
DISH Loses Fox, MSG Programming
According to DISH, Fox has requested a rate increase of “more then 50 percent” and have refused their request to keep the stations on during negotiations.
Well from the consumer prospective I say GREAT for DISH – they should never need to pay more then a 1 or 2 percent increase (if that much) for any programming during a renewal. Granted I will miss my National Geographic, but I will survive, as for the sports programming “there is only so much sports I can watch and losing the FOX channels will not affect me in the least – hopefully I will also lose FOX News (What a joke).”
For those companies that own the programs, you need to understand many consumers are getting greatly unhappy with the constant increases in prices for getting their entertainment. Most of which can be attributed to you. Program owners need to remember the Golden Rule “You need the consumer”, otherwise when you sell advertising for your programs you are not going to be able to charge very much with no one watching. I assume the loss of income would also not make your shareholders happy.
Consumers need to remember, without us “the consumers” program owners have nothing. As it is we are paying for a show that has already been paid for with advertising dollars, giving the program owner additional income. That is fine within reason, but the owners need to be looking at increasing the advertising dollars – which will of course increase with the increase in the number of people who watch the show, therefore they should be ATTEMPTING to keep costs to the consumer as low as possible to gain more viewers and drive up advertising pricing.
On a related note:
Advertisers are your rates going down since millions of views can no longer view your advertising? You need to step in and make sure you are not overpaying for viewers that can no longer view your advertising. Are you getting a refund from FOX for your advertising? I doubt it.
Again Great move on DISH’S part, however will this also lower my monthly payment to DISH? I doubt it; however DISH as an entertainment operator needs to remember to take care of its customers on both sides of these issues when they occur.
Renewals like this need to become MUCH MORE PUBLIC as it is the consumer that ultimately suffers regardless of the outcome. As a consumer I want to know what FOX is getting for “allowing its programs to be viewed by me”!
Gary Miller
Sambo
October 1st, 2010
1:28 pm
One more time for the Yankees, College football is king,always will be king in the south. NFL does not compare.so Dish Network is superior to DIRECTV.AT&T u-VERSE is the only provider with better HD than DISH.
Sambo
October 1st, 2010
1:30 pm
Gary Miller,you must be a peter-puffing girly man. geeze
1911A1
October 1st, 2010
2:15 pm
You people trolling for DirecTV referrals are pathetic. Go away.
joemoedee
October 1st, 2010
2:16 pm
@Charlie, er I mean, “Gary Miller”: If it’s a great move by DISH, I’d expect their service to be much less expensive then its competition that offers those channels. Oh wait, it isn’t.
They want to sit on their lofty profit margin and punish the customer all in the name of their bottom line.
bulldog bubba
October 1st, 2010
2:37 pm
TO THOSE SINGING THE PRAISES OF ATT UVERSE,THEY ALSO WILL DROP CHANNELS. THEY ARE IN A DISPUTE WITH A CHANNEL RIGHT NOW AND WILL NOT BUDGE.ALSO WE DO NOT GET MLB CHANNEL.THESE CARRIERS ONLY CARE ABOUT MORE PROFIT AND CLAIM THEY ARE PROTECTING THE CONSUMER.SINCE WE HAVE LOST THE CHANNELS THERE HAS BEEN NO MENTION OF LOWERING OUR MONTHLY COST!AS USUAL ITS A WIN FOR THE COMPANY AND A LOSS FOR US!!!
Jennifer
October 1st, 2010
3:00 pm
I think maybe we should all just calm down. Its only tv. They will get the channels back. Didnt Direct Tv just get back Versus after pulling it for over TWO MONTHS.Let the Big Wigs figure it out.
Wingnut
October 1st, 2010
3:14 pm
Dish opened up “20″ channels but all my local games are blocked from those channels. I am VERY angry and have already done my research and if not fixed over the weekend I am switching to one of my 3 choices. This is all over whom is going to make the BIG profit and it plainly stinks. This I am afraid will be only a progression of problems as TV signals continue to be “pay only”
Wingnut
October 1st, 2010
3:17 pm
BTW they say it’s FOX but some of the channels they opened up for us are other FOX channels…something is wrong here!!!
christine
October 1st, 2010
4:18 pm
to lose fx is a shame. they make you sign a contract but dont want to honor it. if you have a contract you should have the choose to stay with them or ler you out of your contract. if not i can spell class action. anyone else can spell it also
Hurst
October 1st, 2010
4:35 pm
really want to keep fox, they shouldn’t be that way. A lot of people really going to be upset.
T
October 1st, 2010
4:42 pm
Hey did you know that Fox owns 37 percent of DirectTV. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I wont’ switch to Direct TV – they suck in Texas.
Mike
October 1st, 2010
5:01 pm
I DUMPED DISH AND DIRECT TV. WHAT DID I DO. I BOUGHT A 125 MILE Radius HDTV Antenna from Ebay for 50.00 bucks. Stuck it on a 7 foot pole and pointed it towards atlanta. Ran a 75 foot cable, and buried it in the ground and put a splitter in to all tv cable outlets. Now I get 48 FREE HDTV channels FREE in every bedroom.
Mike
October 1st, 2010
5:03 pm
I had Direct and thought they had terrible customer service not to mention their prices are way too high.
Mike
October 1st, 2010
5:04 pm
by the way they are selling those free channels to you for 24.00 dollars a month
Bhahahahaha
October 1st, 2010
5:09 pm
Fox (NewsCorp) used to own DirecTV. It was sold to Liberty Media about 2-3 years ago.
Braves Fan who is outa town on Sat
October 1st, 2010
5:18 pm
Go Braves !!!!!!!!… but without us being able to record the tribute to Bobby since Dish and FOX are fighting. I understand the game Sat will be on local TV, but have not heard if the pre-game tribute will be broadcast anywhere besides FSS…. Hope ‘big-brother’ and Dish …….. never mind it is all about the $$$$$
Roswell Jeff
October 1st, 2010
5:44 pm
I have DISH and still have FX, but not FOX Sports Net or FOX SportsSouth, what gives? I thought all would be pulled. Some of the channles they opened up are FOX Sports from different parts of the country. I don’t get it!
nelson
October 1st, 2010
6:24 pm
Incredible , the television was to be free ,man everything destroys , we are now prisoners that nothing can see, i am customer of DIRECTV in truth sport are the #1 , but also the prices have either high , is a brazen pay 300 $$ by NFL ,or $200 by MLB. but in truth are much better than dish network ! Thanks Directv.
K
October 1st, 2010
7:19 pm
This wouldn’t be a problem if TBS had kept the Braves games.
Johnson Noise
October 1st, 2010
7:43 pm
Cheap Charlie strikes again.
Michael McQuire
October 1st, 2010
7:51 pm
Once again we, the viewers, are getting screwed! DISH sold me on a “cheap service”, for a yr.,
upon reading the contract, it stated that if you cancel within 2 YEARS, there is a HEFTY fee.
When I called, was told the fee can “sometimes” be over-ruled. HAH!!! DirecTV isn’t much better. YES, to A LA CARTE ordering! We shouldn’t be charged for the 40 or 50 channels
we NEVER watch. Don’t they remember whose tax dollars financed the Space Program in the first place???
Geno
October 1st, 2010
7:56 pm
Screw Fox and Dish…I’m gonna write em both and remind them where their $$$ comes from…It is so childish for both of them to act like whining kids! Unbelievable that they pick the final games in the wild card chase to take action…I wish they’d both go bankrupt! Go Braves and Braves Radio!
braves fan
October 1st, 2010
8:20 pm
Just tried to get the Braves game!!!!!!!!!! cannot get it!!!! Can’t believe that this is happening on Cox’s last three games. Talk about losing customers! Dish will lose plenty.
eileen
October 1st, 2010
8:39 pm
i m sorry to say that i too am going to change with a lot of others if this is not resolved by tomorrow you people are going to loose out no matter what.
James
October 1st, 2010
8:50 pm
Well, just to add more confusion to this clusterf@ck:
I CAN see FX and National Geographic, but not Fox Sports South or SportsSouth.
I CANNOT see any of these “consolation channels” that are supposed to make up for missing the last three games of the MLB season: New England Sports Network, Altitude Sports, Big Ten Network, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast Sports Network Mid-Atlantic, Comcast Sports New England, FOX Sports Northwest, FOX Sports Pittsburgh, FOX Sports Rocky Mountain, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network2, SportsNet New York, or SportsTime Ohio.
.
MyPatooti
October 1st, 2010
9:05 pm
Why would anybody even be with DISH in the first place? Been with DirecTV for 5 years and love it. Should have done it sooner. Never had any problems with DTV like this. Customer service is even easy to get. Got exactly what I want. They even just gave me a bonus for being with them for 5 yrs.
Geno
October 1st, 2010
9:10 pm
Just filed an online complaint against Dish Network with the Better Business Bureau…As for what I wanted to settle the complaint, to get out of my Dish contract without penalty. Light them up and let’s make them miserable.
Andy D
October 1st, 2010
10:24 pm
We went through the same thing here in detroit. They got rid of the NFL Network and never even got the MLB Network. The day NFL Channel was gone i got Direct Tv -Sunday Ticket Promo. Incredible deal and great equipment. Just be patient with the idiot customer service reps they just read off a screen and are not real bright. Other than that ill never switch.
Lisa N
October 1st, 2010
10:48 pm
Really, is it all about money or power. I don’t for one minute believe that the execs care about the paying customer. The Atlantas folks just want to see the Braves finish the season. It’s been 6 months of fighting, so what was three more days. Lets just all disconnect and see what happens to the networks, what a dream……..
What about the rates going down until they decide what to do. Not ever going to happen……
Frustrated Atlanta Braves fan………….
Whatever
October 1st, 2010
10:49 pm
@My Patooti: Had Directv and I thought their customer service was awful. Never gave me any bonus and I had been with them 10+ years. All they seemed to care about was getting new customers to me.
Johnl152
October 1st, 2010
10:52 pm
How about ala carte choices. Pick what you want. I do not want 12+ channels of shopping and/or religious channels. These channels are forced on me, whether I want them or not (both by cable and satellite). I would like to be able to choose what content I receive. I have Dish Network and block all shopping and religious channels on my remote. I am not anti-religious, but I prefer to GO TO church rather than watch it on TV. This is just my choice. Regarding the current problem between Fox and Dish Network, they are both dissing Bobby Cox. This is his last season and the Braves are on a run to the playoffs. The fans in the Atlanta area are not happy with either Dish Network or News Corp (Fox) for not showing the games of 10/1/2010 and/or 10/3/2010. There will probably be repercussions for both of these companies.
TeenyTiny
October 1st, 2010
10:56 pm
What is going on????? Do I hear: breach of contract???? Do we have a lawyer in the house??? Sign me up for a class action law suit against DISH NET……….What 50% increase????? does this mean what we pay for sports package alone……this would only be $3.50 for me! Apparently these companies don’t respect us “the consumers”…..we do have choices….right?
Johnl152
October 1st, 2010
11:30 pm
Had to listen to the Braves game on radio in the ATL metro area. Seemed like the old days when I listened to the Pirates on KDKA radio in the Pittsburgh area years ago. Not so bad , except the Braves lost 11 to 5. Hope the idiots at Fox and Dish come to terms.
Arrogance
October 2nd, 2010
12:21 am
Dish reps will cancel you in a heartbeat. It’s not their fault and there isn’t anything you can do by calling and whining. If you dont want it to go away, and you don’t want to pay more, call Fox. Every other provider is up for negotiation or contract renewal in the next 6 months and you can bet they’ll drop Fox in a heartbeat too. Go ahead and sign an agreement with them, and then be stuck in it without anything.
Also, if I hear breach of contract one more time someone’s getting hurt. You sign a contract in a providers favor, and agree that you’ll commit to service even when “pricing and programming are subject to change,” and then you whine when it actually changes!
Read a book.
Jim
October 2nd, 2010
8:48 am
Well at least you right wingers out there won’t miss your idiot host Glen Beck or Limbough so you can keep on being biggotts
ricky edwards
October 2nd, 2010
8:49 am
i will change networks before i go without SOA
Tj
October 2nd, 2010
9:59 am
I hear Time Warner Cable is a good group to be with. I’m switching right away. infact have my install already set up.
Joe Mc
October 2nd, 2010
10:32 am
Ok, lets sit back for a second and look at this problem. Fox wants a 50% increase in fees, Dish says that’s to much and we don’t want to pass this on to our customers. Strike 1 Fox. Dish is working to provide other channels so we can still watch the shows we enjoy, Fox just pulls the plug and don’t care about us. Strike 2 Fox. Fox puts up website bashing Dish, promoting other providers. But still leaves us in the dark. Dish says leave the programming on and offered Fox a double digit increase. Not good enough for greedy Fox. they just turned us off. Strike 3 Fox. I just want to thank Fox Sports for showing their real colors and how much they care about the customer.
Michael Jenness
October 2nd, 2010
11:22 am
I am dropping you after more than a decade, service stinks, rates went way up and this is it
I am dropping you on 10-13-10
Rusty
October 2nd, 2010
12:36 pm
GATA,
did you not look at the channel guide on channel 444? It is showing UGA/Colorado on the guide…. in HD………..
Gametime 2010 – Georgia at Colorado
October 2nd, 2010
1:39 pm
[...] AJC has reported that the game will be shown on channel 9667, which is Comcast Rocky [...]
krundle
October 2nd, 2010
2:26 pm
The reason we have Dish is so we can watch Cardinal Baseball. I guess if pushed we can find another carrier.
Unhappy Disher
October 2nd, 2010
4:22 pm
It is amazing that the “negotiations” were not completed before football season. You have to wonder if Dish intentionally stalled the process so that customers would put pressure on FOX. I want FOX Sports South and Nat. Geo back in my lineup. Dish should take their commercials promissing good customer service off the air.