Dish Network Lowers the Boom on Voom
by Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 5/18/2008 8:00:00 PM
Dish Network, which has a history of dropping networks in squabbles with programmers, last week lowered the boom on Voom HD, taking down all 15 channels of the HD suite.
The satellite-TV provider, which is in the midst of litigation with Rainbow Media's Voom, dropped its networks in two stages, with the first 10 coming off overnight last Monday and the rest getting dropped the next evening.
Voom, which unsuccessfully tried to get a preliminary injunction against Dish Network to prevent its channels from being dropped, still has a lawsuit pending against the satellite provider.
But in the meantime, Dish Network's drop of Voom is a blow, since the HD suite's only other distributor is Cablevision Systems. That cable operator owns Voom's parent, Rainbow Media.
In the lawsuit it filed earlier this year, Voom said that if Dish Network dropped its HD networks, it would violate their affiliation deal and “will deprive Voom HD of the substantial payments and broad distribution … to which it is unquestionably entitled under the agreement, thereby causing Voom HD irreparable and devastating harm, and threatening its continued existence.”
During a first-quarter conference call last Tuesday, Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen claimed Voom was in violation of its carriage agreement with Dish, voiding the deal. He noted that Dish Network had already dropped two-thirds of the Voom networks, and would soon drop the other five. Dish deleted them that night.
“EchoStar's decision to drop the Voom channels is unjustified and, we believe, is a violation of our distribution agreement,” a Rainbow spokesman said. “We are intent on enforcing our legal rights in court. Because the litigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
Last Monday, Dish Network announced it was adding 22 HD networks. These HD networks, which include Sci Fi HD, are services that will be more popular with subscribers than Voom, Ergen said.
Although Dish Network had boasted in its press release that it was up to 95 national HD networks, the Voom drops bring that count down to an estimated 80.
In 2005 EchoStar Communications, now Dish Network, bought Voom's satellite from Cablevision for $200 million. An EchoStar affiliate, EchoStar Media Holdings, got a 20% stake in Voom HD as part of that sale.
Dish Network planned to use a satellite, AMC-14, that wound up failing to launch HD services this year.
“When that satellite failed, we had to rejigger an awful lot of stuff,” Ergen said.
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Its about quality not quantity! They market a lot of BS like right now they say they are the leaders in HD and have added 22 new channels? Reality the dropped 15 of the best HD channels on the market, namely Voom HD. What did they replace? well 7 new channels with real winners like the cartoon network and the weather channel. The others are already in SD and not very good channels plus most of the entire 22 are up converted weak and nowhere near VOOM HD quality!
They can add more and more crap and without quality like VOOM HD channels there is no reason to stay with dish as Directv is better and cheaper! Right now Directv has 90 HD and dish 80 at a lot more. I checked my price and I would save over 40% with directv! Why give money to a company that treats is HD customers like crap by dropping VOOM HD and cleary not asking us! We HD VOOM users pay the most per month and what they shape their weak programming around people whom spent 29-39 bucks a month? I pay about $130 a month!
Drop dish!
Robert F. - 5/31/2008 3:37:00 PM EDT -
Don't use dishnetworks! They have upset us so badly and provided such terrible customer support! We loved VOOM HD and without Voom HD we will not put up with dishnetworks anymore!
Ericb88 - 5/29/2008 5:18:00 PM EDT -
We signed up for Dish networks soley for Voom HD channels and are so upset that we will cancel shortly. Most of the 22 replacement channels are up converted and not true HD at all. Many are barely better than standard digital. They removed 15 of the best quality in clarity and qualilty in content HD channels that had zero commercials and replaced them with 15 low grade channels and 7 new channels with loser channels like the weather channel and cartoon channel that are a complete waste of the airwaves.
Ronald - 5/28/2008 12:16:00 AM EDT -
I enjoyed reading this informative, unbiased and factual article. Unlike Scott Greczkowski''s "The Satellite Dish" (aka Satellite Dish Network) blog, which is hosted by Multichannel News, and his SatelliteGuys.us forum, both of which are heavily biased in favor of Dish Network, it is nice knowing there are still sources we can TRUST to provided truthful news and information regarding the satellite industry.
Hopefully certain individuals will learn that people getting to close to Charlie Ergen''s pocketbook, or interfering with his plans, usually get burned. Perhaps Scott Greczkowski should question whether all those exclusive Meet & Greet sessions are clouding his objectivity and whether participating is such events will will foster an environment that is free from even the perception of impropriety or conflict of interest.
www.satelliteguys.us/1367503-post1.html
As far as I am concerned, The Satellite Dish may as well be published directly by the PR folks at EchoStar since it contains nothing but Dish Network blurbs and sound-bites.
Thank you and please keep up the good work reporting unbiased satellite industry news and information and keeping biased comments out or your article.
James Longfellow - 5/22/2008 2:30:00 PM EDT -
On service 11 years and because of this move by Dish we cutback our
service from $172 /mo to $75 per month But the real reason we're now
on Comcast (you CAN have Dish and Comcast at the same time...) is Dish
on Demand service, something Dish Network has never been able to
duplicate. There's something about having hundreds of free programs at
your beck and call that is ultimately seductive....
david allen - 5/21/2008 7:21:00 PM EDT
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