Dish Adds Fox Business and Fox News HD
In a surprise yesterday afternoon Dish Network lit up Fox Business Channel for its customers. In another surprise overnight Dish lit up Fox News HD to its customers.
I can only guess that the long feud between News Corp and Dish Network is now a thing of the past. Back in December of 2007 News Corp sued Dish Network for $50 million claiming that Dish Network was in violation of their contract as Fox News was not carried in their “most widely distributed package.” Dish Network has been carrying Fox News in their America’s Top 200 package at the time the lawsuit was filed.
Another FOX channel that was uplinked yesterday but not made available to customers is Fox Business Channel HD. I can only guess that they are now testing that channel and will make it available to customers sometime this week.
Many Dish Network customers cheered the additions and are now wondering if they will see other FOX owned channels such as FX HD and Speed HD. I must admit with NASCAR season about to open it would make a lot of sense to add Speed HD just in time for NASCAR season.
AT&T Begins DirecTV Sales
As expected yesterday AT&T announced that they have started selling DirecTV service to their customers. AT&T is offering DirecTV as a part of its “quadruple play” and is also offering their customers $5 - $10 bundle discounts.
Existing customers who have AT&T and DirecTV are reporting receiving bundle discounts just by calling AT&T and asking for them.
Trailer Park Boys on DirecTV
DirecTV is shaping up its “101 Network” into a real programming powerhouse by adding popular shows such as Friday Night Lights, Wonderland and Sleeper Cell. And now the DirecTV exclusive channel is getting ready to start running the popular Canadian comedy show Trailer Park Boys starting this Thursday Night. The 101 will air two new back-to-back episodes every week on Thursday nights at 10pm ET/PT.
In addition DirecTV’s 101 Network will also air all seven seasons of this popular comedy show.
The 101 is aired in both full High Definition and Standard Definition on DirecTV channel 101.
CIEL II Lights Up
Last night just after Midnight Mountain Time just as I expected, Dish Network started lighting up transponders on the new CIEL II satellite.
According to reports at SatelliteGuys a number of readers have reported that they are seeing a big boost in the signal strength on the new transponders from CIEL II. Readers are reporting that their signal strength has gone from 40 up to 80.
Over the next few days Dish Network will continue shuffling programming off of the old satellite on to the new. Once the shuffling is complete I expect Dish to start lighting up new HD local cities which will be taking advantage of CIEL II’s spot beam technology.
Remember when I wrote a few weeks ago that it was the calm before the storm? I think the storm is rolling in now.
nann commented:
I switched from Cox cable to Dish HD Turbo Gold on 2/14, and initially rec\’d Channel 205 Fox News. Almost immediately I started experiencing problems and finally was not able to access it at all. Being new to Dish I thought it was a problem with the equipment. After three calls to Dish, they are telling me that Fox is causing the problem with me not receiving the channel. I will be so mad if I can\’t get Fox News.
Jerilyn Hicks commented:
03/04/09:
My hubby was estactic that Dish was carrying anew, the FBNews Channel and FX NEWs channel in Hd. But when we called again and about to change from Cable and Direct Tv, we were told TONIGHT that they DO NOT HAVE FOX BUSINESS NEWS (FBN) NOR do they have FOX NEWS on ANY LISTING of ACTIVE channels.
So, we immediately said, \’NO THANKS. We\’ll stay put. Direct TV has both in HD RIGHT NOW and we\’ve been getting it in the motor home. That\’s exactly why we CHOSE DIRECT TV over DISH.
And I couldn\’t last week, get any comment from, Dish on their HD DVR when we thought they had FBN HD and FOX NEWS HD channels AVAILABLE.
So, Direct TV and Cable, we still have.. and both excellent. CAble is the one with DVR that\’s good.
Jerry Edwards commented:
I am a customer of DishTV. I am a Turbo HD Gold subscriber. I have waited since last fall for Fox News to be available to Dish Network subscribers in HD. It now is, but only to customers who subscribe to a non HD package and add HD channels to their subscription.
Apparently those who subscribe to Turbo HD only packages are NOT offered the Fox News HD service. We are forced to watch CNN, CNBC and MSNBC but are not allowed to view Fox HD feed.
In discussion with Dish Network I have not been given ANY explanation that makes any sense.
My stance is that as a subscriber to Turbo HD Gold channels I should have Fox News Channel HD included with the rest of the news channels.
I am sure Fox News advertisers want their products ssen by as many consumers as possible.
mssw commented:
Dish told me different……
Dear Mr. ****
Thank you for your email. The FOX NEWS HD channel is available now in Bronze HD Package or higher. The FOX BUSINESS HD is now available in Gold HD that is offered in addition to the Classic Gold 250 Package. In the future, the package will be offered in Turbo HD Gold as well. At this time, we do not yet know exactly when this happens.
Your business is greatly appreciated and we thank you for allowing us to be of assistance to you. If you have any further questions or concerns, please refer to www.dishnetwork.com or reply to this email.
Sincerely,
Tomasz D.
DISH Network eCare
mssw commented:
Pardon the incorrect comment…the problem is Fox News HD and Fox Business HD isn\’t listed in the packages mentioned on their site as of 11pm central on 2-7. On 2-4, Fox News HD and Business was listed in TurboHD Gold convincing me to add the package..only later the two channels were moved from the list and I can\’t access Fox News HD which is labled red on my on-screen guide (TurboHD Gold)….very irritating..
Alt Dish commented:
Dish plays hard ball with channels but in the end (months to years) dish always end up carrying the channels. They can\’t afford not too since DirecTV is fast at adding new channels. That\’s the only thing I don\’t like about dish.
geib commented:
About time.
HookC commented:
Encouraging to see Scott’s reporting lead the way again on Dish additions and subtractions. But it appears Top 200 subscribers find Fox Business News listed in “red†or as a higher level channel this morning. Temporary glitch?
Still hoping there will be news on Dish reconsidering Major League Baseball channel carriage.