Wake Up Charlie!
On Monday Night, Dish Network customers nationwide tuned in for the Dish Network “Charlie Chat” with Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen. Many customers were tuning in hoping to hear some good news about the future of Dish Network, instead they tuned in to see Charlie Ergen looking like he would rather be someplace else.
What also made the chat strange was Charlie didn’t seem like himself; usually he diverts off the script and speaks off the cuff. For this Charlie Chat he stayed on the script for the entire show. It was a show that didn’t give any insight as to what the future holds for Dish Network. The only semi glimpse was when Charlie mentioned they were going to expand their HD Local in Local (LIL) markets they offer next year.
So what was on Charlie’s mind? Whatever it is, it seems as though Charlie has lost focus on what his customers want. Here it is the holiday season and Dish seems to be stuck in neutral while its main competition is moving ahead full throttle.
But Charlie is not a dummy, normally he is most dangerous when he is quiet and his plate is full at the moment with a lot of things going on behind the scenes at Dish, including the splitting of the company in two.
One could only hope they have some big news coming down the line for their customers, and if I had to guess this big news would be announced at CES in January. Unfortunately until then Dish Network customers will sit there and watch DirecTV wiz past them during the biggest sales season of the year. For customers and shareholder alike this can’t be a good thing for Dish Network… Wake up Charlie.
DirecTV Launches Another HD Market
As Charlie Ergen and his Dish Network continues to sleep, DirecTV keeps moving forward. Today DirecTV launched the Tucson, AZ market in High Definition. This brings the number of Local In Local (LIL) HD markets on DirecTV to a total of 68.
Red Zone Plus To Launch Sunday
Subscribers to DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket Package with the Superfan add on package will find a new feature added this weekend. DirecTV will present its first “Red Zone Plus” which is a call in show where folks can call in and talk about the games as well as answer trivia questions and win prizes.
Dissapointed in Austin commented:
I am dissapointed that Dish does not carry public television stations in HD. I called and was misinformed by a Dish technician that it was because "your local PBS station does not provide Dish with a HD feed." In fact, upon contacting the station manager, I was informed that PBS both locally and nationally has been rebuffed by Dish due to "capacity constraints." I can't tell you how many limited interest channels are on Dish including tons of PPV, adult channels, specialized sports, etc.
I strongly encourage Dish to carry PBS in HD as soon as possible. It is simply one of the best channels available to users of all ages, who are interested in learning and being informed about the world that surrounds them.
Dissapointed in Austin commented:
I am dissapointed that Dish does not carry public television stations in HD. I called and was misinformed by a Dish technician that it was because "your local PBS station does not provide Dish with a HD feed." In fact, upon contacting the station manager, I was informed that PBS both locally and nationally has been rebuffed by Dish due to "capacity constraints." I can't tell you how many limited interest channels are on Dish including tons of PPV, adult channels, specialized sports, etc.
I strongly encourage Dish to carry PBS in HD as soon as possible. It is simply one of the best channels available to users of all ages, who are interested in learning and being informed about the world that surrounds them.
Thank you for your consideration.
Jordan Anderson
bubba commented:
That is very true Liz! Comcast's meager HD offerings is what drove me to DISH in the first place. No regrets at all in switching! I get a much better HD (and SD) package at a lower price. I'm also not one to switch to Direct TV the minute that service beats DISH's HD numbers. I do have considerable patience...although it's not without limits. Just a few encouraging words from Charlie about the HD future would have helped immeasurably on Monday night and I think I'm speaking for many of the DISH faithful there. Throwing us a couple of HD bones (like the rumored USA HD and Sci-Fi) would also have helped.
The one thing I do know is I'm not going back to Comcast until they make some BIG improvements in all areas!
Liz commented:
Need to remember though.... Dish and DirecTV still have a great many more Hi-Def stations then most cable systems.
sam_the_man commented:
You can be satisfied and patient all you want dude. Judging from the comments on the satellite forums you are in a small minority of DISH viewers. Those of us who are not satisfied with the present DISH HD lineup and in particular feel that Charlie blew it on Monday night are certainly entitled to express our opinion. We aren't whining any more than you are,,,in my most humble opinion.
ghostrider commented:
I have a 622 and the full HD pack along with all the movie channels and love it but I am patient enough to wait because we know what is coming. I don't have to cry over a few channels we will eventually get.
bubba commented:
ghostrider that is spoken like a guy who doesn't have HD and doesn't care about HD...or somebody working for Charlie and company! There are a few HD channels that are in great demand by many of us (Sci-Fi HD, USA HD and MGM HD to name three) and think DISH should have given them to us by now. I mean maybe we could just have a couple less of those pay sports or pay movie HD channels to make room for what the people really want?
Personally I would have just settled for some assurance from Charlie that some most wanted HD channels were coming soon. His total silence on that matter is what irked most of us more than anything else. Bad business decision me thinks and those more impatient than me are going to jumping ship for Direct TV...something DISH does NOT need at this time!
ghostrider commented:
Please! Whine, whine, whine. You tech and HD guys are so impatient and whiney. I am going to call and cry because I am missing a few HD channels. Get over it. Wait for them to launch the satellites that were delayed due to situations beyond our control and then you will have your HD. Until then stop crying.
le_avion commented:
I called Dish and let them know how unhappy I am with their HD situation. I also let them understand that I will not hesitate to jump ship if it will not improve. I hope that if enough customers will call something will start moving there.
Bubba commented:
I've only watched about 3 Charlie Chats but Charlie has always appeared to me to be looking like he would rather be somewhere else...anywhere else! Good thing he's got a sidekick who can keep talking and keep the show moving...sort of.
I was very disappointed with this Charlie Chat. Not a word about any new HD channels. Bummer! At the very least he could have said something like "We've got a lot of great new HD channels for you coming very soon!". I'm sure that would be the truth...or else Direct TV is going to get lots of new customers. Talk to us Charlie! Tell us what we want to hear...and please make MGM HD one of those new HD channels. Enough with the sports for awhile dude!