Dish Network may drop CNN (and the rest of Turner Channels)

Saw it on TV a minute ago (I watch CNN once a month, whether I need to of not) and checked the web site (CNN). After a search on their site, came up with this link

http://finance.lycos.com/qc/news/story.aspx?symbols=NYSE:TWX&story=200404131813_RTR_N13412290">EchoStar

<snip> NEW YORK, April 13 (Reuters) - EchoStar Communications Corp. (NASDAQ:DISH) Chief Executive Officer Charles Ergen warned viewers of its Dish Network satellite TV service that they may soon take CNN, Cartoon Network, CNN Headline News, and Turner Classic Movies off the air in a fee dispute Turner Broadcasting System.

<snip> In a signal that the talks haven't gone particularly well, Charles Ergen took to the airwaves Monday night in one of his "Charlie's Chats" to explain the impasse to viewers and the reason they might lose CNN in the midst of renewed hostilities in Iraq.

<snip> An EchoStar spokesman said the company is seeking to wean the networks off a "satellite premium" the company had to pay in the past when the service was much smaller.

<snip> "We had to pay (a premium) when we were starting out in the business and had a small customer base," said EchoStar spokesman Steve Caulk. "Now we have 9.9 million subscribers we would like to get programmers out of the habit of receiving a satellite premium from us."


While I might miss TCM once in awhile, the thought of the US population missing out on CNN does give me a bit of hope about the future of America. Would miss Lou Dobbs, but having the rest of the hair-dos off millions of TVs wouldn't be such a bad thing.

I am seriously considering DISH (vs DirecTV) since Murdoch bought into DirecTV, but I do watch CNN.

right after Murdoch bought DirecTV. I had Dish before I move South, and Murdoch was just the thing to send me back.

The best thing about Dish, is Free Speech TV. I can watch Amy Goodman live at 8 am on Democracy NOW!

I replaced my DirectTV with Dish too, and couldn't be happier (and yes FSTV is GREAT!!!).

I really don't mind Dish doing this...(My son is gonna miss Boomerang a lot, but he'll live fer awhile). The only way these corporations are gonna stop raping and pillaging us is for companies to have the balls to stand up to them like Dish is doing...I sent them a letter of support for the Viacom stance, and I'm gonna send them another for the TW/AOL channels.

try it someday

cuz they have French language programming. I do like the French news broadcast, they sure had more interesting video from the fighting in Iraq yesterday than anything I saw on CNN.

I love that description :D

just like the viacom ultimatum last month.
I really wish that satellite service would offer a la carte services like was originally suggested back when Directv was being developed.
Pick and choose the channels you want and pay only for what you buy.
(ie: CNN: $.60/mo., TBS $.40/mo. etc.)
They have the technology in place to do this easily.

Can you imagine what would happen if 9 million people had to go else where for news, even for a brief spell? Some of them would stumble onto Free Speech TV or even check the computers where they might meet up with real news. Many would not go back to CNN once they got their teeth into something akin to real journalism.

Three to five CNN free days for 9 million people would be a good thing.

edit:typo

by the sounds of it.

NeoCons like the line that CNN is owned by Jane Fonda's husband. It isn't any more.

If people don't get their news from CNN, they will probably switch to local sources as equally hairdoed. One of our locals reads the news like it's a bedtime story.

NOT a good thing.

Like Free Speech and I just noticed an Arab news broadcast. Many CNN viewers don't like FAUX but aren't aware CNN is almost as bad.

It is a chance for us to broaden some horizens and recommend web based info sorces to more people.

edit: typo yet again, anybody else have to type around a 17year old cat who hogs the desk?

None of them will stop for a second to watch some Ay-rab channel, and the strident, but low-budget Free Speech channel cannot compete for ratings with big hitters.

CNN IS indeed bad, but it is an alternative for slightly more moderate-minded mainstream viewers. Dropping it WOULD increase Fox's ratings on Dish, which would be a shame. Not to mention losing the slightly left-of-center humor on Chapelle & the Daily Show. Dish & DirecTV are dominated by infomercials, sports, religio-wacko programming, etc. Losing these channels will only tilt the overall balance of programming more toward the rightist/corporatist side. (I consider such prrogramming to be right-wing, since they present religion & buying products as solutions to problems, while distracting and preventing critical thought)

Put that "Middle American" comment in reverse, baby!

I'd accept "...like a typical Middle American" perhaps.

:)

Still - the comments RE CNN still stand

I wish you could pic and choose the channels you want and only pay for those. I rarely watch more than a couple of channels but pay for all of them. I especially hate having to pay for Faux News. The RNC should give you that for free since all you get is wingnut propaganda.

Just about my renewal time, he pulled his Comedy Central boycott, then came up smelling like a rose. Now Crossfire and occasionally Aaron BROWN on ice.

and i have dish.