Posted on 10/21/2005 12:59:46 PM PDT by ZGuy
The owner of The Dish Network said Thursday it pulled the Outdoor Life Network from its system after the cable channel failed to provide NHL games to the nation's second-largest satellite television provider.
EchoStar Communications Corp. spokesman Marc Lumpkin said the network did not show games on Oct. 10-11 and on Monday and Tuesday as advertised. "We were not given advance notice that they would not show the programming," he said.
Although best known for broadcasting the Tour de France and cyclist Lance Armstrong, OLN this fall took over broadcasting National Hockey League games on cable from ESPN, a unit of The Walt Disney Co.
"We are surprised and disappointed that Dish has unilaterally chosen to stop providing OLN to its customers, and denied fans the opportunity to watch sports coverage on OLN," spokeswoman Amy Phillips said.
The contract dispute between EchoStar and OLN revolves around OLN's placement in a higher-priced channel package by Dish Network, which is distributed to fewer viewers.
OLN, owned by cable giant Comcast Corp., set a requirement that the channel must be seen by 40 percent of a cable or satellite TV system's viewers in order for it to broadcast the NHL games. It said the Dish Network has failed to meet that requirement.
Lumpkin declined to comment on the specifics of the dispute.
EchoStar would have to move the channel from its top package to a lower-cost package that may have fewer channels but more viewers. That would raise the fees Dish Network viewers pay.
"We work hard to provide choice for customers and to keep prices low," Eric Sahl, an EchoStar senior vice president, said in a statement. "Most of our customers have made the decision they do not want to pay the additional cost of watching the channel."
EchoStar hasn't been afraid to take on networks before. In March 2004, it pulled Viacom Inc. programming — including MTV, the Comedy Channel and Nickelodeon — from the Dish Network for two days until an agreement was struck on a long-term contract.
Based in suburban Englewood, EchoStar's Dish Network has about 11.4 million customers.
What is soccor???
Maybe you can get your $5.99 back :-)
Sounds like both are trying to take advantage of eachother and forgeting the veiwers who keep them both in business.
So who has the upper hand? Looks like a wash to me....
Sounds like a lawsuit coming. OLN agreed to provide their programming to Dish for a fee that Dish is apparently paying. OLN signs an agreement with the NHL that demands that OLN deny some of their programming to carriers that don't place the channel in the standard tier. If the OLN/Dish agreement did not state that OLN could deny some programming for these conditions, then OLN is in violation of the agreement. Im a defender of hockey but this attempt by the NHL to get the games into more homes will only do the opposite. It may get the OLN moved to basic tier in a few locations, but most cable systems will not move it for hockey, and the NHL will lose more potential fans. And OLN will proably be dropped by some cable systems as they are not living up to their agreements.
I a on Directv and get OLN right now. Their coverage isn't that great. They have a few issues they need to resolve like the sound for their games. But the NHL is drooping the ball puck here. The OLN coverage isn't that good. But in my case I can't get a decent FSN channel. I am less than a hours drive to Nashville and I don't get FSN South. I have to get FSN Cincinnati. Even though I am near the Tennessee border. If I was to go back to cable and their awful reception, I could get FSN South and Ohio. It seems to me the NHL wants everyone to get the Center ICE package but I am not going to do it. I can't get NBC either because I can't get locals where I live. So I can't catch games there.
I'm a Penguins fan. We're used to losing in the early season.
Is it true that the center Ice Package is available only in markets with NHL teams? Here in my town (we love hockey) it is not available. My cable company is also in the Pinallas market (Tampa/St. Pete) and they say that that is their only market where Center Ice is available.
Actually, you're just used to losing :-)
(just kidding)
GO FLYERS!!
What I miss the most about not having the big dish was the wild feeds.
I'll stick with Pittsburgh. We may not make the playoffs this year (Thibault sucks!) but we're situated well for the future.
Here's my prediction - The Flyers never win the Cup as long as Bobby Clarke is GM.
One other thing.........
Prior to September 11th, 2001, my entire world consisted of a non shakeable, passionate devotion to my "team". My entire world revolved around the Flyers, and whether they were going to win the Stanley Cup.
After September 11th, 2001, things were put into perspective. And while I wish my team well, who wins the Stanley Cup is not high on my agenda anymore. I wish all the teams well, and I hope you take my posts in their true intention, just good, clean fun.
While I am still passionately devoted to the Flyers, I am even more devoted to winning the War on Terror, and supporting our military, and our Commander-in-Chief.
Right now, the city of Houston is really jazzed about the Astros' first appearance in the World Series in the franchise's 44 year history. I have watched all the playoffs, but not very many regular season games (for 20 years, I was a baseball nut that seldom missed a game on TV, and I used to go to many as well).
Like you, 9-11-01 changed my outlook on things. I found all sports seemed trivial and unimportant compared to "the big picture". I still remember hearing people complain about postponing NFL games after 9-11. I was so shell-shocked after 9-11 that I simply did care when the season started, and have had a hard time shaking that attitude ever since. I feel there is a sameness to every sports season, and am not all that interested in who the new champions of whatever sport are. And the NBA is basically "gangsta-ball" now, and I seldom turn it on.
I still follow the PGA tour, and thanks to going high-def, I have started to watch an occasional NFL game because it looks so stunning in HD. And this Astros World Series thing is exciting.
I guess we need these diversions during a war on terror so we can pretend something that is not all that important really is.
I wish both teams well. It has been a long time for both Houston and Chicago.
May the best team win!!
A little "sport" diversion now and then is a good thing. But, it is NOT the most important thing.
My priorities have changed..........
It's a little early to count us out. We're only 2 points behind you.
As for Thibault, my opinion is formed from his playing style in the few games he's played for us. I really haven't seen him play before, so all I had to base my opinion on was stats and hopefullness. I'm not impressed with what I've seen so far.
I think Caron is playing better right now, but I know 'T-bone' is going to get the starts for now.
And Fluery is going to be a pretty good goalie for us in the future, it looks.
I still think we have a good chance of making the playoffs, and if so, it's a whole new season.
I have DISH but I only watch football sports.
If you only watch football then why Dish and not DirecTV?
Depends. If you have a 4DTV receiver or "sidecar" unit, you're receiving digital C-Band signals.
Wrong. Dish Network cannot just give the Center Ice package away for free to it's subscriber base. The Center Ice package is an NHL product, not a Dish Network or DirecTV product or ala carte sports package. To give it away for free, that's a decision left up to the big wigs at NHL.
Maybe like me he lives in his home team viewing area.Realizing these games are all on at 1 and 4 ET, how can you get full value out of a package like Sunday Ticket?Particularly if you already get the game you really want to see free.Now, it would be worth something if you didn't live in your home teams area.BTW-just dumb luck and Robert Irsay that my team is where I'm at.Became a Baltimore Colts fan during the Unitas era, then they came here and sucked for a really long time.This may be the year, though.They look like a TEAM.
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