Have DirecTV DNS? Read this!

[blujay40]

Appears CBS corporate has entered the fray with ATT and is threatening to pull their corporate owned stations from ALL ATT owned services in major cities all over the country if ATT doesn't start playing ball.

https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/cbs...U_9Wi-XOgladr8

[Seann45]

Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.. CBS could be loosing 1000's of viewers and that will impact add revenue

[triplebvalp]

This scenario happens to be called "Retransmission Consent" and was put into law by the FCC many years ago. Basically, ABC, NBC, CBS, etc generally over the air broadcast networks have the authority to charge a per subscriber fee to folks like Dish, Direct TV, and Cable Companies. If you live in an urban area near these broadcast networks transmission towers, and have an antenna you can receive and watch these networks for free.

However, if a Cable Company, Dish, or Direct TV receive these networks they are required by law to pay the networks a few per subscriber.

As a former Cable TV manager, I can tell you that the fees, negotiated every 3 years, are quite high and usually go up every negotiation period. These "free networks" get away with highway robbery but the Cable Companies, Dish, and Direct TV really don't have a choice since their end users demand these networks.

So, long story short, the end users bill will go up to reflect the increase charges from these, otherwise "free" networks.

[blujay40]

It appears that ATT has replaced the NY and LA CBS stations for DNS with ones from Washington D.C. and San Diego so I take that as ATT is done negotiating and is going to let it happen.

Up until now, disputes were limited to a few smaller markets affecting a few 10's of thousands of customers but I think this is the first time a major network like CBS has threatened to pull their O&O's that I am aware of and so now we are talking 10's of millions of viewers being affected, not just a few thousand.

ATT has already lost millions of customers from DirecTV, Uverse, and DirecTV NOW and it's accelerating. ATT lost over a half million just in the first quarter of this year alone and after 22 years with DirecTV, I just joined the exodus. Between what ATT has done to DirecTV since they took over and with us losing 2 locals in the past 6 months which are still out with no end in sight, turning around and raising my rates and then when I complain, tell me to get an antenna, I did.

Have gone old school with an OTA antenna and DVR to record stuff from the antenna and use a streaming on demand service or two for everything else.

Hardware I bought to do so will be paid for in less than 2 months with what I am saving over DirecTV and I once again own it. Add to that the notion of no more contracts, commitments, monthly equipment lease fees, ETF's, set top boxes, program guide fees, rain fade, begging for discounts, dealing with overseas call centers, can take my programming with me wherever I go, get my locals wherever I am at with no movers fees are just a few of the benefits. The biggest one though was finally being able to tell ATT where to put their dish and so I think ATT is losing a lot more than some might think.

[DocBrown]

Another carriage dispute. Nothing new. Happens with all the cable channel owners from time to time. It's just a pissing match. I've yet to hear of any network permanently dropped. It's to the benefit of both parties to work it out.

[jimp]

Check out the "disagreement" between Nexstar and Directv. The local ABC affiliate for me has been "off the air" via Directv for about 2 weeks now. Not a great loss IMO, as I only (well did) watch the local affiliate news, none of the national programming appeals to me.

[Murff]

AT&T acts like they are still the only phone company in town when it comes to their customers. Sorry, Ma Bell! The Feds took you down in 1983 and you are your own undoing today!

[edatlanta]

Originally Posted by Murff

AT&T acts like they are still the only phone company in town when it comes to their customers. Sorry, Ma Bell! The Feds took you down in 1983 and you are your own undoing today!

If AT&T didn't own most of the long lines in the country they would have been bankrupt years ago. They don't know how to spell customer service. IMHO.