You Can't Polish A "Turd Bird"
from the fly,-dernit dept
Rupert Murdoch has apparently called DirecTV a "turd bird" (via Broadband Reports and is looking to sell News Corp.'s stake in it to Liberty Media. The epithet and interest in selling was apparently down to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's comments that the Commission wouldn't look favorably at a merger between DirecTV and Echostar, its smaller rival which runs Dish Network. Back in 2002, the FCC shot down a previous merger attempt, and apparently Martin still thinks such a deal would be anti-competitive. This wouldn't be the first time Martin has been confused about competition, but it's no less puzzling. A combined DirecTV-Echostar would presumably be a stronger company than two independent ones -- and better placed to compete with cable TV companies, not to mention the new TV services from telcos. How is that anti-competitive? Leaving DirecTV and Echostar struggling on their own and unable to develop a broadband plan is the threat to consumers and competition. Does anti-competitive mean that the combined entity would be able to compete too well against Martin's incumbent friends?Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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God save us from a combined DirecTV and Echostar
For those of us who live in rural environments where there is no Cable TV, no DSL from the phone company, where even dial-up connects at 26.4kbs, at best, the thought of only one satellite provider is a terrible prospect. My DishNetwork bill is exhorbitant as it is. Were the two companies combined there would be zero constraint on prices. I can only imagine what it would cost.
Now, as to why the good commissioner likes telco and cable company monopolies and not satellite monopolies, I would imagine it reduces to how much the telco/cable cartel has paid him, or will pay him after he leaves office. ... I could be wrong, but I think not.
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Re: God save us from a combined DirecTV and Echost
I don't think they do.
A combined company would be better able to compete with cable, which would likely mean lower rates.
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Re: God save us from a combined DirecTV and Echost
Last I heard dish network was still rather close to $25 a month so unless your some sports nut or watch 30 PPV movies a month then dont give me that exorbient pricing crap from the dish companies, unless they charge your arse more for living in some backwoods craphole instead of living in a city.
I am just very bitter and hatful of cable and when someone says their competitor is too expensive then I have to defend the glory of dishes.
I must add that I live in a NORTH facing apartment so NO I cant just switch if Im so pisssed at the service I have, there is NO competition for comcast for north facing apartments here.
rant off, bitterness fading, food digesting, blood sugar levels returning to normal.
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$100 Cable bill!?!?! Re: Re: God save us from a co
The problem with satellite companies is that they do not have to provide any service to your box(you pay for it and you are responsible for it), and seeing as how cable companies can justify charging the same amount since they have line maintenance to do, satellite providers don't have that issue since they use the airwaves and equipment that you bought, yet we have yet to see the pricing go down with an increase in subscribers. One could argue that they have to pay for those "birds" that relay the signal but they've already been paid for 10 fold at this point.
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Re: $100 Cable bill!?!?! Re: Re: God save us from
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Lantern Bearer
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Don't Even Bring Up Powell
Also, DirectTV is a turd bird. Terrible service at an awful price. I pity the people in rural areas who have to rely upon garbage such as that.
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Re: Don't Even Bring Up Powell
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Lower prices???
It has always been supply and demand... If they can get more money while themselves paying less for broadcast content / rights or lower quality content then of course thats what they will do...
They know their market now is in the rurals... Doesn't make sense to go async broadband via sat, nor do many people in urban areas have the right, desire or even line of sight to the birds...
So the country bumpkin who is perpetually forsaken will once again take it up the tailpipe and be forced to pay more for less because it is essentially their only option...
Sad really... I know.. Bermuda's report is out and we have essentially 3% broadband penetration... Its like $70 us for 256k DSL + $99 to the monopoly telco to carry the signal... The pipes are there but bandwidth is almost as tight as DeBoer's artificially manipulated diamond supply...
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HOLD EVERYTHING!
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Proposed merger
A handful of mega-conglomerates own and operate our media and that does not serve the interests of democracy.
We can easily see the deleterious effects that mergers and acquisitions have had on our broadcast TV (owned and operated by a handful of mega-corps that pander to the far right , especially news content (which now serves as nothing but a propaganda outlet for "big brother"), and continuing to allow consolidation of TV distribution in any further way will only exacerbate that,
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Methinks perhaps TechDirt is confused about compet
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PLEASE DONT MERGE
I love my DishNetwork, I know other who prefer DirecTV. I know that the rate has stayed rather consistent, we pay just around 50 bucks/month IIRC for the ultra-super-mega package with Sirius sat.radio and a number of premium channels.
As for my internet, the 3mb cable which went from 39.99 a month but ended up closer to the 70s by the time I was done with it, doesn't have anything on the 17.99 I'm paying for 3mb DSL which has often delivered me a ping so low (below 10ms) in Counter-Strike:Source that people think I hack/am the server.
Competition is good, keep the seperate, why would I want them to have more power anyway?
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Direct TV vs. Local Cable
DirecTV is $58 including local channels and DVR service
Cox: $78 plus DVR rental fee.
I also believe a DirecTV and Echostar marriage would increase prices.
so far, happy with service; and I do not use their customer service (obviously by the comments).
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Definitely an anti-competitive merger
I used to have Direct TV. Murdoch is right - it is a turdbird. Dish is much better, and I think their prices are reasonable. At least Dish and Direct have to compete with each other. Thinking that their merger would help consumers seems 100% wrong to me, just as wrong as letting Southwestern Bell put all the pieces of old AT&T back together.
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Not just for in the boondocks
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