# Swanni Predicts DirecTv and Echostar Will Announce Merger in 2008



## homerdodge (Sep 9, 2007)

Swanni Predicts DirecTv and Echostar Will Announce Merger in 2008

That about says it all.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Merge with each other?

Or Merge with other entities...

Link please....


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

http://www.tvpredictions.com/swanniseven121707.htm


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## homerdodge (Sep 9, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Merge with each other?
> 
> Or Merge with other entities...
> 
> Link please....


Hi Earl,

Each other. The premise is that the FCC appears amenable to Sirius and XM merging shortly, and that there is sufficient competition that didn't exist when they tried this in 2002.

TvPredictions.com


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

This is just Swanni's annual prediction thread. Not news. He is not basing this on anything substantial.


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## bscott (Jun 4, 2004)

http://www.tvpredictions.com/swanniseventext.htm


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

SPACEMAKER said:


> http://www.tvpredictions.com/swanniseven121707.htm


Actually, even more explicit reasons why he says it here: http://www.tvpredictions.com/swanniseventext.htm /steve


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

CNET's top 5 worse predictions for 2007
http://www.cnettv.com/9742-1_53-31712.html?tag=bubbl_4


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

I agree that there is sufficient competition that the merger may be allowed if it were initiated. However, IMHO, I don't think it will happen.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

There are a lot of reasons on why it "could" happen.
It makes sense from a technology utilitization point of view.

But there are a significant amount of road blocks to it, even if it was seriously considered.

The Sirius and XM, is an example for part of the discussion.... but it isn't a slam dunk either to say it would be allowed as well.


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

You can bet that the cable companies lobbiests are armed and ready to put the heat on.


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## Gilitar (Aug 1, 2004)

I still say it wouldn't be allowed. Take me for example. My choice of providers are D* and E*. Mediacom won't run new lines to serve my area. This would make a monopoly for a large portion of the market.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

E* may try to buy D* again ... perhaps the regulators will be kinder but I doubt that a deal will be approved. I hope they don't bother trying. I don't see this move coming from the D* side .. but new ownership for D* may make a difference.

Personally, the best way to become the one true satellite provider is to put the other one out of business. Much better than buying off your competition (or as they say in the business "merge").

I wouldn't put it past Charlie Ergen to try ... but I predict no success.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

I do recall when news broke that Liberty was going to buy DIRECTV that speculation was it would be a short-term investment on Malone's part - that he would then look quickly to turn around and sell. I don't follow financial trades at all, so I have no idea how it would work or how true that speculation was, but if Echostar came calling, I wonder if Malone would be willing to talk?


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## Firket2000 (Jul 29, 2007)

I think it would be great if the merged. We don't see much better prices or any thing now because of the competition, and if they merged think of all the HD channels they could support then.


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## csgo (Oct 15, 2006)

Drew2k said:


> I do recall when news broke that Liberty was going to buy DIRECTV that speculation was it would be a short-term investment on Malone's part - that he would then look quickly to turn around and sell. I don't follow financial trades at all, so I have no idea how it would work or how true that speculation was, but if Echostar came calling, I wonder if Malone would be willing to talk?


You hit the nail on the head. Nobody knows for sure, but there's a lot of rumors out there that Liberty is not interested in DirecTV long term.

Perhaps they had this in mind all along?


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

FWIW, Mr. Malone only engages in "tax free" transfers of assets, so if there is to be a merger, it would have to be on that basis, based on his past deals. Interesting interview with him where this comes up can be found here. /steve


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Oddly, this occurred to me after first reading about the Echostar-Dish spinoff. Thought it might make regulators less nervous if the satellite operations were not part of any deal to merge the retail operations of Dish and Direct. Still, the AT&T-Dish thing has some credibility.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Firket2000 said:


> I think it would be great if the merged. We don't see much better prices or any thing now because of the competition, and if they merged think of all the HD channels they could support then.


I would hate it. Right now I have a nice single dish system. What a mess a merger would make technologically.

Besides, what makes you say that competition isn't good? You really think the HD rush would have happened without competition, you are dreaming.

And I get stuck with "poor me" Charlie running my vendor, ugh.


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## rutgersfan (Dec 18, 2006)

Gilitar said:


> I still say it wouldn't be allowed. Take me for example. My choice of providers are D* and E*. Mediacom won't run new lines to serve my area. This would make a monopoly for a large portion of the market.


well, if I want cable, I only have one "choice": the cable company that is in my city. So i really don't have a choice, other than to choose a satelllite provider. Which of course i did. I think in general satellite is competing with cable. of course you have no cable choice, so I see your point, but you are in the great minority. BUT that's a failing of cable co's not running the cable to you. So based on that i don't think the satellite co's should be denied a merge based on cable's failing to provide service to certain areas.


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## rutgersfan (Dec 18, 2006)

tonyd79 said:


> I would hate it. Right now I have a nice single dish system. What a mess a merger would make technologically.
> 
> Besides, what makes you say that competition isn't good? You really think the HD rush would have happened without competition, you are dreaming.
> 
> And I get stuck with "poor me" Charlie running my vendor, ugh.


directv is competing with cable, too, not just dish. so the HD rush would still have happened.


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## tomcrown1 (Jan 16, 2006)

The merge on both sat tv and radio is dead in the waters. It is true that the FCC wants to push the Sirus and XM merger through. It is congress that will not allow it and have already warned the FCC that if they "rush the merger through congress will have to put a stop to this"

So no I do not think that Direct TV and Dish will merge.


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## Austin316 (Dec 9, 2007)

A. If a merger were to happen it would of had to be in the works by now. As no mergers are going to happen if a Democrat is in the white house with there people in charge of the FCC. 

B. Kevin Martin has screwed up big time. He has pushed and rushed through so many telco mergers and been so anti cable ( not that I have a problem with that woot woot anti cable woot woot ) That it putting extra attention on Sirrus and XM and all other merger realistic or not. 

C. I already hear the rallying cry of the DTV Tivo owners who dont want to loose access to there tivo and have to deal with dish networks interface. ( I have no problem with the interface but lets face it it is not tivo )

D. Then what about orbital slot assets the FCC even under Martin's control would not allow them to keep them all. I could see dish giving up 61.5/129 to have what my understanding is full 110/119 plus 101 and also it would mean no more stupid wierd dishes they all could all go back to standard 9degree spacing with a 101/110/119 and carry hd on 101 or do dtv does and put it on 110. 

E. How many years to transistion everyone over that is a big cause for concern. I would love to have a single dish solution that would work anywhere in conus . I.E. see item D. But how long would it honestly take to convert all the DTV customers over to dish or vice versa. This is surely no easy task. 

F. What are the legal ramifacations of carriage aggreements, would this lead to price decreases as Charlie ( assuming dish to buy dtv) plays hard ball and say we just double our customer base we want new agreements. 

G. Is DTV really a Turd Bird ( qoute Ruppert Murdoch ) and dish should avoid it like the plague.

H. What would DTV customers actually do with a decent HD DVR.


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## narcolept (Mar 1, 2007)

I was going to respond to the last post from Austin316 and point out the inaccuracies, then I saw that the end of it was just a blatant crack at DirecTV and decided not to feed the troll. The link from the OP is speculation at best.


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## cariera (Oct 27, 2006)

Although I don't think that Direct and Dish will merge this year (geez, look how long it's taken to get Liberty approval for their purchase), Swanni's benign predictions from last year look pretty good:

http://www.tvpredictions.com/hdpredictions100306.htm

Except for the first one.


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## CJTE (Sep 18, 2007)

I think the Swanni puffed the magic dragon and took a trip into the past...

http://pcworld.about.com/news/Oct102002id105819.htm


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## Christopher Gould (Jan 14, 2007)

Just for thought you could have a one dish setup and have a 101 type LNB that does Ka/Ku at all 3 slots giving you. 99ka/101ku/103ka-108ka/110ku/112ka-117ka/119ku/121ka. Now I haven't look to see who has the 108,112,117,121 slots or if they even there. Think of that bandwidth. Now how you get all that down a wire is another question.


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## Austin316 (Dec 9, 2007)

narcolept said:


> I was going to respond to the last post from Austin316 and point out the inaccuracies, then I saw that the end of it was just a blatant crack at DirecTV and decided not to feed the troll. The link from the OP is speculation at best.


When it is not a crack when it is the truth. Friend is switching to dish do to problems with his DTV HD DVR. I was not impressed by it, dtv hd coverage yes but not there recievers.

Though I would like to know what you think I got wrong.


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

Austin316 said:


> When it is not a crack when it is the truth. Friend is switching to dish do to problems with his DTV HD DVR. I was not impressed by it, dtv hd coverage yes but not there recievers.
> 
> Though I would like to know what you think I got wrong.


There's nothing wrong.Less HD.Higher prices for HD.Plus no one knows what the Dish DVRs will be able to do once Tivo gets done with them.It's your choice.Good Luck!


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

Earl Bonovich said:


> Merge with each other?
> 
> Or Merge with other entities...
> 
> Link please....


Swami tells half truths. Can't go by him.


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