# Anybody know anything about Sobongo dropping HD distants?



## billmarc (Oct 17, 2002)

Got a phone call from Sobongo today telling me that DISH is forcing them to drop their HD distant nets (Chicago and Los Angeles) next week. They still will be able to carry the SD distant feeds. Anybody know anything about this?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

billmarc said:


> Got a phone call from Sobongo today telling me that DISH is forcing them to drop their HD distant nets (Chicago and Los Angeles) next week. They still will be able to carry the SD distant feeds. Anybody know anything about this?


That's the first I've seen of it.

DISH could use the transponder space for national HD ... or their own distants networks.


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## runner861 (Mar 20, 2010)

I spoke to Sobongo by telephone. The representative seemed almost hesitant when she spoke. She said that SD service will continue, but HD service will be terminated on January 12. She said that the service will be terminated for "contractual reasons" and may be resumed in a few months. When I inquired further, she would give no further explanation.

The explanation is vague and really doesn't make sense to me. There is something else going on here.


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## levibluewa (Aug 13, 2005)

I posted this inquiry elsewhere, but felt it wouldn't hurt to solicit the expertise of the true brain-E-acks here.

Anyone have any tidbits of info regarding AADs dropping the HD feeds. I haven't detected much about DISHs plan to get back into distants considering the events of the last several years. 

I wouldn't think it was AADs lack of securing contracts with Chicago & LA. It seems like all of a sudden DISH wanted their transponder space back on the 110. Wonder if AAD could, could, offer NY & SF in mpeg4 hd and center cut the same feeds and offer them to the left over SD subs thus saving tp space. One of Charlie's goals is to get subs to "upgrade" to mpeg4 equipment...this would help a little in that effort (although the EA subs are there already...they've been short-sheeted access to AAD). 

HELP ME WITH THIS -- Who are the numb-nuts that had it written into "law" (?) that an HD feed of a prime-time network (big4) program airing 8-11PMET cannot be aired / offered to a sub earlier than normally offered by the network affiliate in the subs time zone. Yet it doesn't apply to SD feeds? Who makes this stuff up? Is it the big4 protecting the exclusivity of the "local" affiliate? Is any part of this regulated by the FCC?

And, I believe it use to be, in the analog era, that if a viewer couldn't receive a signal with an over-the-air antenna he was considered "unserved". Since a digital signal doesn't reach as far I would think that the number of "unserved' households would have almost doubled. Now, is it true, that an unserved household must sub to the nearest DMA market if offered by DISH, or, if he subs to the nearest DMA, could he also sub to a "distant" if offered? 

Thanks everyone.


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

I talked with them at 15:30 this afternoon. (Posted at another forum) They said it is a retransmission dispute. They are hoping to get them back, but are not hopeful it will be before the 12th.......


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

NPS (National Programming Services) has gone through some transitions of their own. They used to sell C-Band 4DTV services but ended that on December 26th. Their attempts to convert their C-Band 4DTV customers to DISH were not met with universal praise.

I wish they were a public company like DISH with public filing requirements so we could see how profitable and successful they are, or are not. Being able to track DISH's cash flow and customer count and read reports to stockholders gives insight you don't get from a privately held company.

I wonder if DirecTV would lease NPS/AAD one of their transponders at 110? Probably not as NPS/AAD "competes" against DirecTV and assists the competition (DISH).

Should we should start checking federal courts for the NPS vs DISH lawsuit? It seems to be the way most relationships with DISH end.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

We have two threads going on this subject.


tampa8 said:


> I talked with them at 15:30 this afternoon. (Posted at another forum) They said it is a retransmission dispute. They are hoping to get them back, but are not hopeful it will be before the 12th.......


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

phrelin said:


> We have two threads going on this subject.


Not any more ... merged.


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## runner861 (Mar 20, 2010)

I just spoke to a rather curt customer service agent at Sobongo. I asked him if the HD distants would be terminated. He said yes, on January 12. I asked him why and he told me that he had no idea and even if he did he would not reveal it. I mentioned to him that there are many customers in the middle of year-long contracts. He then said that the customer's choice is to take the SD service or write the claims department.

Neither option is really viable. People who have HD service probably don't really want SD service, and the claims department is likely only going to offer a refund of whatever time remains on the contract.

Keeping customers in the dark like this and just abruptly cutting service in the middle of the contract is really poor. I don't know if Sobongo is to blame, or Dish is to blame, or what. Of course, that is the way that they want it.


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## runner861 (Mar 20, 2010)

I will add that I think that the original lease for the SD transponder was initiated on November 30, 2006, and renewed each time for a year, unless either party gave notice of termination. That lease is probably running until November 30, 2011. I am just going by memory and haven't referred to the documents.

The HD service, if I recall correctly, were initiated around June or July of 2009. The transponder used for the HD service is probably on a separate lease with separate dates. It may be that now is the time that Dish can reclaim that transponder and terminate that lease. If that is what Dish is doing, I'd expect the SD service to terminate in November of this year.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

levibluewa said:


> HELP ME WITH THIS -- Who are the numb-nuts that had it written into "law" (?) that an HD feed of a prime-time network (big4) program airing 8-11PMET cannot be aired / offered to a sub earlier than normally offered by the network affiliate in the subs time zone. Yet it doesn't apply to SD feeds?


It applies to SD as well. Grandfathering may allow people who had an early feed to continue reception.


> Now, is it true, that an unserved household must sub to the nearest DMA market if offered by DISH, or, if he subs to the nearest DMA, could he also sub to a "distant" if offered?


No. If the sub is a DISH customer they get their own market. The law allows the customer to get stations from neighboring markets if they are on a special "significantly viewed" list but does not require DISH to offer those stations. The law also allows any missing network to be filled in by any network affiliate (within the limits time shifting rules) but again does not require DISH to offer a distant. There is no law that places preference on a neighboring DMA station over any other affiliate.

DISH has chosen to fill in missing affiliates with a combination of distants and "significantly viewed" stations. They have not given customers a choice in what distant/sv station they get. As noted, the law gives DISH the options ... not the customer.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

runner861 said:


> The HD service, if I recall correctly, were initiated around June or July of 2009. The transponder used for the HD service is probably on a separate lease with separate dates. It may be that now is the time that Dish can reclaim that transponder and terminate that lease. If that is what Dish is doing, I'd expect the SD service to terminate in November of this year.


It looks like they were activated June 12th, 2009. 19 months? It was probably a month by month contract.

I'm surprised that the SD contract wasn't ended last November. I wouldn't expect that the channels will last until next November. There is likely more going on than is apparent. I'm sure people will blame Charlie Ergen no matter what happens, but as noted earlier - NPS is having problems of its own (with 4DTV).


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## runner861 (Mar 20, 2010)

James Long said:


> It looks like they were activated June 12th, 2009. 19 months? It was probably a month by month contract.
> 
> I'm surprised that the SD contract wasn't ended last November. I wouldn't expect that the channels will last until next November. There is likely more going on than is apparent. I'm sure people will blame Charlie Ergen no matter what happens, but as noted earlier - NPS is having problems of its own (with 4DTV).


You are probably right that there is more going on than is apparent. Perhaps Dish will make some announcement soon.

I think that the reason why the SD lease wasn't ended last November is that the contract required 90 days advance notice by either party to terminate it. At that time Dish was uncertain as to when the court would actually lift the injunction, and thus Dish could not give the required 90 days advance notice. That contract may have rolled over for another year.

I did receive an email a few minutes ago from AAD. It was very cordial and said that the HD distants will be discontinued due to "contractual obligations between Dish Network and our company."


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## JWKessler (Jun 3, 2004)

Nutz! I just paid AAD for a year of service and have not been notified that it is going away. I get CBS and Fox in HD with an antenna but not ABC or NBC. The Dish provided locals in this area are SD only and look like crap so I won't watch them. DirecTV is carrying my locals in HD so it looks like it may be time to start looking at a switch. I have friends who just got a new DirecTV receiver and it seems quite similar to my 722. I guess it's time to start comparing prices and channel availability.


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## shadough (Dec 31, 2006)

I guess I wont be enjoying the NFL playoffs in HD. Can't get them OTA and can't see the 61.5 bird cuz of WAY too many trees.


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