KATU isn't on Dish Network anymore.

Dish is saying Fisher Broadcasting is being unreasonable and demanding outrageous fees.

Who knows what the real story is though.

Here is the email I sent to KATU's GM thru their web site;

Please pull your head out of your &$$ and get back on Dish Network.

Although in reality it might not be such a big loss.

The only good programs left on ABC are Extreme Makeover – Home Edition and Pushing Daisies and ABC has canceled Pushing Daisies.

Boston Legal is done so that’s not a factor.

On second thought. Never mind. KATU isn’t important to my channel lineup.

Wonder if KATU has done their homework and know the viewers they will loose now. I have Dish but get Ch.2 over my DTV in Salem now a lot better than the analog signal.
The spirit of greed continues in America?

Seems to me that ch 2 should be paying dish to carry their programs and commercials to a wider audience rather than dish paying ch 2. Who benefits most from dish carrying ch 2?

K2's argument is Dish pays more for cable channels hardly anyone watches. This really sounds like the type of game Dish Network pulls, which is why I moved to DirectTV. Oh, we don't want to pay THAT for KATU. Oh, we don't want to pay that for the NFL. Oh, we don't want to pay that for Comcast sports. The arguement, they would have to raise subscription prices. They're doing that anyway.

Oh, I don't want your service anymore Dish Network and since you are bleeding subscribers, it seems a lot of people agree.

Oh by the way, DirecTV has KATU.

It is very simple, really. Dish charges you $5 for the locals. KATU believes that they should be paid part of that for getting the signal. They pay all other services for the right to carry them. The current contract with Dish expired and KATU wants some of what they charge for it. If you were a business person that someone is using and making money from your product, you would want part of that also. It happens in all businesses.
It is a business arrangement and they haven't come to terms yet.

"If you were a business person that someone is using and making money from your product, you would want part of that also."

Exactly! And if you were leasing space on a large "antenna" that provided more listeners to your station, how much should the owner of the "antenna" be paid?

Again, "Who benefits most from dish carrying ch. 2?"

I haven't had Dish Network since 2003. Listened to the "Dish CD" channels more than anything else, and everyone in the house decided we could simply turn on the radio or listen to a CD if we wanted to listen to music. I personally enjoyed listening to online streaming audio of other stations. So it turned out to not be such a loss, except for the bill. Wait a minute, we don't miss that, either.

Another issue with the local channels... I'm usually a sucker for the "Total Tag Team Balls-to-the-Wall Storm Coverage...," however when I turned on the TV Sunday afternoon hoping to see the typical frozen reporter in Troutdale and someone on the Sylvan Hill US-26 overpass, all I saw on every channel was paid programming or football. I immediately turned the TV off, and haven't turned it back on since! Come to think of it, I don't think I'll miss broadcast TV at all.

Wow! I was just talking about this with my sister today at lunch. She's very concerned she won't be able to see "The Bachelor" in January. I told her to see if Dish offers an abc network feed for abc programs during all this.

(sorry, Craig... tell your sis she's outta' luck on that one. We tried to find a Dish-provided ABC net feed and it's a no-go.)

We live in the boondocks and satellite TV is the only option available out here. A switch from DISH-TV to DirecTV isn't worth the headache for just what KATU has to offer. If other locals (in fact, any others at all) joined suit, I'd consider switching, but the loss of KATU isn't much of a loss in my book.

"She's very concerned she won't be able to see "The Bachelor" in January."

How far from the transmitter is she...Perhaps a DTV converter box will work at her location?

She's around Cedar Hills Blvd. & Walker Rd.

She's very concerned she won't be able to see "The Bachelor" in January

Personally, I'd consider that a good thing!!!

Me thinks they'll have it worked out in a few days or a week at the most.

They went thru this with one of the channels that the kids like (might have been Nickelodeon, I can't remember) a couple of years ago and they were only off about 4 days or so.

"She's around Cedar Hills Blvd. & Walker Rd."

Good strong signals in that area... line of sight to the Sylvan & Skyline towers, bet a DTV box will work just fine.

""She's around Cedar Hills Blvd. & Walker Rd."

Good strong signals in that area... line of sight to the Sylvan & Skyline towers, bet a DTV box will work just fine."

Probably with a coathanger attached to the input.

Direct TV is airing ad's on the radio knocking Dish for dropping it!

"Probably with a coathanger attached to the input."

If you want to get fancy with that coathanger:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

4 stacked "bow-tie" for very cheap!

Directv is the best for local channels here as well. Really I like it best for most everything else as well. I think that Dish has a little better package for some of the Movie channels, but that is about it.

I am wondering if after Feb these satellite systems will offer local channels in HD only or will continue to convert another channel position to analog like the cable companies will be doing. And then for how long? It will be nice not to have to change the ' off air ' input to get local channels in HD. At least I hope that is the way it is going to work !

To the south, KVAL(also Fisher) is now off DISH in Eugene, Roseburg etc

You might want to read this before you go out and defend Dish Network.

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/12/20/area_news//doc494b2b460c9ed182708305.txt

The bummer about Dish is their service and policies. Consistently crappy. They have the better tech overall though.

I'm no fan of either company, but I have to day DirectTV delivers better service and programming options overall. We've got that now, mostly for my father in law, and it's decent. I don't end up hating them like I have every other subscription option.

(and not even gonna get started on Comcast)

IMHO, the locals need to be made viable. We've got a significant investment in them, and they do offer the potential for local, relevant news. Like radio, we just might end up needing them.

These fee agreements should just be regulated. It would stop the squabbling, the costs would settle and that would be the end of it.

Holding people hostage for programming options is the worst. So we spend a ton switching out gear, contracts, and who knows what else, just so these companies can trade nice offers, then screw the people who are tired of following the deal.

It all kind of sucks.

OTA is gonna get better, with the transition, because of the increased signal levels, right?

If so, they probably should just start pushing the fact that an antenna can get you some nice HD programming. I use mine, and it works nicely on just a cheap, powered indoors antenna positioned behind the TV.

When the weather improves, I'm gonna setup a good quality outdoor antenna and call it good.

"When the weather improves, I'm gonna setup a good quality outdoor antenna and call it good."

BINGO!

My wife just noticed that ch 2 is missing from the DN setup in her sewing room, and was concerned about missing some football games. I hooked up a Zenith DTV converter, stuck a tiny (10" total dipole length) suction cup mount "rabbit ears" antenna to a window and got everything but ch 16. She is pleased with the improved quality of the picture, and the extra channels (such as 8.2, 10.1, 10.3 & 22.2) that are not on DN. I suspect that DN will loose $5 a month from this household.

Speaking of channel 2, during the past week with the wacky weather, KATU has been coming in crystal clear over the air. Even KGW. Normally only KOIN and public broadcasting channels come in clear here.

There's a large article about it, including correspondence between the two parties, on KATU's website:
http://www.katu.com/about/36310734.html
I should mention that I have been watching their coverage off and on throughout the day. Of course, I'm using an antenna.

It would appear from the link above that some of the dispute involves KUNP (ch 16 on DN)... odd that KUNP is still on DN at this time, while DN ch 2 is airing a message urging viewers to call ch 2 and their sponsors.

Right now, KGW and KOIN is covering football. Only KATU has weather. Heh.

KPTV, being a FOX aflitate, doesn't count.

Actually the current Dish Network DVR/receivers have an OTA input and you can watch KATU via rabbit ears (including HD and subchannels if any). Of course since ABC canceled Boston Legal who really cares?

Of course since ABC canceled Boston Legal who really cares?

Exactly!