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Talk about an unfair fight. Dish Network — which has gone toe-to-toe with some of the biggest companies in media — now is swatting around Hoak Media, a little-known Dallas-based broadcaster with 14 TV stations concentrated in rural markets in the mid-west and south. Dish has taken the PR offensive. It says that Hoak yanked its signals from the No. 2 satellite company, and “has taken an incredibly hostile stance toward their viewers.” Hoak allegedly demanded a 200% rate increase, and told Dish to stop customers with its Hopper DVR from using the new AutoHop feature that can jump past ads in recorded shows. “Our customers pay a lot of money to Hoak as part of their monthly bills,” says Dish SVP for programming Dave Shull. “We believe customers have the right to watch purchased TV content in any manner they prefer. Why Hoak executives feel they can stop viewers from something they’ve been doing for years is a mystery.” The satellite company is engaged in a separate collection of court battles with major broadcast networks over the legality of the AutoHop. It’s also engaged in multiple disputes with AMC Networks, which Dish says it plans to drop at the end of this month. A person who answered the phone for Hoak CEO Eric Van den Branden said it will take time for the company to respond. In other words, Round One in this PR war goes to Dish.
Dish Network Toys With Hoak Media In New Retransmission Consent Dispute
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Wow… Several lawsuites and several carrier disputes all at the same time. I swear it seems like at least twice a week DISH has to really annoy someone new.
That’s what happens when trying to keep prices low for customers.
I’m guessing the Hopper is a negotiation ploy…give us what we want, or we’ll free our viewers of the onerous work of pressing a fast forward button. They can always back down on Hopper features, in the same way CableCo DVR units “removed” the 30 second skip feature.
What’s the big deal anyway. I have been fast forwarding through commericals on recorded shows ever since I had a “vcr”. Nothing new.
Why does Hoak media think they need to regulate, how we watch commericals. Dish network is the lowest price for me vfs “cable” which is a monopoly in my area. I can get family channel programming at a decent price and still get local channels, which used to be free when we could watch over the air local channels. By the way, a lot of us like our local programming for other reasons like local weather news, sports.
As one of the viewers who was forced to give up my east and west coast feed because some idiot judge decided that I needed my local stations, I am pissed about Hoak pulling their stations. I was very happy with the East/West Coast feeds I had. Yes I had to pay for them but they were much better then the local stations. All I get on the local networks is Bible Thumping and Republican Rhetoric. If they aren’t going to come back on I’ll be very happy to go back to the east/west coast feeds I had before. If they think we’re watching their lame TV commercials they are full of it…cause we’re not. So the machine that hurts their feelings isn’t doing anything that we weren’t already doing before the machine. When they start making ads that are actually good I might watch but the people creating the ads are idiots who don’t know the difference between a fishing pool and a spear gun. They don’t know the difference between quilting and knitting. The list is long. Most commercials don’t do a thing to sell me anything because they’re STUPID and insulting to anyone with a brain. I’m writing my legislators tomorrow and letting them know if this company doesn’t put their stations on again that I want my east/west coast feed back. I’m a disabled veteran and watching TV is one of the few things I can do when the pain gets bad. Your local stations weren’t all that great so I don’t think you have a lot of negotiation points to play with. Hopefully I’ll be rid of the local stations and back to the big city ones.
my comment is just this most of the shows that we as a family watch are on cbs and fox, for you to take them away is very unfair. WE pay good money to dish to watch these channels and i think you as a company should not in this economy raise prices
I agree with you that Hoak Media should consider the economy and back down on their rate increase they are tripling the cost to their customers doubling would be raising the cost 100% and although that is a lot this seems more fair to me. Also those people who have bought the hopper from dish network have payed for it and they pay more for their television viewing then those of us who have the regular DVR. They do not have the right to tell us as customers how to watch tv. Unfortunately most of the shows that my family watches in the evening are on CBS which is carried by a Hoak media station so therefore my family has had to go without the local news which is very important to us since this station is to only one that carries local news from our town. I have spoken to dish network they have pro rated my billing for this month because I pay more for having the local channels.
I agree that local programming is very important. I don’t have a Hopper DVR, because I don’t want to pay more, or upgrade because of more cost. My regular DVR is fine, and I was already skipping through commercials on recorded shows anyway. We get enough commercials on non recorded shows. And for that matter, some of the commercials are very inappropriate for young children. It’s my choice to skip through commercials that I find offensive or just plain stupid.
I agree with you that some of the commercials are inappropriate for children to watch. I do not have the Hopper Dvr Nor will I ever be able to afford it. I do not think that Hoak Media has to right to tell us a viewers how and when we should watch TV. I do not record all of the shows that my family watches we ussually record one channel while watching another live. With my local channels being pulled and Dish Saying that Hoak Media did it and Hoak Media saying that Dish pulled the stations, My family feels like we are pawns caught in the middle of Two Giants fighting over the same ground. Hoak Media wants a 200% increase and to limit how we watch our local channels. While Dish Network wants its customers to be able to watch TV however and When ever they want and to keep the cost down for these cutomers. Guess which one to these two Giants I am wanting to win the fight. That is the one that is wanting to keep the cost down for their customers.
Hang tough Dish. Love my Hopper and will watch my East/West feed until the joke known as Hoak wises up.
Since I have had Dish Network they have been in disputes with and pulled FX, AMC, and now Hoak Media that owns our local affiliate of NBC (the only NBC available here). I considered cancelling and paying more for cable or Direct TV until I did some research and now feel that Dish is just doing the right thing. They provide entertainment and equipment that thier customers want at an affordable rate, they have top notch customer service that bends over backwards to make you happy and I know I have saved hundreds of dollard with them rather than cable or Direct. I’m standing by Dish Network…for now. Shame on Hoak Media and thier greedy obstinate attitude.
Please throw ouy the greed and get the dispute settled.It is unfair to the consumers.I need my local channels.
I would rather fast forward through my commercials.
In North Dakota CBS and NBC are not available. I live in a very, very rural area of North Dakota and depend on my local channels for state news, weather, and entertainment programs. I have no other choice. If anyone cares, I would like resolution of the conflict between Hoak Media and Dish Network. Local/statewide information is very important to us. Weather information is vital to personal safety, crop protection, and winter school/activities cancellations.
work it out people,so sick of this mess, can’t watch or record my shows on our channels that we miss. It so very wrong of Hoak to think they can control what we watch or dont watch, last I checked this was still a free country, which should mean you watch what you want & when you want. people dont watch the comercials anymore because there are so many to start with, you either skip through them or get up & go do something while they are on or read a book, play a game anything thing to pass the time while the mostly boring commercials are on and on and on, just get it fixed now.
I am glad this round is over but I do stand by Dish Network. What are these folkslike Hoak going to do next – try to banish me from going to the bathroom during commercials or prevent me from muting commercials?