Greek Channels leaving Dish Network

[HellasHab]

Sounds like Alpha is a disaster.  What happened to the guy that would post greek satellite rumors?

I believe that you are referring to DKSat, he is the one that has given us information on the Greek channels and most recently about Alpha and Star coming. I take it from the fact that he has not posted anything in a while that he does not have any information. If he does hear something I am sure he will post it as he has done in the past.

It seems that all is quiet at the moment, Alpha has internal problems in Greece and Globestar here in North America has problems of its own to sort out with the MEGA fiasco and the lack of subscribers at DirecTV. I don't think you will see any new channels (i.e. Alpha & Star) until later in the year, but that is just my opinion.

At least you guys in the U.S. have access to several different channels, for us up here in broadcasting hell hole Canada, we don't get to watch much of anything. ERT World and ANT1 and those are butchered Canadian versions. Life is good isn't it?! :D

[TheScooter]

I would love to find out how many subscribers DIRECTV has added due to MEGA Cosmos being added to their service

[Ziaka]

It sure would be interesting to know.

It would also be interesting to know how manys subscribers does Antenna, ERT and Alter have on Dish, however I don't those figures are public.

[Grk101]

Someone I know came from Greece the other day. And she was talking to someone on the plane, and they said that Alpha is in the US by this company in New York. Maybe a cable company? Anyone know?

[HellasHab]

Someone I know came from Greece the other day.  And she was talking to someone on the plane, and they said that Alpha is in the US by this company in New York.  Maybe a cable company?  Anyone know?

This is most likely Globestar, who own the rights for MEGA & Alter. DKSat, mentioned that Alpha is coming to North America in is very thread (go back to the first few pages for his post). It will be avalable on DirecTV with MEGA and should give them a much needed boost in attracting subscribers because it seems they don't have very many at the moment.

Give them (Globestar) a call and see what they say, I don't think you will get much of a response, but its worth a shot. I called asking about MEGA and if it will ever be seen again in Canada but they told me didley squat! :tdown: Something about the government to blaim, I don't think they know what the hell they are talking about but that is a discussion for another thread...

:gr:

[Grk101]

I dont know. Cause the person said it's avalable in New york already? Something like that. So i'm thinking a cable company? I know there was talk about that before.

By the way, check out the latest full page ad from the January issue of "Hellenic News of America" (I just scanned it):

CLICK TO MAKE BIGGER

Just for fun, here is Dish Networks add. Personally I think Direct TV stands out the best. :P

CLICK TO MAKE BIGGER

[TheScooter]

Dimitri Kastanas has a channel called NGTV-National Greek TV.It's on Time Warner cable in the NYC area.NGTV carries some Alpha programming from Greece

NGTV (Greek) Three different newscasts from Greece, local news, drama, comedy series, movies, live interactive programming, music and sports.

http://www.timewarnercable.com/nynj/progra...s.html#intlprem

[Grk101]

Dimitri Kastanas has a channel called NGTV-National Greek TV.It's on Time Warner cable in the NYC area.NGTV carries some Alpha programming from Greece

NGTV (Greek) Three different newscasts from Greece, local news, drama, comedy series, movies, live interactive programming, music and sports.

http://www.timewarnercable.com/nynj/progra...s.html#intlprem

That must be it then. :(

We must wait for Alpha and Star.

[Kolossos]

From www.ngtvonline.com

Sounds like ALPHA Content / Programming has been on NGTV for a few years now..

It produces its own 

programming as well as providing program content  from ALPHA in Greece to its viewers. In late 1999 NGTV bought it's own ENG (Electronic News Gathering) Van  allowing  it the opportunity to offer the community live coverage of various events. You can watch  National Greek Television in your area on the following Systems:

American Cable Vision of Queens on Channel 95

Brooklyn Queens Cable on channel 80

Time Warner's channel 509 digital service in Manhattan

[harlem_reporter]

Don't loose your sleep over the additional numbers of Greek Channels on Directv :whistle:

After the "fireworks" of the Sea Launch rocket, satellite capacity for Directv is a very precious commodity. :blink:

I don't think they will launch any channel containing 3-4 hours of original programs per day, waist capacity which otherwise can be used for High Definition, in order "to capture" a market with a total size of circa 50k subs :LOL:

Here is the full story, and the poll is still up on who is going to have most subs Jan 1st 2008.

http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/070202/2...65_id.html?.v=1

DirecTV: Our HDTV Plans Are OK, Despite Accident

Friday February 2, 3:50 am ET

Frank Barnako (MarketWatch) submits: DirecTV's (NYSE: DTV - News) plans to offer 100 national HDTV channels by the end of the year may be in doubt. Its plans to orbit a new satellite later this year are up in the air after the launch company had a rocket blow up on its sea-based platform Wednesday. Eric Savitz quotes an analyst at Bernstein Research saying that the accident will delay DirecTV's launch.

The concern is that without the satellite, DirecTV won’t have the capacity for the new HDTV channels. But Phillip Swann’s TVPredictions.com says the satcaster is speaking cautiously. While a spokesman said the explosion would not impact the high-def plans, he did say DirecTV is "evaluating our options."

DirecTV had two launches planned for this year. One in June is planned for ground site, while the other was the ocean launch. The Bernstein analyst says a delay, "would limit the rate at which DirecTV can expand availability of local HD channels."

[TheScooter]

I wish DISH would end the charade of keeping the MEGA channel on their guide with the words Off The Air on top of the screen.Whatever happened happened with Globe Star and DISH concerning MEGA COSMOS is over.I wonder if DISH could go around Globe Star and lock up Alter Globe to a new contract before their current deal expires

[Grk101]

I wish DISH would end the charade of keeping the MEGA channel on their guide with the words Off The Air on top of the screen.Whatever happened happened with Globe Star and DISH concerning MEGA COSMOS is over.I wonder if DISH could go around Globe Star and lock up Alter Globe to a new contract before their current deal expires

It seems to me that they dont give up on things. Its been over a month, and I still see commercials from Dish Network telling its customers (and this is on cable tv) to demand Court TV to come back.

[harlem_reporter]

I wish DISH would end the charade of keeping the MEGA channel on their guide with the words Off The Air on top of the screen.Whatever happened happened with Globe Star and DISH concerning MEGA COSMOS is over.I wonder if DISH could go around Globe Star and lock up Alter Globe to a new contract before their current deal expires

"whatever happened with globestar and dish" is far from over: the pending lawsuits will last for a couple of years and .... the jury is still out

[harlem_reporter]

....KAI MIA KAI MILAME GIA DIKASTIRIA...

Mon Feb 5, 2007 6:02pm ET

DirecTV ordered to drop ads hitting Time Warner

NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) - A U.S. court ordered satellite television operator DirecTV Group Inc. (DTV.N: Quote, Profile , Research) to drop advertisements that claimed its service was superior to Time Warner Inc.'s (TWX.N: Quote, Profile , Research) cable unit on Monday.

The ads, which featured ex-Star Trek actor William Shatner and pop star Jessica Simpson, aired last December and in January.

Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York handed an injunction against DirecTV to prevent it from running ads in Time Warner Cable's markets that disparaged the quality of Time Warner's high- definition programming.

DirecTV was also ordered to take down any similar advertisements on its Web site, or other sites, according to the court order.

Time Warner filed the lawsuit in December, saying the DirecTV campaign asserted "false advertising and deceptive business practices."

http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybri...omktNews&rpc=44

[desilla]

Looks like Maniatako made an application for 2 more Greek Channels and got approved by the crtc for Canada on Jan 31st 2007 . Is his company Greek National Television Network (Canada) Inc???

OTN3 - http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decision...7/db2007-42.htm

OTN4 - http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decision...7/db2007-43.htm

What channels do you guys think they might be.

[Grk101]

....KAI MIA KAI MILAME GIA DIKASTIRIA...

DirecTV ordered to drop ads hitting Time Warner

Where I live, I always see commercials saying that Comcast Internet is better than Verison DSL using Turtles in it's campaign to symbolize DSL. Difference?

[Kolossos]

Looks like Maniatako made an application for 2 more Greek Channels and got approved by the crtc for Canada on Jan 31st 2007 . Is his company Greek National Television Network (Canada) Inc???

OTN3 - http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decision...7/db2007-42.htm

OTN4 - http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decision...7/db2007-43.htm

What channels do you guys think they might be.

Either

Mega and Alter

Or

Alpha and Star

[HellasHab]

Looks like Maniatako made an application for 2 more Greek Channels and got approved by the crtc for Canada on Jan 31st 2007 . Is his company  Greek National Television Network (Canada) Inc???

OTN3 - http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decision...7/db2007-42.htm

OTN4 - http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decision...7/db2007-43.htm

What channels do you guys think they might be.

Either

Mega and Alter

Or

Alpha and Star

Try Again!

These 2 channels do indeed belong to Maniatako, he has just spun them off into some other company that is all. These 2 channels were supposed to be for MEGA and Alter originally but now I don't think they will ever see the light of day. From what I have concluded, Globestar/Unitel who own the rights to MEGA Cosmos, Alter Globe and soon Alpha Sat, don't like this guy very much and I doubt very highly that they would do any deal with him to bring these channels to Canada.

They now have other options as 2 other companies have licenses for Greek channels so its more likely that a deal will be done (if ever) with one of them rather than with Odyssey. I have been contacting these Globestar idiots for months now about MEGA and I have gotten nowhere. Last time I called they tried to tell me the problem is the government here in Canada and the rules that are in place. HELLO?! there are over 20 ethnic (Canadian) channels on the air and probably as many foreign stations broadcasting here. Try telling that crap to someone who doesn't know much about this stuff but I have been following this for a while now. All they need to do is sign an agreement with one of these companies that have licenses for Greek stations, to supply them with programming and that's it! Well its probably not that easy, but I think you get what I am trying to say. From their the CDN company will have to negotiate with Cable/Satellite to pick up the channel and get it on the air. These people don't have a clue what the hell they are talking about. I think Globestar in Greece is the one that does these things, and we all know how Greeks- kings of last minute jobs- operate. This is friggin' ridiculous and I urge every Canadian who is interested in these channels to call Globestar. If enough people drive them crazy then maybe we will finally see MEGA in Canada!

Back to Maniatakos' channels, he used to have MEGA on OTN2 but something happened and the channel was pulled. I remember DKSat mentioned that he heard that apparently Maniatakos was not paying any programming fees to Globestar for MEGA and when they found out what was going on they pulled the plug on him. So that is why I say I doubt you will see these channels through Odyssey. Of course hell could freeze over and a deal with the devil could be made- anything is possible?!

I wonder if these is anyone from Odyssey TV that reads these forums, that would be a first since they don't seem to really care about customers, very rude people IMO. They can't even update their friggin' website, what the hell is the point of having one if you aren't going to keep it up-to-date?! Of course thanks to the protectionism here in Canada with the CRTC and its stupid rules, they don't have to give a crap about customers because they are the only ones with Greek channels in Canada. Plus, if someone else launches a Greek channel, OTN still wins because you have to subscribe to Odyssey in order to be able to get the other channel, thanks to the stupid CRTC and these dumb rules I mentioned. Great place to setup shop if you are a broadcaster, terrible place if you are a consumer. :tdown:

[Kolossos]

To what I know GlobeStar will not be the ones looking after Alpha in the Nrth American region

Alpha and Star will have different distributors not Globestar

I may be wroung but this is what I know will see what eventuates out of this situation :)

:gr:

[Grk101]

"whatever happened with globestar and dish" is far from over: the pending lawsuits will last for a couple of years and .... the jury is still out

I dont understand though. On what are they perusing legal action? I thought Mega's contract was over. Of course they didnt say they were leaving to their customers, but I do think it is their right (although a VERY BAD move) that they can leave with out notice if the contract is up.

I mean DISH must of known. I dont think DISH waits til AFTER the contract is up to renew. They would have started talking in November at the latest. To me this looks like DISH trying to be spiteful.

[RedBasil]

Hello all,

I've been watching all of these posts since the rumours of Mega leaving Dish started 2 months ago. Two things I didn't expect to do are 1)get DirecTV or 2)post to this forum.

At any rate, I received my Dish Network bill in the mail 4 days ago, and despite being assured numerous times that I would see adjustments on my bill, I was still being charged for things that were promised free (i.e. the Antenna Package for 3 months). I called Dish's customer service and spoke with someone who didn't really want to take the time to answer my questions, as she sounded put-off to help me.

What wound up happening is that I cancelled the Antenna Package and kept Antenna Satellite and ERT. I asked for Alter a la carte and was told that I could not receive this channel without first subscribing to the Antenna Package.

My receiver was experiencing problems later that evening and I called Dish's number that was on my bill, instead of of the Greek line. I had my problem taken care of and I asked again about Alter. Somehow, the person on the phone was able to give me the Alter channel a la carte.

So who is lying to me?

I called Directv to see what their prices were/hidden fees.

Here's what they told me:

$14.99 for the Mega Channel

$9.99 for basic service (including my locals)

and that's it. ($25.99/mo)

I only wanted one receiver so I am not paying anything extra.

I signed up that evening and I just got installed.

I don't have any personal issues with Dish, Globestar, or Directv; everyone is in the business to make money.

I just want the ability to chose what I want to watch and not pay for old, outdated programmes that I have watched over the past 10 years (Antenna Gold), or for a seperate channel that shows me video clips that I find every once in a while from Alter, or from iptv services.

We live in a country where we can chose everything to the way we like it, from a hamburger to a house, why not what we PAY to watch?

Cheers,

RedBasil :ph34r:

[ppappas]

RedBasil,

Were there any other up front costs and did you need to commit to a 1 or 2 year contract? I am looking to do the same thing and don't want to drop Dish (too much invested). I just want to get Mega to one TV, but I do want a DVR, so I will probably have to add their monthy DVR fee.

Thanks!

[RedBasil]

ppappas,

I paid a $19.99 activation fee and there is a one year contract.

Cheers,

RedBasil :ph34r:

[Medea]

kati pou brhka online....

NAB Kicks DISH While It's Down

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) blasted DISH Network over its

distant network debacle with an ad the association placed in <i>The Hill</i>, a

newspaper distributed across Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. this week. In bold

red type-face, printed in all caps across the top, NAB's message is quite clear:

Congress Should Not Reward Lawbreakers.

"For nearly a decade, EchoStar willfully broke the law* by illegally providing

broadcast network TV programming to thousands of unknowing customers, pocketing

hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal profits," the ad reads. The asterisk

next to the word "law" is followed by a quote originating from the court case in

which EchoStar was accused of never being "interested in complying" with the law

and further, "a pattern and practice of violating the (law) in every way

imaginable." The ad does not specify who said the quote.

The NAB advertisement said that EchoStar is looking for a "Congressional

bail-out to continue breaking the law" and offers the affected consumers

(constituents of certain Congress members) a few "options" to continue receiving

the same programming. The alternatives NAB suggests: free over-the-air TV,

signing on with a cable provider or hooking up with either DIRECTV or one of the

new telco TV fledglings.

Earlier this month, a consortium of senators introduced the "Satellite Consumer

Protection Act of 2006" which, EchoStar said, is designed to protect American

consumers.

In a statement regarding the legislation EchoStar said it commends the

bipartisan effort to enable subscribers to continue receiving distant network

channels, particularly those who live in rural areas and markets where there is

no local broadcaster. "Unfortunately, because (the) court ruling... and the

imminent adjournment of Congress, it appears that innocent consumers will lose

their network signals before Congress can act on this important legislation."

EchoStar is now required to stop transmitting its distant network signals by

tomorrow, Dec. 1. The NAB ad will also run next week in both <i>The Hill</i> and

<i>Roll Call</i>.

:box:

[Medea]

______ Apla h idia taktikh tis dish, "den kserame tipota kai bazoume to kefali mesa stin ammo" .. strouthokamilismos sto megisto.....

ti dhladh mono o harlem_reporter tha mas enimeronei?

:box:

Court TV Dropped from DISH Lineup

The year-end programming carriage spats that have surfaced between programmers

and platform providers apparently caught up with a satellite TV service.

On New Year's Day, CourtTV began carrying a message on its Web site saying its

service is no longer available on DISH Network, EchoStar's DBS offering. The

site asks dedicated fans to stand up "to this injustice" and gives viewers a

toll-free number they can call about the loss of service.

In response, EchoStar said in a statement it regrets the disruption of service.

However, prior to the loss of CourtTV, the channel's parent Turner Networks

refused to offer an extension in the company's America's Top 120 Package for

continued negotiations, the satellite TV company said.

"We are working hard to negotiate a fair contract with Turner Networks and

CourtTV," said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of programming for EchoStar's

DISH Network. "But we must also protect our customers from unreasonable demands.

It is not fair to ask our customers to pay a DBS premium for a channel owned by

the second largest cable operator, Time Warner. We take pride in offering

consumers the best value for pay TV service in the industry, and we remain

committed to keeping our cost structure low to the benefit of our customers."

EchoStar said it "diligently tried" to reach an agreement with Turner Networks

for continued carriage of CourtTV. "Unfortunately, Turner Networks refused to

deliver an offer for carriage in America's Top 120 package that fairly reflects

CourtTV's overall ratings performance and value," the company said.