What is hilarious with Dish and other satellite providers, and yes, I am a Dish Network subscriber and have been since 1995.
I suspect WVUE was getting about a dime per subscriber, so they ask for forty cents per subscriber, that is how Dish makes it sound like WVUE is robbing people blind. FOX network programming has so many more viewers than any of the cable networks nationwide. It is ludicrous to think that they pay ESPN $4.76 per month; TNT $1.24 per month, USA $1.08 per month, and Disney Channel 94 cents per month. These channels, though, a favorite of many don't hold a ratings candle to any of the Big 4 networks when it comes to total viewership. Now mind you, FOX network is forcing all their local stations to ante up 25 cents per month per household that receives their network. Under this, FOX would get 25 cents of the 40 cents, with WVUE getting only 15 cents per month. Dish continues to be dishonest in the way they scream bloody murder over price increases. They need to slice out about 50 channels that no one ever watches and that they are paying 10-20 cents per channel and use that money to make sure there are no more blackouts of the Big 4 broadcast networks. They held Fisher Communications hostage for six months in Seattle, I had no ABC. I was so pissed, I left them for over 18 months and switched to DIRECTV, but am back with Dish. Don't think I won't bolt again if they pull one of the Big 4 network affiliates off my lineup. 70-80% of my viewing is still with those four channels, and I graze the others if I find nothing suitable to watch. But to pay for umpteen MTV/VH1 channels and 20 religious channels, and 20 shopping channels that I never watch, those are the channels that are keeping rates high.
