DirecTV Fires Back at Fox: Files Complaint With FCC

[Shadrack]

Source: Reuters

By Daniel Frankel at TheWrap

Thu Oct 27, 2011 11:29am EDT

After days of watching Fox run newspaper ads and TV promos, warning DirecTV subscribers that Fox channels including FX are about to be pulled off the service, DirecTV fought back with a complaint letter to the FCC.

The letter, sent from Derek Chang, executive VP of content strategy and development for DirecTV to Federal Communications Commission media bureau chief William Lake, accuses Fox of running misleading ads during ongoing dispute over carriage fees.

Specifically, DirecTV takes umbrage with ads run over the weekend in local papers indicating that Fox owned-and-operated channels -- and not just select Fox networks and regional sports channels -- will be pulled off the satellite service as part of the dispute.

Also read:?Game Over, Man! Fox Ad Ramps Up DirecTV Carriage War

"In the midst of a dispute over cable programming, Fox is using misleading advertising?informing DirecTV customers that ?soon, in some markets, you may lose your local?Fox station,? even though our retransmission consent agreement does not expire for over?two months," Chang wrote.

Last week, Fox went public with details of an ongoing carriage dispute with DirecTV, announcing that the satellite service has threatened to pull its channels on Nov. 1 if a new contract can't be worked out.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

I am watching the series now on Fox. That is about all I would miss.

[Shadrack]

I am watching the series now on Fox. That is about all I would miss.

I would miss FX and Nat Geo :( :( :(. It sucks that Fox is being a bully, but honestly if DirecTV thinks they can drop channels that I watch and still charge me the same amount of money then I'll likely be dropping them.

[DocM]

^^_____ what he said, but extend that to a lot of carriers. Comcast dropping NASA TV etc. Both sides issue ultimatums when the contract is coming up then wonder why there's a push-back.

[Tender Foot]

Fox took a page out of Bush/Cheeny's play book of fear mongering that's all

[Xilo]

In other words, Fox wants an absurd increase in money and DirectTV said no, so they are fear mongering.

[shakey]

All stations are doing this. NBC and AT&T had the same problem a few years ago. It is really petty, as the end loser is always the consumer. And they wonder why people pirate things.... because sometimes, it is the only way to get a hold of something.

[Hum]

I would have canceled my DirecTV subscript, if they lost FOX. :laugh:

[Tender Foot]

In other words, Fox wants an absurd increase in money and DirectTV said no, so they are fear mongering.

That's what I said

[_neutrino Veteran]

Fox is always having disputes with carriers over pricing, just a year ago they were going to be dropped from Time warner cable.

[jerzdawg]

Its funny how everyone always sides with the provider and not the source. Direct TV and other cable providers charge absurd fees to their subscribers (usually an increase in rate every couple of years) and when the source of their revenue wants a bigger cut they are the bully. I believe this is just business, everyone company/corporation is out to make $$ and increase profits.

[_neutrino Veteran]

I always wondered, why the cost of television service keeps going up. yet there are also more advertisements, arent the advertisements supposed to make the service cheaper? why not charge the advertisers more and the customers less? somehow OTA channels are surviving and they do not charge the customer a penny for the service.

[Hum]

^ Yeah -- DirecTV seems to be about 60 % advertisements -- irritating. :crazy:

[Tender Foot]

Its funny how everyone always sides with the provider and not the source. Direct TV and other cable providers charge absurd fees to their subscribers (usually an increase in rate every couple of years) and when the source of their revenue wants a bigger cut they are the bully. I believe this is just business, everyone company/corporation is out to make $$ and increase profits.

I don't see many siding with Fox, yes they are greedy douche bags, perfect example they made over a Billion in profits off the Simpsons and they still cry for more money forcing the voice actors into a pay cut or they lose their jobs plus the show would get canceled. So they are fear mongering still!

^ Yeah -- DirecTV seems to be about 60 % advertisements -- irritating. :crazy:

Yeah especially in the channel guide

[nidaros]

If fox pulls off of Directv, than how will NFL package exist? Directv will loose there broadcast feed. NFL fans will be ****ed.

[Shadrack]

If fox pulls off of Directv, than how will NFL package exist? Directv will loose there broadcast feed. NFL fans will be ****ed.

Hopefully there will be a last minute deal.

[Tender Foot]

If fox pulls off of Directv, than how will NFL package exist? Directv will loose there broadcast feed. NFL fans will be ****ed.

The NFL will get in the middle of it before that happens since it would have a huge impact on them as well.

[Seizure1990]

I don't see many siding with Fox, yes they are greedy douche bags, perfect example they made over a Billion in profits off the Simpsons and they still cry for more money forcing the voice actors into a pay cut or they lose their jobs plus the show would get canceled. So they are fear mongering still!

Have you seen the voice actors' incomes? Still rich people fighting rich people. Nobody here is "wrong". It's just business as usual.

[neufuse Veteran]

The NFL will get in the middle of it before that happens since it would have a huge impact on them as well.

DirectTV would still have NFL Sunday Ticket, so they wouldn't lose all the feeds from FOX as they are guaranteed to get it with that deal with the NFL

[DocM]

Change carriers then. I had Dish for several years and it was pretty good.

As for Fox - the contracts that are running out were largely made before its current ratings successes, both for the regular and news divisions. ex; Fox News dominates the cable news market, bigtime, and with their Fox Business channel there is recent added value. Added value = higher prices.

[Amarok]

This amuses me because I'm kind of wondering what exactly Fox expects people in my area to do. Earlier this year they ran advertisements telling every one that if they were a Time Warner cable subscriber they would probably lose access to Fox channels, they advised people to switch to DirecTV or Dish Network. Now they're telling people that if they're DirecTV subscribers they may lose access to Fox. Lol.

[FireTalon]

Well, this month marks my last payment made to directv anyways. It seems the stuff I used to watch are going the way of the dodo, and what I DO still watch has commercials every 5 mins. Im sick of paying almost 150$ a month to watch a goddamned ad about extense or some stuff I never -ever- plan on buying. Ill keep my netflix 8 out at a time, and be good with that. Just so sick of the commercials...

[Seizure1990]

Well, this month marks my last payment made to directv anyways. It seems the stuff I used to watch are going the way of the dodo, and what I DO still watch has commercials every 5 mins. Im sick of paying almost 150$ a month to watch a goddamned ad about extense or some stuff I never -ever- plan on buying. Ill keep my netflix 8 out at a time, and be good with that. Just so sick of the commercials...

My dad's ALWAYS complaining about how many commercials we have. He says in other countries, the laws are much more strict about how much commercial time you can have to show time.

[remixedcat]

don't watch tv. don't care. LOL.

but fox sux

[articuno1au]

Piracy, it's why people do it.

It's not the want to avoid paying, it's the want to avoid paying and then getting advertisements rammed down our throats and treated like pirates even though we bought the damn thing and so on and so forth.

When companies start working that out, we will be a much better place as consumers; and they'll make more money..