From: wog-NotThisBit-george@amd-p.com   
      
   "Bean Fried Pork"  wrote in message   
   news:4Vi0h.361385$QM6.338888@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...   
   >   
   > "Wog George"  wrote in message   
   > news:Dmi%g.52099$rP1.52018@news-server.bigpond.net.au...   
   >>   
   >> "Nobody"  wrote in message   
   >> news:Xns98659606CC502nononononon@140.99.99.130...   
   >>>I had no clue who the hell he was supposed to be...I don't watch that   
   >>> stupid bounty hunter show on A&E.   
   >>   
   >> I had no idea either, but after getting a rough idea from some posts here   
   >> and a quick search, I found out that it's on pay TV here in Australia.  I   
   >> was going to have a look at it, expecting the worst, but I forgot.  If   
   >> any Aussies want to have a peek, it's on Fox 8 on Friday at 8:30pm.  I   
   >> may or may not be joining you.   
   >>   
   > I don't watch it regularly, but from what I've seen of it there are far   
   > worse reality tv shows on American television than Dog the Bounty Hunter.   
   >   
   >> On the subject of pay TV, we have 3 pay TV companies here in Oz   
   >> (excluding obscure resellers): Foxtel, Optus Vision and Austar.  They all   
   >> broadcast identical content at identical times, the only exception being   
   >> that they each have their own weather channel.  In fact, Austar only has   
   >> a weather channel.  They all broadcast Foxtel and Optus content,   
   >> seemingly providing no competition in the programming department   
   >> whatsoever.  There's a pool of channels, and they all show all of them.   
   >>   
   >> Is Australia the only place where they pool everything into one big   
   >> bucket and let everyone sell the same thing?  It makes sense not having   
   >> to duplicate everything but I'm used to different companies providing a   
   >> different product.  For instance, GM and Ford don't have a pool of cars   
   >> and just stick a badge on them as they pass by on their way out of the   
   >> showroom.   
   >>   
   >> On the flipside, I suppose it's good not missing out on something because   
   >> I went with one and not the other.   
   >>   
   >> Anyway, does the US have different content from different providers?  I   
   >> can understand that there may be a pool of channels, but I'd also expect   
   >> each provider to broadcast their own exclusive content as well (other   
   >> than their own weather channel).  Can anyone fill me in?   
   >>   
   > There is little exclusive content provided between different cable and   
   > satellite providers, even if some cable providers (like Time Warner Cable)   
   > have a sister company in the television industry. The DISH Network   
   > satellite provider has a few obscure channels which seem to air on their   
   > service almost exclusively, but I don't believe the DISH Network plays any   
   > role in producing these channels. What you describe in Australia is pretty   
   > much the norm here in the U.S. as well. Programming providers that don't   
   > provide all the major cable channels just aren't going to be competitive.   
   > The differences usually are in the less er channels, and there are a   
   > fuckton of minor cable channels available in the U.S. Literally in the   
   > hundreds (although a large portion would just be different regional sports   
   > networks and assorted premium movie channels with thoroughly redundant   
   > programming; there are like twelve different HBO channels, for instance).   
   >   
   > What's more, while you can get service from either of the two major   
   > satellite providers anywhere that you can point a satellite dish to the   
   > south-southeast, in any given area, there is usually only one or _maybe_   
   > two cable providers. I'm not sure how that works but I believe it may be   
   > that cable providers will get an exclusive contract within a county or   
   > city to provide their service. They still have to compete with satellite   
   > providers Direct TV and DISH Network, and if they also provide internet   
   > service they usually have to compete with other ISPs, and also these   
   > companies would have to compete with each other to get a contract with the   
   > county in the first place, so they generally have to live up to a certain   
   > standard when it comes to their programming, but usually the consumer will   
   > not have a choice when it comes to what provider to use for terrestial   
   > cable.   
   >   
   > I hope that made sense.   
   >   
   >   
   Perfect sense.  Thanks.   
      
   Your affection for cheese has been noted as well.   
      
   --   
   George   
   "Strike me down while you can, but it won't make your dried up ovaries any   
   more fertile." - Eric Cartman - 3 May 2006   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)