Flex Pack not so Flexible

[WJZelhofer]

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed for Television providers to provide channels and programming on an a la carte basis. Here we are now 21 years later and I still have to pay for bunch of worthless channels that I never watch and never wanted. The Flex Pack was billed as the package that would finally allow you to build a channel guide based on your preferences and get only the channels you really use, yet I still can't get Nickelodeon without paying for a package that is 90% useless crap!
The Flex Pack with the Kids Pack addition provides NickToons (junk that I refuse to let me kids watch), NickMusic (part of the core package, never even heard of until getting this package, and won't let me kids listen to), Animal Planet (never watch), BabyTV (my youngest is too old for this, again, not going to watch), MTV (core, haven't watched since the 80's), and the list goes on!
Why would you offer a package that includes Disney, DisneyJR, NickJR, Boomerang, & Cartoon Network, but doesn't include Nickelodeon?
For the same price as I am paying now, I am willing to trade 75% of my channel lineup to get Nickelodeon and PBS 24/7 (with the locals) included in my plan. I want a Television service that is willing to pull their heads out of their rectums and provide a TRUE option to pay for only the channels I want to watch.

[Chadt41411]

No provider offers ala carte, and not for the reason you think. Channel owners require the carriage of channels in certain packages contractually.

[Macjackson]

When you find one please post.
The Dish value plan is the best and might be the only one out there. Is it perfect? NO. Better than nothing.

[KatyC]

With Flex Pack, DISH is continuing to innovate by enabling customers to receive the channels they want without the ones they don't. They can add or drop Channel Packs and pay only for the ones they want to watch.

The Flex Pack channel lineup includes more than 50 popular channels. Customers can then add "Channel Packs" of their choice. These packs include Locals, News, National Action, Variety, Kids, and more. Please visit www.mydish.com/flex-pack for more information.

You can also visit https://www.mydish.com/upgrades/compare-packages to compare our packages.

Should you wish further assistance with your current programming package, please private message your account/phone and 4 digit PIN.

[kgm032]

Flex packs are an okay start but far from perfect. Ala cart will probably never be a reality as companies use popular channels to fund less viewed channels (so much for free market). I looked into flex pack to lower my cost and inevitably (by design or contractual reasons) every pack was missing that one channel (like no nfl channel in the sports pack) Maybe one day you will be able to purchase content directly from the producer but that may end up being just as costly kinda like the illusion of cord cutting. Until then we will be forced to make choices either forgoing a channel we want or paying for tons of channels we never watch.

[shanedirt]

Yeah I don't know how they put this crap together and say"build your own package and pay for what you want" but I just want to watch basically the History chanel 120, and the Science chanel 193 . I have the flex pack and local with my equipment it is already 85$ a mounth . I want to add Science chanel to my package and then it's 105$ a mounth . That's 20-25$ for just 1 channel I want . My opinion is that's pretty crappy. Come on dish can't you do better than this

[dragonflyspirit]

I agree 100%. A FLEX PACK that’s actually flexible would be great and An a la cart package would be wonderful. They can price it according to Channel selections.
Right now, as I am on a fixed income, I have the lowest cost package and aside from two or three channels I watch nothing else. That’s a lot of money for very little good entertainment or information services. DISH can do better! On my current programming my only news sources (except local of course,) is MSNBC and RT! Talk about propaganda betworks. No wonder us poor folk are so biased to the left! I WOULD LOVE to see FOX NEWS and ONE AMERICA NEWS on the poor folks channel lineup. I also wnjoy the science and history channels. Rught now I am binging on Anciwnt Aliens vecause that’s the closest to a sciwnce ahiw I can get. Thank Gid fir the Weather Channel! If nothing else is on ... which is often.... I watch that.
It’s very dissapointing especially if you’re homebound.

[dragonflyspirit]

Sorry for the spelling errors... hard to check in the tiny window!

[Pepper]

The main problem, as others have stated, is the contractural obligations that the channel owners impose.

In my case, I care not for sports, kids programming and mainstream news so the ability to have a base programming package that doesn't send my money to ESPN, Disney and MSNBC is a plus. If I want Fox news or BBC World News I can add the News pack for $10. If we have kids staying over for a few days I can add the kids channels and get rid of them later. Last time I checked, adding and removing incurred no fees except for the actual amount of time the add-on is active.

The bad side is some channels that will not allow DISH to put them in Flex or any of the add-ons, meaning you have to upgrade to at least AT200 if you just can't live without BBC America, El Rey or the Golf channel. For me, saving $50 bucks a month is more valuable than those few channels.