Upset CableOne customers are now switching to Dish Network to get the local channels that were previously snatched away from them including KGCS.

Wireless Connections and 4 State Cellular are pleased with their business, but Missouri Southern’s television station, KGCS, may not be.

Judy Stiles, general manager of KGCS, said the station does not have ratings so it is hard to tell if the station has been affected.

“I have received phone calls about why the station is not shown on Dish Networks programming,” Stiles said.

Stiles said KGCS not only shows Southern’s events but also shows the St. Louis Cardinals games.

“The Cardinals games are important to our viewers because we are the only station that carries it,” she said.

Stiles said there was an individual who called Dish Network before the CableOne conflict to ask why KGCS is not offered, and the response received was, “we don’t have room at this time.”

Stiles said viewers can access KGCS through an antenna.

More than 280 dishes from Wireless Connections, the largest Dish Network representative, have been sold since the conflict began with CableOne, KSNF and KODE.

“It’s been awesome, the phones ring off the hook and people come in daily,” said Staci Barley, Wireless Connections sales representative.

Barley said Wireless Connections has sold about 300 dishes in the last month.

“The company was doing fine before the conflict, but now we are doing much better,” she said.

She said Wireless Connections does not like to brag about the success, but when customers come in, and they are upset, the company offers them the best plan it offers.

Barley said when the customers come in the store, they are upset because CableOne never gave them the option to pay for KSNF and KODE.

“Our new customers no longer have to worry about the local channels being taken away because six months ago we signed contracts,” she said.

Barley said not only are customers switching to Dish Network because they are upset, but they are starting to realize Dish Network is cheaper.

“When you compare our prices to CableOne’s prices, we are cheaper,” she said. “You get about the same channels CableOne offers but $10 cheaper.”

Barley said Wireless Connections advertises all over Joplin, and this helps with their business as well.

“Our business is doing so well that the wait for installation is about a month out, and it is usually only about two weeks,” she said.

Wireless Connections may be the big dogs, but the underdogs receive a lot of business as well.

4 State Cellular is another Dish Network representative, and it has received the same amount of business but in smaller quantities.

“We have had at least 50 customers sign up with us to subscribe to Dish Network,” said Tom Harner, manager of 4 State Cellular.

“We are happy with the current business we have been receiving,” Harner said.

Jason Williams, 4 State Cellular owner, said they are not trying to compete with CableOne because he thinks his company will be an Internet company in the future.

Dish Network does not currently offer the Internet, but by the summer it will.

“We will then target the people who can’t access the Internet due to their location,” Williams said.