Wah!

[Amanita]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6405549.stm

Royally pissed off now, I'm one of them "affected customers" and I am not sure if its Branson being an arse or Sky One being a big fat mean bully.

 

[Sparx]

hmm i was wondering why sky one wasnt working last night.

Looks like i am cancelling then

 

[Calaen]

Tbh Branson is a lot of things but an arse is not one of them. Sky hiked their prices up.

 

[Sparx]

forget the fact sky put the prices up, the fact of the matter is... i no longer have one of my fave TV channels

 

[haarewin]

the way sky have acted throughout the whole campaign suggests its their fault really. they hiked the prices up, claiming it was justified because they have lost, the simpsons and whatever else they show, and skynews is the best news available (LOL WHAT!? its a tabloid on tv. thanks but no thanks!). personally, as i watch none of the channels that they got rid of, i'm happy to stay with virgin media.
anyone that cancels and goes to sky deserves to be flogged and branded with a hot poker that says 'easily swayed'.

virgin argued that if they payed sky more, they would then need to charge customers more.

 

[Levin]

Time to start downloading instead.

 

[Sparx]

the way sky have acted throughout the whole campaign suggests its their fault really. they hiked the prices up, claiming it was justified because they have lost, the simpsons and whatever else they show, and skynews is the best news available (LOL WHAT!? its a tabloid on tv. thanks but no thanks!). personally, as i watch none of the channels that they got rid of, i'm happy to stay with virgin media.
anyone that cancels and goes to sky deserves to be flogged and branded with a hot poker that says 'easily swayed'.

virgin argued that if they payed sky more, they would then need to charge customers more.

For me tho its the straw that broke the camels back. I've had nothing but problems with telecnuts or whatever they are called now

I went nearly 4 months with no TV or internet and everytime they sent an engineer out that guy went "Oh we need to send a team out to this" EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TIME took me complaining to ofcom to get anything sorted, every 2 months i need a new box cause they say i keep getting faulty ones, if the TV goes 2 months without me needing to call them i count that as a blessing

 

[yaruar]

Personally I think shy are shooting themselves in the foot. They hate Branson which is probably half the problem. So people are going to miss endless repeate of the simpsons and futurama. Lost isn't going to make that much difference as almost everyone has stopped watching it now anyway 24 is about the only thing which i think most people will miss and even then sensible people like me just wait for it to come out on DVD

 

[haarewin]

Personally I think shy are shooting themselves in the foot. They hate Branson which is probably half the problem.

well they are set to lose a small fortune in advertising revenue, as well as the money they lost by not giving virgin a sensible price to pay for their basic service channels.

 

[yaruar]

well they are set to lose a small fortune in advertising revenue, as well as the money they lost by not giving virgin a sensible price to pay for their basic service channels.

That and the fact that Branson doesn't back down and will start a war with them over programming. They forget that he successfully took on British Airways and won.

 

[Malcolm]

I got the impression that sky increased prices because they were adding extra channels to the package (Sky 3 and Sky Arts) whether people wanted those channels or not.

 

[haarewin]

I got the impression that sky increased prices because they were adding extra channels to the package (Sky 3 and Sky Arts) whether people wanted those channels or not.

SKY 3! WOW! the shit one that was on freeview? they should pay people to watch that channel.

 

[Hawkwind]

That and the fact that Branson doesn't back down and will start a war with them over programming. They forget that he successfully took on British Airways and won.

You don't know the half of it tbh. Virgin did not win in the long run by any stretch of the imagination. Being from the industry and based at Heathrow for 10 years whilst it was all kicking off, I could tell you things that would have made you think twice about flying with them. {Note: I never worked for BA or have any allegiance with them}

Branson is one of the businessmen that think they can have it all their way. When he doesn't get his way, being free of charge slots at Heathrow or TV channels, he fights dirty and in public. Usually threatening to sue everybody involved including the government.

Really cannot see Virgin winning in a bidding war over programing but only time will tell.

 

[old.Tohtori]

would have made you think twice about flying with them. {Note: I never worked for BA

Sorry but the words just were too close to eachother

 

[Jeremiah]

SKY 3! WOW! the shit one that was on freeview? they should pay people to watch that channel.

So true!!! They should throw in BBC3 and BBC4 as well! After all, these channels are the reason the TV license fee still goes up. These days TV is pure gash! I ended up buying all the shows I watched in box sets... I havent seen a debt-relief ad since last year! It feels so good!

 

[Sparx]

I havent seen a debt-relief ad since last year

Oh how i envy you

 

[yaruar]

You don't know the half of it tbh. Virgin did not win in the long run by any stretch of the imagination. Being from the industry and based at Heathrow for 10 years whilst it was all kicking off, I could tell you things that would have made you think twice about flying with them. {Note: I never worked for BA or have any allegiance with them}

My dad did a few years contracting for BA and after his experiences i always try to avoid flying with them, mainly due to the fact they treat economy pasangers with open contempt.

 

[Hawkwind]

My dad did a few years contracting for BA and after his experiences i always try to avoid flying with them, mainly due to the fact they treat economy pasangers with open contempt.

Very true, I don't fly with either of them tbh. Pretty much Emirates everywhere now {Dont work for them either}

At least BA had a decent Engineering set up and did not just farm it out to the cheapest contractor.

 

[Dukat]

Sorry but the words just were too close to eachother

 

[psyco]

is virgin in charge of freeview?

 

[Corran]

Can understand the price hikes from sky, just take into account the money they paid to get Lost. What was that? 40million a series I think they put into that one show. The charges they faced for other shows increased so why should they not pass on some that cost to others that want their channels? That a typical business method, pass cost onto customers. BSkyB decided to pass a big chunk onto Virgin media instead of the little man.

Sly tactics? Maybe. Good business sense? Definately. If channels were that important then Virgin media would pay up. But they turned round and said that the package from sky they have accounts for only 3% of their viewing. So why are they making a fuss? A simple "Thanks but no thanks" would be enough however Branson being the usual arse he promotes himself as being.

Not even like they can do anything to BSkyB. So much money available to them they wont be too worried about this. And as it is their product they can charge whatever they like. You pay it or not, just like if you buying from a shop. You accept their price if you want the product/service.

I pay BSkyB mainly for Sky1 currently, dont bother with sport as watch that with other people. So least I know they aren't being provided to others for tupence

 

[- English -]

yup just realised i lost sky1 / skysports news, they were only channels i watched really

 

[psyco]

now freeview owners cant watch, new Lost, 24, Bones, Dresden files, and new Simpsons and probably alot others too... unless they download them

 

[Case]

I'm actually considering not getting Sky in my next house because of this. It's a blatent attempt by Rupert Murdoch to strengthen his stranglehold on the media in this country. Anyone who cancels Virgin media to join Sky because of this issue is playing right into their greedy mitts.

 

[haarewin]

now freeview owners cant watch, new Lost, 24, Bones, Dresden files, and new Simpsons and probably alot others too... unless they download them

yeah, and they never could, because sky one wasn't on freeview.

 

[Sparx]

yeah, and they never could, because sky one wasn't on freeview.

it used to be, it was when i had freeview

And LOL about all this fight the man talk

End of the day i work for my money and i want to go home and enjoy TV not sit there with nothing to watch knowing i'm sticking it to the man

Fuck off

 

[Darzil]

A couple of years ago I'd have been bothered, but Sky One has been getting less and less interesting for me. Dresden Files is the only thing that tempts me at the mo, and I've only seen one episode anyway.

There is humour in it going a week or so after the 'welcome to virgin media, you'll soon notice improvements in your service' mailshot!

Darzil

 

[- English -]

i dont see the point of paying for virgin medias channels now w/o sky1 /sports as they are only channels i really watch

 

[uron]

sky had a win-win situation tbh. if Virgin pays up all is good, if it doesnt people will leave and buy sky instead, giving thm a bigger share in the market, which is more important then any monetary gains, and more money! personally im nt fussed either way, aslong as virgin keep the sports and movie channels ill survive. seems like sky being greedy and asking for more moeny thn its worth, and virgin jus tellin em where to go!

 

[Amanita]

I suspect the decision my household is facing now is whether or not to keep the TV package at all - I think most of the channels we watched anyway were on Freeview except Sky One so we could just go for Freeview instead and see if we can just get internet from Virgin.

I certainly won't be switching to Sky in any case. I reckon when I am bored I'll put on a DVD instead

Edit: I wonder how much advertising revenue they'd lose from this? Surely their advert slots will be worth less now their viewing audience must have shrunk now?