Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

Ofcom's consumer panel has asked the regulator to intervene in the row between Sky and Virgin Media, which it said was causing "serious consumer detriment".

The panel, which was established when Ofcom was set up four years ago, said viewers were losing out in the dispute because they were not getting the channels they paid for.

Virgin Media customers have not been able to watch hit shows such as 24 and Lost since Sky pulled its basic channels including Sky One from the cable network at the beginning of this month.

More info here http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcas...033652,00.html

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

I never watched them in the first place....

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

The story appears to be inside the subscription section of the site.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

But its FREE to join.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

If you can be bothered ... ;)

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

There was a site that listed free pre-subscribed account information to sections like the Grauniad and the US papers. Can't find its address though.

I'm a bit ambivalent about all this. On the one hand, OFCOM are looking out for and protecting my best interests. That's good as far as I can see. But on the flip side, state interference into business affairs is bad. Companies & people should be able to value their goods and services at X, and be able to market it as such. Sky should be no different just because they are richer than most companies. Companies don't become rich by being unpopular.

Maybe its because I straddle the divide and run businesses and come from a family of business people, and appreciate the importance of capitalism.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

Is this the website - www.bugmenot.com? :) It's a great site. :)

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

:nworthy:

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

What he said.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

I'm not bothered either...But no doubt a million and one will pile in behind me and say different.;)

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

"different"

Couldn't resist - Sorry ;)

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

I don't see why Ofcom have to come in between this. Sky should just keep their own channels and Virgin Media shouldn't bother trying to get them back.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

I think it would be good if Ofcom got involved - for those consumers that liked the Sky channels, to have them taken away is more than a minor inconvenience, but most importantly, we as customers have very little we can do about it. The situation that has edeveloped is clearly not in the interests for customers and there is little to be gained from it, and Sky and Virgin don't seem to want to try to get it sorted out, so having a third party intervene could prove to be a good thing, in my opinion.

If you do not like the channels, that is of course your own choice, but there are those that do, and while you may be able to dismiss it easily, for others this is not the case. This is especially true considering Sky has the exlcusive rights to some programs, as well as showing a lot of programs unobtainable elsewhere.

I don't see what has happened as a good thing, and thus if it is a bad thing, and something the customers have no real influence over, surely having a third party take a look at the situation is a good thing?

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

Ah the fervour that a tv programme engenders...The misery I recall when Star Trek(the original) was cancelled.Puoff! just like that...No recource,no one to appeal to..my favourite programme was gone...

We only had two channels and the programmes available were poor when it came to the taste of teenagers and a SFer to boot...however I learned to deal with disappointment.I became a stronger person and as time went on I learned to live again.

Then of course through the power of pester power came the return of not only the ST films but MORE newer Star Trek.And more Star Trek...and more Star Trek and more Star Trek...And thus I learned a second lesson....That pester power can lead to big things but even more it can lead to over indulgance...and endless repeats.

Be very careful what you pester for.;)

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

How ironic that a site called "bugmenot" immediately bugs you to ditch Internet Explorer and use FireFox.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

Why don't Virgin just pull their channels from Sky when the contract expires and see what the fallout is from Sky viewers? If Sky can beat down the price they want to to pay to Virgin for its channels surely Virgin can do the same to Sky and up the price for its channels when renewal comes round!

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

Because Sky is a larger distribution platform than VM - VM can't afford to lose about two-thirds of its audience reach. To be honest Sky can't really afford to lose VM's Sky One viewers either but the effect is a little less severe for Sky. Both companies know that the only viable long-term solution is for all channels to be available on both platforms, but their middle-management marketing people seem to be having too much fun bigging up the dispute at the moment for them to be able to come to an agreement on anything.

A little gentle persuasion from Ofcom would be no bad thing at this point.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

It's called choice. While I am not bothered about Sky 1, there are people who do want to watch Sky 1, but may not want (or be allowed to have) a satellite dish.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

Also VM probably realise they'd lose a shed-load of money in advertising if they pulled the channels from Sky. A fact which Sky might just be waking up to.....

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

Because Sky's deal with VM to carry channels such as Living was only signed recently so it's probably got 2/3 years to run! Whilst I don't miss Sky One as I hardly watched it we do miss Sky Sports News in our house as we are huge sports fans. There is no other sports news service to rival it. I can't stand it anymore and am getting a cheap freeview box for the TV in the kitchen which I was going to do at some point anyway. Whilst BBC News 24 is ok I like having the choice of Sky News as well.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

This is quite true Stuart C and hopefully there will be an end to the bully boy tactics now that offcom are getting involved. :tu:
I feel sorry for VM as they are only trying to provide some better services with the products all round. I'm confident they will get there. According to the news article on this site they is going to be 20m b/band available by May-June of this year with VM.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

I agree with Stuart. There's also a danger that this could be the start of a complete split; it could end up with us all having to have 3 distribution platforms to receive all the channels we want. I don't mind paying for the channels, I'd object strongly to having to pay for more than one platform. I'd also not want to pay 2 platforms for the right to view the same channel. It's high time for the regulators to "influence"' a few heads together.

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

Yes, I suppose Virgin have more to loose than Sky if they did pull their channels, they do have more than Sky don't they?

The lack of any interactive on Sky Sports is a disappointment, as I found out today when I finally went 'digital'. I see why Sky lure people away from VM by not letting VM have those services!!

Re: Use your influence to end Sky-Virgin row, Ofcom told
 

And your point is? Obviously not everyone watches every channel, but nonetheless many did watch Sky One.

---------- Post added at 11:46 ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 ----------

Aside from the cost to VM, this just causes another set of customers to be adversly affected.