Here is the SKY VS Virgin Media:
Quote:
Sky turns up heat on Virgin
Info from Media Guardian.
BSkyB has raised the stakes in its battle with Virgin Media by taking out ads asking cable customers to take on their suppliers.
Sky launched the adverts on channels such as Sky One last night telling customers of Virgin Media - renamed from NTL last week - that Sky's basic channels could be withdrawn from the cable system if Virgin Media did not pay a "fair price for them".
Customers were told to call Virgin Media's customer service line to lobby against any withdrawal.
The move "completely shocked" Virgin Media, which had no idea the adverts were being planned. One Virgin Media insider described the move as "bizarre".
Sky and Virgin Media are locked in negotiations over the cost of carrying each other's channels. These tense talks come on top of Virgin's complaints to regulators after Sky effectively blocked the cable company's takeover bid for ITV.
Sky was able to air the adverts without Virgin Media's permission as it inserted them into the feed it gives to the cable firm.
A Sky spokesman defended the move, saying the company wanted to give Virgin Media customers the chance to lobby against any withdrawal of its basic channels, which as well as Sky One include Sky Two and Three, Sky News, Sky Sports News, Artsworld and Sky Travel.
"It is a call to action on behalf of Virgin Media customers," the spokesman said. "We need to build up some support. We feel these channels are valuable to Virgin Media customers and we have invested a lot of money in them. We need to instal in viewers the danger of them potentially being pulled.
"We feel an obligation to let cable customers know there is a very real danger these channels could be pulled."
The spokesman added there was no fixed timescale for how long the adverts would run.
Negotiations on the new carriage deal are expected to be completed within the new few weeks.
Sky said it was requesting a "fair price" from Virgin Media which "reflects the proposed new terms and considerable value of its basic channels". A Virgin Media spokeswoman said the company did not comment on negotiations as they were confidential. But she added: "We are negotiating in good faith to ensure these channels are available to Virgin Media customers. We have no idea why Sky are saying we are doubting the value of these channels."
|
---------- Post added at 15:06 ---------- Previous post was at 14:12 ----------
There's now a pre-recorded message on the customer services number, saying along the lines of:
"If you're calling regarding the Sky advert about the potential loss of certain Sky channels, please be advised that negotiations with Sky to retain these channels are continuing. We have made no threat to drop these channels. A brand new channel, Virgin Central, featuring top drama from Britain and the US, launches next week on channel 119."