General : Virgin Media & UKTV+ITV Channels

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I know, Richard, but as we keep trying to tell you, these customers are only a small fraction of the VM customer base.

So why are there still excessive waiting times to cancel and why are some customers being hung up on immediately they do actually get through? It's suspected that this is to get the average number of calls waiting down and/of to put people off from cancelling.

This is normally a disciplinary offence and calls ending so quickly would show up to management, so it's entirely possible that they have instigated this.

This report contains information that the fallout over the way the whole thing was handled is not over yet as far as some customers are concerned:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.ph...-for-2018.html

Do you really think that the carriage costs which work out at pennies per week per subscriber per channel for three weeks will cover the extra discounts given out (for a decent amount and indefinitely in some cases)? Come on now.

The actual affect of the dispute won't be known until the figures are released, so don't try and pretend otherwise.

---------- Post added at 15:18 ---------- Previous post was at 15:11 ----------

Originally Posted by alwaysabear

Yes please lets put this one to bed!

You keep saying this, but you aren't obliged to read or contribute to any thread you don't want to you know!

I think that it's interesting to analysis the continuing affects of the situation, hopefully VM will be doing the same thing and might learn something about customer care and retention.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

So why are there still excessive waiting times to cancel and why are some customers being hung up on immediately they do actually get through? It's suspected that this is to get the average number of calls waiting down and/of to put people off from cancelling.

This is normally a disciplinary offence and calls ending so quickly would show up to management, so it's entirely possible that they have instigated this.

This report contains information that the fallout over the way the whole thing was handled is not over yet as far as some customers are concerned:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.ph...-for-2018.html

Do you really think that the carriage costs which work out at pennies per week per subscriber per channel for three weeks will cover the extra discounts given out (for a decent amount and indefinitely in some cases)? Come on now.

The actual affect of the dispute won't be known until the figures are released, so don't try and pretend otherwise.

Yes, I do! The carriage costs are certainly significant - if they were not, why would VM be making such a fuss about their high charges for low value content and free channels?

I don't know how much Virgin were paying UKTV for their channels, but if it only amounted to 5p per customer per week, that would amount to £60,000.

I am not sure what your motivation is for making such a big deal about this. The channels are back. We have some HD channels that UKTV kept from us before, more on demand, and - oh - those 'replacement' channels to boot. I really can't see the point in continuing to debate an issue which is now resolved.

[RichardCoulter]

I don't think that there is a cat in helps chance that three weeks of nil carriage costs will cover the amount of discounts awarded.

I made it clear why I think that it's useful to debate the continuing effects of the situation in my last post and my comment to alwaysabear also applies to you too.

Which HD channels are you referring to that UKTV withheld? We had them all, apart from GOLD HD* which was actually offered to VM.

* GOLD HD is said to be working on a Wednesday launch date. I'm assuming that as this is the last HD slot available on the system with the current configuration, that VM will want to carry out work of some kind beforehand to free up more capacity, so hence the delay.

[tvtimes]

So, Virgin Media within the last couple of weeks have stuck their heels in and refused ro allow people out of their contracts who weren't happy about the UKTV dispute and angered them even further, to now putting prices up just weeks after and now those customers can leave penalty free anyway? What was the point? Now those same people will probably just leave out of principle because the way they have been treated and with a bitter taste in their mouth.

[Media Boy UK]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

GOLD HD is said to be working on a Wednesday launch date. I'm assuming that as this is the last HD slot available on the system with the current configuration, that VM will want to carry out work of some kind beforehand to free up more capacity, so hence the delay.

UKTV has told an Virgin Media Viewer that GOLD HD should launch sometime this month.

https://community.virginmedia.com/t5...t/true#M169241

[Chloé Palmas]

Originally Posted by spiderplant

From http://www.virginmedia.com/shop/tv/tvupdate.html

Do you know, is this a distribution agreement? I.e if the program has already been aired / recorded the viewer may keep it until he or she is ready to delete it?

Only Fox News went off the air maybe a year and change ago or so...and I still have hundreds of hours of their programming left which I am still going through, bit by bit which I recorded before they went.

The network (509) no longer even exists on Sky yet I can still watch recordings. In fact they even replaced the networks number with a different network - 509 is now CCTV.

Still can watch out an delete old FNC stuff though (manually).

[tvtimes]

Originally Posted by Chloé Palmas

Do you know, is this a distribution agreement? I.e if the program has already been aired / recorded the viewer may keep it until he or she is ready to delete it?

Only Fox News went off the air maybe a year and change ago or so...and I still have hundreds of hours of their programming left which I am still going through, bit by bit which I recorded before they went.

The network (509) no longer even exists on Sky yet I can still watch recordings. In fact they even replaced the networks number with a different network - 509 is now CCTV.

Still can watch out an delete old FNC stuff though (manually).

In most circumstances you can continue to watch for up to 3 months, I believe.

Originally Posted by Chloé Palmas

Do you know, is this a distribution agreement? I.e if the program has already been aired / recorded the viewer may keep it until he or she is ready to delete it?

Only Fox News went off the air maybe a year and change ago or so...and I still have hundreds of hours of their programming left which I am still going through, bit by bit which I recorded before they went.

The network (509) no longer even exists on Sky yet I can still watch recordings. In fact they even replaced the networks number with a different network - 509 is now CCTV.

Still can watch out an delete old FNC stuff though (manually).

You didn’t strike me as a Fox News viewer - I thought you more of a middle of the road liberal (with a small ‘l’)...

[Chloé Palmas]

Back then Fox was outstanding (Bush years) and then it turned into a more "anti government" media outlet during the Obama years.

Under Trump though, it is out and out propaganda / the nationalist news network.

I used to love the leg shots too....their anchors were / are hot and all but the make up and hair was great. Though truthfully, I was most interested in the dresses / skirts and tops. These days the anchors are shorter and all uniformly wear skin tight dresses which I don't like so much. (Also the odd jumpsuit here and there).

I was actually fairly liberal - then Luther shook me by the ankles a bit and now I am much more of a traditionalist. The abortion issue drove me away from the left like VM viewers after the UKTV....ahh! I see what you did there!!!

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I don't think that there is a cat in helps chance that three weeks of nil carriage costs will cover the amount of discounts awarded.

I made it clear why I think that it's useful to debate the continuing effects of the situation in my last post and my comment to alwaysabear also applies to you too.

Which HD channels are you referring to that UKTV withheld? We had them all, apart from GOLD HD* which was actually offered to VM.

* GOLD HD is said to be working on a Wednesday launch date. I'm assuming that as this is the last HD slot available on the system with the current configuration, that VM will want to carry out work of some kind beforehand to free up more capacity, so hence the delay.

What were the old and new carriage costs, then, Richard? They haven't made that public as far as I am aware, so you cannot say the nil carriage costs for three weeks or so will not cover the discounts and compensation payments. It's just a finger in the air argument.

As far as your second paragraph is concerned, when did you start setting the rules? You are plugging this tired old argument to death, and yet we will all see that this will be a distant memory for most of us before too long. Surely there is a limit, even for you, on the number of different ways you can make this point.

With regard to the UKTV HD situation, yes, I stand corrected in that Gold HD was the only one withheld previously. I was mistakenly counting Drama, which unfortunately is not available in HD, although I can't think why. It would make more sense if it was Drama rather than Gold, but there you go.

---------- Post added at 17:10 ---------- Previous post was at 17:06 ----------

Originally Posted by tvtimes

So, Virgin Media within the last couple of weeks have stuck their heels in and refused ro allow people out of their contracts who weren't happy about the UKTV dispute and angered them even further, to now putting prices up just weeks after and now those customers can leave penalty free anyway? What was the point? Now those same people will probably just leave out of principle because the way they have been treated and with a bitter taste in their mouth.

1. Gold HD
2. More 'On demand'.
3. A commitment from the BBC to commence negotiations on the BBC archives which they previously refused.
Possibly, 4. A reduction in cost, which would have reduced the size of the price hike.

I think all this, together with the discounts and compensation payments (and of course the return of the UKTV channels) as well as those 'replacement channels', have satisfied most.

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

1. Gold HD
2. More 'On demand'.
3. A commitment from the BBC to commence negotiations on the BBC archives which they previously refused.
Possibly, 4. A reduction in cost, which would have reduced the size of the price hike.

I think all this, together with the discounts and compensation payments (and of course the return of the UKTV channels) as well as those 'replacement channels', have satisfied most.

Spot on, OB......

[tvtimes]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

What were the old and new carriage costs, then, Richard? They haven't made that public as far as I am aware, so you cannot say the nil carriage costs for three weeks or so will not cover the discounts and compensation payments. It's just a finger in the air argument.

As far as your second paragraph is concerned, when did you start setting the rules? You are plugging this tired old argument to death, and yet we will all see that this will be a distant memory for most of us before too long. Surely there is a limit, even for you, on the number of different ways you can make this point.

With regard to the UKTV HD situation, yes, I stand corrected in that Gold HD was the only one withheld previously. I was mistakenly counting Drama, which unfortunately is not available in HD, although I can't think why. It would make more sense if it was Drama rather than Gold, but there you go.

---------- Post added at 17:10 ---------- Previous post was at 17:06 ----------



1. Gold HD
2. More 'On demand'.
3. A commitment from the BBC to commence negotiations on the BBC archives which they previously refused.
Possibly, 4. A reduction in cost, which would have reduced the size of the price hike.

I think all this, together with the discounts and compensation payments (and of course the return of the UKTV channels) as well as those 'replacement channels', have satisfied most.

You missed my point, OB . I meant what was the point in not allowing customers out of contract, aggravating them even further, when VM as a company would have been aware a price rise was coming soon and those upset customers could leave anyway. It just made the situation worse and Virgin Media wouldn't have known at that immediate time the channels would definitely come back and they would eventually get a better deal.

[Mythica]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

So why are there still excessive waiting times to cancel and why are some customers being hung up on immediately they do actually get through? It's suspected that this is to get the average number of calls waiting down and/of to put people off from cancelling.

This is normally a disciplinary offence and calls ending so quickly would show up to management, so it's entirely possible that they have instigated this.

This report contains information that the fallout over the way the whole thing was handled is not over yet as far as some customers are concerned:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.ph...-for-2018.html

Do you really think that the carriage costs which work out at pennies per week per subscriber per channel for three weeks will cover the extra discounts given out (for a decent amount and indefinitely in some cases)? Come on now.

The actual affect of the dispute won't be known until the figures are released, so don't try and pretend otherwise.

---------- Post added at 15:18 ---------- Previous post was at 15:11 ----------



You keep saying this, but you aren't obliged to read or contribute to any thread you don't want to you know!

I think that it's interesting to analysis the continuing affects of the situation, hopefully VM will be doing the same thing and might learn something about customer care and retention.

Not worth the hassle I'd get.

[Chloé Palmas]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

3. A commitment from the BBC to commence negotiations on the BBC archives which they previously refused.
Possibly,

The commitment is to negotiate but directly with the VM teams or with the networks (like Gold) that air the content?

VM customers could be directly reliant on Gold renegotiating the materiel from Beeb archives.

[tvtimes]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't the BBC been selling off their archive content to the likes of Netflix? How can the BBC give commitments to VM when they have sold off a lot of on-demand rights? Haven't the BBC made such promises before when they negotiated previously and they never came to fruition?