General : Virgin Media & UKTV+ITV Channels

[Unknownguy]

Originally Posted by johnasimmons

as John Malone owns Discovery (hence half of UKTV) and VM then he should get someone to sort this out; its starting to be silly!

Surely this would have made a deal easier! It's absolute madness and a shambles.

[Bananaman_007]

My parents are 9 months into a 12month contract, they have asked me to talk to VM about this issue with the view of canceling the contract so they can move back to Sky. They have been with VM for 4years in total and were happy before this. Has anybody tried to talk to VM about this issue with a view to canceling? If so how did you get on?

Did they offer you any compensation? A 2 month free premier sports pass is no use to my parents who have no interest in sport. Looking at the replacements, Premier Sports is hardly a suitable replacement for W or Your TV for Alibi for example

[Chad]

Sky's carriage deal with Virgin Media expires in 10 months time. Fully expect initial negotiations to kick off before this year is out. Imagine if the dispute with UKTV is not resolved and a deal with Sky can't be agreed either. Would leave Virgin fairly exposed. I kind of think Sky will look to make things as difficult as possible pushing for a deal similar to the one they struck with BT. The SKY channels available via the Now TV app rather than on the EPG. That way Sky will get all the subscription money from the customer directly.

Very interesting 10 months ahead.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Chad

Sky's carriage deal with Virgin Media expires in 10 months time. Fully expect initial negotiations to kick off before this year is out. Imagine if the dispute with UKTV is not resolved and a deal with Sky can't be agreed either. Would leave Virgin fairly exposed. I kind of think Sky will look to make things as difficult as possible pushing for a deal similar to the one they struck with BT. The SKY channels available via the Now TV app rather than on the EPG. That way Sky will get all the subscription money from the customer directly.

Very interesting 10 months ahead.

As Arnie says Judgement day is coming...

[Henkesghost]

Originally Posted by denphone

Indeed when they , the BBC , the Guardian and others big media sites plus social media have it on the front online pages that's extremely bad press headlines for Virgin Media in anybody's book.

Which will no doubt result in attractive discounted offers to new customers and diddlysquat for existing customers

[cheekyangus]

Originally Posted by Media Boy

What do Discovery think about it being axe from Virgin Media?

My own view this we can see Liberty Global making an bid to buy BBC 50% stake in UKTV then drop all BBC Shows and use All3Media more.

Discovery buying Scripps triggered a clause the BBC has in place that allows the BBC to buy the 50% they don't own. Discovery would be forced out.

See this article about it from beginning of this month. https://www.theguardian.com/media/20...m-bid-for-uktv

[Stephen]

All this just because VM could get all their On Demand content?

As they'd rather off load it to the likes of Netflix.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Sadly, this is VM all over. They want to cut fees to broadcasters. But fully prepared to put up prices to us.

The same thing happened with the Sky Basics. And that went on for months.

Basically, VM want channels on the cheap. BUT still increase prices.

Someone in the boardroom should be thinking. ' You cannot get blood out of a stone'

VM always send us out leaflets stating that they will 'give us the best entertainment possible. It appears not in this matter. Especially, with all the comments on here

[Gavin-D]

Originally Posted by Bananaman_007

My parents are 9 months into a 12month contract, they have asked me to talk to VM about this issue with the view of canceling the contract so they can move back to Sky. They have been with VM for 4years in total and were happy before this. Has anybody tried to talk to VM about this issue with a view to cancelling? If so how did you get on?

Did they offer you any compensation? A 2 month free premier sports pass is no use to my parents who have no interest in sport. Looking at the replacements, Premier Sports is hardly a suitable replacement for W or Your TV for Alibi for example

The only hope I can see is a price rise announcement is made in August that way they'd be able to leave penalty free.

I've seen some people getting a max discount of £10 per month but seeing as they are in contract and Virgin's t's and c's allow them to change the channels the chances of a discount look low

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Stephen

All this just because VM could get all their On Demand content?

As they'd rather off load it to the likes of Netflix.

So much for the BBC proclaiming that they are a full on public service broadcaster..

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Sadly, this is VM all over. They want to cut fees to broadcasters. But fully prepared to put up prices to us.

The same thing happened with the Sky Basics. And that went on for months.

Basically, VM want channels on the cheap. BUT still increase prices.

Someone in the boardroom should be thinking. ' You cannot get blood out of a stone'

VM always send us out leaflets stating that they will 'give us the best entertainment possible. It appears not in this matter. Especially, with all the comments on here

Sorry, Arthur, but isn't it you that keeps complaining about price increases? And yet when they try to keep prices down, you complain about that as well?

Back to the cake and eat it scenario!

[Chad]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

The same thing happened with the Sky Basics. And that went on for months.

20 months that dispute lasted. Surely this one won't last as long?

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Stephen

It happened with Discovery not so long ago and Sky One before that.

Yes I know it's happened before but there has never been the reaction this has caused. It's headline news. Sky was one channel (personally didn't don't bother me), and Discovery isn't exactly mainstream. UKTV does have a lot of repeats, but they are often quality BBC/ITV programmes, not the cheap US dross VM have replaced them with. As we've seen a lot of people value and watch them.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

Discovery buying Scripps triggered a clause the BBC has in place that allows the BBC to buy the 50% they don't own. Discovery would be forced out.

See this article about it from beginning of this month. https://www.theguardian.com/media/20...m-bid-for-uktv

I actually think that this is the real reason behind all this. VM know that UKTV cannot give them the on demand content that they want, this is down to the BBC. The BBC have now said that they fully support the stance of UKTV management.

---------- Post added at 20:12 ---------- Previous post was at 20:08 ----------

Originally Posted by Bananaman_007

My parents are 9 months into a 12month contract, they have asked me to talk to VM about this issue with the view of canceling the contract so they can move back to Sky. They have been with VM for 4years in total and were happy before this. Has anybody tried to talk to VM about this issue with a view to canceling? If so how did you get on?

Did they offer you any compensation? A 2 month free premier sports pass is no use to my parents who have no interest in sport. Looking at the replacements, Premier Sports is hardly a suitable replacement for W or Your TV for Alibi for example

I am 4 months into a 12 month contract. To give you an idea of what to expect, this is my experience:

I began by explaining that I would have to pay £7.99 a month to regain these channels and ask that this be reimbursed. The rubbish that I was initially told is followed by my answer:

"But you don't watch the UKTV channels sir". Yes I do, I record everything if that makes a difference to your records.

"But it's not in your top five channels". So what, most people, myself included, mostly watch the PSB channels".

"We have listened to customer feedback and replaced these channels". Nonsense, it's all about a carriage fee dispute.

"You can regain the UKTV channels for free by downloading their app". Yes, but this does not cover the pay channels that I watch such as GOLD and Watch.

Repeated four times until it sank in with him.

"We have replaced these channels, including Premier Sports which is normally £21 a month". I don't like sport and, in any case, Premier Sports was off air for most of this afternoon and this is only for 8 weeks. The other channels are either available FTA or I have no interest in them (I also don't think that Premier Sports costs that much either).

"You are already receiving a substantial discount". So what, what has been negotiated in the past isn't relevant to this change of service.

"There is nothing we can do". Ok, I'd like to cancel all services on the basis that you are in breach of contract.

"We have not broken our contract as we have replaced the channels". I disagree, I regard this as a material and significant change in the service agreed upon under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

"So, if we add an extra channel are we in breach of contract if we add an extra channel?". No, but removing and/or replacing channels is another matter entirely. Please cancel all services.

" You need to give 30 days notice by calling cancellations tomorrow. There will be an early disconnection fee of £240". No there won't, If you try to impose this I will challenge it in court, particularly as there have been claims that other customers have been allowed to leave penalty free.

"I can give you £3 a month off". That still leaves me £4.99 worse off a month, as well as the added inconvenience.

"That is the best I can do for you. I can apply the credit and you will still be able to cancel tomorrow when they are open if you wish". So you're happy to let a domestic and commercial customer of 18 years leave over this?

We're not happy no, but there is nothing further that we can do.

So, i've got a partial refund and will now have to consider my options.

[OLD BOY]

Originally Posted by Mr K

Yes I know it's happened before but there has never been the reaction this has caused. It's headline news. Sky was one channel (personally didn't don't bother me), and Discovery isn't exactly mainstream. UKTV does have a lot of repeats, but they are often quality BBC/ITV programmes, not the cheap US dross VM have replaced them with. As we've seen a lot of people value and watch them.

Cheap dross? Is that what you call CSI Miami, Suits, Gilmore Girls, Sleepy Hollow, Wyonna Earp, Six, Aftermath? Just some of the programmes on Paramount Network next week.

Compare that with Death in Paradise, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Murdoch Mysteries, The Coroner, New Tricks, Taggart, Judge John Deed, Dalziel & Pascoe, Doctor Blake Mysteries, Rebus and Father Brown, which are examples of UKTV programming over the whole week from Alibi, W and Drama. Harrow is new, so I won't pass judgement on that, but I reckon just the Paramount Network on its own, with its additional films on screen this coming week, does rather better than those three UKTV channels combined.

I agree that the UKTV shows were not bad when they were first shown, but they have been done to death now. They should all be on Freeview, in my humble opinion.