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UKTV channels set to leave Virgin Media on Sunday

11th August - they’re back (July 2018)

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BR
Brekkie
BM11 posted:
London Lite posted:
BM11 posted:
Ofcom or another body should take over negotiations as neither side seems able to not descend into bitter spin.


It has nothing to do with Ofcom. It's a commercial dispute between two parties.

Unfortunately, this does mean VM customers are in the crossfire for now. Sky's entertainment channels came off and they did return eventually. The same is likely to happen with UKTV's channels, but not this weekend.

And who licenses the Channels? Ofcom need those powers - they would probably help prevent these issues and even if they cant we would have all the facts and not just spin from the two parties.

OFCOM has licenced multiple UKTV channels to be available free across the nation. If you haven't the equipment to receive them that is your problem, not theirs.
KE
kernow
JKDerry posted:
Will there ever be a day when all of UKTV will be on Freesat? They have many of their channels already on there, which is what is causing this argument with Virgin in the first place.


I think it's unlikely that UKTV's channels will ever all be made subscription-free. The issue is not with the availability of some channels on Freesat and Freeview, it is the fact that UKTV are showing programmes from their subscription channels on their free channels, which Virgin are claiming is devaluing UKTV's subscription channels, hence the lower fee they are offering.
LL
London Lite Founding member
UKnews posted:
JKDerry posted:
Well for broadband I get 100MB from Virgin, compared to Sky/BT/TalkTalk which all can only offer 50MB in my area. So at least with that, Virgin are a bit better for some.

A good ISP is not all about headline speeds, it’s about how a network is setup and run. I have a much lower connection speed than I could get with Virgin, yet I get that just about all the time and have virtually no problems. The ISP supplied router I have is actually fairly good as well.


Indeed, I'm with the much maligned TalkTalk on the 76/20 VDSL package. Unlike Virgin with it's traffic shaping and over subscriptions, particularly in London, I've never had a cut in speed and cut offs are at a minimum, largely overnight.

Reliability over speed is what keeps me renewing my contract.

Back to the topic in hand. What I'd like to see UKTV learn from this mess is that their policy of putting pay tv content on Freeview channels is devaluing their remaining pay channels.

I've never been a fan of off-target premium content ending up on Yesterday for example. It'll raise the audience due to Freeview's majority coverage, but then devalues the content, enough for Virgin to say "that's enough, we're paying less for the channels"
BM
BM11
Brekkie posted:
BM11 posted:
London Lite posted:

It has nothing to do with Ofcom. It's a commercial dispute between two parties.

Unfortunately, this does mean VM customers are in the crossfire for now. Sky's entertainment channels came off and they did return eventually. The same is likely to happen with UKTV's channels, but not this weekend.

And who licenses the Channels? Ofcom need those powers - they would probably help prevent these issues and even if they cant we would have all the facts and not just spin from the two parties.

OFCOM has licenced multiple UKTV channels to be available free across the nation. If you haven't the equipment to receive them that is your problem, not theirs.

And What about those that cant have Sky due to restrictions. Sorry but that answer is fundamentally wrong. We need an complete overhaul of the pay tv market and much stronger controls.
TT
TellyTime
All of the UKTV channels have already been removed from Box Sets and Catch Up on my Virgin TV V6 box, and the red button UKTV Play app has been disabled too... it's started!
BM
BM11
TellyTime posted:
All of the UKTV channels have already been removed from Box Sets and Catch Up on my Virgin TV V6 box, and the red button UKTV Play app has been disabled too... it's started!

Virgin breaking the contract early or as final negotiating tatic?
LL
London Lite Founding member
BM11 posted:
Brekkie posted:
BM11 posted:
And who licenses the Channels? Ofcom need those powers - they would probably help prevent these issues and even if they cant we would have all the facts and not just spin from the two parties.

OFCOM has licenced multiple UKTV channels to be available free across the nation. If you haven't the equipment to receive them that is your problem, not theirs.

And What about those that cant have Sky due to restrictions. Sorry but that answer is fundamentally wrong.


Fundamentally factual though. Stop basing your analysis on your personal feelings and more on the facts at hand.
RO
robertclark125
Brekkie posted:
BM11 posted:
London Lite posted:

It has nothing to do with Ofcom. It's a commercial dispute between two parties.

Unfortunately, this does mean VM customers are in the crossfire for now. Sky's entertainment channels came off and they did return eventually. The same is likely to happen with UKTV's channels, but not this weekend.

And who licenses the Channels? Ofcom need those powers - they would probably help prevent these issues and even if they cant we would have all the facts and not just spin from the two parties.

OFCOM has licenced multiple UKTV channels to be available free across the nation. If you haven't the equipment to receive them that is your problem, not theirs.


In other words, OFCOM or before that the ITC has granted these channels licences to broadcast in the UK. It's up to the channels to decide what platforms they wish to be on, not Ofcom. It's up to the platforms to decide if they want those channels, not OFCOM?
Stuart, Brekkie and London Lite gave kudos
BM
BM11
London Lite posted:
BM11 posted:
Brekkie posted:
OFCOM has licenced multiple UKTV channels to be available free across the nation. If you haven't the equipment to receive them that is your problem, not theirs.

And What about those that cant have Sky due to restrictions. Sorry but that answer is fundamentally wrong.


Fundamentally factual though. Stop basing your analysis on your personal feelings and more on the facts at hand.

Why is factual. Why should such protections not be bought in.
BM
BM11
robertclark125 posted:
Brekkie posted:
BM11 posted:
And who licenses the Channels? Ofcom need those powers - they would probably help prevent these issues and even if they cant we would have all the facts and not just spin from the two parties.

OFCOM has licenced multiple UKTV channels to be available free across the nation. If you haven't the equipment to receive them that is your problem, not theirs.


In other words, OFCOM or before that the ITC has granted these channels licences to broadcast in the UK. It's up to the channels to decide what platforms they wish to be on, not Ofcom. It's up to the platforms to decide if they want those channels, not OFCOM?

Well then OFCOM should say don't want to be on that platform - then no license and bye bye.
LL
London Lite Founding member
There's only so much Ofcom can do. They can regulate EPG slots for PSB channels for example, but they can't force a provider to be on their service. ITV wasn't on Sky initially, but they were allocated LCN 103 for example.
BM
BM11
London Lite posted:
There's only so much Ofcom can do. They can regulate EPG slots for PSB channels for example, but they can't force a provider to be on their service. ITV wasn't on Sky initially, but they were allocated LCN 103 for example.

Well them Ofcom should be given such power by statute.

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