UTV and ITV-1 Regions BLOCKED!!!!!!

PacMan

At 7.10am this morning, i switched on UTV, to find the horrible "This programme is not available" banner.
Checking the other ITV-1 regions, the same message appeared.
This is again another reason to telephone Sky about the lack of channels available to Sky ireland viewers. YES we pay the same subs as the UK viewers BUT get less channels.

However, FOX News has been added to 531, and interestingly CBBC is on 621, and C-Beebies on 622. But both CBBC and C-Beebies have both, you guessed it "Programme not available" icon. (At least two new BBC Channels on the EPG, unlike News 24 etc. Wonder about the new BBC 3 and BBC 4????)

Telephone Sky at 1800 535 767, about UTV/ITV-1.

dmeehan

damn
has anyone else seen this since?

Element 4

I have the same this morning!!!!!!!!!

I rang those arseholes at sky and got a recorded anouncement telling me that they were busy and to call back later!!!!!!!

****ing ****!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry about the language , ubt this is the last straw !!!!!!! It is now about this that sky DIGITAL was cracked and we all stick up 2 fingers at Murdock

once again Sorry about the foul mouth
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

spanner_head

I'm gonna miss my Sunday afternoon Division One Football and my Scotish CIS Cup footy too Plus widescreen champs league football

Are we a 100% defo that they are gone for good?

Element 4

I just rang UTV reception and they were aeare that we could get UTV in the south , but the guy on reception sounded SURPRISED and he said that he would get some one from their technical department to call me back.

I will not hold my breath.

the number for UTV from the south is 048 9032 8122

Lets put more pressure on !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

dmeehan

does anyone have the utv/itv/sky email addresses handy?

theres fire in my belly now

Element 4

get on the phone and give them hell

PacMan

Just an update on this.
I phoned Sky and was told that " If Sky were to broadcast the ITV-1 regions in The Republic that would be "ILLEGAL". I let him go on and on.... he told me that UTV was not available in the ROI.
I asked him as to why the channels were indeed available from November 2001..... and did that mean that Sky were performing illegally!!!!!! I informed him that NTL,Chorus had UTV on their cable/mmds systems and of course he had no answer for that.

So telephone Sky NOW 1800 535 767
Lets get these stations back on !!!!!!

Charles Slane

This is bad news indeed. What a very strange day it is. With Fox News starting (normal enough) but it's weird that CBeebies and CBBC are on the Irish EPG (with the "This programme is not available") and then the worst thing - ITV encrypted !!

I'll try to find an e-mail address for UTV and ITV (I think they may be somewhere in the "Campaign" thread)

In the meantime, e-mail for Sky -

ViewerR@bskyb.com

Element 4

try this contact in UTV

Orla McKibbin, UTV Press Office on 028 90 262188

she gave me the standard "we are working on it but I cannot tell you any more" answer

STILL VERY :mad: :mad: :mad: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PacMan

Update again.....
This is P***ing me off big time. I dont normally use bad language but please excuse me..........

I telephoned UTV, and they said they were aware of the fact that they were now "Blocked" on Sky in the ROI.
They had a press release ready stating that it was because of programme rights on satellite, that needed to be addressed. However they would not comment any further on if or when the issue would be resolved.
Well it looks like Sky is not giving us the run around this time. It appears that it has been UTV's decision.


lets get the phones buzzing up there in Northern Ireland. UTV said they had received "Several" calls this morning alone about this issue.

UTV 048 9032 8122
Sky 1800 535 767

yop

sent an email to gerry ryan show to see if we can get a bit of publicity about this!

Well don't you think that UTV being a fairly independent ITV company would see the sense in sorting out any rights issues there are,considering most if not all Sky digital customers had them tuned in up to now???
mm

Incidently,
UTV and all the other ITV regions are still available on my English BBC Card.
Technically speaking these signals are all broadcast outside the State so I do not see the legal argument for blocking them on Irish cards .
Digiboxes can only be legally supplied in the UK and ROI(and illegally elsewhere) so the decision to Block in my view is mainly a mean Sky decision again.
Of Course UTV would have been informed-especially when Sky might want money off them for an ROI EPG placement.

The old addage reversed as usuall skystyle The customer is never right so don't listen to him/her,especially if you are a monopoly-and for those of you who miss UTV in the mean time,we here at Sky will be shoing extra episodes of Kirsty's home video's-enjoy your meal :mad: :mad: :mad:
The only answer is competion folks.
mm

smoke.me.a.kipper

ill give sky and utv a buzz. them saying they have had 'several' calls means that they are indeed aware of the massive demand for utv/itv here in the republic.

Cloud

info@utvplc.com

ShaneOC

UTV are definately aware of the demand for their channel here.

- We have all seen the posters around the place telling us to "Watch Coronation Street on UTV."

- A sizable chunk of their advertising is aimed at the republic.

- All reports I have read say that UTV is the second most watched channel in the republic.

I really think that we should push UTV strongly. We have become a bit complacent with them as we could all access the channel through the other channels feature so we did not mind too much about the EPG placement.

The satellite rights are not an issue as we have seen from BBC 1 and 2 being available. The programme rights cannot be an issue either as UTV are quite happy to be available on NTL and Chorus.

It has been suggested for a very long time that EPG channel 105 would be an ideal position for UTV. However I am sure that with a bit of Jiggery pokery (Copyright Bill Mclaren) we could live with UTV on 226 and ITV2 on 227. So when we are all talking to UTV about getting back on Sky forget about the other channels option and get an EPG number. It has to be in their own interests.

Cloud

A bit vague isn't it?

Thank you for your e-mail.

The ITV network agreement with Sky makes UTV available on Channel 103 in Northern Ireland only. We are looking into the possibility of providing our service throughout Ireland on satellite, but there are a number of issues involved so we cannot elaborate any further at this stage.

---

Original Message

---

From: John Breslin
Sent: 11 February 2002 11:35
To: info@utvplc.com
Subject: UTV on Sky Digital for ROI

Why have you taken off UTV from our Other Channels?

Please return it - we will die without our Coronation
Street fixes.

John.
--

Genghis

This is really very bad stuff. There is a long and growing list of quality channels which we are now missing, and this is beginning to annoy me.

I have contacted the PA to Sky's MD to see if there is anything she can do.

However, a few points that might shed light?

1. I noticed on MTV2 over the weekend an ad for Golden Discs - has Sky extended it's advertising service to other channels besides Sky One and News?, I wonder?

2. Are sky therefore restricing advertising rivals by removing any other credible sources of advertising? Especially from ones who pay no fees to Sky for carriage?

3. As RTE faces into what might be a prolonged delay in getting on Sky, are they now insisting that the other channels route be blocked, and thereby hoping to stall any further slippage to UTV of revenues?

I think there is probably a good deal more to the decision to remove ITV's from ROI viewers, not least greed on the part of many monopolies. The whole thing reeks.

Element 4

sent this to UTV by e-mail this afternoon


I write to you this afternoon regarding the abrupt manner in which the UTV service was pulled from our “Other Channels” menu on the Sky Digital platform.

By letting this happen you clearly condone the action taken at a higher level within the ITV hierarchy.

Yes I accept that UTV is part of the ITV network and therefore intended for northern viewers only and that you are available on 103 to northern subscribers and as you are a northern carrier you have no obligation to provide your service to the South.

So why are you as a company actively promoting your service through the cable companies here?

Why are you so anxious to maintain the level of revenue derived form the commercial sector down here (close to 1 third of your advertising income last year)?

Why do you actively promote your internet service down here?

When you are quite happy to let this abhorrent disregard for the viewers in the south go on without the decency of an official response.

From this it seems that you are quite happy to take our money in the form of advertising dollars, but when it comes to making the funds available to make your service viewable in the south we are given the 2 fingers !!!!!

Before you come back to me with the rights argument, this will not wash with me as most of your flagship programmes that you pay top dollar for are already available here on our terrestrial TV and the other , more smaller programmes would only be to delighted to get some additional viewers.

So come on !!!! spend a little more money on getting this service to us, after all I am very sure that you have a lot of change in our bank account after what you paid for the renewal of your franchise a few years ago, £1.00 if my memory serves me correctly

Yours truly,

Rory O'Brien



I wonder what response if any I will get back !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still very f***ing angry :mad: :mad: :mad:

Leesider

This whole sorry mess makes my blood boil.

I rang UTV this morning, and was told to contact Sky directly.
The fact that all 16 ITV regions are still available on the UK card is adding insult to injury.

I can't believe we cannot get a direct answer from these people. It's always someone else's responsibility.

Can't they just put UTV and Ch4 on for now and make us feel like we're getting some value for money?
Whoever pulled this plug this time needs to be named and shamed, and their ass kicked good and hard.

Dirty B*****d.

PacMan

I telephoned UTV four times today. (on E-SAT the 32 counties are the same price!!!!). I spoke with several C/S people who all eventually told me the same story. It WAS UTV's decision and not sky to block the signal.
I wonder do they not realise that the customers of Sky Digital all migrated from NTL/Chorus etc.
I sent several e-mails (using different names with different providers) to increase the amount of viewer dissatisfaction e-mails that they get. The more they hear that they are losing viewers, then commercials, then they might listen.
Money Talks. Who knows what companies advertise on UTV, and then we should e-mail them and tell them they are missing almost 200,000 viewers. After all one third of the ads shown on UTV are for viewers in the Republic.

dmeehan

Pacman, whats the email address for utv?

ShaneOC

They are missing alot more than 200,000 viewers. Sky have about 200,000 Sky digital households in the Republic. How many in an average household? Three or four maybe. You are talking about UTV missing at least 20% of their potential audience here.

I have sent UTV an email, will let you know how I get on.

This is also going to hurt Sky as one of the main channels that people watch over here will no longer be available.

Speaking of UTV.
They showed Fair City this lunchtime all over the UK not just in Norn Iron.
Did RTE sell them the rights for that?
The letter of the law should be applied in full if it's to be applied at all.
mm

I got only two remotes
And I know why...
Cause I got rid of Sky
Cause i got rid of Sky
Cause I got rid of Sky..

mm

PacMan

Contact Numbers and E-Mails:

Sky: 1800 535 767

UTV: 048 9032 8122
Orla McKibbin
press office
(Thanks to Element4 for this info)

UTV e-mail is : info@utvplc.com


Telephone them, e-mail them. They cant get away with this.

Ludo

Maybe this is something similar to the FOx News situation. It was available on the "Other Channels" menu for a while..then got removed. A while after that it comes fully onto the service on the EPG.
Maybe all this means UTV etc etc will be fully available here shortly.

hmmm..I even find that hard to believe myself!

Just been talking to a very nice person at Sky who was aware that UTV and ITV 1 regions are now blocked.
I was given the following number to ring to find out more regarding when/if ITV would be available in ROI:
0044 845 0704466
mm

dmeehan

madman, unfortuneatley, i still have a few months to run on my contract.... but then

ShaneOC

Just been talking to a very nice person at Sky who was aware that UTV and ITV 1 regions are now blocked.
I was given the following number to ring to find out more regarding when/if ITV would be available in ROI:
0044 845 0704466
mm

Who does this put you through to?

PacMan

Posted by MadMan:
"Just been talking to a very nice person at Sky..."
Well this "Nice person" really did not know what he/she was talking about. The number given, was a recorded message telling you that the "UK's favourite channel is now on digital satellite"
It went on saying the epg for your local region was 103 etc etc,
but NO use to ROI viewers.
It was nice to see a contact number, but sadly not much use.
Keep telephoning UTV and SKY.

dmeehan

typical cary-on from sky
passing the buck to a useless answering machine

DMC

Ahhh, as I only came onto this forum late today, I have missed the bad news, and no doubt its bad news.....

The current level of encryption, in my view could never work. Those with a FTA box (not a BBC-carded box) could watch these channels PLUS ITV2 free gratis, whilst with us, we could only see ITV 1 through add channels.... I would expect that FTA boxes would be hit next. (any reports on this?)

Why have they done this now?

I'd say ITV Sports Channel will be launching soon.

The current level of encryption would've made an ass of ITV and the launch of the sport channel on Sky. Uptake of FTA boxes would've skyrocketed, as it became more widely known that ITV SC was available for free. Would anyone pay ITV if they knew a way of viewing the ITV SC for free? So they have done this.

This is not UTV's fault, this is a network issue (as ITV and UTV have appeared to have kissed and made up regarding ITV2 on DTT in NI) but this *should* hasten the appearance of UTV on the Irish EPG. Hopefully, in April, with RTÉ.....

We can't complain to Sky that ITV is now turned off,
We were never meant to see it They will not listen to that, because it was a channel not really available to us; it wasn't on the EPG. The fact is, it became so widely known, especially when reports of a pub in Essex could watch Celtic and Rangers last week. News like this may have caused the harm.
Now, I understand that the BBC carded boxes can still see these. That's fine, but they must be increasing the level of encryption.

Maybe this is an Irish only issue, we will have to wait and see on that one.

One more point. I said this before, the phone monkeys at Sky don't know. Don't expect them to. After all, this channel is not on the EPG, so they are only told once channels are launched.

Time to get those BBC-carded digiboxes if you don't already have one if you like you Nationwide or Scottish footie.........:(

georgekildare

I really think that these copyright issues should be raised at the level of the EU commission and the EU parliament. On a previous thread, I questioned their legality. Satellite television should be no different than newspapers or books and all programme bouquets should be available at the same cost throughout the EU. Copyright should be paid per subscriber.

ShaneOC

As far as I know it was/is only ITV2 that was/is availabe with the FTA boxes.

There was always some level of encryption on the ITV1 channels but once you had a valid UK or Irish card (or FTV card) they could be seen.

yop

No luck with the publicity

Gerry Ryan does not think they can help.

Thank you very much for your e-mail to the G. Ryan Show.
Unfortunately the best people to get advice from on this
issue is the Department of Consumer Affairs on
01.4025555 or 1890.220229, they will investigate this
matter on your behalf.

PacMan

Has anyone received any replies to their e-mails to both UTV and SKY????
I am still waiting for mine.
I can guess what its going to say:
dear xxxx,
Thank you for your interest in UTV,
However as UTV is only licenced to broadcast in the UK etc etc etc.
The same usual automated reply. I am sure that madman will do a "Perfect" wind up of their e-mail reply. He has a good sence of humour............

So, what do WE do next? This is gone beyond a joke.
Any ideas??

dmeehan

im still waiting for my replies too...

dont UTV own radio stations in cork??
perhaps that could be a platform to raise this issue further

Element 4

no reply to me either...........

I might even take a hack saw to brogher mountain LOL LOL LOL

(eh , UTV's second most powerfull TX site north east of enniskillen

PacMan

Perhaps Leesider could give us more info. I think that UTV have bought "County Sound" and 96FM. It has also been reported that they are planning to buy more media in the Republic.
They also operate UTV Internet, and the utv.ie site

DMC

Originally posted by ShaneOC
As far as I know it was/is only ITV2 that was/is availabe with the FTA boxes.

You are right. Still, it must be down to ITV Sport that they have upped the encryption.....

bkehoe

Just sent an email to UTV, even though I never watched them; like HTV a lot more, but any ITV is better than having to get another BBC Card & box!

Brendan

DMC

erm, the "How to tune in ITV" thread ain't closed if you pick-up a BBC carded box....

chernobyl

2 possibilities, either its getting a full EPG launch or more likely you will never watch it again.

irishgeo

this is what i feared would happen. i knew that it was too good to last. i dont known why they did it but i bet its money. Sky will charge more knwon to itv to be able to broadcast in ireland. i noticed over the past few days that the itv sport channel has the message "this programme is not available". so if anyone has an ftv card could they check whether it is sill blocked. i think i am going to get and ftv card.

is the new bbc channels blocked on the FTV card aslo.

It just geos to show that sky dont care about the irish republic and we are wasting our time. i think we should boycott sky.

I JUST THOGUHT OF IT! THE REASON I KNOW THEY BLOCKED IT.ITS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE COVERAGE STARTING UP AGAIN. I BET THATS IT! (YES I KNOW I AM SHOUTING)

Leesider

Yes, UTV owns a big stake in Cork's 96FM.
Their contact details are as follows:

Tel: 021 455-1596
Fax: 021 455-1500
email: info@96fm.ie

The 'Gerry Ryan' equivalent show is hosted by a guy called Neil Prendeville, weekdays from 9am to noon.
Emails could be marked for his attention, just to get some discussion going??

Hang 'em out to dry!

DMC

Yeas.... boycott Sky.....

And sign back up with NTL, or Chorus?

Get real.

No matter how badly BSkyB is percieved at treating the Irish customer, don't foget why you left cable in the first place......

PacMan

Go back to Chorus??? N E V E R!!!
Chorus is Crap,crap,crap. And thats the "Good" version.
With or without UTV/BBC 3/BBC 4 most of us will stay with Sky digital. Reasons ??? No competition.

irishgeo

ok a boycott of sky is not realistic its just me raving after losing the head a bit sorry.

i just like to point out i never had cable and never likely to get it on achill island in county mayo.

DMC

Ha!!!

You are lucky to get RTÉ via aerial out there!

I jest.....