missing bbc digitals on sky

tommee

Can someone help please.
i cannot find my thread from recent months where I emailed sky about the missing bbc digital stations here in ireland.
I had a personal bereavement in the past month and have lost my email correspondence with sky , but I included the answer from sky on boards.ie
I want to press for the bbc radios 1-5 and ulster, as their listings are on the national newspapers ( since the foundation of the state ), cbbcs news 24, bbc 3 and 4 plus the itv channels.
the email address of the sky contact might be appreciated as I really want to follow up , now as channel 4 is on teh epg in Ireland.
Thanks

kilasser

I sent the following email to ViewerR@BSkyB.com


Dear sir/madam,
I am writing to inform you of my dissatisfaction at the lack of BBC3, BBC4
and ITV channels on the Republic of Ireland electronic program guide (EPG).
The Irish sky viewer is able to manually tune them in as 'other channels'
and view them inconveniently this way. But despite me being a sky plus
customer paying 15 Euro a month on top of my subscription I am unable to use
the sky plus functions on the BBC and ITV channels. There are Cable
Operators here in Ireland that offer these channels along With Channel 4 and
because of this look a better option than sky.

I would like to know are sky ever going to place BBC3, BBC4 and the ITV
channels on the ROI EPG or add a function to the sky plus boxes allowing
recording of channels stored 'other channels'.

Yours faithfully

xxxxxxxxxxxx

and got this reply


Dear xxxxxxxxx

Thanks for your email about the BBC and ITV channels and please accept my
apologies for the delay in responding.

I appreciate your comments in relation to the way these channels are
accessed via Sky digital. In order to deal with your enquiry more
effectively please can you supply a daytime contact number.

I look forward to receiving this information and thanks, once again, for
taking the time to contact Sky.

Kind regards

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Viewer Relations


As of yet I have not got back to them. (I sent this email a few days before channel 4 came on the ROI EPG)

watty

I'd prefer it if the Sky+ box recorded what ever you asked and didn't need paid. I'm only prepared to pay for pay TV content.

The "other channels" is laughable and obviously not meant to be used. Only there to make the Sky box legal.

tommee

Now with Channel 4 on the EPG, I have re-commenced the dialogue with SKY over the missing BBCs and ITVs on the Irish EPG:

Dear Debbie,
Many thanks for your replay of late.
Since that time your company has found that the addition of Channel 4 on the Irish EPG was necessary,
You were indeed correct.
The points I made before needs further clarification as I feel UK based folk don’t necessarily understand Ireland.
Firstly I feel SKY need to provide the BBC radio stations on the EPG-
Ever since the Irish state was founded, the BBC radio channel listings are published on every Irish national newspaper-
I feel you should include BBC Radio 1-5 plus Radio Ulster on the Irish EPG.
On the new BBC digital TV channels, BBC Four has a 90 minute Irish folk programme at 9pm however I cannot record it on my Sky Plus!!
The fact that these BBC’s, news 24 , 3, 4 CBBCs and also the ITV’s allows your opposition in Ireland still to publicise their advantage-
I do hope SKY Ireland take on board these reasonable points,
Regards
Tom Meegan

tommee

Not a good answer..
any odeas on how best to proceed?

Dear Tom

Thank you for your email concerning the broadcasting of BBC digital in the Republic of Ireland.

As previously mentioned, the BBC broadcast independently of Sky, we have no jurisdiction over this Broadcaster. It is up to the BBC whether they choose to provide their services outwith the UK. It is not up to Sky to decide where a channel should be made available.

Please contact them direct on 08700 100 222 for further assistance.

Thank you for taking the time to contact Sky.

Kind regards

Gwen Owenson
Viewer Relations

byte

Well, BBC will not choose to pay Sky extra to be listed on the Irish EPG, that much is certain.

So, really, it's up to Sky, to negotiate with BBC to list all the extra BBC channels on our EPG. It would be in Sky's interest more so than the BBC.

fta keith

I got a default sky digital satellite system with

101 bbc1 london
102 bbc2 england
103 itv central
115 bbc3
116 bbc4
118 itv2
119 itv3
120 itv4
131 mens & motors


There is no point of e-mailing sky they will only take an interest if you cancel your sky subscription because of the missing bbc/itv channels on the Irish EPG then 4 weeks later you get all the bbc/itv digital channels on the default sky EPG when you take out your sky card of course sky won't tell you as sky will tell you you must keep the sky card in the sky digi box which is a lie, remember channel4, e4, more4 will be fta in the summer of 2008 on digital satellite which is why channel4 is on the irish sky subscription epg which is all about spin from sky

Mossy Monk

fta keith wrote:

remember channel4, e4, more4 will be fta in the summer of 2008 on digital satellite which is why channel4 is on the irish sky subscription epg which is all about spin from sky

wow, that is quite a claim. have you got a source for this or is it more speculative bull**** from your good self?

tommee

Dear Gwen,
I take it from your replay that SKY does not really care about the fact that its Irish customers are not getting the new digital channels.
In light of the recent addition of Channel 4 to the EPG, I do not accept your answer.
Your competitors here will capitalise on your position and promote their provision of these channels.
I mention Chorus in particular.
I trust SKY reconsider how they treat their Irish customers and be more pro-active in catering to the demand for BBC digital channels on the EPG,
Regards
Tom

fta keith

Channel4, e4, more4 will be fta in the summer of 2008 as the bbc/itv freesat service will be available by then and like the freeview DTT service will offer an fta alternative to sky.

Mossy Monk

fta keith wrote:

Channel4, e4, more4 will be fta in the summer of 2008 as the bbc/itv freesat service will be available by then and like the freeview DTT service will offer an fta alternative to sky.

i am not denying that they may be FTA but at least back up what you are saying. when did Channel 4 announce they are going FTA in 2008?

tommee

For a long time I have been asking about the bbc channels which are NOT on the republic epg.
I have discussed the issue on our chat here, and also written to sky.

My solution-
have cousins in NI-
opened a new account there.
get RTE 1 2 and TG4 in addition to all the UK .
missing TV3 but not really worried.

I had to cancel my Irish sub seperately.

watty

Yes. But not practical for most people.

You also continue to Get the Five stuff and C4 when you cancel as the card becomes a UK FTV card.

Mossy Monk

tommee wrote: »

For a long time I have been asking about the bbc channels which are NOT on the republic epg.
I have discussed the issue on our chat here, and also written to sky.

My solution-
have cousins in NI-
opened a new account there.
get RTE 1 2 and TG4 in addition to all the UK .
missing TV3 but not really worried.

I had to cancel my Irish sub seperately.

If this suits you then great. Not much good to someone if they use the same card for Setanta for football and want Sky+ to work with the Setanta channels.

Tony

fta keith wrote: »

Channel4, e4, more4 will be fta in the summer of 2008

How do you know this to be true?

Mossy Monk

I wouldn't listen to a word ftakeith says. He is a speculation whore.

Onikage

Mossy Monk wrote: »

I wouldn't listen to a word ftakeith says. He is a speculation whore.

Link?

There'll be no shortage of announcements in the run-up to the launch of the c4 family on fta. And it's not like having insider info will help you get it earlier.