Campaign for BBC3, 4, News 24 and BBC Radio in Ireland.

Lenny

Sent E-mail to Sky & BBC.

Element 4

Good Man OJ,

Now tel me DID YOU DO IT ?????

What about the glove ????

And why did you have to make all those crappy Airplane Movies LOL LOL LOL


Happy new year


E4

Mossy Monk

Originally posted by Element 4
crappy Airplane Movies

i think not

Charles Slane

I found a site that has those "percentage viewing" figures for 2000 that Cableskeptic posted. It's -

http://www.medialive.ie/

It has some interesting facts and figures (the Television Channels Received by Region is interesting, if you're into that sort of thing). The info seem to be mostly for 2000, which is a bit out of date, but the "Latest Top 20 Programmes is pretty much up to date, with figures for RTE 1, Network 2 and TV3 only.

By the way I didn't think OJ was in the Airplane movies. I though he was in the Naked Gun movies, which were great. And having thought about it, the Airplane movies were great too ("We've just got bad news from the hospital". "What is it ?". "It's a big building with doctors and nurses, but that's not important right now".)

And lastly (back on topic) it's good to see other people e-mailing Sky and the Beeb. Keep the pressure on !! Fair play to ye, OJ. Let us know if there are any replies.

Hey Charles,
Had a look at that site...
According to the survey for 2000-4% of households in Connaught and Ulster had HTV!
And well before it was on Sky-Thats amazing!
I presume as the survey applies to ROI,that these viewers are in Cavan/Monaghan or westwards? How? presumably reception of UTV would be more feasable (wheres the spellcheck-darn it...) there?
mm

Charles Slane

It's also interesting that 7% of us are getting Sky Two !!! Just how old are those figures ? When did Sky Two disappear anyway ?

By the way, a very happy New Year to all involved in ICDG and all the posters who contribute to this forum. It's been a great year for exchange of info and opinions (and we managed to do it without insulting each other).

Here's to another year of the same good quality stuff.

byte

Here's an email from TV3.

Many thanks for your email. TV3 have no immediate plans to become available on Sky Digital however it is under review for the future.
Regards,
TV3

As usual, TV3 go out of their way to make a researched and informative reply :rolleyes: (slight hint of sarcasm)

I assume Under review for future means that tv3 will probably be on Sky at some stage!?

Element 4

Greetings all ,

On December 15th I sent tis to Sky.

I am writing to you to request that channels like the full BBC package, UTV, CH4/5 as well as the BBC Radio channels.

I am a Sky subcriber for the last 3 years on your top package and quite frankly feel let down but the level of neglect you as a company show the irish viwer / customer. On the programmes that we CAN view over here the is never any mention of any phone number (lo-call or premium) for prople this side f the irish sea.

Please please please show more concern for the irish viewer, and put themon a level playing field with the rest of the Sky Digital platform, and give us parity in relation to what we watch as well as the level of interactivity with you as a company.



just this afternoon I got this back !!!!!!


Thank you for your e-mail. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

Unfortunately, there are no plans for any BBC radio channels, Channel 4 and 5 or ITV to launch on the Sky digital platform in the Republic of Ireland at present.

Please allow me to advise that BBC 1 and 2 are available as part of the Family Package in Ireland. Unfortunately, there are no plans for the other BBC digital channels to launch in Ireland.

Sky always welcome viewers' comments and feedback and all the points raised in your email have been noted and passed to the relevant department for their information.

I regret that I am unable to assist you further, but may I thank you once again for taking the time to write to us at Sky.

Morag Carson
Viewer Relations


Yuo r thoughts please !!!!!

BTW this is the e-mail address the it came from ViewerR@bskyb.com


E4

Well Element 4
Sky is a Monopoly.
they don't give a thrupenny bit about their ROI subscribers as long as they pay up and keep watching Sky one and News.
they think we are all fools and wouldn't be able to work out how to tune in ITV via add channels-or that if we do we'll stick to Sky one anyhow because its too much hassle to watch ITV via other channels-What a load of Crock!!!

Now I like Sky one it's Trek Heaven and am looking foward to next monday night-BUT I'm sorry sky ,I don't want to watch sky one 24/7 and I think channel fours Seven news is Excelent compared to yours.
I refuse to be co-erced into thinking otherwise.
mm

Lenny

I still havem't gotten a reply..

Mossy Monk

Sky have just been sent a bollocking through email. it is really getting stupid now.

Lenny

Dear Matthew

Thank you for your email.

I have passed your query to my colleagues in Reception Advice, who deal with all
reception and digital enquiries. For future reference their e-mail address is
reception@bbc.co.uk

Regards

Melanie Johnston
BBC Information


From : mleonardeire@hotmail.com
Subject : Info Website - Comments form response

Programme title or topic:
BBC

Network:
Sky Digital

Date of transmission:
30/12/01

Your name:
Matthew Leonard

Your email address:
mleonardeire@hotmail.com

Whereabouts do you live?
Dublin, Ireland

Phone number:

---

What's your comment about?
Criticism

Your comment:
Hi,

I'm a Sky Digital customer in the Republic of Ireland and I was
wondering if the new BBC3 and 4 will be available to Irish viewers (as
BBC 1 and 2 already are).

Also, why are the BBC Radio stations not available on the EPG here (with
the exception of World Service and BBC Radio Cymru) ? We can tune them
in via "Other Channels", so it's hardly a rights issue. It would however
be more convenient to have access to them on the EPG, as the programme
information can be very helpful.

I'm sure that the availability of all BBC channels would be a major
boost in Sky's move into the Irish market. After all, an ad that says
"Sky Digital !! Now with BBC 3, BBC 4, BBC News 24 and BBC Radio" is
going to sell a lot more digiboxes than an ad that says "Now with Simply
Shopping+".

^^
that was my reply.

byte

Well, I've just got my second email from BBC though it's not much to go on...

Dear Will

Thank you for your further e-mail.

If I may respond on behalf of my colleague Damian Whyte, I am pleased to read that you think so highly of a number of the BBC digital channels. As I am sure you can appreciate we are unable to give specific details at this stage on any talks or plans SKY Television may have to broadcast these as part of their package to the Republic of Ireland.

As regards the EPG this is, again, a matter for SKY and if you are having difficulty accessing any BBC Radio services please contact your digital supplier.

Thank you again for contacting the BBC and for your continued interest in BBC services.

Charles Slane

Keep the pressure on !!

I'm going to fire off another couple of e-mails tomorrow.

The whole point is that we have to keep e-mailing.

When you're dealing with big companies like Sky or the BBC, it's all about volume and irritation. They need to get a lot of e-mails before they start to pay attention (and get past the idiots who don't even know that there IS an ROI version of Sky Digital), and enough e-mails (in the case of Sky) to annoy them into actually thinking about the services they provide.

I reckon that they have some kind of system where they estimate the level of interest in a service as being a multiplication of the number of enquiries they receive, because they know that not everybody e-mails their complaint (ie. 100 e-mails means 10,000 people want the channel). E-mail campaigns have saved quite a few TV shows from cancelation in the States, so it's worth keeping up an effort, even if some of the replies give the impression that nobody is listening or even interested.

If we want to have access to the BBC radio stations, digital channels and even UTV, Channel 4 and 5, we have to keep pushing for them. And always make the point that these channels would be very popular in Ireland and hence increase the uptake of Sky Digital (which is what Sky are primarily interested in).

What we're missing at the moment isn't so bad, but when BBC 3 and 4, and the new radio channels start, we're really going to be a Third World country when it comes to Sky Digital.

I've no doubt that the people from this forum who have e-mailed the relevant companies will have a strong bearing on when (and if) we start to get treated with more respect by Sky, and we get the channels that will make our Sky subscribtions worth the money we pay.

Cut and paste previous messages, or make your own message up, but do it as soon as possible.

We'll get the bastards yet !!

Do it now !!

Lenny

I have a few email accounts..
I'll fire a few more off tomorrow, exzactly the same, or anyone else got a different one to send?

I'll do it tomorrow, bed time now.

Genghis

Hi all,

This is my first (properly posted) post - though I have been lurking a while. Thank you to everyone for the helpful hints and advice - this is the most useful discussion board I know!

I fully support the e-mail campaign, and in fact I have managed to convince seven friends / relatives / colleagues to join me in e-mailing the various companies (Sky, BBC, UTV, C4, C5). In all eight people sent seven e-mails, all individually penned from the heart! Thats 56 voices.

Hopefully our campaign produces the results! The more I think of it - we are paying more than the UK for less channels - simple as that.

Sky are willing to treat Ireland and the UK as ONE 'territory' when it comes to their own channels, and when it comes to satellite operations, and when it comes to administration, customer services etc (there are few Irish phone numbers, no Irish website, no local support etc.)

Sky are willing to treat Ireland SEPERATELY to the UK when it comes to extracting more money from subscribers, selling adverts and developing an EPG that restricts access to quality channels.

The fact is that the only things customised when it come to Ireland are money issues, and the only things taken away are service issues!

Charles Slane

Hi Genghis.

Welcome aboard !! And what an impressive first post ! It's great to hear of all those e-mails winging their way to the TV companies.

byte

Yea, welcome aboard, Genghis. The more we get mailing the better. It would be preferable if people were to post mails using own words coz I reckon the people receiving the mails would get suspicious if they were inundated with duplicate emails.

Alone we are nothing,
Together, we can crack 'em!:D

Genghis

Originally posted by irishbyte
It would be preferable if people were to post mails using own words coz I reckon the people receiving the mails would get suspicious if they were inundated with duplicate emails.

Alone we are nothing,
Together, we can crack 'em!:D

Don't worry guys - everyone I asked had a personalised couple of words around the general argument. On the other hand, even a copied and pasted comment sent multiple times has to have an impact on the receiver. The main thing is to keep the pressure on.

irishgeo

I fully support this campaign and intend to fire off a couple of emails. i am going to use the standard one used in this group. i just like to say why not try for the Backchat program as well. I think the email address is backchat@sky.com

Lets keep the pressure on.

DMC

Dear God, they know how to tempt us!!

on DSAT, check out BBC Interactive Football, and you can have a few decent options, like commentary, No Commentary, or Radio 5 Live commentary!!!

Now what is the difference in having the Football commentary of 5 Live on, when we cant hear the station normally on DSAT? I thought one of the reasons for not having 5 Live on was because of football rights issues??

It beggers belief!!

Genghis

BBC Football Interactive was fantastic. I did notice thought that the 5 live commentary was a fraction of a second ahead of the pictures. When van Nistelrooy took the ball down on his chest to score the first goal, the commentators had announced the goal!


Brilliant coverage, good practical use of digital.

Charles Slane

Well, having gotten an e-mail from Sky Viewer Relations telling me that the BBC Radio stations were on the Irish EPG, I replied stating that this wasn't the case. Here's Sky's latest reply, and once again the blame is being laid at the door of the BBC -

"Dear Charles

Thank you for your e-mail and please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

Please accept my apologies for any misunderstanding with regard to the availability of the BBC Radio channels on the Sky programme guide. I can confirm that the BBC Radio channels are not available on the Sky programme guide and that these channels require to be added to your system.

However, you may wish to contact BBC direct for further information. I have listed their contact details below:

BBC - 08700 100222

Thanks, once again, for contacting us. We always welcome customers' comments and actively encourage viewers' feedback.

Helen Forbes"
Viewer Relations

It's all crazy isn't it!!!
The interactive yesterday:cool:
Charles Sky seem to be suggesting the BBC will not pay to have their extra radio and tv channels on the EPG here???
more Sky meaness?? as the flipside is they want to be paid by the BBC,yet they charge us a bigger sub, and for what???
more shopping channels:mad:
mm

Genghis

I got a reply from UTV. Nothing new really, but I haven't seen the same reply pasted on these boards - if it is original and personal, then I suppose that is more positive than a simple "copy and paste" response*

"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."



* like the response I got from Channel 5 - which (in reply to my request that C5 be available in Ireland) bizarrely informed me that while nothing was concluded as yet, C5 hope to be able to present some WWF wresting in the near future!! At least they could have the courtesy to issue the correct standard response ....

Lenny

This is another reply I got off BBC

Dear Matthew

Thank you for your e-mail, which has been forwarded to us for reply.

As you may know the proposed BBC THREE and BBC FOUR channels are to be available
on digital in the UK. Direct, free reception of BBC domestic TV via digital
satellite is not possible outside the UK due to programme rights restrictions.
However, some BBC services are now available as part of the Sky Family Channels
subscription package. As this is a service provided directly by Sky TV, please
contact their appropriate office for information on the cost and availability of
services provided to the Irish Republic. It is a matter for SKY if they choose
to negotiate the rights to broadcast BBC THREE and FOUR in the Republic of
Ireland and they should be able to advise you of any plans they may have.

Similarly the EPG is the responsibility of SKY and I would suggest you contact
your supplier directly if you have difficulty with the EPG or wish to suggest
alterations.

Thank you again for contacting the BBC. I hope you continue to enjoy BBC
programmes.

Regards

Stewart McCullough
BBC Information

Lenny

Thank you again for contacting the BBC. I hope you continue to enjoy BBC

How am I supposed to enjoy it if I can't recieve it in Eire?

smoke.me.a.kipper

:rolleyes: *sigh* neither side (sky nor bbc) seem to want to take the blame tho i feel it really is sky's fault. i guess all we can do is keep e-mailing and showing our interest.

Charles Slane

At least the reply to OJ's e-mail is very quotable when next someone e-mails Sky.

There's no ambiguity about the statement -

"It is a matter for SKY if they choose to negotiate the rights to broadcast BBC THREE and FOUR in the Republic of Ireland and they should be able to advise you of any plans they may have."

Do you reckon that we should use this quote in future e-mails to Sky ?

smoke.me.a.kipper

charles, just fired off an e-mail to sky with that quote in it. lets see what they say when / if they reply.