Virgin Media to lose Sky channels

[electrogirl]

don't really care about sky one, we seemed to have gained paramount on telewest which is cool, Frasier and Sex and The City

also if you try and watch Sky 1 it said something bitchy like "unfortunately sky have picked up their ball and gone home" or something.

 

[Reno]

I find watching 24 on Sky is awful, I can't stand the ad breaks. they do me in.

DVD/Downloads is the only way.

Shame that the BBC lost the rights to it.

I never watch anything on commercial television while it's on because the ads drive me crazy. I always record it and watch it later so I can skip the ads.

 

[Ozric]

This idea that Branson is somehow better than Murdoch is fucking bunk, too.

We live in an age where large corperations seem to be able to fuck over whoever they want, Murdoch more so than others. Therefore if I have to choose (and I do like a bit of telly when I'm not out enjoying the world) then I'd go for the least controlling, manipulative cunt.
I may eat my words when Branson rules the world but he's got better ethics than others in his 'grade'.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

It's just the lesser of two evils scenario; when Branson becomes the next Murdoch (as he's plainly trying to be) we'll hate him just as much...

 

[T & P]

When Branson becomes an ultra right wing warmongering cunt hellbent on controlling how this country should be run thanks to his newspapers' influence over the government while cheating his way out of paying hundreds of millions of Pounds of tax a year he'll be as bad as Murdoch.

Until then the Dirty Digger is far, far worse.

 

[The Sick Anchor]

The Sunday Times used the example of Richard Branson, who has established a complicated series of offshore trusts and companies that own his business empire. While Branson’s wealth is estimated to exceed £3,000 million, he pays little tax because his wealth is tied up in these companies. (The journalists responsible for the article do not reveal how much tax Rupert Murdoch of News International—publisher of the Sunday Times—pays in the UK.)

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jan2007/tax-j06.shtml

this whole one capitalist is not as bad as another is a load of bull, as thought this kind of 'ethical' boycott on one in favour of another achieves anything, it's fucking deluded if you ask me

 

[The Sick Anchor]

Rupert Murdoch's main British holding firm, Newscorp Investments, paid no net corporation tax in the UK throughout the Nineties and it is highly likely, although unconfirmed, that it still does not. Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group is based in the Caribbean, yet Virgin Rail has had £500m in public subsidy over the past year.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/ethics/story/0,,987088,00.html

 

[Kid_Eternity]

When Branson becomes an ultra right wing warmongering cunt hellbent on controlling how this country should be run thanks to his newspapers' influence over the government while cheating his way out of paying hundreds of millions of Pounds of tax a year he'll be as bad as Murdoch.

Until then the Dirty Digger is far, far worse.

I believe that it just what I said. While he isn't controlling everything like Murdoch it makes sense to hold some distinction just not too much. Just because Branson has a goatee and a 'cool' pr image doesn't mean he's not after as much power and money as he can lay his mits on.

 

[Iam]

We live in an age where large corperations seem to be able to fuck over whoever they want, Murdoch more so than others. Therefore if I have to choose (and I do like a bit of telly when I'm not out enjoying the world) then I'd go for the least controlling, manipulative cunt.
I may eat my words when Branson rules the world but he's got better ethics than others in his 'grade'.

Imo, this is about two big corps arguing over their profits and the customers being the ones losing out as a result. They're *both* to blame and it's bullshit.

Anyway, I've left the decision to my housemate on what to do, but told him to cancel Sky Sports and Movies (as that's what I pay for), which is happening right now.

I can live without the telly at all, to be honest.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

The net went down and came back up about a day later to the same speeds (we get 7.5-8.8 on our 10mbps connection).

Anyway, looks like Virgin aint taking this laying down:

Virgin Media threatens to take BSkyB to court over TV fees

Large numbers of Virgin Media customers have recently been upset by the withdrawal of 'basic' Sky television packages from its services. Channels such as Sky News and Sky One have disappeared from the Virgin (formerly ntl:Telewest) cable service since 1st of March following talks between the two companies which did not come to an agreement over the fees paid to Sky. The disagreements revolve around the fees for basic Sky channels and to a lesser degree Virgin's own channels such as Living and Bravo. Virgin have suggested binding arbitration by an independent expert but Sky have reportedly refused to enter into this.

Virgin have today announced its intention to take legal action against Sky unless the matter is not resolved within 30 days including a claim for damages. The company claims Sky has abused its dominant position. The popularity of Sky channels is well known, and Virgin has very limited options to replace this content which includes popular shows such as The Simpsons and 24 among others.

Link

Virgin have also set up a mini anti-sky campaign site: http://allyours.virginmedia.com/fairplay/index.html

 

[Kid_Eternity]

This is a pertinent bit of info:

Can I cancel my contract?

At Virgin Media we're all about being honest and doing the right thing.

So, even if we've done everything we can to persuade our TV customers to stay, and they still want to disconnect their TV service, then we're not going to hold them to their 12 month contract. We'll allow them to cancel at any time up to the end of March although they need to give us 30 days notice. This commitment will not impact our contractual rights to recover any outstanding arrears owing at the time of cancellation.

Link