No more sky channels for virgin media

[SilentDeath]

linky

One thing I dont understand though, it says Lost is a sky exclusive program, but it started (and still is?) on chanel4 and its website, did sky buy the rights to it?

I dont like sky too much anyway, 24 was good but never remember to watch it. Most of the stuff, accross all of the channels, is ****e - but i can see lots of people pissed off if they lose sky sports, but I *think* this is only about the basic channels, so sports will stay BAH!

It should be the other way round

[Kezzer]

TV is so last century.

[dave87]

Ah well, they've fallen out.

[Clunk]

Not sure if this is good or bad. Competition on one hand, but a giant monopoly on the other. Freeview ftw.

[Howard]

Oh I hate Sky, bunch of money grabbing bastards. Sky One is one of the channels I actually watch on NTL, I don't want to be forced to pay Sky's prices just for this if they drop it

[nichomach]

Damnit, I watch Sky One; this is really BLOODY annoying.

[BUFF]

ditto.
Of course I can imagine that Sky are hoping that more than a few might defect from Virgin to them over this.

Now, if Virgin aren't paying for Sky then we should (in theory ) be entitled to a reduction ...

[dave87]

I can't get cable, so if I want better telly, I have to get Sky. Which I probably won't end up doing.

Plus, Virgin are getting a few of the big US networks from what I've read...

[nichomach]

Yes, but that doesn't help very much if the stuff you want to watch isn't on those networks.

[Funkstar]

Same here.

Aberdeen had one of the first cable systems in the UK, it was a joint venture with BT and used coax from the local exchanges for distribution. It was never designed for digital communication and short of starting again there was no way to upgrade it. Atlantic Telecom eventually bought it, then went bust, so now have Freeview or Sky for TV and ADSL for broadband. That is all.

[MD]

tbh - im getting sick of the Sky bully-boy tactics.

I can see them getting in a heap of trouble over this, especially given they bought a £1bn part of ITV to stop Virgin - someone in government is bound to lose patience sooner or later.

[Dorza]

tbh - im getting sick of the Sky bully-boy tactics.

I can see them getting in a heap of trouble over this, especially given they bought a £1bn part of ITV to stop Virgin - someone in government is bound to lose patience sooner or later.

I agree, Sky know what their doing here. By stopping Virgin from showing sky branded channels their hoping that people will turn to sky not virgin for their TV. Resulting in less competition therefore > costs for consumers. Sky already have something of a monopoly on the market, if they get a greater one it will only get dearer for consumers. Something will give sooner or later.

[nichomach]

tbh - im getting sick of the Sky bully-boy tactics.

I can see them getting in a heap of trouble over this, especially given they bought a £1bn part of ITV to stop Virgin - someone in government is bound to lose patience sooner or later.

I agree on the bully thing; the fly in the ointment here is that BSkyB are a Murdoch company, and who do all the parties need to have on their side come the next election...?

[benstation]

Monopoly at its best...

[SilentDeath]

Yes, but that doesn't help very much if the stuff you want to watch isn't on those networks.

well since those networks get to air everything about 3-6 months earlyer I would say its a great change, although that probably wont happen and so we will get a crappy set of channels full of soaps and chat shows....

Any new channels will probably be HD too.

[htid]

"They not only rejected it but indicated they were not going to go further with negotiations even though the contract didn't expire until next week.

So that means this will come into effect as of next week?