HD Discovery was short-lived on Videotron :-(

[Michel]

Yesterday, I was so excited about HD Discovery new channel that I called to get the station. They forced me into their HD package that include channels that I am not interested in for $5.95 a month...I took it anyway and last night I watched programming that made me happy to invest that much money in the system....At 7.39 a.m. this morning, they removed HD discovery. Apparently, they cannot come to an agreement for the price HD Discovery is charging them....So I called them back to cancel my newly subscribed service and told them I wouldn't even pay for one hour of it....No need to say how pi**** off I am and frustrated....I wish I could go the Bell but Videotron has an exclusive on my building and I'm not allowed to install a dish....I wouldn't hesitate a second if I could....

[ibabob]

I can't believe this, everybody has to start calling and emailing videotron about this, we must get this channel back!

[ron1951]

I called videotron and was told that Discovery HD wants 4 times the money for the feed, so Videotron dropped the channel.

I don't know if this is true but I do know this, it is inconceivable to me that this has happened over night. Both companies fighting over money and to hell with the customer.

Not to have a solution in place before the Discovery HD change in pricing is stupid, unless it's all Discovery HD fault and it's a sudden price gouge.

How does the CRTC look now? they gave Discovery a near monopoly on science broadcasting in Canada and now it has come to this.

This all stinks to high heaven and a black eye all arround.

[hugh]

This is a "contract" negotiation and Bell (sorry CTV specialty networks) is playing hardball.

Bell wants to charge them an arm and a leg hoping they won't buy it in order to steal some HD customers.


By all means email Videotron but ALSO email Discovery HD and tell them that you won't switch to ExpressVu just to get Discovery HD.

[Michel]

Originally Posted by hugh

This is a "contract" negotiation and Bell (sorry CTV specialty networks) is playing hardball.

Bell wants to charge them an arm and a leg hoping they won't buy it in order to steal some HD customers.


By all means email Videotron but ALSO email Discovery HD and tell them that you won't switch to ExpressVu just to get Discovery HD.

If I understand this well, Discovery gave an exclusive to the Bell group that can wholesale it to cable companies and to discourage them to take it, they charge an arm and a leg for it ??? If that is a fact, that should never be allowed by the CRTC.....That limits the market for a product. I thought we had a law to prevent that... forget the CRTC....that is a monopolistic position...Hugh, even if i wanted, I can't switch to Bell since videotron has an exclusive on my building...and no dished or antennas are allowed...

[hugh]

Michel, no exclusive however, recall that Discovery HD is owned by CTV Specialty Network which in turn is owned by BCE. BCE owns ExpressVu.

This is a win-win for Bell.

If CTV sells Videotron Discovery HD at a high price, they make off like bandits. If they don't sell the people may switch from Videotron to ExpressVu. Either way Bell wins.

Its not that simple but it goes on here and big time in the USA all the time where stations owned by one conglomerate don't get on another conglomerates cable or satellite system.

Should the CRTC stop this practice? I don't think they can but the government certainly should be able to create laws that restrict ownership of both content providers and media outlets. Media concentration in Canada has been an ongoing debate for the last 30 years.

[Bruno Landry]

But Rogers is still broadcasting it. So why Videotron is the only one touch by this?

And BCE only own 20% of Globemedia. And, Globemedia only own 57% of Discovery.

[Michel]

I just realized this morning that Discovery channel was owned essentially by Bell and your explanation Hugh makes more than sense. Nevertheless, I did make a complaint to CRTC about this since it is sort of a monopoly and it doesn't serve the canadian public correctly. Probably useless but it served as a cartharsis for me

[hugh]

Bruno,
BCE owns 68% of BGM. The sale is not complete.

I think negotiations are unique to each company. Rogers also has stuff ExpressVu wants and relations between the two companies are more civil!

REGARDLESS, my point is that if you are going to email videotron then email Discovery HD Also.

[dynot]

Originally Posted by hugh

Should the CRTC stop this practice? I don't think they can but the government certainly should be able to create laws that restrict ownership of both content providers and media outlets.

The government is too busy passing anti-piracy laws (not to mention pilfering our money).

It is practices like this that encourage piracy and I for one won't blame anyone who does. Doesn't surprise me that Bell is involved; they're worse thieves than pirates.

This was by far one of the best HD PQ's I've seen. To have that matched up with great programming is a bonus.

[Flavius]

But surely Discovery operates as an independent business (from Bell) and losing the income from Videotron has to hurt its bottom line?

And I concur with the poster who questioned why Rogers is still carrying the channel -- are we to infer that they've given in to this supposed extortion?

[james99]

Cogeco has it as well, but we also had the other one. On another note, if the free preview goes until the summer how can Videotron be charged for it now?

[57]

Rogers charged $5 (and still do) for the "HD pak" that has Disc, TSN, and timeshifts. See the digital home FAQ "What's Rogers HD Offering".

You also need to subscribe to the SD equivalent, which for some people means getting the "ultimate" pak, which is about $20, but a lot of people already had that... (those that didn't were peaved)

This took place months ago though and Rogers originally wanted to charge $10, but we raised a stink, they took SportsNet out and put it in the "free" HD Tier and dropped the price to $5.

[hugh]

It is practices like this that encourage piracy and I for one won't blame anyone who does.

There is never an excuse for stealing satellite signals and promoting it on these forums will get you banned.

[Pilgrim9]

I just got home to discover (or not a the case is) that videotron have removed the discovery channel HD service. After reading the above posts i am left feeling really bitter towards the money-grabbing activities which appear to be behind the removal of this service on Videotron. The attitude of companies like Bell really p***ses me off. Since when was strong-arm tactics like this to get people to subscribe to your service by leaving them with no alternative considered good for the consumer??