i called again last night to re-add FSWC to my lineup, since its going to be the only way to see highlights of Tevez tomorrow. The girl on the line told me the whole negotiation by september thing also. I'm praying.

What I don't fully understand is, is Cogeco going to actually have Setanta in early September OR is that just when they will have more of a clear idea about how the negotiation process has gone.

check out this last response I got from them today:

Cogeco is currently in talks with Setanta regarding the details of launching this new channel to Cogeco subscribers. We recognize that this new premium digital sports channel will be welcomed by many Cogeco subscribers. We also recognize that the English Premier League started on August 11th, however, we will not be able to offer this channel to Cogeco digital subscribers before early September due to technical and contractual reasons.

What contractual and technical reasons could they have?

Yeah, I have got that same response and I must say that it worries me. Their September date is very vague, it does not say that they will actually get the channel, just that they will not be able to any time before "early" September...meaning there is no guarantee just how long this process could stretch.

I have slightly new info regarding Cogeco ant Setanta. I called and the guy I spoke with informed me that Cogeco would likely get the channel by MID September (note that he did not say early Sept. -- which is worrying). When I asked if they definately would be getting the channel by September, or wether that was just a tentative date, he informed me that at the moment Rogers has a contract with Setanta and that Cogeco is attempting to negotiate so that they can enter into the Rogers/Setanta contract as. This seems a bit complex, but hopefully it will be resolved. I thought that Rogers partially owned Cogeco, so I don't understand why this negotiation process is even an issue. I just hope we get the channel soon...I can't stand missing all the footy! I will keep pestering them, hopefully it will pay off.

rogers doesn't own any portion of cogeco. the negotiations are between competitors and Rogers probably wants more from cogeco since they are more direct competitors in some markets. I hope it happens soon.
I also fired off an email to the local cogeco boss to try and get him to put a word in at the head office. I also bugged my supervisor and he fired off one as well.

Joey wrote:

It depends on when the Videotron reply was sent; and it doesn't necessarily mean they'll never offer the channel. Anyway, here are the replies I got from them: On Thursday, August 02: "Thank you for your interest in our digital service and for having taken the time to write us about "Setanta Sports Canada" channel This station is not presently available and we have no information concerning its future availablility. Videotron regularly adds new channels to its illico service. However, we cannot offer all the channels available for digital television. The services and needs differ from one region to another and the channel additions requested must reflect the real interest of our customers. If you wish, we can add your name to our list of customers interested in this channel. A popularly requested channel could be added to the illico service. So that we can add your name to our customer list, please write us again taking care to include your name and Videotron account number. Do not forget to include the previous correspondence in your message to help us follow up on your request. Note that if you are not a Videotron customer, you will need to send your request to your service provider." Then, after sending them my account information, on August 4: "We want to thank you for providing this information. We confirm having registered your interest for this channel. You will be contacted when it becomes available. Thank you for understanding." I'll keep on trying. Anyway, good luck with Cogeco.

Received the french version of that formal letter, keep bugging them.

[quote="loafandjug"]rogers doesn't own any portion of cogeco. the negotiations are between competitors and Rogers probably wants more from cogeco since they are more direct competitors in some markets. I hope it happens soon.
I also fired off an email to the local cogeco boss to try and get him to put a word in at the head office. I also bugged my supervisor and he fired off one as well.[/quote]

Do you think the fact that it is a negotiation between competitors will make the process too complex to resolve by September.

Van Basten wrote:

Received the french version of that formal letter, keep bugging them.

Just got off the phone with their customer service; the lad wanted to dismiss me at first with "never heard of the channel and I've got no idea whatsoever when it'll be available"; when I pressed him to ask his superiors, he came back with practically the same answer (without the "never heard of Setanta" bit). It didn't make much difference when I told them their competitors are offering this channel.

[quote=Do you think the fact that it is a negotiation between competitors will make the process too complex to resolve by September.[/quote]

no, they're probably negotiating how much the network will get and how much the cable company will keep from the cost of the channel. I used to work for WTN before they changed to W. Most cable companies paid them 5 cents for every house that was subscribing to that channel. Re-negotiating/negotiating happens all the time. It's partly the reason the cost of tv goes up.

Hopefully the process will resolve quickly

Bad NEWS regarding Cogeco getting Setanta! I emailed Cogeco and got this response:


Thank You for taking the time to contact us via e-mail at Cogeco Cable.

As you are probably already aware, Cogeco is currently in talks with Setanta
regarding the details of launching this new channel to Cogeco subscribers. Until a
final decision has been made by both parties, there is no guarantee that Setanta
will be launching in September.

I sent an email to videotron customer service that "I am a customer of Videotron Illico Cable, and l am an avid fan of EPL football, and would be willing to pay the subscription to Setanta... etc... is there a possibility that Videotron could carry it?..."

Here was their reply:


We want to thank you for taking the time to write to us.

All the cable companies who offer the digital service have a restriction on the number of channels they can offer because they must balance the number of services chosen with the capacity of their bandwidth. We still have more room available, but we aspire to make available those channels which are the most requested by our clientele and for this reason, we value your input.

Each month, there are new channels which become available as well as international channels already in service and which may be in demand. The cable companies have the advantage of being able to offer a more innovative selection of products than the those offered by direct satellite signal, as well as being able to offer a more stable signal reception. But we must also face certain restrictions in the choice of available channels.

We have forwarded your request to our marketing department. A popularly requested channel could be added to the illico service.

Thank you for your understanding. Do not hesitate to contact us again for any further information you may need. Our customer service department will be pleased to answer you as soon as possible.

Marie-Claude Ladouceur
Vidéotron administrative services
serviceclient@videotron.ca


FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T INQUIRED, SEND REQUEST TO VIDEOTRON (EMAIL: serviceclient@videotron.ca) AND ASK THEM TO ADD SETANTA SPORTS. HOPEFULLY THEY SHOULD FWD REQUEST TO MARKETING DEPT.

Do all the cable companies carry Setanta now?

If not, try ITVN:
http://itvncash.com/hit.php?s=3&p=4&w=101096&t=0&c=