tensixtyone

The Sky/Virgin row continues, Virgin Media allow a section to express your opinions but the option to add a post has disappered, seems wise of Virgin especially since most of the 14 pages are full with anti-virgin messages…

At midnight the channels went silent, “Sky” have followed through with their threats of removing channels from Virgin Media, and with good cause in my view. Sky is under no enforced condition to supply the channels, the only ones they have to provide are ones they offer on Freeview and Premium channels such as Sky Sports and Sky Movies. Sky essentially removed all the channels they could and the various commets over the last few days show that its Virgin who are the aggressors.

When Virgin Media was formed earlier this month they started a massive advertising campaign mentioning how they have all the Sky channels for cheaper than Sky, openenly throwing mud in their faces. Industry people mentioned that this would hard the contract renewal in Feburary but it was passed off as mindless speculation.

Inital discussions at the renewal didn’t go well, and Virgin held their ground and said they wouldn’t pay over the odds for Sky’s services, Sky had “hiked2 the renewal price due to “heavy investment in premium programmes” such as 24 and Lost. I follow these two programmes, and while 24 is a regular on the Sky network Lost is a new addition, and a expensive one at that. Other programs not mentioned deserve some notery, such as Stargate SG-1 which is currently premeiring on Sky One, we’re currently ahead of the states on this one which is a first for SG-1.

Discussions continued for some days but the stalemate was never broken, Sky started advertising on Sky One for Virgin customers to take action, but this was only met by complaints and a ASA investigation. A campaign of bickering ensued from both sides of the fence

Sky’s CTO and Virgin’s CCO had a little head-to-head on BBC Breakfast News’ business segment, Sky had previously offer to take all broadcasting operations away from Virgin and run them in-house, shaving the costs of operating the channels for Virgin and giving Sky more direct control of their own channels. Virgin refused. I guess that the idea of Sky having direct access to the network is sending shivers down highend managers spines.

Now the channels have been shut down, Virgin have to have the last word. “Sky have took their ball and gone home” is the annoucement on the previously Sky Two channel. Immaturty at this stage is not going to help them at all.