Post by dkennedy on Sept 11, 2007 6:43:22 GMT -5
DIRECTV HD Owners: Demand Your Rebate!
The satcaster's decision to drop TNT HD from its lineup on Sundays is both insulting and deceptive to HD viewers.
September 10, 2007
By Phillip Swann, tvpredictions.com
DIRECTV HD owners, it's time to stand up for your rights.
The satcaster yesterday dropped TNT HD (again) from its lineup for several hours to make room for the high-def broadcasts of the NFL Sunday Ticket.
DIRECTV didn't tell anyone it would drop the channel. In fact, Eric Shanks, DIRECTV's executive vice president for entertainment, told TVPredictions.com last month that the satcaster would not drop a HD channel this year to make room for the NFL games.
(Last year, DIRECTV took a HD channel off the air every Sunday for the entire NFL season. The decision angered high-def viewers, many of whom received discounts on their monthly bills after complaining to DIRECTV's customer service.)
DIRECTV also has not apologized to anyone for the removal of TNT HD. Even worse, Shanks and two DIRECTV public relations officials did not return several phone calls and e-mails from TVPredictions.com today asking for a comment on why TNT HD was removed after Shanks said it would not be.
Listen, I know DIRECTV officials are busy now with the upcoming HD expansion. (The satcaster is scheduled to go from 10 to 70 HD channels by month's end.) But I received a couple dozen e-mails today from angry DIRECTV subscribers wanting to know if TNT HD (or another HD channel) will be removed every Sunday for the next four months.
So, if you're a subscriber to DIRECTV's monthly HD programming package, you should ask for a rebate.
No, let me rephrase that. You should demand a rebate.
I did. I called DIRECTV's Customer Service department tonight and was given $5 a month off my bill for the next three months.
Of course, the Customer Service rep first offered me 33 cents to satisfy my complaint. Yes, that's right. 33 cents. And then he laughed at me.
I then advised him that he might want to change his tune -- immediately. He did and I got the $5 a month rebate for the next three months.
(That's what I accepted, but you might want to ask for more. That will help them understand that this is a serious issue. Last year, DIRECTV CSR reps gave $10 a month for 3-6 months to some people who called to complain.)
Folks, we are paying for the complete HD programming package -- and we should get nothing less. Demand your rebate -- now -- by calling 1-800-DIRECTV.
Although DIRECTV should give people something for removing TNT HD, it's the principle, as they say. If enough people complain -- and ask for rebates -- perhaps DIRECTV will remove non-HD channels next week instead of TNT HD or Discovery HD Theater or HDNet and so on.
Perhaps then they will understand that high-def viewers won't just take it.
The satcaster's decision to drop TNT HD from its lineup on Sundays is both insulting and deceptive to HD viewers.
September 10, 2007
By Phillip Swann, tvpredictions.com
DIRECTV HD owners, it's time to stand up for your rights.
The satcaster yesterday dropped TNT HD (again) from its lineup for several hours to make room for the high-def broadcasts of the NFL Sunday Ticket.
DIRECTV didn't tell anyone it would drop the channel. In fact, Eric Shanks, DIRECTV's executive vice president for entertainment, told TVPredictions.com last month that the satcaster would not drop a HD channel this year to make room for the NFL games.
(Last year, DIRECTV took a HD channel off the air every Sunday for the entire NFL season. The decision angered high-def viewers, many of whom received discounts on their monthly bills after complaining to DIRECTV's customer service.)
DIRECTV also has not apologized to anyone for the removal of TNT HD. Even worse, Shanks and two DIRECTV public relations officials did not return several phone calls and e-mails from TVPredictions.com today asking for a comment on why TNT HD was removed after Shanks said it would not be.
Listen, I know DIRECTV officials are busy now with the upcoming HD expansion. (The satcaster is scheduled to go from 10 to 70 HD channels by month's end.) But I received a couple dozen e-mails today from angry DIRECTV subscribers wanting to know if TNT HD (or another HD channel) will be removed every Sunday for the next four months.
So, if you're a subscriber to DIRECTV's monthly HD programming package, you should ask for a rebate.
No, let me rephrase that. You should demand a rebate.
I did. I called DIRECTV's Customer Service department tonight and was given $5 a month off my bill for the next three months.
Of course, the Customer Service rep first offered me 33 cents to satisfy my complaint. Yes, that's right. 33 cents. And then he laughed at me.
I then advised him that he might want to change his tune -- immediately. He did and I got the $5 a month rebate for the next three months.
(That's what I accepted, but you might want to ask for more. That will help them understand that this is a serious issue. Last year, DIRECTV CSR reps gave $10 a month for 3-6 months to some people who called to complain.)
Folks, we are paying for the complete HD programming package -- and we should get nothing less. Demand your rebate -- now -- by calling 1-800-DIRECTV.
Although DIRECTV should give people something for removing TNT HD, it's the principle, as they say. If enough people complain -- and ask for rebates -- perhaps DIRECTV will remove non-HD channels next week instead of TNT HD or Discovery HD Theater or HDNet and so on.
Perhaps then they will understand that high-def viewers won't just take it.