Branson's Email

Those with Virgin (ex-NTL/Telewest) will know what I mean.

Did it strike you as if it had been written in green[1] crayon?

Losing Sky One at first annoyed me, and it still will if I end up
losing 6 channels and having no reduction in price. However, moving
to Sky would still cost me more than Virgin and Freeview is out
because I want Discovery and Eurosport.

Like I said in another thread, I guess I'll just go back to
downloading 24, Battlestar Galactica and Lost.



[1] Maybe that should be red.

 

Do you have the text of it?

I can't see how they can justify not reducing the price when they are losing
some of their key channels

--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk www.ebayfaq.co.uk

 

" Dear customer,

Let’s face it. Things would be pretty boring if choice didn’t exist.
There’d be just one kind of airline to fly with. One type of car to
drive. And if Sky had their way, there’d only be one place to get TV.

We thought we’d let you in on a few tricks they’ve been trying to get
their way.

While we’ve continued to make Virgin Media channels like Living, Bravo
and Challenge available to all Sky customers, Sky may withdraw their
non-premium channels from Virgin Media’s service – in order to force
you into switching service.

Virgin Media were willing to pay an increase in costs in order to get
the complete range of Sky content and channels.

However, Sky have consistently demanded an increase that bears no
relation to the channels’ market value.

We have refused to accept this increase, since it would mean absorbing
significant costs ourselves, and passing the kind of price increase on
to our customers that is simply unfair. We are not prepared to rip off
our customers.

So Sky have picked up their ball and gone home.

As a Virgin company, we’re well used to the attempts of large
corporations trying to manipulate markets, stifle competition and rip
off consumers.

Luckily, we don’t think Sky’s the limit.

We think the future’s full of fresh entertainment and communication
possibilities. And we’re looking forward to bringing them to you. With
all the freedom and choice you deserve.

We’ve launched Virgin Central, a revolutionary type of TV channel,
where programmes start and stop when you say so. This is only
available on Virgin Media, since Sky don’t have the technology to be
able to transmit it. What’s more, it’s available to every single one
of our digital TV customers.

And there’s our unique on demand library. A giant collection of over
500 films, 1000 music videos, 100s of TV shows – all at your beck and
call. You can access them at any time.

We’re not scared of competition, we welcome it.

To find out more, visit virginmedia.com/fairplay.

Yours,



Sir Richard Branson"

 

That dear old chap, Dr tugged on his pipefull of old shag and said:

It did - it was obviously aimed at 'trendy young things' with an IQ of
7.

It's OK - they are only losing a few foreign language channels as far
as I can tell.

 

I hope not. I like Euronews.

 

That dear old chap, Switters tugged on his pipefull of old shag and
said:

I meant American!

 

<snip a load of marketing guff where they try to be dead nice>

They must be writing about Howies in marketing textbooks then.