FSN, FS-Wi, and emails with DirecTV

[beno78]

Keep up the fight. You actually seem to be making ground. Problems like this are on Dish as well.

[joepepsi]

Well, here's another response, without me even responding to their previous response. This explains everything pretty clearly. They have no intention of ever adding FSN-Wisconsin as a fulltime RSN.

 

Response (Chris W ID W2718) - 05/02/2009 11:57 AM

Dear Mr. Xxxxx,

 

Thanks so much for the follow up email. I am terribly sorry to hear about your concerns regarding your local RSN and blackouts although I appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

 

DIRECTV has indeed determined your in market RSN to be FSN North. This is determined by the proximity of teams such as the Brewers, Bucks and Wild. You stated that since you are in FSN North area you should be in market to watch the Twins. Unfortunately, this is inherently incorrect.

 

As per the MLB directly, you and your zip code are specifically in the Brewers, not Twins, designated market. Please refer to http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/su...affiliateId=nhlcombopage for confirmation. Entering your zip code, 54601, clearly indicates as per the MLB, that you are in the Brewers market.

 

DIRECTV does not offer FSN Wisconsin as a 24 hour channel although some cable companies, regionally, may. As such, no DIRECTV customer has assigned, as a primary RSN, FSN Wisconsin. As previously mentioned, FSN Wisconsin is utilized by DIRECTV strictly for overflow games as an alternate channel for those customers in qualifying markets.

 

As already determined above, by the MLB, you are not in a qualifying market for Twins. Both the MLB and DIRECTV, the latter as a direct result of the former, consider you out of market from the Twins territory.

 

While I appreciate your concern that it is a DIRECTV decision not providing your zip code with Twins games, please understand that these restrictions are very much imposed on satellite providers from sports leagues and associations. DIRECTV would very much like to provide every customer every RSN and game from around the country, however, we are obligated to honor and enforce restrictions as set forth by the aforementioned bodies and government regulations.

 

Thank you again for writing.

Sincerely,

 

Chris W ID W2718

DIRECTV Customer Service

[sargennm]

I have a question that's not direct-tv related but came to mind because of this discussion regarding FS Wisconsin. I live in St. Louis and we have AT&T Uverse as a television option. They appear to offer FS-Wisconsin as part of their channel lineup. Now if I get the package that includes that channel, will I be able to watch the Brewers games on their or will they be blacked out all the time or just when they are opposite of the Cardinals? I would have assumed that they would be blacked out all the the time, but I'm confused now after reading this discussion. On direct-Tv can you get baseball games from other networks like FS Wisconsin from outside the area?

[GormanHarvey]

You have to subscribe to MLB Extra Innings to get the regional baseball games outside of your area

[MickeyDavis]

That's right. On DirecTV I get all of the FSN channels from around the country. But games are blacked out.

[dvoiss]

I am very frustrated by this situation. i wasn't able to watch that draft prep show with Jack Z. last summer and got no help from DirecTV when I emailed them. I will stick with DirecTV because getting screwerd by them is less painful then getting screwed by Charter. But either way you end up eith a sore rectum.

[joepepsi]

Ok, I don't know if this is related or not to my complaints, but.....I'm now getting HBO and Cinemax! I checked my account online and nothing's changed with the billing or my programming. But somebody flipped a switch and is giving me 11 pay movie channels for free. My daughter says we're getting other channels we never got before too, but I haven't checked that all out. Last September they gave me all the Showtime channels for free for a year because I "was such a good customer".

 

Maybe this is a mistake or coincidence or they're just trying to do something they can to help out a disgruntled customer. If it's the latter, then I am impressed once again with DirecTV.

[Invader3K]

Could it just be they're doing a "free preview" of those channels? Charter occasionally does that to get you to subscribe.

[joepepsi]

Yeah, maybe, but usually they advertise such things. Maybe someone else out there with DirecTV knows more about this/???

[TooLiveBrew]

I have only ever had digital cable, so not sure if the same applies to DirecTV...

 

any time there was a free promotion like Invader is describing, I would have a message in the menu portion of my digital cable service describing the free trial. Either that, or there would be a scroll across the bottom of the screen (like when Extra Innings does their free previews) when watching said trial channel(s)

[brew522]

Joepepsi, do you still have the free channels? I was getting them too, but they seem to have gone away sometime today.

[brwrsfan]

I also had the Cinemax and HBO channels over the weekend and through yesterday. I haven't been home to check it today, so maybe it was just some sort of preview for Directv customers - though I find it really odd that we weren't notified. It was a complete fluke that I even found them and if they really wanted people to view them with the intention of actually ordering them, notification would probably be a good way to go.

 

Who knows, maybe they had a royal screwup for a few days.

[joepepsi]

OK, that explains it I guess. I haven't checked today but if youse mugs had it too and now it's gone, that must be what was happening with my service. The fact they didn't tell anyone makes me think it was some kind of mistake, not a planned promotion. I've had free weekend promotions before, but the always go away at midnight Sunday.

[jhart05]

DirecTV did tell us there was a free weekend of HBO and Cinemax.

 

It was in the monthly e-mailed "Entertainment Guide?" and they also sent a message to your receiver.

 

"See acclaimed shows like In Treatmentsm on HBO® plus all the blockbusters on Cinemax® FREE from 5/8 to 5/12. HBO®, Chs. 501-508. Cinemax®, Chs. 512-514."

[jhart05]

"DIRECTV does not offer FSN Wisconsin as a 24 hour channel although some cable companies, regionally, may. As such, no DIRECTV customer has assigned, as a primary RSN, FSN Wisconsin. As previously mentioned, FSN Wisconsin is utilized by DIRECTV strictly for overflow games as an alternate channel for those customers in qualifying markets."

 

 

That is my problem with D*. FS-WI and FS-North are not the same channel all the time when there is not a game on, as we already know. We cannot get any of the Brewer games they replay during the winter. We also cannot get the "fastplay" games (or whatever they're called) during the summer. Even the Twins version of that "fastplay" thing are blacked out.

 

If someone over there at D* would take a few minutes to look at the two channels programming, they would see this. It's not that difficult.

[joepepsi]

Well, I just did what I shoulda done in the first place, googled it. Although there is nothing on DirecTV's website, there are several sites out there letting people know it was a free preview from the 8th -12 of May. Sheesh, they might have let me know! I'm registered on their site and they have my email and phone number!

 

I guess I'm just a schlub after all. No special deal as it turns out.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/ohwell.gif

[jhart05]

joepepsi,

Are you signed up for the Monthly Entertainment Guide?

It's in your "Account Details / Email Subscriptions", "Email Alerts" and "Newsletter" are the options you want.

Just click on the boxes and you'll start getting those notices.

What kind of receiver do you have? You should have received a message thru that as well.

[DHonks]

Has anyone emailed FSW or Directv to see if this game will be carried? I know it's on TV on FSW, but Directv might not be aware of this

[MickeyDavis]

Good point. It doesn't show up in the guide tonight, either HD or SD.

[Invader3K]

FWIW, game is supposed to be on tonight, and I believe in HD as well. So I would call your provider if they are maybe not aware it's going to be on.

[joepepsi]

joepepsi,

 

Are you signed up for the Monthly Entertainment Guide?

 

It's in your "Account Details / Email Subscriptions", "Email Alerts" and "Newsletter" are the options you want.

 

Just click on the boxes and you'll start getting those notices.

 

What kind of receiver do you have? You should have received a message thru that as well.

They have my email, but I'm not signed up for the email alerts or newletter. I already get too much crap in my Inbox!

 

I have the SD-DVR in my living room and an older standard reciever in my basement.

[MickeyDavis]

I won't be home until about 7:30, I manually set the DVR to record 669-1. Hopefully it's actually on. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[PeteP]

I just contacted Dish Network via their chat to ask if tonight's game would be on, and on what channel, specifically noting that it wouldn't have been on the original schedule because it's a make-up game. The rep said they had no information about the game being on tonight. I'll flip thru the alternate sports channels and see if it eventually comes on, but I'm guessing it'll be Cory and Uke tonight.

[bensheeps]

Kind of what I expected from DISH Network. Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

[GormanHarvey]

Just an FYI - the game is now showing up on my guide for DirecTv for tonight ch. 669 and 669-1 (HD)