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April 7, 2016 9:56 am  #1


Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

 

April 7, 2016 10:27 am  #2


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Remember when we were all kids, and one kid had to have control of every toy? It didn't take long before we found other things to do.

Who did he play with then?

Maybe owning all the rights to something that people are increasingly ignoring isn't such a great corporate plan after all. Is Ted spinning yet?
 

 

April 7, 2016 11:06 am  #3


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

An Open Letter To Rogers Media....


Sure lousy teams like Toronto and my beloved Canadiens helped to stink up the joint at  Rogers this year....


But these pr!cks at Rogers are their own worst enemies...making the customer jump through hoops to watch N.H.L. games...then blacking out your favourite team constantly...even though you live nearly 5 hundred miles from their arena. WTF is that all about?????  Well here's a little tip Rogers....I only jump for the Mrs. these days and that's it. Their marketing of their hockey product exudes greed pure and simple. Why??  No one can provide me with anything approaching a satisfactory answer. Even though they are my worst self-professed enemy I would pay for a product I found to be worthwhile...because it's Canada and because it's hockey. And even with that....these F'ucks still can't get it right.


Now  considering the position they find themselves in they may have to begin to accommodate the paying customer  rather than Lording over them. Lord over me and I'll tell you to go F'uck your hat. I can't make that any clearer. So until you provide a decent product at a fair price and let Me watch MY team and stop acting like your crap don't stink....go F'uck your hat....Got it ????? You'll get ZERO dollars from me and a whole host of others.
Think about it and let me know what you decide. Till then...suffer in silence because I don't want to hear about "your problems" My best advice to you is blow it out your @$$....

Yours truly,

Unclefester








 

Last edited by unclefester (April 7, 2016 11:22 am)


  
 

April 7, 2016 11:50 am  #4


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

unclefester wrote:

An Open Letter To Rogers Media....
Sure lousy teams like Toronto and my beloved Canadiens helped to stink up the joint at  Rogers this year....
But these pr!cks at Rogers are their own worst enemies...making the customer jump through hoops to watch N.H.L. games...then blacking out your favourite team constantly...even though you live nearly 5 hundred miles from their arena. WTF is that all about?????  Well here's a little tip Rogers....I only jump for the Mrs. these days and that's it. Their marketing of their hockey product exudes greed pure and simple. Why??  No one can provide me with anything approaching a satisfactory answer. Even though they are my worst self-professed enemy I would pay for a product I found to be worthwhile...because it's Canada and because it's hockey. And even with that....these F'ucks still can't get it right.

Now  considering the position they find themselves in they may have to begin to accommodate the paying customer  rather than Lording over them. Lord over me and I'll tell you to go F'uck your hat. I can't make that any clearer. So until you provide a decent product at a fair price and let Me watch MY team and stop acting like your crap don't stink....go F'uck your hat....Got it ????? You'll get ZERO dollars from me and a whole host of others.
Think about it and let me know what you decide. Till then...suffer in silence because I don't want to hear about "your problems" My best advice to you is blow it out your @$$....

Yours truly, Unclefester
 

Uncle, were you listening in to the phone call when I cancelled my Bell Internet a couple of weeks ago? The conversation went pretty much the same way (minus the F-bombs) and they couldn't believe that a customer of 25+ years was leaving. I told the guy on the phone (customer retention), in advance, that I knew he was a victim just like me, but since the call is being recorded here goes for your overlords. I got all those years of frustration about Bell's cross-platform packages, supreme over-pricing and pathetic customer relations off my chest.

After I'd blown my wad, he still tried to offer me incentives for staying. LOL

I didn't. Where were all those "valued longtime customer" incentives before I made my call? Anyway, I didn't re-up, and no I didn't go to Rogers either. I also told him to mark down that my Bell Satelitte and Bell Home Phone were also leaving as soon as I get the rest of my ducks in a row. I "almost" felt sorry for the guy by the time I was finished, but I repeated that this is directed to those way above him and since he is the only live individual I can get to, unfortunately it goes with his job.

Very therapeutic.

 

 

April 7, 2016 3:57 pm  #5


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

According to two sources of mine, the general feeling is that the CBC dodged a bullet on these playoffs by not incurring the production costs in US $ for a series of games likely to produce low ad revenue.

I kind of wonder if the other broadcasters, namely CTV and CBC, are quiet fine with letting Rogers swing in the breeze with the decline in viewership, reduced ad revenue, and greater production costs covering a run of games in the US incurring expenses in US dollars with the exchange rate the way it is now vs. the way it was back when Rogers negotiated the rights deal with the NHL a few years ago.  Is that rights deal denominated in US $ or Canadian?  If it's US, they're getting hit on the exchange rate on their payments to the NHL as well.  Reading the tea leaves, I don't think Rogers is finished with layoffs yet, especially if the other broadcasters aren't willing to consider cutting a deal of some kind.

As for Bell, no thanks.  A couple of years ago at the Plate Voltage fixer-upper, I was in the back yard far, far away from the sidewalk.  A guy and a girl came walking down the driveway and I figured they were going to stuff flyers into the mail box by the side door or something but they must've seen me because they kept on going and joined me in the back yard.  The guy said he was trespassing on my property and that he was from Bell and wanted to know what I was doing for cell phone, land line, internet, and TV.  So I said discount carrier, don't have one, Tek Savvy, and antenna in the attic.  He said he couldn't match my cost structure so he and the girl turned around and left.  The girl was silent throughout it all.  Strange.  I'm not a Bell fan to begin with and I'm even less interested in any company that's going to send sales reps marching deep into my back yard to bother me.

 

April 7, 2016 4:56 pm  #6


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Rogers should have know better as they USED to be a broadcast company.  Bell never knew diddley about diddley to begin with....Pure arsewipists from the rotary phone days.

Both of those corps are on their way to spelling it corpse as they've both bit off way more than they can possibly chew and they will not survive being anywhere near what they've become.  And that is?  100% FAT and FOOLISH.  I won't miss them...especially their impacting on my radio, TV or sporting franchises.  As long as they're involved they will never see a penny from me for ANY of their holdings.  Not one cent.

I hold grudges.

 

April 7, 2016 6:27 pm  #7


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Can there be a better explanation of what has gone wrong with the business?


 

 

April 7, 2016 7:13 pm  #8


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Thanks for that, DT.  It sums the whole thing up beautifully.

 

 

April 7, 2016 11:00 pm  #9


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Dial Twister wrote:

Can there be a better explanation of what has gone wrong with the business?


 

Great post DT.

It's funny because I was speaking to a lady tonight who had worked in the Vegas casino industry for 42 years...employed at the Lady Luck, the Frontier, Bally's, Mirage with a final stop was at Bellagio. She retired in 2006 and now lives in northern Nevada. She told me she missed the mob too...

I am trying to purchase her Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson autographs...

I'll let everyone know if things work out...






 


  
 

April 8, 2016 7:02 am  #10


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Not surprising. Although I'm sure Rogers has more tricks up their sleeve in order to shave costs. I wouldn't be surprised if they exit the conventional tv network.

 

April 8, 2016 9:52 am  #11


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Here are two great examples of why Bell & Rogers are, arguably, the most hated companies in Canada and both are featured on the CBC's website on Friday:

Cable cord-cutting numbers soar in Canada thanks to Netflix, high prices, says report 

The article indicates all the reasons you'd expect, but it's in the over 200 comments that follow which shows the depth of the deserved vitriol against these guys. 

Getting cable or satellite is at least your choice. But then there's this: 

Toronto woman slapped with bill after Bell digs up her lawn, breaks water line

What's so outrageous about this story is that Bell refused to assume any responsibility until this woman went to the media. They dug up her lawn without telling her, broke a water main that forced a shutoff of her H20 for 30 hours - which led to a big repair and a huge bill from the city - and then absolutely refused to do anything until they were shamed into it. 

Want to know why consumers hate you and are leaving you in droves? Read both these stories and the answer is obvious. Like the taxi industry vs. Uber, the dinosaurs are learning that gouging and abusing their customers only works when they have a complete monopoly. Those days, hopefully, are nearing an end.  

 

April 8, 2016 10:15 am  #12


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

RadioActive wrote:

What's so outrageous about this story is that Bell refused to assume any responsibility until this woman went to the media. They dug up her lawn without telling her, broke a water main that forced a shutoff of her H20 for 30 hours - which led to a big repair and a huge bill from the city - and then absolutely refused to do anything until they were shamed into it. 

They were also granted a permit from the city though, so it's not like they just decided to dig.
The city should not have granted the permit. They are expected to know there's complicated water issues when digging in that exact spot.
If Bell could not get the permission to dig in that exact spot, they might have tried for a different spot-hopefully with less complication involved.



 


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

April 8, 2016 11:26 am  #13


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

True, the city bears some blame here. But Bell initiated the process, made the error, ruined this woman's lawn, got her water turned off, stuck her with a big bill that had absolutely nothing to do with her - then had the outright gall to say they didn't owe her a dime. You can make whatever excuses you want, but this is completely outrageous, especially for such a large corporation that would consider the expense less than petty cash.

I have another Bell story that really has no ending, but it also shows how unreasonably tight-fisted they are. I was in a TD Bank many years ago waiting for an appointment with a financial rep when a woman walked in holding the hand of an obviously frail elderly man. The guy could barely walk, but they had to come. Seems the gent had paid his Bell bill but accidentally filled out the amount for $800 instead of the $80 he actually owed.

I overheard the lady tell the bank rep that they called Bell, told them a mistake had been made and asked that they refund the excess. They adamantly refused, instead telling the customer they would apply it as "future credit" to his account. His outraged daughter explicitly retorted that her father was in his 80's and couldn't run up a phone bill like that if he lived another 25 years. And still these heartless bastards said no.

She wanted to get the payment cancelled before they got their grubby greedy mitts on it. She and her dad were then led into a bank cubicle and I never found out what happened. But it speaks volumes about a company that refuses to give back money they're not even owed! You can be sure if they'd accidentally given him an $800 credit, they'd come after him with tar and feathers and the full court press of the law to get every dime back. 

That story told me there and then everything I needed to know about the odious almost unforgivable way Bell operates. I've had my own run-ins with them over the years, but that was the moment I decided to cut them out of my life forever. And believe me, I haven't missed the hassles for one split second. 

There is a price to be paid for abusing people. And eventually that bill comes due. Here's hoping Bell pays that price very soon.

 

April 8, 2016 11:40 am  #14


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Johnny B wrote:

Who sheds a tear for Rogers?

Shed a tear for Rogers ??


I wouldn't give them the sweat off my b'alls....





 


  
 

April 8, 2016 3:04 pm  #15


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

My favorite part:
"But there's no denying that cord-cutting numbers keep on rising. Some industry analysts had speculated that the new CRTC-mandated $25 skinny basic TV packages would help stem the tide. But there appears to be little interest in the new offering."

Should probably have mentioned that the providers also happen to be doing their best to discourage anyone from subscribing to those skinny basic packages, hence why the "little interest"...



 

 

April 10, 2016 11:16 am  #16


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

unclefester wrote:

Making the customer jump through hoops to watch N.H.L. games...then blacking out your favourite team constantly...even though you live nearly 5 hundred miles from their arena. WTF is that all about?????
 

Those are called regional packages. The NHL sells those separately from the national package. Rogers is required to black them out so people will buy NHL Centre Ice.

Since Rogers has the whole national package, SOME of the regional packages and Centre Ice, they have taken 100 games per season out of Centre Ice and put them on basic cable Sportsnet channels. So, despite your rage, you're getting more hockey for the same money than you did two years ago.

I don't like Rogers, but let's not make stuff up.

Also, since no Canadian teams made the playoffs, of course Rogers doesn't need all of the production people they would have needed for 7 Canadian-produced broadcasts. They will undoubtedly grab the NBC produced broadcasts for some of the lesser series and focus on the Jays. Makes sense to me.

Last edited by Prod Guy (April 10, 2016 11:23 am)

 

April 10, 2016 11:55 am  #17


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Prod Guy wrote:

unclefester wrote:

Making the customer jump through hoops to watch N.H.L. games...then blacking out your favourite team constantly...even though you live nearly 5 hundred miles from their arena. WTF is that all about?????
 

Those are called regional packages
 
despite your rage 

 let's not make stuff up.
 
 Makes sense to me.

You call them "regional packages". You can call them anything you like. Is that what Rogers calls them ??

I call them bullshit and greed. 

When I can't watch my team play all 82 games when I'm paying big money on a monthly basis and I live 5 hundred miles from their area and I have  about a dozen sports channels that I pay plenty extra for and the 'effing game shows "blacked out" when I turn it on, and thousands upon thousands of hockey fans from coast-to-coast suffer the same fate...like I said I call that bullshit. The blackouts are constant and because of their small-minded thought process on marketing so is the negative backlash...in case you hadn't noticed.

You are suggesting/accusing me of making stuff up ??

Really ??

Well here are a couple of what seem to be little known facts by the pin-head management at Rogers...

They are one of the most hated companies in the country...

They'll NEVER get an 'effing DIME out of me to watch hockey the way they present it...

Carry on...



  
 


  
 

April 10, 2016 1:42 pm  #18


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Unclefester - you are a baffoon.

You clearly don't understand broadcast rights.  National rights are negotiated by the league with Rogers. Regional rights are negotiated by the individual teams with Rogers or Bell.  

Pissed off that your team is blacked out? then blame YOUR TEAM, they are the ones who want the black out enforced

 

 

April 10, 2016 1:57 pm  #19


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

MediaGuy wrote:

 baffoon...sp

 
 

 

Is that you Edward ??

Not  sure who the bAffoon is here...

I've got all MY money in MY pocket...







 






 

Last edited by unclefester (April 10, 2016 2:10 pm)


  
 

April 10, 2016 11:03 pm  #20


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

"broadcast rights"  Schmodcast rights.  *WE* have the power to decide what we'll watch and what we'll PAY for.  IDIOTS like the Rogers and Bells of this horrid and 1/2-assed media world have the right to toss their money down the outhouse hole and *WE*  [OUI in Quebec] have the right to laugh at them.

 

April 11, 2016 9:29 am  #21


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Globe is about a year late with this story. A lot of prominent people within the company have either left or been let go since last April. Plus the rising costs of sporting tickets, Merch etc...Rogers company trying to find ways to cover the losses from this hockey deal. So if you can't stand Rogers then ask for another year where every Canadian hockey team tanks again, especially Toronto.

 

April 11, 2016 11:04 am  #22


Re: Producer’s firing before NHL playoffs hints at Rogers turmoil

Topic being considered for Friday's "Leftovers and End Cuts" right after another 3-legged raccoon update