Dish NHL on OLN: Penguins vs. Sabres outage?

[59allstate]

Hi -

I live in Pittsburgh and tried to tune into OLN 151 to catch the hockey game. The game is listed in the guide, but some other program is playing. I called Dish - and they put me on hold and finally said OLN is having trouble with the feed. I was just checking to see if anyone else was expereincing the problem.

The game is in Buffalo so I don't think (and Dish didnt either) think there was a blackout restriction.


Thanks-
Nate

 

[TBarclay]

I read that there is a dispute between OLN and Dish and Cablevision for hockey coverage because they don't make the channel available to a wider number of subscribers. There were negotiations going on up to 2 hours before tonight's game without a resolution. Here's the link for more:
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6268578.html?display=Breaking+News

 

[JohnH]

Yeah, another irony is Comcast Cable here in what would seem to be Comcast's major market is having audio problems with the feed.

Feed is good on DIRECTV.

 

[BFG]

I guess dish has to lower OLN to AT120 in order to show the NHL.

OLN wants it to be available to a certain % of subscribers

for a good time read - http://ww2.olntv.com/olnbb/viewforum.php?f=28

Now it seems OLN blacked out the feed to any provider that doesn't have OLN in it's most basic practice. What kind of Bullsh!t practice is this? How do they have a contractual right to alter programming when they already have a contract in place for carriage.... Crazy lengths they're going to get customers pissed off so they will bitch to their providers to kiss OLNs ass and meet their demands. Even cable companies that offer OLN on a digital tier are having different programming shown to them. OLN seriously wants their channel to be on the basic package for NHL to be shown...

 

[garys]

Have you checked out the NHL package, Free prevue is going on til Thurs. Haven't seen any blackouts yet. Maybe Penguins not blackout out there. They start at channel 540.

 

[BFG]

All the games covered by OLN are only on OLN so there's nowhere else to see the game OLN is showing.

They put the NHL game on a seperate encrypted feed and only gave access to those carriers that have OLN on their basic tier. The regular OLN is showing the other programming.

 

[Cyclone]

I still find it hard to belive that a channel can black itself out during mid contract. I mean that if Dish has a contract to carry OLN for say two years, it shouldn't matter what they show, the would be obligated to provide it per the contract. If they want to be on AT60, then comcast should have cut that deal that last time OLN was up for renewal, or the next time.

 

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

That really blows. Who the heck does OLN think they are? Serve the customers first or have a "walk-out" before the season starts. Why pout while the season is in full swing? If OLN tries any more leverage, people should write to NHL and complain! This reeks of bait and switch. Getting E* and D* to offer OLN to lower packages (which will then raise rates for AT60 and TC).

 

[glennh73]

Yeah im pissed to and im from the Pittsburgh area, and really worried around playoff time as OLN will carry many of those games and some of the finals.


There was lot of pissed off Pen fans like me on Pens message board and even on OLN message board.

I honestly feel Dish should suck it up and just kick OLN off there network totally and tell OLN to kiss there ass.

Its a crummy channel and from those whom watched the game said the PQ and everything was awlful.

NHL screwed up again, better off on ESPN.

 

[Chris Walker]

Dish and the cable companies having issues with OLN should just remove OLN from their lineups for breaching their contracts. OLN would change their tune really quick if they lost 30-40 million viewers overnight. The NHL is in no position to tolerate OLN doing this.

 

[shanks909]

This is the last straw for me...still no home Blackhawks games on tv, now this OLN/Echostar mess!
You'd think the NHL would step in and try to fix the situation.
Instead of the "thankyou fans" on the ice, they should change it to "screw you fans"

 

[Barry Erick]

This is a normal practice for sat networks. ESPN has done it, as have others to force the level and payments of coverage. However, if it was not contract renewal time, it should not have happened.

The game was on HDNet

 

[Mr Tony]

I got ot see the game last night on OLN....via TSN in Canada

I didn't like their coverage (OLN's)...

 

[psychotrope]

How do you get TSN, Iceberg? Do you live in Canada?

 

[Kevin_Texas]

Stars where not shown on OLN last night

Stars will only have 7 games on OLN so the
heck with OLN

 

[Mr Tony]

How do you get TSN, Iceberg? Do you live in Canada?

sort of

got it via StarChoice

 

[mitchflorida]

OLN, the official cable home of the NHL, issued an official apology on NHL.com on Tuesday to DISH Network subscribers who were unable to see the Penguins' game against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. According to the network's director of public relations, Amy Phillips, OLN is in "active negotiations" with DISH Network to air NHL programming on the network. On Monday, DISH subscribers, including some in Western Pennsylvania, who expected to see the national cable debut of center Sidney Crosby were instead shown a traditional feed of OLN, one that didn't include the Penguins-Sabres game. Phillips was not able to identify the problem between OLN and DISH as it pertains to airing NHL games, saying only that it was "complicated" and that OLN "hoped to have this issue resolved quickly."

 

[dishrich]

Getting E* and D* to offer OLN to lower packages (which will then raise rates for AT60 and TC).

D* has had OLN in TC for at least the past 4+ years, so it's NOT an issue for D* subs...

 

[grb]

Is the NHL in destruct mode or what? Turning their back on fans and closing down for a whole year and then giving OLN the TV contract! The NHL exposure is already reduced by moving away from ESPN. How can they allow OLN to cut off the games from their already reduced audience, thereby reducing the NHL to obscurity?

How do they ever expect to get their fans back?

 

[Barry Erick]

NHL giving OLN the contract?

While I am a true hockey fan, networks, including ESPN, were not exactly knocking on the NHL's door. They were lucky to get OLN. There wasn't anyone else in the US.