NHL Blackout?

[nlk10010]

I'm in the NYC Area and get MSG and FSNY, so that normally I will get all local teams' broadcasts (Devils, Islanders, Rangers). I was sitting in front of my TV (D*) watching the Islanders game on MSG and all of a sudden got the "Program not available in your area". Would anyone knowledgeable in these areas let me know if this makes any sense or if D* is s****ing up?

=NLK=

 

[BFG]

There's 2 games on MSG the sabres and the islanders. Check for a channel right next to MSG, it might be there...

 

[nlk10010]

Yea, I realize that MSG is split and 627 is supposedly the extra channel carrying the Buffalo feed of the game. But 621 is/was the Islander feed and on top of that now 624 (FSNY) carrying the Devils game is blacked out. I'm on the phone now with a D* rep but I'm not holding out any hope of them understanding what I'm talking about.

=NLK=

 

[bgartz]

same problem here.. These games should not be blacked out

 

[AppliedAggression]

I'm getting the same problem here with the Sabres game and also the Pens VS NJ game. Just talked to Directv, he checked a logged and said they are getting a lot of calls for these 2 games. Everyone is blacked out. They're working on fixing it now..

this is pissing me off tho..I already hate how directv does CI and now they need to mess this up...

 

[bgartz]

Any updates on this.. They keep hanging up on me, and the old retention number is no longer active.. So I sit on hold yet again..

 

[AppliedAggression]

nope...still not getting the same 2 games

Please let me know if you get either of the games working.

 

[bgartz]

gee they tell me that the games are blacked out.. GO figure.. Since these are local games on the local RSNs I don't understand..

 

[AppliedAggression]

i made sure the guy i talked to knew they weren't suppose to be blacked out in my area. as far as i know, they're blacking out everyone. we need more ppl calling in and complaining


Anyone using a reguar receiver and try restarting it every so often? I have a tivo and this crap takes forever to restart. I've done it twice, onece before calling and once after and it didn't help.

 

[Digital Dude]

Direc has been screwing up on blackouts all fall. I had to call them 2 weeks in a row. The really aggravating thing is whenever they screw up they just say "blackout". The CSR's have no freakin clue, and they don't have the ability to connect you to anyone who knows sh*t from shineola.

Two weeks ago after 1 1/2 hours calling them and being escalated, telling them that a college football game between 2 schools 2 and 3 time zones away was blacked out but Dish subscribers had the game, a poor girl talked to her supervisor (who had no time for me) and he said "blackout".

BS

If they can explain EXACTLY why it would at least placate some folks. Have you guys checked the Dish forum to see if it's just Direc's uplink chimps again?

 

[bgartz]

I was told that the MSG channel should be blacked out due to some contract issue, but that I should be recieving the Devils game

 

[nlk10010]

Direc has been screwing up on blackouts all fall. I had to call them 2 weeks in a row. The really aggravating thing is whenever they screw up they just say "blackout". The CSR's have no freakin clue, and they don't have the ability to connect you to anyone who knows sh*t from shineola.

Two weeks ago after 1 1/2 hours calling them and being escalated, telling them that a college football game between 2 schools 2 and 3 time zones away was blacked out but Dish subscribers had the game, a poor girl talked to her supervisor (who had no time for me) and he said "blackout".

BS

If they can explain EXACTLY why it would at least placate some folks. Have you guys checked the Dish forum to see if it's just Direc's uplink chimps again?

That's "shinola", I think.

I have heard said that the local Cable systems are getting the games, so we can only conclude it's D*'s problem.

I'll go out on a limb and tell you EXACTLY what I think is going to happen. The blackouts won't be fixed tonight and D* will issue an apology saying it was a technical glitch and it will be corrected tomorrow. Then the next time OLN does a broadcast THE EXACT SAME THING WILL HAPPEN. Whether it's Islanders/Devils/Rangers or the local teams involved in the OLN game or whatever I don't know, but D* will have no problem saying, with a straight face, it was an error and they'll correct it all the while not making ANY effort to do so.

=NLK=

 

[kevlard1]

It must be D*'s problem because I have cable and I am getting those games.

 

[Diamond Jim]

If OLN's contract is anything like ESPN's was, regional FOX Sports Nets will be blacked out while the "national" games are broadcast. As soon as the OLN game is over the FSN should light up with the later games. Of course, that doesn't do you any good if the game you want to watch is in the same time zone as the national game. Though I am a Flyers fan I will watch any game because of the love for the sport, so I made a point to watch every game I could on FSN. I went through this 2 years ago when the FSN regionals were on the big dish.

 

[AppliedAggression]

this is Bullsh!t...i just called back and was hung up on.

 

[AppliedAggression]

ok...just called back..again.. and spoke with a somewhat knowledge girl who was really nice. she said they are aware of the problem and have lots of ppl calling in and understand that it's NHL opening night and we're probably pretty upset. She offered some compensation for this and offered me showtime free for 3 months, i asked her what else she could offer me and she said she can give me any movie package for $10 off for 6 months.

I ended up getting HBO for $2/month for 6 months.

I recommend anyone else going through this crap to call in and at least get something for the frusteration.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Good, I am glad I was wrong on the blackout thing.

 

[AppliedAggression]

Scott's post on the Dish NEtwork forum seems to have hit it on the head. Directv does not have a current contract with FSNY and MSG.

Who knows when they will be able to show those teams again.

 

[nlk10010]

Scott's post on the Dish NEtwork forum seems to have hit it on the head. Directv does not have a current contract with FSNY and MSG.

Who knows when they will be able to show those teams again.

That post seems to indicate only that D* doesn't have a contract with MSG to show the Buffalo Sabres games. That wouldn't apply to the local MSG/FSNY stations. Besides, if D* didn't have a contract with MSG one would expect not to get ANY MSG programming, which of course we do.

There's something going on; unfortunately, the people who SHOULD know what it is don't.

=NLK=

 

[bgilga]

I am a CI subscriber and I received both those games. As a matter of fact I had the Pens-Devils game on 2 channels.