Verizon fios cancels hunting and shooting channels

[va599]

Verizon fios just cancelled all of the hunting and shooting channels that I specifically subscribed to so I would have those channels. First the Sportsman's Channel next was the Outdoor Channel. Cancelled without any warning, I guess they think can pretty much do anything they want.

http://www.keepmyoutdoortv.com/

Click on the next link to send an email.
http://www.keepmyoutdoortv.com/viewer-data.asp

[MarcSpaz]

Wow. What a bunch of crap. How does that do anything but upset customers?

[Mav]

well that sucks.. I was going to move to them, cus Cox is getting on my.......
is this because of Oregon??

oh BTW links give me nothing.

[WVUBeta1904]

BS - I'd call to raise hell. Have you spoken to anybody at Verizon yet?

I have FiOS as well, and have been decently happy with them; of course, none of these companies have any incentive to do well by the customers, because there are only 2 or 3 to choose from in the first place. It's upsetting.

[va599]

well that sucks.. I was going to move to them, cus Cox is getting on my.......
is this because of Oregon??

oh BTW links give me nothing.

The links should bring you to a website that gives you options to let your voice be heard. You might need to cut and paste the links and put them in your browser to work...let me know if it works....

[va599]

BS - I'd call to raise hell. Have you spoken to anybody at Verizon yet?

I have FiOS as well, and have been decently happy with them; of course, none of these companies have any incentive to do well by the customers, because there are only 2 or 3 to choose from in the first place. It's upsetting.

I called them this morning. What makes it sting even worse is I just renewed with them in mid September. They are telling me that the cost for early termination will be $230.00 but at this point for the principle of it, I am very tempted to do it. I have been a loyal Verizon customer for 20+ years. They obviously don't get it. The worst part is the excuse they come back with is that the same type of content is available on other channels, like Nat Geo, Discovery, etc. Not so fast, I don't think so.....Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining. The whole point of why I had the subscription to them, was for those channels. I will post my progress and let you know what happens. I also am an NRA and VCDL member, I called and let them know also. The more people who call and complain the better we are, as for the principle of it I think I am done with Verizon.

[va599]

Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks announced on Thursday that cable provider Verizon has dropped Outdoor Channel from its television carriage service. The move comes less than a month after Verizon similarly removed Sportsman Channel from its lineup, and Verizon is now urging viewers to seek “alternative programming” such as the Discovery Channel and History.

“Our partners, advocates and viewers of outdoor lifestyle programming are very disappointed with Verizon’s actions in the last month,” said Jim Liberatore, CEO and President of Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks, in a press release. “It should concern all Americans that one company can silence the only relevant voice of an entire industry with the flip of a switch.”

Verizon explained that its decision to drop Sportsman Channel from FiOS TV last month was due to ongoing costs and other factors. At the time, the company did not give any indication that sister network Outdoor Channel would be dropped as well, although the channel was suspiciously absent in Verizon’s list of alternatives—which customers have criticized for not being similar to the removed channels in the least.

“We have decided not to renew our contract for Sportsman Channel due to its low viewership, and have discontinued broadcasting it. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause,” thecompany told customers in September.

Now with both channels gone, Liberatore said FiOS TV is almost completely devoid of any shows for hunters, anglers, and other outdoors enthusiasts. Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks is currently encouraging their viewers to demand their channels’ return on Verizon or alternatively, switch to another cable provider entirely.

Not surprisingly, many sportsmen and women are encouraging media companies to start outdoor-specific online video networks, where they will no longer be shackled by cable providers.

“I am advising all of the outdoor networks to come together and start Huntflix (like Netflix but for hunting and fishing),” wrote one commenter on Outdoor Channel’s Facebook.

The good news for fans of this programming is that these types of video-streaming networks already exist. CarbonTV, a division of OutdoorHub’s parent company Carbon Media Group, is one such service. It provides on-demand programming specifically geared toward those who love the great outdoors. You can check out CarbonTV’s diverse array of hunting, shooting, fishing, and rural lifestyle content here.

Editor’s note: Please forgive the shameless plug—but if you like outdoor TV, you’ll love CarbonTV.

http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2015/10/ ... -channels/

[va599]

Here is one of the video for more information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=22&v=-75aQBdYavw

[OakRidgeStars]

Not surprisingly, many sportsmen and women are encouraging media companies to start outdoor-specific online video networks, where they will no longer be shackled by cable providers.

This is the answer to providers that won't listen to their customers.

[Mav]

Is the Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel available on streaming services like hulu and nextfilx?

Mite be a better option and cheaper

[Jeff82]

I don't know but I'd be willing to switch to streaming. I've got Cox Cable now and just added the shooting channels a month or so ago. I was just starting to warm up to Verizon. Glad I didn't switch!

My wife got Amazon Fire TV for her birthday (she doesn't use it), maybe there's something on there...

[va599]

Is the Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel available on streaming services like hulu and nextfilx?

Mite be a better option and cheaper

For streaming this looks like a great option:

http://www.carbontv.com/

[va599]

Spent plenty of time on the phone today between Verizon and Comcast. Between the incentives that Comcast has and credits, I will take the early termination fee hit from Verizon and walk. Comcast said that between Verizon ditching the Weather Channel and now with the Sportsman's/Outdoor Channel, there will be more leaving Verizon. Supposedly, Comcast will be over next Sunday at 2:30 PM ready to install. Will keep you posted....

[va599]

Not surprisingly, many sportsmen and women are encouraging media companies to start outdoor-specific online video networks, where they will no longer be shackled by cable providers.

This is the answer to providers that won't listen to their customers.

You are exactly right.....but they still have Al Jazeera

Verizon has stated factually incorrect statements regarding this dispute in communications to their customers and in the press.

Here are the facts:

Outdoor and Sportsman each are among the least expensive networks carried by various cable and satellite providers throughout the U.S.
Verizon has chosen to continue to carry other higher cost /lower rated networks like Al Jazeera
Outdoor and Sportsman are the ONLY networks that cater 24/7 to the 130 million Americans who enjoy the outdoor lifestyle.
http://www.keepmyoutdoortv.com/our_statement.asp

[wittmeba]

You can use this link to view some subscriber comments and submit your own response. Click the "Email Verizon Fios" to view the email dialog box.

http://www.keepmyoutdoortv.com/

[Monkey]

That's for the info.

I was thinking about getting Fios in a bundle to help reduce overall costs.

Note to self: Don't drop Dish, as long as Channels 393-395 still work.

I only really wanted the phone/internet combo anyway.

[Swampman]

Got very tired of paying for crap. Had the lowest priced bundle from Dish ($40 month) and only had about three channels that I watched regularly. Canned Dish and went back to my antenna, and got a smart tv. Have high-speed cable internet through Comcast. I get a few broadcast channels over the air. Kind of bummed I don't get Fox 5 and NBC 4, cause I miss the football on those channels. But I do have Netflix, and get CarbonTV, amongst other internet channels. Hooked a computer up to the TV, as well as a DVD player. Looking at Amazon Fire and Chromecast, but not sold on either one yet. For the phone I have Magic Jack.

My costs per year are $838.35 for high-speed cable internet and Magic Jack. I dare say, anyone with satellite or cable tv or one of the highly over-priced bundles, can't come close to that price. The crap that is passed off as entertainment these days just isn't very entertaining.

And here you thought they're just using our public schools to dumb-down America.

[SHMIV]

There is so very little on television, even cable or satellite, that I have any desire to watch. I can't fathom paying for TV. (Although, I couldn't fathom having a car payment, once upon a time. TBH demands nicer transportation than the $500 road hazards that I like to buy.)

Back when I had high speed interwebs at my disposal, I just found what I wanted to watch and brought it up. Usually, it was old reruns of Rockford Files, Columbo, or something else that probably doesn't air on TV anymore.

Now, I just buy TV on DVD. Portable interwebs are too expensive to watch TV or Movies. Truckstop WiFi has too much traffic. By the time anything loads, you've been sitting for a couple hours already.

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[Swampman]

Actually, channel 7-2 airs all the old shows - Rockford Files, F-Troop, Gilligan, and so on. It's an over the air DTV broadcast.

[SHMIV]

That's cool. I'll have to set up an antenna at home. I stopped trying to watch free tv in the truck. It got too frustrating. Every time another truck cruises in front of mine, looking for a hole, it causes my signal to disappear. Usually, it's right at some critical point in the show, too.

TV on DVD, while pricey, is the least frustrating way to go for me, right now. I know what I want to watch, I can watch it at a time that is convenient for me, and I don't have to worry with signal interference (or, in a state like Nebraska or Wyoming, a complete lack of signal). I figure that it still costs less than burning hotspot data, and probably costs less than paying for satellite, considering that I don't have much time every month to watch TV, anyway. Plus, I'm not paying for a bunch of programming that I don't want to see.

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