PAC-10 TV CONTRACT: Fox Sports Couldn't Care Less That They Suck
by Craig Powers on Sep 12, 2010 11:22 AM PDT
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PrintAmong the many disappointments of yesterday, one of the greatest had to be the thousands of Coug fans (and most likely Bobcat fans as well) who had planned four hours of their Saturday to sit down and watch the Washington State-Montana State game that was scheduled to be shown live on Fox College Sports-Pacific. FCSP is a premium channel, coming with a $5.99 a month price tag.
As most of you already know, FCSP determined it would be better to instead show a REPLAY OF SOUTH-CAROLINA CLEMSON SOCCER. I have no idea what prompted this change, as every schedule you could possibly find said that the WSU-MSU game would be aired. So I followed LeaveItToWeaver's lead and emailed Fox Sports about the problem. This is the response I received:
Response (Scott) 09/12/2010 09:12 AM
Dear Viewer:Thanks for taking the time to contact FOX Sports.
Each week we receive hundreds of inquiries from viewers on a variety of topics. Unfortunately, while each is read, due to the high volume we’re not able to personally respond, and for that we do apologize.
We welcome viewer feedback, and appreciate your point of view. We’ll pass it along to our senior executives.
Best regards,
FOX Sports Viewer Services
I ranted a few weeks ago about how Fox Sports makes questionable business decisions, but this whole episode takes the cake.
If you don't think Fox Sports sucks at what they do by now, just look at the email. They receive HUNDREDS of inquires a WEEK. OH MY GOSH THAT IS LIKE SO MANY. HOW DO THEY EVEN HAVE TIME TO SEND OUT THIS AUTOMATED RESPONSE? Seriously though, who doesn't receive hundreds of emails a week? Is it really that difficult to respond to fifty emails a day? Isn't that why you have "customer service" in the first place?
"Hundreds of inquiries" is not high volume. It is the standard volume for any single person that works in an office. Not a nationally recognized organization that operates dozens of television networks.
But of course, they are going to pass it on to the "senior executives!" The lowly customer service representative is too busy to answer this email, but the guys in charge have all the time in the world to do with it! That sure does make a lot of sense, Fox Sports.
This is just another thing (but quite possibly the worst) that Fox Sports has done to piss its viewers off. I am having a lot of trouble wrapping my head around what went into the decision to broadcast an old college soccer game over the scheduled live event. We do not pay "premium prices" to watch replays. We know that the game was produced, because DirectTV/Dish Network viewers who have the satellite alternates were able to see the game. That is why I sent an email, I wanted an explanation. I did not get one because of "high volume."
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Run Larry Scott, run far, far away from these guys when it comes to negotiating the Pac-12 television deal. Or at the very least, demand a higher level of professionalism (and more money).
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The sheet that was making the rounds
on this site with all of the channel numbers listed channel 134 in Portland as the place to be. My dad asked me a couple of days ago what channel it was on, so I told him that. So he goes and checks the TV, and THERE IS NO CHANNEL 134. So then he looks at the listings and sees FCS-P, and then we all know the rest. If it isn’t going to be televised, don’t tell people that it is.
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
I had that same problem
I told Matt, from ATQ, that we were on 134 in Portland on Comcast. He checked and said “we don’t have a 134.” It was weird.
by Brian Floyd on Sep 12, 2010 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions
It was on in Portland
Channel 134 is usually vacant, but it showed the Cougs Saturday, followed by USC-Virginia. It was off for a few minutes just before the half, due to “technical difficulties.”
Only problem the rest of the way was listening to Gesser as commentator.
by NW Pirate fan on Sep 12, 2010 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions
And Heister hair
Goodness that thing was bad.
by Brian Floyd on Sep 12, 2010 6:59 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Did it look as bad as He and Ehlo and/or Gesser sound while broadcasting?
I am so glad I didn’t have to (Try to) watch/listen this thing on TV.
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
I was at The Ram
So I got to listen the UW broadcast while freaking out about the Cougs. What a combination!
Luckily I didnt have to listen
Just caught a glimpse on the TVs in the stadium.
by Brian Floyd on Sep 12, 2010 7:41 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
The Couv had it
I saw it on Channel 134, I was over in Vancouver for the day. I had no idea it was on and only saw the 4th quarter. But, hey, that was the best part. Go Cougs!
As much fun as it is to rail on FSN, that email response isn't any different than other places
If you email to feedback email for any major organization, you will get an email like that back, it’s not just FSN. I do agree that FSN is the worst Network in the history of mankind, but they don’t care. As long as they make money and have people watch their crappy broadcast (If they happen to be on at the advertised time) they could not care less about feedback.
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
Agree- that's a pretty stock auto response
And it would be awfully inefficient of Fox to address each email individually. Hopefully they’ll issue a public statement in some fashion.
The response that will really matter is what they tell the Pac-10, and we should be concerned that the Pac-10 cares that they suck. I just hope Larry Scott and Bill Moos are as upset by this as we were.
twitter.com/b_dids Here, I am batman.
And to make matters worse
the radio feed I was listening to suddenly switched to the freakin’ Everett Aquasox game during a critical time in the game.
Oh well, listening to Jim Walden for 3 hours is about enough to make my ears bleed. I appreciate the intensity Jim, but c’mon…
Well the game was televised on Dish network
I was at the game, but recorded it at home and Dish Network did televise the game, so maybe this was a comcast issue?
I am a big fan of Dish Network
I love their DVRs and their programming… The only thing that I absolutely HATE is their Sports. They don’t have full-time HD Regional Sports Networks, meaning we miss a TON of M’s games and College Football and Basketball games in HD.
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
Thats why I don't like it
There is no reason for there not being full HD programming for FSN when every other provider does so, its very frustrating. On a side note, cougs are 20 point dogs to open against SMU.
That actually sounds about right
An away game against a bowl team last year
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
Apparently Comcast was trying to get Fox to fix the issue
since it was a mistake on their part. At least that’s what some people were saying who called them. We were put on hold for about 10 minutes before finally hanging up…
Per the Spokesman
“It was raining so hard in Crawford, Texas, where they route the signal, that while they could get the signal in, they couldn’t send it out.”
That seems awfully odd to me.
twitter.com/b_dids Here, I am batman.
HAHA
you think that would ever happen to ESPN? Didn’t think so.
by spencer peaty on Sep 12, 2010 4:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Due to rain in Bristol we will not be able to show you today's Rose Bowl
However, courtesy of ESPN Classic, please stay tuned for this PBA bowling tournament from 1985!
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
by GoCougs on Sep 12, 2010 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
Im telling you...
Turner Broadcasting is the way to go!!
Fox is garbage, I started watching the game today that was replayed and it was with normal cameras…still no HDs. If my news channel has better picture quality then a Pac 10 broadcast that is a sad day in sports.
Direct TV
I watched it at my home in Kirkland on Direct TV with no problem… sorry for the headache thousands of others went through.
FYI: Channel 688 on Direct TV is FSNNW… which is a Fox Sports channel; if there was supposedly a rain problem in Texas that affected comcast customers, why did it not affect Direct TV customers? I think many of you were simply lied to. Again, I had no problem receiving the broadcast.
It rains in Washington all the damn time
If TV feeds went down every time it rained, we would have to get our news and entertainment programing through telegraph.
I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Ugh
I think the rain problems effected the FCS People
They were getting the feed from FSN NW but they couldn’t get it out for whatever reason. This means that Comcast, DTV and Dish were getting the signal too, but they were able to send it out.
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
But my point is
It rains ALL THE TIME!!! Seattle seems to always send a signal out, all the time, no matter what.
I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Ugh
In their defense, Seattle rain is nothing like rain down here.
It sprinkles in Seattle. When it rains, it most certainly poors down here. There are flash flood warnings everytime we see a thunderstorm.
CougCenter Formerly known as Dancing Football
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by Craig Powers on Sep 12, 2010 6:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Down here meaning the South.
I don’t live in Texas, but I’m pretty sure the weather patterns are similar to Tennessee.
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by Craig Powers on Sep 12, 2010 6:18 PM PDT up reply actions
same exact response here.
Its definitely an auto-response. For those saying its a Comcast issue, I have Broadstripe so it was more of a “cable” issue, rather than a specific provider. But when you consider metro areas like Seattle having over 70% cable penetration, you know its simply not an individual cable provider sleeping on the job. I don’t buy the “inclement weather” story being floated around either. DISH and DIRECTV had it…
The best spot to voice our concerns with Fox Sports is the Pac-10 and WSU itself. When Fox is sitting across from Larry Scott at the negotiating table, we need both of them to be reminded of how crappy their product really is and for both of them to be realistic whether they deserve our conference’s TV rights.
by LeaveItToWeaver on Sep 12, 2010 5:59 PM PDT reply actions
This is the same company that brings us Fox "News"
You really think Fox Sports is going to be any better.
If Fox News can donate a million dollars to the Republican party, can Fox Sports donate a million dollars to WSU?
The K is special
Let's just stop this subthread before it gets ugly.
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by Craig Powers on Sep 13, 2010 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions
ugh
this is why Oregon switched from FSN to in house OSN a number of years back, then eventually to CSN. That said, CSN has its own problems. While we can get the games on whenever we want, distribution is limited to Oregon and Washington.
We badly need a Pac-10 network.
--Dave
Addicted to Quack, your friendly, neighborhood Oregon Ducks blog
OSN is actually broadcast on Comcast Sports Network nationally.
I was pretty excited to get the WSU-UO basketball matchup earlier this year. (I’m in Nashville)
CougCenter Formerly known as Dancing Football
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by Craig Powers on Sep 13, 2010 8:52 AM PDT up reply actions
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