Channels 222, 223 & 224 Missing (Kenora & Thunder Bay)

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visiter555

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For the past three days I am totally missing (from the guide) the Kenora and Thunderbay channels (I believe) 222, 223 & 224. My coworker is also missing them. We both have called Bell and went through the usual crap with no success. Both 82 & 91 are peaked and are giving great numbers.

Bell seems to be unable to do anything to bring them back.

Receivers are: 3100, 4100, 6100 and 9242.

Any thoughts?
 
I also noticed that those 3 channels are missing. I rebooted my receiver a few times with no luck and since I don't watch them very often I decided to just wait it out for a bit to see if they come back on their own.
 
Your only supposed to receive those channels if you live in that area.

Bell's been clamping down on out of area viewing lately.
 
Hugh,

Bell didn't have an answer before. The latest CSR response is that "..222 & 223 are being blacked out by the broadcaster [CTV] and that ExpressVu is having problems with [sat] 82 where 224 ThunderBay CTV is being beamed from."

I have checked with two co-workers who also have EVu and they are now getting the same story. EVu has no information when these three channels will be returning to service.

From EVu's brochure online (updated April 2008) included in the Digital Standard package:

CTV — Thunder Bay* . . .222
CBC — Thunder Bay* . . .223
CTV — Kenora* . .224

The asterisk indicates additional hardware may be required (as in sat 82).

http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/channels/channel_lineup.pdf

or

http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/channels/english_menu.pdf
 
They are part of the Digital Standard Package so I am not sure what you mean by they are clamping down. Clamping down on what, considering they are part of the package???
 
Thunder Bay and Kenora channels are special in that they have specific blackout rules. Those within the Thunder Bay and Kenora broadcast area only have access to the channels. When the same programming is available at the same time on big market stations, Thunder Bay residents would be blacked out from the content on the bigger market stations so they would watch their local channel. This is likely to protect the interest of smaller market broadcasters.

If you received the channels for whatever reason, you probably shouldn't have had access to them unless you live within the channels broadcast area.

Other local channels with similar rules would be in Lloydminster, Terrace, and Riviere du Loup.
 
I used to get the Kenora station too, and I see that it's been removed from my guide as well..

Two years before I got an HD tuner, I installed an extra LNB so that I could get satellite 81. I did this specifically to watch the Kenora station and Silver Screen...

Many Manitobans own summer cottages in the Kenora area and frequent the town in the summer. It was nice to watch the local news during the week to see what was happening in the area. Now it seems we can no longer do this.
 
When I had BEV I had those channels for the longest time, even though I wasn't suppose to get them.

I know theor some locals on BEV that only if your in that area are to get them.

I think there are few out west as well Lloydminster, and some in BC for both CBC & CTV. I think this was some type of deal BEV signed with CAB or some organization like that. Funny SC has those same locals yet they were available to everyone.

I'm not sure how it is now as I no longer have BEV or SC.
 
If you check Bell's literature that I posted links to, you will see they are included as part of the networks with no restrictions. The funniest part of it is that the literature is dated April 2008...
 
Hi all,

I having been experiencing the same problems with the stations disappearing from the guide. Even though I live in the area and have been watching the channels for a few years.

About a week ago, I called express Vu and they stated that it was a problem on their end and the channels would return.

I waited for about a week and still the channels had not returned, so I called again and got conflicting stories from two different supervisors. I got to the first supervisor after the csr rep told me that the channels were not available outside of the Thunder Bay area. I asked what I was supposed to do as that was my source of news and local content.

I kid you not, the rep said other than moving to Thunder Bay there was nothing he could do for me. I told him that I could take a joke as good as the next guy, but you can't be serious. He was, so I asked to speak to a supervisor.

The supervisor came on line, and informed me that the broadcaster had requested that the content not be made available outside of the Thunder Bay area. I asked why it had been working all along. He stated that it was a free trial and that had ended. I informed him that I was not buying that load of bull and no company runs a three year free trial. I asked him why they ( Dougall Media) would restrict content to Express vu and not to Star Choice as the channels are still working on Star Choice. No answer only that he was unaware of the what the competitors are offerring. I informed him that I was aware and would confirm with someone I knew that had that service and call him back.

I did and called him back but got to another supervisor. This supervisor informed me that I was entitled to the programming and there was something on their end that master controllers were looking into. I was assured that the problem should be rectified within a few days. We will see...

I did note however in my research that SC base service package was indeed cheaper and had many of the programs I need to receive.

Funny things happen when you force your customers to explore their options......


Thanks for the soal box.... rant off...
 
I was at a friend's place last night, who has a pirate system... he showed me 122, 123 & 124 live and on the air...

It is very interesting that EVu is STILL broadcasting them, different from some of the "stories" some of us are getting from bell as in "technical" difficulties.

As I said it is still on their brochure and when I called yesterday I got the two confilciting Beverisms (lies) about TB, Kenora & Dryden.
 
In Thunder Bay if you live in Shuniah Township...NO 222 or 223

Thunder Bay only...Is what I hear.
 
That is the real answer. No matter what you've been told, there's no free trial or master control issue. The fact is everyone (almost) was getting these channels due to a technical glitch that EV just realized and fixed. So now the glitch has been fixed and the channels are no longer there as they're only available for viewers in their own area.
 
BoogieManX,

The stations are not restricted to a set viewing area as per Bell's programming guide (available via PDF). This is the same circumstances that the CRTC is investigation Star Choice on with the CBC station out of Sask that they have "dropped".

I have filed a complaint with the CRTC referencing the Star Choice one and giving my details from Bell. Interesting what the different stories are on the availability of these three Bell and one Star Choice dropped channels.

Call up Bell's sales line and ask them if you get these three channels (I did this morning) and they are "available to all Basic subscribers who have their dish pointed to 82 degrees."

Vis
 
These channels are only limited to Kenora and Thunder Bay area residents and are still on air. The programming brochure I see online has an asterisk beside these city names, among others. The asterisk explains that the channels availability varies by region.



http://www.bell.ca/web/tv/en/all_regions/pdfs/channels/english_menu.pdf
 
Geez, I have lived in Thunder Bay for 2 years and before reading this thread didnt even know we had a local channel on BEV. Thanks :)
 
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