Cal Athletics: Sandy Barbour gets Comcast.... & Goodbye DirecTV

Time for some humor and this is very funny!!!

P.S. Charter get the Pac 12 Networks so I can watch all those satellite dishes disappear from roofs all over Southern Oregon.  You will clean up on the competition! Le't get it done!!!!

16 Days and Counting

It's has been 16 days since the lunch of the Pac 12 Networks and the first college football weekend  of the season has already started and NO word from CHARTER!!!!!!

This is what you missed last night:

The Pac-12 Networks opened it football coverage Thursday night with the Utah-Northern Colorado game, with DirecTV subscribers unable to watch because of a distribution stalemate.

The network also televised the Arizona State-Northern Arizona game Thursday night, and has exclusive rights to 15 nonconference games and 20 Pac-12 games this season.

These are the games you will miss this weekend  if you are a Charter customer:

Friday, August 31

SJSU @ STANFORD

7:00 PM

Pac-12 Networks

Saturday, September 01

UNV @ CAL

12:00 PM

Pac-12 Networks

SDST @ WASHINGTON

7:30 PM

Pac-12 Networks

 

These may not be the greatest games of the season but they are Pac 12 games and we  want to watch them.  Charter regardless of what happens you have created a lot of unhappy customers. We shall not forget!

 

More Bad News!

John Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News reports today on his blog:

There will be no carriage deal this week between the Pac-12 and DirecTV.
The same goes for Charter and Verizon — no deals this week — but there’s still a chance that Dish Network and AT&T w/ill jump on board before kickoff Thursday

Read much more here:
.http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2012/08/29/pac-12-networks-no-deal-this-week-with-directv-and-other-news

Apparently the Pac 12 Networks  has issued a open letter to their fans  that states:  

"If you're one of the fans who won't be satisfied without Pac-12 football, or our more than 135 men's basketball games and hundreds of other live events, we recommend finding Pac-12 Networks with another television provider,"

The entire letter from the Pac 12 website:

Dear Pac-12 Fan,

We've heard from thousands of DirecTV subscribers who don't receive Pac-12 Networks and wonder whether they'll miss out on their teams' most important games of the football season. We have worked around the clock to make sure that doesn't happen, but with only a few hours remaining before the kickoff of the season, we're writing to inform our fans that we do not have a distribution agreement with DirecTV.
This means Pac-12 fans who subscribe to DirecTV are in jeopardy of missing all 35 football games scheduled for broadcast on Pac-12 Networks, beginning Thursday night.
As you may have read, DirecTV believes that all Pac-12 fans will be satisfied by the games they can watch through other networks. We know this is not true, based on the thousands of calls and emails we've received from you, particularly from fans of teams that other broadcasters don't typically feature. We also know that the other networks offered by DirecTV won't broadcast 20 of the Pac-12's conference games, starting with the Cal/USC matchup on September 22.
If you're one of the fans who won't be satisfied without Pac-12 football, or our more than 135 men's basketball games and hundreds of other live events, we recommend finding Pac-12 Networks with another television provider.
The good news is that most Pac-12 fans have options. These fans can switch their television service to one of the more than 30 distributors that offer Pac-12 Networks, including Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox. These providers offer Pac-12 Networks' full season lineup, including some of the most thrilling games of the season and TV Everywhere viewing online, on the iPad and on smartphones later in the season.
In just the first four weeks, Pac-12 Networks will feature all 12 schools, including appearances by #1 USC and two appearances by both #5 Oregon and #21 Stanford. Every weekend thereafter we will have at least two premiere conference matchups, all of which will have postseason implications.
To ensure you don't miss out, please contact one of the providers below to get Pac-12 Networks in time for the kickoff of football season.
Thank you for your continued support.

New Rumors on DirecTV

While I am tied up with the Republican convention this week, yes I am a political junkie too, check on the latest rumors here:

http://www.pacifictakes.com/

Will update any info on Charter as it happens.

The Pac 12 Answers Some Questions!

 BUT NOT ALL

http://blog.pac-12.com/pac-12-networks-your-questions-answered/

More Good News on DirectTV

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News has gone from tweeting the information about DirecTV to posting it on his blog with more details:

Having pieced together information from various sources, it appears the Pac-12 and DirecTV are close to a carriage deal.
Does that mean an agreement in the next few hours … or days … or next week? I’m not sure of the exact timing. And as with any negotiation, last-minute snags are always possible.
But it sure seems like only that — a last-minute snag — will prevent the two sides from reaching a deal prior to the start of the football season.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/collegesports/2012/08/21/pac-12-networks-updates-on-directv-and-coxcomcast-neuheisels-debut-and-the-objectivity-issue/

As I posted to the  folks over on Charter's facebook page yesterday, the Pac 12 Networks train is moving out with DirecTV on board and Charter should not be left at the station!  I got their usual canned response.

Be sure to read the "comments" to Wilner's blog because they are as informative as the blog posting !

UPDATE

USC Trojan Honk in his comments to this post writes the following:

In response to another request to Charter regarding the Pac-12 Network, customer rep John Mattingly this time has used another prepared statement that compared to the others we have read, offers some positive feedback: (NOTE: Notice the last sentence)

"We are interested in carrying the PAC-12 Network in a manner that takes into account the best interests of our customers. The latest terms offered by the PAC-12 Network require Charter to provide programming to our customers at an increased cost. We do appreciate your interest in our programming and hope to have the network for you soon. "

Hmmm...the word "soon" has been the most positive comment made since any of the various "canned" responses have been posted.

That is good news!

NEWS FLASH: Deal with DirectTV ?????

Jon Wilner tweet this morning:

"Piecing together info from sources on Pac12 & DirecTV: Cant predict last-minute snags but would b very surprised if deal not done "

Great news!!! Gives Charter customers an option to switch if they don't make a deal with the Pac 12 Networks.  Remember the old cigarette ad "I would rather fight than switch" Well, This might be the reverse for Charter customers.  We would rather switch than fight !

For the youngsters out there this from wikipedia:

"Us Tareyton smokers would rather fight than switch!" is an enduring slogan which appeared in magazine, newspaper, and television advertisements for Tareyton cigarettes from 1963 until 1981. It was the American Tobacco Company's most visible ad campaign in the 1960s and 1970s.

UPDATE: tweet from Wilner:

"And once deal in place, Pac12Nets will be airing on DTV in matter of hours. Groundwork being laid for transmission of signal "