Regional Sport channel question

[CoreyC]

How does Dish determine what areas to offer regional sport channels to?

The answer is not as easy as you would think. I have been trying to get channel 437 (sportsouth) for over a year now with no luck. My local cable company provides it here. DirectTv provides it here (channel 649). Dish Network refuses.

The only answer I get from customer service is that "It is not available in your area". When explaining that everybody else in my area offers it, I get the standard form answer about regional networks only being available in certain areas.

I can't even get customer service to direct me to somebody who can do something about it. Its like the higher ups do not want to be bothered with regional network questions.

Any suggestions? The Braves have 105 games on SportSouth this year, and it is not even offered on the MultiSport addon.

Edit: I've been playing with THIS FORM and found that the high school 3 miles down the road (different zip) would be able to get this channel. Why must Dish be so impossible?

 

[KE4EST]

Strange we get here. You are not that far from me.

 

[CoreyC]

I know... it is frustrating. I had them check a couple different zip codes in Henderson county and none of them came up as available. I'm willing to be that every county around us does get it through Dish.

Strange we get here. You are not that far from me.

 

[dak32]

Time to "move" to another zip code.

 

[CoreyC]

Time to "move" to another zip code.

How easy is it to do that? Can I just change my zip code online (when I move, of course)?

 

[play4fun]

Probably a good thing you didn't see the game today. They had the Phillies 10-3 in the 7th or 8th inning and ended up losing 12-11. They couldn't throw a strike to save their lives and ended up walking in 6 runs.

 

[CoreyC]

Probably a good thing you didn't see the game today. They had the Phillies 10-3 in the 7th or 8th inning and ended up losing 12-11. They couldn't throw a strike to save their lives and ended up walking in 6 runs.

I found a video stream online. The pen was terrible. Some very questionable coaching calls. Not a good game at all.

I guess I am going to wait it out about a week and 'move' about 20 miles. I just sent a couple emails to dish about this, so it would not be wise for me to do it today.

 

[jrbdmb]

If you are a die-hard Braves fan you may want to switch ... Dish is also missing all of the Peachtree games (unless you live in the Atlanta DMA). DirecTV or cable may be a better alternative in your case.

 

[commodore_dude]

If I lived outside the Atlanta DMA there's no way I'd stick with Dish, I believe Peachtree TV has about 2 dozen games left (all in HD but I don't think anyone's getting them that way outside Atlanta).

 

[play4fun]

If I counted correctly, Peachtree Tv will be showing 44 games. DirecTv does carry Peachtree on channel 651 but it's not in HD.

 

[Chinatown]

Another alternative

Is MLB TV on-line. The video with the Nexdef download & HDMI from the computer to TV is incredible & you can watch 4 games at once.

In addition,you can watch the home or away feed. It is about $50.00 less then the full season subscription from Directv. At $20.00 a month, you cant beat it.

One Caveat,...... go to the website put in your zip code to be sure you can get the Braves games

 

[CoreyC]

So I used the "find your locals" (also lists RSN) form on dishnetwork.com and created this Google Map.

LINK

The green pins are surrounding zip codes that I checked that get channel 437. The red dot is me, the only zip code in this area that does not get it.

I brought my link to the DN chat support and they still could not do anything about it. I asked who I could call and talk to, and he said nobody... if he could not do anything it could not be fixed.

I can't believe I spent 2 hours on that map for nothing. I just knew I had them backed into a corner when I started the chat.

What is with Dish Network's unwillingness to listen to their customers? Are they assuming that I am lying to them when I tell them that DirecTV and Mediacom offers this channel to my zip code?

I know I could 'move', but it seems silly.

 

[CoreyC]

I've resorted to making an ass of myself. I sent an email to just about every echostar email address I can find with information I have gathered the past week:

A list of 15 zip codes surrounding me that gets this RSN (channel 437). All of these zip codes are in a 8 mile radius of mine. I got this info from dishnetwork.com.

A link to DirecTV showing that they offer this channel to my zip code.

A link showing that MediaCom offers it to my zip code.

If the issue is not resolved in a week I am going to switch to DirecTV. I refuse to pretend like I am moving to get a channel I am supposed to get anyway.

I've been a long time customer of Dish Network and have been happy for the most part. This problem started a couple years ago when our zip code changed, and I have been fighting with them ever since.

 

[Dgenx321]

Kind of like Dish all of a sudden started blacking out Pittsburgh Pirate games for me when I've been able to watch them for 9 years.....

 

[bumblebee8]

If I lived outside the Atlanta DMA there's no way I'd stick with Dish, I believe Peachtree TV has about 2 dozen games left (all in HD but I don't think anyone's getting them that way outside Atlanta).

Peachtree has 40 games left, it is so bad that Braves Fans that have Dish cannot get these games for their customers as Directv and cable does. I don't believe these games carried by directv is in HD but who cares if we could just watch them. The same goes for the customers that can't get Sportsouth. As I was listening to the game tonight on satelitte radio, I asked myself why am I doing this when I could switch to directv and get all the games. The answer is I just hate to change out equipment (622), I have had good luck and good service from Dish and would not even consider switching if I could only get the games on peachtree. When you have been a Braves fan forever, you really miss watching them every night, win or lose.....

 

[CoreyC]

I finally pitched enough of a fit that a dispute specialist called me today. He had me send him a copy of my property taxes (???) and said he will see what he can do. I know that FCC regulations allow the channel to be here, so I will know if they are being lazy about this or not. I will switch to DirecTV if they do not add the channel.

I can miss the PeachTree games on TV. I think they only have 41 more games. I have the MLB iphone app that will stream audio for these game.

The only game from PeachTree that I will hate to miss the the Redsox series, and that is only if Smoltz pitches. I do not think I live close enough to Atlanta to get PeachTree anyway.

SportSouth has 105 games this season though.... that is a huge chunk of the season. Getting this channel is important enough to me that I will not hesitate to switch if Dish doesn't make it right.

 

[Mud Duck28]

I keep e-mailing customer care, ceo@ echostar and make phone calls, but I might as well be talking to the wall, or so it seems. It just floors me that Dish can carry Peachtree in Atlanta, but can't get the same agreement Direct, Charter, Comcast and Mediacom can get to redistribute the games for the Braves local area. Unbelieveable.

 

[CoreyC]

I keep e-mailing customer care, ceo@ echostar and make phone calls, but I might as well be talking to the wall, or so it seems. It just floors me that Dish can carry Peachtree in Atlanta, but can't get the same agreement Direct, Charter, Comcast and Mediacom can get to redistribute the games for the Braves local area. Unbelieveable.

Isn't PeachTree the old Turner South? I can't remember the viewing areas for that channel.

 

[Mud Duck28]

Peachtree is the local Atlanta channel formerly TBS. TBS is still a national channel, but has no local feed in the Atlanta area. The old Turner South is now Sportsouth.

 

[CoreyC]

I got an email from Dish Quality, who was very nice, but still was not able to help me.

I keep getting the same standard form answer about zip codes. Nobody will comment on actual geographical locations. I highly doubt that it is against FCC regulations to provide me with this channel when every zip code around me does get it (and every other TV provider here does). Somebody is just being lazy.

I hate to leave Dish. Other than this situation, I feel very comfortable with them. They treat their customers better than DirecTV does IMO, but at the end of the day it is about what channels show up on my TV. DirecTV can provide what I want.

I still have that contact with the Customer Dispute Resolution dept. working on it for me. I do have a DirecTV package picked out if I don't see a change by this weekend.