Changes to Ignite TV Channels in Packages and Theme Packs

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I'm starting this thread to give us a place where changes to the Ignite TV channel lineups can be announced and discussed.

Rogers already has pages that show Free Previews and New Channels but I have not been able to find any pages that list planned/upcoming changes to the default channel lineups for Ignite TV Packages, Theme Packs or the Flex Channels that we can choose from.

For example, my latest bill contains a note informing me that Fox Sports Racing will no longer be part of my package effective June 14, 2020 but will still be available to subscribers as part of the Adventure Theme Pack.  However, it still shows as an included Flex Channel in Premier and an optional Flex Channel in Popular.

@CommunityHelps  Are you aware of any other upcoming changes that you can share here so that we can also plan accordingly?  Thanks!

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[JamesLeung]

I'm more a visual guy, the sound seems good enough though, if it comes out decent on my soundbar with subwoofer, it's fine w me.  And it does.  

[ckyriazis2006]

I just wanted to chime in I did receive an email on April 14th regarding the eventual loss of Fox Sports Racing.

Unfortunately because I have a bulk cable deal through my townhouse maintenance fees I was unable to add FSR back to my package. I spent over an hour on the phone with a nice gentleman a few weeks ago and he was unable to do that or the theme pack which I didn’t mind paying for since IMSA/WEC races are on Velocity.

Ultimately my hope is FOX drops FSR all together and TSN picks up the slack otherwise it’s  twitch streams for the foreseeable future for me.

[WPM1951]

Did Rogers reply to CRTC on this issue? 

[User1030445]

 Nothing from the CRTC yet,  have had a few emails come from them but nothing to indicate how this was resolved with Rogers.   Also had one email from a Rogers employee, Presidents Office.  I responded back and not a thing since.   Feels like a lot of things now a days with Rogers,  screw it who cares what customers think. 

[User1030445]

 An update on the issue with the removal of Fox Racing without notice from my Rogers package, I said I would come back and update this thread when it happened.

 Issue is now resolved with both Rogers and CCTS (Commission for Complaints for Television Service) found here https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/ . 

  My first contact with the Presidents office did not go well,  that individual didn't seem to want to work with me on this issue,  seemed not to understand my concerns.  That delayed the resolution for some time it seems.

   The complaint went thru to the CCTS and it seemed that prompted another contact from Rogers, a new person from the Presidents office reached out.  This individual  seemed much more open to understanding the situation and was committed towards working thru to a resolution. That second individual agreed that Fox Racing was removed from my package without notice (it was never communicated to me through my bill or otherwise -it may be all digital platform customers were not notified as others here complained of this situation as well - those with Ignite did get notified thru their bills).  The CCTS guidelines require 30 days notification for channel changes.

  I was offered Fox Racing back until my package expired near year end and they would credit my account for this additional charge,   it is a additional $7 a month now for Fox Racing.   I chose to go another direction and asked that the extend my current package a year and not bother with Fox Racing being added back.   This was agreed to , in addition the Rogers rep had my modem charge knocked off the bill for 12 months and extended my package beyond where it was to expire late this fall.  This ended up giving me a $10 reduction in my monthly package (mind you Rogers had applied about $20 in annual increases in my package since I agreed to it back in 2018).  So a bit of a win, I am half way back to the price I started at in 2018.  Most important to me was to get my current agreement and discounts extended out to next year. 

 I understand it is very hard at the moment to strike deals with Rogers when your agreement ends at the moment , some think it is because of Covid and the restrictions Bell and other competitors have with doing installs etc...  more difficult to switch providers.   This pushes my agreement out to the fall of  2021 before it expires which gets us thru this pandemic probably,  if I do choose to switch providers it will be a lot easier then.  Took a couple of months,  I am happy with how Rogers handled this in the end,  just took awhile to get to here.

[-G-]

FYI: Changes are coming to the Stingray Music channel lineup.  By my count, on Ignite TV, 29 channels will be removed and 9 new channels will be added.  Similar changes will be made to Digital TV in Ontario.  Looks like Ignite TV, Digital TV (Ontario) and Digital TV (Atlantic) will now share a common Stingray channel lineup.

... and this was the notification on my most recent bill:

STINGRAY TV CHANNEL CHANGES

We continue to review and adjust our TV channel lineup to reflect the needs and viewership of our customers. As a result, we will be adding some of the more popular Stingray audio channels to your TV package on October 1, 2020. At the same time, we will be removing Stingray audio channels with lower viewership; this means they will no longer be a part of your TV or Stingray Plus package as of this date. We will also be re-assigning channel numbers for some of the Stingray audio channels. For a full lineup of channel updates, visit www.rogers.com/channel-updates. The rest of your Rogers TV package will remain the same. This change is made in accordance with the CRTC Television Service Provider Code. If you have any questions or wish to change or cancel your TV services, check out the Contact Us section of this bill.

[ReneHache]

I'm a bit sad to see Eclectic Electronic being removed, I really wish there was more EDM style channel like Trance, Hands-Up, Hardstyle, Euro Dance... Also I would love to see 90s, 2000s and UK Chart Toppers.

From the list being removed it seen that either Rogers or there customer don't care about multicultural and/or French Stingray channels. Also sad to see the overall number of Stingray channels being reduce. Good thing there's the Stingray app with 1000s of channels, but it would be nice to have some great ones on TV.

[aboyaci]

Is it correct that BBC Canada is shutting down at the end of the year? Are there any other channels that are shutting down as well? Any new channels to be added soon?

[RogersMaude]

Hi there @aboyaci,

Thank you for posting to the Rogers Community! We certainly want to address your concerns.

Whenever Rogers discontinues a channel or if ever you'll stop having access to it, you will see a message on your bill prior to the changes taking place. Were you notified that you would no longer have access to BBC Canada via bill message, or did you receive an update from us?

I was not able to confirm this on my end but if you could provide us with more information, let us know! 

RogersMaude

[-G-]

@RogersMaude  I have not seen any official announcements yet on either the BBC Canada site or from Corus Entertainment but both Shaw and Telus have informed their customers that BBC Canada will cease broadcasting on December 31, 2020.  BBC Canada's Wikipedia page has also been updated but there no details or citations explaining why the channel will be closing down, only a date when it will be.

[aboyaci]

exactly

[-G-]

Still practically no information out there (at least that I have been able to find so far) concerning the impending shutdown of BBC Canada.  FYI, an Internet search also turned up the following notice from HAY Communications to their customers:

Discontinuance of BBC Canada December 31, 2020

From Corus Entertainment:

“We have made the decision to cease the distribution of BBC Canada, effective December 31, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EST.”

[-G-]

@RogersMaude  I am currently subscribed to BBC Canada and my latest Rogers bill did not contain any notification that the channel will be discontinued.  However, if you go to https://www.rogers.com/web/consumer/ignite-bundles/get-iptv and select the "Channels" tab, you will see that BBC Canada has been removed from the lineup.

"BBC Canada" is still an active channel (for now at least) and I can still tune to it.  However, this channel removal has messed up my TV account on MyRogers... again.  "BBC Canada" is no longer on my list of Flex Channels, has disappeared from the channel list on "Exchange Flex Channels", and the Premier bundle (in my area) has apparently also been reduced from 87 Flex channels to 86.

[-G-]

Check out https://www.rogers.com/web/consumer/ignite-bundles/channels for some notable changes:

BBC Canada has been dropped from the list

Also, it used to be that subscribing to TSN1 gave you all of the TSN channels.  Now TSN2 is a separate channel, which requires that you either purchase it separately or subscribe to it as a Flex channel.

BBC Canada is also back on Exchange Flex Channels, which is good.  (You would have lost the channel when performing a Flex channel swap or could have also potentially ended up with your Flex Channel manager in a bad state when the channel ultimately disappears completely.)

[aboyaci]

So what is happening with TSN1 and TSN2 now?

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@aboyaci wrote:

So what is happening with TSN1 and TSN2 now?

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With this recent change, a TSN1 subscription now only gives you access to TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5, and TSN4K.  TSN2 is now a separate Flex channel.

[daniel6878]

Typical Rogers, always trying to swindle customers out of channels.  with TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5, and TSN4K, it only makes sense that TSN 2 should go with it and not be a separate flex channel. Rogers is alway looking to squeeze more money out of their customers.

[aboyaci]

So this also means that you are losing out on one extra flex channel choice. Nice.

[ReneHache]

Wish people would stop automatically blame Rogers for everything, Sometime things change when re-new contract with the channel owner or other reason that are out of Rogers' control...

[-G-]

FYI, the BBC Canada discontinuation notice has been added to https://www.rogers.com/customer/support/article/channel-updates

BBC Canada
As of January 1, 2021, BBC Canada channel will no longer available. The broadcaster has decided to stop airing this channel. This means they will no longer be part of your TV or theme package. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. At this time, we will not be replacing these channels with other alternatives.

[sadchel]

What happened to Fox Business Channel?

Was it not available as a flex channel?

Now I can't seem to find it in the flex channel options