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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@sadchel wrote:

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 

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Fox Business had been available as a Free Preview when it was a new channel.  I think it is now only available as part of a theme pack.

[ColdGranite]

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@-G- wrote:

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@sadchel wrote:

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 

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Fox Business had been available as a Free Preview when it was a new channel.  I think it is now only available as part of a theme pack.

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... or stand-alone for $4.

It is interesting that they stuck it into the $10 "US news"  theme pack ...

... but all the channels in that pack are available as flex channels on the Premiere tier... except for Fox Business.

[sadchel]

Was REWIND removed from Rogers Ignite?

I had it as a flex channel then a couple of days ago it said I needed to subscribe. Now it's blacked out on MYRogers flex channel options 

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@sadchel wrote:

Was REWIND removed from Rogers Ignite?

I had it as a flex channel then a couple of days ago it said I needed to subscribe. Now it's blacked out on MYRogers flex channel options 

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Rewind is available as a Flex Channel in the Flex 5, Flex 10 and Premier bundles.  If you subscribe to another package, it is only available as an individual channel or as part of the Classic TV & Movies theme pack.  I believe that it was also offered to all subscribers as a Free Preview, which would have expired a few days ago.

[sadchel]

I'm on premier, but I was to figure it out and flex it in

thanks

[57]

Not that they are watched by many people, however, Book TV and Fashion TV will cease broadcasting February 22.  This has nothing to do with Rogers.  The channels are owned by Bell.

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2021/2021-31.htm

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2021/2021-32.htm

https://www.rogers.com/customer/support/article/channel-updates

https://www.digitalhome.ca/threads/book-tv-and-fashion-tv-will-be-shutting-down.293021/

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It's not a surprise that these channels are going away.  They only broadcast in SD and neither have carried any programming that even remotely relates to the channel's description in ages.  However, it's still kinda sad how so many of the specialty channels, that launched back in the mid-90's/early 2000's, that offered fun, entertaining, informational or niche content, are now either gone or bear no resemblance to their former selves.

BookTelevision
Book Television is home to hit series based on the most well-known and loved books of all time, including mystery, true-crime, romance, classics, non-fiction, comics, graphic novels and cinema.

Fashion Television
FT is a sexy channel devoted to fashion, design, beauty, architecture and art. It's about our changing lifestyles, attitudes, fitness and health

[57]

My wife is an avid reader and some of that rubbed off onto me over the years.  I did enjoy some of the programming on BookTV back in the early days, such as "Books into Film." Sample link below:

https://www.channelcanada.com/canadian-channels/specialty-tv/book-telelvision/book-television-announ...

Some of this type of programming is still available on other channels that we watch regularly like TVO, PBS, CBC, etc.

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I got an email from Rogers last week announcing that BBC First will be launching on March 16 with a 1-month free preview.  This is good news for former BBC Canada subscribers.  However, we didn't quite get a new channel.  What actually happened was that the HIFI channel rebranded itself as BBC First.

[57]

Additional information on that topic in the link below:

https://www.digitalhome.ca/threads/bbc-first-to-launch-in-canada.293173/#post-3128075

[aboyaci]

I keep noticing that the Rogers Premier TV package has less and less total channels each month. It was 165 channels in March, then it was lowered to 125, and now it is down to 124 channels in the package. I dont know which channel was removed from the package. I just see it just goes down.

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@aboyaci wrote:

I keep noticing that the Rogers Premier TV package has less and less total channels each month. It was 165 channels in March, then it was lowered to 125, and now it is down to 124 channels in the package. I dont know which channel was removed from the package. I just see it just goes down.

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I also see "125 Total Channels" under TV but I think that this is just due to a bug on Rogers web site; this counter has been wrong for as log as I can remember.  If I click "View my channel lineup", I see many, MANY more subscribed channels.

[ColdGranite]

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@-G- wrote:

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@aboyaci wrote:

I keep noticing that the Rogers Premier TV package has less and less total channels each month. It was 165 channels in March, then it was lowered to 125, and now it is down to 124 channels in the package. I dont know which channel was removed from the package. I just see it just goes down.

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I also see "125 Total Channels" under TV but I think that this is just due to a bug on Rogers web site; this counter has been wrong for as log as I can remember.  If I click "View my channel lineup", I see many, MANY more subscribed channels.

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Actually, the 125 count is probably pretty close, but it depends on what they are counting as "ONE channel".

I went through their Premier list today, and by my count, they have 86 flex channels, and 37 "included" channels for a total of 123.  I had done the same thing in early February, when the Premier heading said "164" channels, and the count was actually 67 Flex and 58 included for a total of 125.

NOW... my count is "unique" channels.  For example, you get TCM on 46 and on 250 but that counts as ONE "channel" in their list of 125.

Furthermore, TSN1, and TSN2 are shown as only "2" channels, but in fact TSN1 is listed "plus additional channels" and it really includes all 5 TSN channels.   And so on.

I don't think there is any huge change in the number of channels available to you with the Premier bundle over the past few months... but it does appear that you have more FLEX channels than before, and fewer "Fixed" inclusions. 

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@ColdGranite  Good point.  https://www.rogers.com/web/consumer/ignite-bundles/get-iptv reports that Premier includes: 124 Total Channels / 86 Flex Channels

So that would be the correct number if you only subscribed to Premier.

However, previously the "Total Channels" count under TV in MyRogers counted ALL subscribed channels, including those from Theme Pack subscriptions, which matched the number of channels shown in "View my channel lineup".  So, in my case, I actually do get more than 125 channels but MyRogers is no longer displaying an accurate total anymore.

I won't argue about what number should be shown for the Total... but I can confirm that what is currently shown today may not accurately reflect the number of channels that you are actually subscribed to.

[ColdGranite]

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@-G- wrote:

@ColdGranite  Good point.  https://www.rogers.com/web/consumer/ignite-bundles/get-iptv reports that Premier includes: 124 Total Channels / 86 Flex Channels

So that would be the correct number if you only subscribed to Premier.

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Yes... 

I think what @aboyaci  was referring to... was just that.   In February, that very same list showed "164" as the number of channels in the header of the "Premier" column ie: "if you only subscribed to Premier".  But when you count the actual includes (and flex includes), you get about 123-4 THEN, just like now.   

His perception was that the number of channels offered in the bundle was dropping severely, but that does not appear to be so.  Their "164" count a few months ago had to be based on some other measure, whereas the "124" count today is obviously 124 "unique" channels/services.

[ColdGranite]

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@aboyaci wrote:

I keep noticing that the Rogers Premier TV package has less and less total channels each month. It was 165 channels in March, then it was lowered to 125, and now it is down to 124 channels in the package. I dont know which channel was removed from the package. I just see it just goes down.

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A detailed analysis of the Priemier package shows only 2 channels removed since November 2020

1.  Library channel...

2. Omni 2.

plus they are not listing all the stingray music channels.

The Library channel shutdown was known.

I am not sure what is with the OMNI 2 removal.  Although the channel 155 spot appears to be empty,  the Omni website still shows a schedule for both Omni 1 and Omni 2... 

Except that TODAY, on the Omni 1 slot (14 and 154)  they appear to be streaming the OMNI 2 schedule.

Anybody else know what is up?

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@ColdGranite wrote:
Anybody else know what is up?

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I'm not sure if any of us really know entirely what's up.  🙂

To add another data point: Rogers' back-end systems can also get messed up when the product teams re-jig how packages are structured.  When I first subscribed to Premier, it had 85 Flex Channels.  It then grew to 87, which I inherited, and that increased the number of Flex Channels that I got.  However, Premier now only comes with 86, but I am grandfathered at 87 and MyRogers doesn't seem to deal with this very well.  MyRogers shows that I am subscribed to 87 Flex Channels but I can only swap 86.

Weird things can also happen when a channel is scheduled to cease broadcasting.  The Ignite product team will often remove that channel from the lineup and prevent customers from subscribing to it.  However, if I have an  active subscription to that channel, it will remain active and I will continue to receive it, but cannot make Flex Channel changes without losing that package.  I can (and have) called Rogers Tech Support, and they can swap individual channels, but if they don't do things right (long story) your account can get into a bad state and you can then no longer swap Flex Channels until your account gets repaired.

[aboyaci]

I think you found it ColdGranite. Its the OMNI 2 channel that is missing in the list for some reason. Thats what brought it from 125 to 124.

The 164-165 channels included the 40 Stingray channels. I am aware these are all UNIQUE channels counted once. Not the duplicates as a second one. But I agree, OMNI 2 is the one that is missing in the list for whatever reason.

[danno100]

Ya got short changed on Fox1 Sports!! Thanks

[ColdGranite]

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@danno100 wrote:
Ya got short changed on Fox1 Sports!! Thanks

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Fox Sports has been a standalone $7 channel since June 2020.

[PatrickJB]

My channel line-up on MyRogers no longer lists the American networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and PBS), and browsing all available channels lists them as not being included in any of the bundles anymore. Does that mean we soon won't be able to watch them without an American theme pack or some such?