40% Of BEV Subs Have Signed Up For New Programming

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Here ya go possums....Fresh off the wire...

Bell ExpressVu Customers Up-grading to New Digital Channels

TORONTO, Feb. 8 /CNW/ - In September 2001, Bell ExpressVu added 40 new
digital channels to their programming line-up and made them available to
customers free of charge until Jan 7, 2002. Since the end of the free preview,
Bell ExpressVu is pleased to announce that 40% of its customers have signed up
to receive new theme packages, which include new digital channels.
"It is clear our customers enjoy our digital services and the way we
offer our programming," said David McLennan, President and COO of Bell
ExpressVu. "Bell ExpressVu customers are accustomed to receiving top quality
service, flexible programming options and more choice."
Customers started ordering the new digital channels soon after the
September launch, and the demand for the new services continues to grow. Bell
ExpressVu has been upgrading up to 25,000 customers in a single week. The
Direct-to-Home-satellite company attributes this success to being first in the
market to go public with its pricing and packaging options making it easy for
their customers to make informed decisions.
With over 1,000,000 customers, Bell ExpressVu is Canada's leader in
digital home entertainment and broadcasts over 275 video digital channels to
an 18-inch dish - the smallest in Canada. Bell ExpressVu was launched in
September 1997 and since then has become the largest and fastest-growing
direct-to-home broadcast company in Canada. Bell ExpressVu is a limited
partnership, wholly owned by BCE Inc.

[Angelfish]

I don't have a question about the post but I do have a question about the picture that comes up with your nic...is that really what you look like, and is that a picture on the wall behind you or is there a parrot sitting on your shoulder, I can't tell.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

LOL...The macaw's name is.....Filthy! /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif

....Just kiddin' with ya Filthy!

BTW- I only slightly resemble the gent pictured.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

This is good news for the diginets, that's for sure. I bet though, that most of this is because some diginets were mixed into packages with established channels. I wonder how the themes consisting entirely of new channels are doing.

Or to put it another way, o-n-e is part of the Learning package with channels like History, Discovery, TLC and PBS. Somehow I doubt o-n-e is the channel most people pick Learning in order to get.

(I wonder how long it will take before someone insists the other 60% are subscribed to Locals only)

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Heh heh heh... what a deceiving press release.

Speaking from experience, I would qualify as one of the "upgrades" because I got rid of the full-blown package and changed over to the Super nine-pack. This saves me a few bucks a month, and only includes new channels (such as EdgeTV) because it was the only way to keep the old (Muchmusic etc.)

However, it does show how much easier the digital channels have it on Satellite, since every household already has the flexibility of a digital ready box (unlike cable.)

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Yes, however Star Choice has segregated all the diginets, so they won't get subbed to by people like you or me, who want to keep existing services.

Marketing is all about getting people to buy things they'd never buy if they thought about it! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[**DONOTDELETE**]

There was a simular artical in todays Globe & Mail about the Digital Channels.The artical meantions BEV,Rogers,and Shaw.Sorry I don't know how to post a link to the artical.

PEACE UP TOM /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[RUU]

Hmm, the G&M having an article about BellEV - what a scoop!

[condodweller]

Here is the link to the G&M article:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/GIS.Servlets.TVGAMArticleHTMLTemplate/A/20020208/08_gam_digital?tf=TV/TVSpecialty_fullstory.html&cf=TV/config-TVSpecialtyLayout1&slug=08_gam_digital&date=200202 08&archive=TV&site=TVSpecialty

[Ranger_Gord]

I think the cross ownership fact should be required by the CRTC to be stated in every story. I have written to the CRTC at least 3 times about this. If you notice the newscasts on ABC + NBC; everytime a story about GE (parent of NBC), or Disney (parent of ABC) is read, the ownership relationship is tagged to the story

[**DONOTDELETE**]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

I think the cross ownership fact should be required by the CRTC to be stated in every story.

<hr></blockquote>

The CRTC can't require anything of the Globe, only of CTV.

However, I think they should be doing it without being forced.

[buchrob2]

But for how long...?

500 channels and nothing on is no great shakes and 600 channels and nothing on but 200 are repeats of the first 400 is no improvement at all except in some annual report's statistics, and that seems to be the thinking of the industry right now.

The next time some new "fee" is introduced, everyone's going to re-evaluate what they're spending anyways (c.f. *C and Evu revolts going on in this forum). Numbers usually go down much faster than they go up. Let's see whose stockings are filled with something other than coal this Christmas. It will probably take at least that long for all of this to play out.