Fox Sports Midwest - Cardinals Blackout 2012

so OU man you are the ATT shill on this website huh? you're supposed to tell us its not ATT's fault they wouldn't do what EVERY other NATIONAL provider who services the St. Louis has done - make the extra 20 games available to hte consumers at no extra cost. it is laughable to me that ATT, one of the world's most gluttonous conglomerates, would hide behind the other 'mom and pop" operations in Cardinals' market who couldn't afford the extra pittence to carry the extra games

basically, ATT could buy and sell FSW Midwest 100 times over and not even notice - this is just complete bull and everyone knows it

that's just part of the public relations disaster which ATT seems to care little about, including direct misrepresentation of their product while trying to lure customers in - it is called "lying"

The people in customer service act like they are not aware of the situation unless you tell them you are aware of the blackout.  I called 3 times to complain about the black out.  The first agent gave me a $10 credit, and acted like he didn't know anything, the next one said he would call back in 30 minutes, and never did and the 3rd one told me that Att was not going to do anything and they did not care if I didn't like it go ahead and cancel my service.  I finally asked to talk to a supervisor and the woman was very nice and did say she was taking a talley and forwarding the information on.  Don't know if it is going to do anything or we can all just take rep number 3's advice and cancel our service since according to him Att does not care and will not do anything to satisfy there customers.

---

@bam1015 wrote:

 

The people in customer service act like they are not aware of the situation unless you tell them you are aware of the blackout.  I called 3 times to complain about the black out.  The first agent gave me a $10 credit, and acted like he didn't know anything, the next one said he would call back in 30 minutes, and never did and the 3rd one told me that Att was not going to do anything and they did not care if I didn't like it go ahead and cancel my service.  I finally asked to talk to a supervisor and the woman was very nice and did say she was taking a talley and forwarding the information on.  Don't know if it is going to do anything or we can all just take rep number 3's advice and cancel our service since according to him Att does not care and will not do anything to satisfy there customers.

---

If you know about the situation with the 20 games that are in dispute, why did you call 3 times?  What are you trying to accomplish?

At the time I was calling I didn't know until the 2nd call when the guy did not call me back I looked online and found out what was going on, I called back because if someone is telling me they are going to call me back I expect them to call me back.  And if you didn't realize it that is what customer service is for, if you have an issue or problem or complaint you call customer service and report the problem. 

lol texasguy37 is just ________

what do you expect him to say?

basically, ATT  would just as soon you cancel and get out of their face

which i will gladly do

[Edited to comply with Guidelines]

---

@craig2914 wrote:

 

lol texasguy37 is just __________

 

what do you expect him to say?

 

basically, ATT would just as soon you cancel and get out of their face

 

which i will gladly do

 

[Edited to comply with Guidelines]

---

I wonder how coming onto this forum and engaging in name calling with other members is going to get you those extra Cardinal games. Let us all know how that works out for you.

just so we're clear ... you're saying what ATT is doing with the cardinals games in the st louis market is not misrepresentation? petty political idiocy? outright lying to paying customers?

in light of the fact that every other major carrier came across with the few extra coins to keep their customers happy, I'm just curious as to how the ATT spokesman can justify their actions in any way shape or form?

---

@craig2914 wrote:

 

just so we're clear ... you're saying what ATT is doing with the cardinals games in the st louis market is not misrepresentation? petty political idiocy? outright lying to paying customers?

---

Interesting.  I don't remember saying any of that.

I understand the frustration of Cardinal fans with the situation, but remember the chain of events:

AT&T signs a long term contract with Fox to carry FSMW at a given rate 

Cardinals pull 20 games/season away from the OTA local station
Cardinals sells the rights to carry those games to FSMW

FSMW refuses to let AT&T carry those games without paying extra money above the already signed contract

And AT&T is the bad guy?

---

@JefferMC wrote:

I understand the frustration of Cardinal fans with the situation, but remember the chain of events:

 

AT&T signs a long term contract with Fox to carry FSMW at a given rate 

Cardinals pull 20 games/season away from the OTA local station
Cardinals sells the rights to carry those games to FSMW

FSMW refuses to let AT&T carry those games without paying extra money above the already signed contract

 

And AT&T is the bad guy?

 

---

You forgot the fifth event:

Every other provider, including tiny bit-players most people have never heard of, in the St. Louis metro area agrees to these supposedly exorbinant fees.

Oh, and for the people claiming that FSNMW is in "breach of contract", I would doubt this since the screen doesn't go blank during the games in question.  FSNMW does air some rather lousy alternate content during these blocked games.

I think FSMW stinks...   they decided to steal the games away from another channel... and when they do it.. they breach the contracts they have to get more money.  

What's next?  When teams make the playoffs are they going to start blacking those out to get more money from the carriers because they are extra games?  

And not all of the cable companies caved in to pay for just the 20 extra games, their contracts were over, so the new contract 'covered' those 20 games.

(Sigh - regardless, it is the Cardinals fans that suffer... wish the team could pressure FSMW to stop blacking out the games.)

---

@bailorg wrote:

 

You forgot the fifth event:

Every other provider, including tiny bit-players most people have never heard of, in the St. Louis metro area agrees to these supposedly exorbinant fees.

---

Um, no.  There are 21 providers listed by the Cardinals as not carrying these affected games. AT&T is only one of them.  And if all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump off, too?

---

@bailorg wrote:

 

Oh, and for the people claiming that FSNMW is in "breach of contract", I would doubt this since the screen doesn't go blank during the games in question.  FSNMW does air some rather lousy alternate content during these blocked games.

---

Which just goes to illustrate the FSMW is the party that has full control of whether AT&T gets these games or not as it is giving AT&T a feed without them.

---

@craig2914 wrote:

just so we're clear ... you're saying what ATT is doing with the cardinals games in the st louis market is not misrepresentation? petty political idiocy? outright lying to paying customers?

 

in light of the fact that every other major carrier came across with the few extra coins to keep their customers happy, I'm just curious as to how the ATT spokesman can justify their actions in any way shape or form?

---

I'm curious as to how any of what you said is true? Misrepresntation? How, they carry FSMW and 142 - nationally carried Cardinal games.  Petty politial idiocy?  Nope, it's all about the benajamins.  AT&T and FSMW has a contract in place and now FSMW wants more money. AT&T ain't buying.  Lying? How are they lying?

---

lawh wrote:

 

AT&T should reimbuse us for the games not seen since we weren't getting our service as we paid for it. 

---

Perhaps FSMW should reimburse AT&T part of the carriage fees paid to them since they are choosing to withhold those 20 Cardinals from the programming provided to U-verse.