Shaw Filters Fox For U!

Media 86 Comments

From one of several emails I’ve received;

I write to draw your attention to a situation I just encountered with Shaw Direct (the satellite TV provider formerly known as Star Choice). Returning from a short business trip my daughter advised me that there was a “message” from Shaw and I could read it on the TV.
The message advised me that in response to complaints (unnumbered and unspecified) about some disparaging comments about Canada’s military folks made by a Fox News show personality Shaw had decided that those persons subscribing to Fox News would have until May 18 to affirm their desire to continue their subscription to that Channel or else it
would be shut off.
This struck me as outrageous on so many levels. First, if people didn’t like the comments then they could turn the station or cancel their subscription. Why should those who didn’t complain and wanted to keep the station have to be the ones to take action? And why not sent people an email or put a notice in the monthly bill – communication methods much more likely to be seen and understood than the rarely used “mail” option on the satellite system. And what about those of us who find the CBC commentary about just about everything completely biased and idiotic? If an unspecified number of us wrote in to Shaw with generalized complaints about the bias at the CBC would all CBC subscribers have to take affirmative action or risk losing that station on their
receiver? Would the CRTC allow that to happen to the beloved CBC?

Indeed. The email address for comments/complaints AskJim@shawdirect.ca
Telephone number: 1.866.782.7932
Fax: 1.800.872.8219
Snail mail:
Your Feedback
Shaw Satellite G.P.
Suite 100, 2400 32 Ave NE
Calgary, AB
T2E 9A7
If any of you have other contacts, drop them in the comments and I’ll update the list.
Joel Johannesen. – “Much credit to a couple of the many Canadian pretenders of conservatism, Conservative Defence Minister Peter McKay and a Conservative Party genius strategist, Geoff Norquay, for their superb help in the constant drumbeat to defeat conservatism in this country, by helping to foment this sort of garbage”
Double indeed.

86 Replies to “Shaw Filters Fox For U!”

  1. When your enemy exposes too much of the truth which can hurt your long term agenda, you silence the enemy…
    The “agenda” here belongs exclusively to the left.
    The “enemy” here is Fox News.
    Canada and it’s public and most all private institutions are liberal left in scope and that includes the CRTC. Even if Fox News is American and thus very rarely dwelves in Canadian politics or culture, it’s conservatives views and opinions are seen as threatening to Canadian leftist social engineer’s agendas.

  2. Canadians have been taught for the last 40 years that anything American is bad. Given that, when some fool Yank makes comments that are stupid, all hell breaks out.
    It would be wonderful if we could keep things in perspective, but I guess that is to much to ask.
    The dumb comments are beyond defense and should be commented about in the most negative ways. However,
    once our emotional anger is behind us perhaps we can accept that Fox news is one hell of a lot better than CBC ever was or will be.
    The negative comments about false conservatism are not worth a response…at least from me.

  4. In the future, TV and internet will be one and the same.
    TV screens and computer monitors will be the same device.
    Capital-and-labor-cost-intensive cable companies will be a thing of the past, at least as we know them today.
    Customers will end up being able to choose only the channels they want to watch, and in Canada, won’t have to blow 100 bucks a month on all kinds of channels they don’t want and don’t watch, just to get FOX News.
    And Fox News will be chosen more than any other news channel, no bloody doubt.
    Customers will save money, finally.
    The newspapers, themselves capital-and-labor-intensive, are already folding and moving online to survive and compete. This will happen, too, with cable companies.
    The ueber-arrogant Shaw Cable will soon enough pay for its bullying behavior.

  6. I just sent Shaw an email suggesting that they move CNN off basic to make room for FNC – I guess I’m not clear on their concept. 🙂

  7. I am a longtime Starchoice/Shaw customer that subscribes to FoxNews as part of one of the bundles.
    I checked out the “mail” option ( channel 299 for Starchoice customers ) and there are NO messages pending.
    Despite that, I did drop a line to the email address noted requesting a clarification.
    I wouldn’t get too excited about this until we get the straight goods from them. It may be just a rumor started by anti-Fox/ anti-Shaw whackos.

  8. Just sent this to Shaw
    I just found this on a web site
    I write to draw your attention to a situation I just encountered with Shaw Direct (the satellite TV provider formerly known as Star Choice). Returning from a short business trip my daughter advised me that there was a “message” from Shaw and I could read it on the TV.
    The message advised me that in response to complaints (unnumbered and unspecified) about some disparaging comments about Canada’s military folks made by a Fox News show personality Shaw had decided that those persons subscribing to Fox News would have until May 18 to affirm their desire to continue their subscription to that Channel or else it would be shut off.
    I am a Shaw subscriber and I have received no such message. Can you confirm that this is a correct reporting of the Shaw policy?
    It is inappropriate that Shaw should demand a positive response from it’s subscribers, under threat of cancelation, simply because someone didn’t like something carried on the Fox channel. I do not believe that it is or should be the role of a service provider such as Shaw to threaten censorship of their offerings.
    Even more to the point … I suspect that the receipt of complaints about the CBC for example, would generate no such reaction. If it would I can think of quite a few people, myself included, who would be both willing and eager to flood your in box with such complaints.
    And just for the record, I’m not a particular fan of the Fox network. I however exercise my democratic option to not watch it. I do not assume that my choice should be imposed on anyone else by having their choice denied.
    Not that it will do any good of course … but then, what does?

  9. I didn’t get any mail from Starchoice on that. Almost sounds like a hoax, would like to see the original e-mail and headers.

  10. Quick! Get the wagons together! Get the pitch forks and torches!
    That the Right defends Fox, one of the lowest quality television networks in existence, shows how desperate the Right is to have any media outlet that spews their filth.

  13. Didn’t Rogers get kicked in the crotch for negative billing? I thought there were rules about that sort of thing.

  14. it is probably a case of FNC is getting paid a flat rate and then a cut of subscriptions. Somebody may have written a bad deal.
    I am willing to bet that they are losing money with not enough subscribers and they found a way to pull the plug on a lost profit channel.
    I have no proof of ratings in Canada but it would be just a guess on my part.

  15. Fox news is irrelevant.
    One, I don’t need someone to tell me what to think. Two, only people who are already conservatives will go out of their way to subscribe to fox. Three, the general public has no obvious exposure to Fox (by leftard design) as they are not on the regular list like all those leftard stations like CNN, CBC and MSNBC.

  16. I’ve ask Shaw in my area 3 times to give me access to the Fox News Channel but each time I was told it wasn’t available. A few days ago, Telus phoned me and offered me a TV package with a free digital box and a choice of channels over and above a regular package. FOX NEWS CHANNEL was available and since it will save me almost 30.00 dollars a month and will have my phone, internet and TV all on one bill, I took the offer. My installation date is May 18.I can hardly wait. By the way the installation is free.

  20. Eric: and what filth would that be? If you are going to make meaningless statements without factual examples please do us a favor and stop wasting letters.

  22. I have Shaw sat. the mail symbol/reference is shown on the set top box hit options and then mail and the message arrives. I wrote and requested continuing as I already pay for it. I also requested for the nth time that they carry Fox Business News – but of course they will ignore that! Makes me wish I had never given up my Direct TV sat.

  23. Shouldn’t we “Canadians” be grateful…there looking out for us….I feel so “protected”!
    Harper…deserve the CRTC now…privatize the CBC…for your own good.
    Oh sorry…gave myself a slap…I was assuming your a “conservative”.

  24. – “Eric probably has a framed photo of Olbermann on his night table.”
    Yeah, no. We on the “left” aren’t as predictable as you folk.
    – “Shhhh, adults are talking…”
    You mean, like this one:
    – “like all those leftard stations”
    – “Eric: and what filth would that be? If you are going to make meaningless statements without factual examples please do us a favor and stop wasting letters.”
    Um, how about the very thing that Shaw is apparently limiting its relationship with Fox over? Just for starters…

  25. Shouldn’t we “Canadians” be grateful…there looking out for us….I feel so “protected”!
    Harper…desolve the CRTC now…privatize the CBC…for your own good.
    Oh sorry…gave myself a slap…I was assuming your a “conservative”.

  26. “Eric probably has a framed photo of Olbermann on his night table.”
    That, and a roll of toilet paper!
    Eric your second comment is ridiculous. Red eye is a satire show and it doesn’t even scratch the surface of objectionable material if you compare it to Colbert or Stewart; and, I’m a fan of the latter two shows but not the first.
    I never watched Red Eye until the “controversy”; and, after viewing the show a few times I think it’s quite good. As they say, “there’s no such thing as bad press”, ask Rush.
    Do you support top down censorship Eric?

  27. Notice the kiddies (cat o’nine and eric) come out during school lunch hour?? Or did Mommy just feed you?
    The lefts hypocrisy on censorship etc, is just overwhelming. Leftardism is a disease. I think it falls under psychotic,as they are soooooooo far removed from reality,even a galaxy far,far away is close compared to their world.

  28. askjim@shawdirect.ca
    I want to complain about your treatment of me and my subscription to your satellite service when you threaten to remove Fox News from my service. You have not notified me this is being done – I hear you may have had it advertised on TV – I didn’t see it nor any of my acquaintances . You send me a newsletter every month so you have the mechanism to let me and all others know of such a drastic action. What is more disturbing is that you take this censoring action on the complaint of a few individuals. Had I known all this time that this type of minority action can have results I would have complained long ago about some of the channels you carry.
    Fox News is by far and away the most listened to news channel and you have the temerity to remove it from my service – how ridiculous.
    From http://www.proudtobecanadian.ca/blog/
    Now we read where FoxNews.com’s online audience has had a meteoric rise as well.
    FoxNews.com Rockets Nearly 50 Percent in April
    May 12, 2009
    By Mike Shields
    Fox News’ online ascent continues, as the network’s formerly lightly-trafficked Web site FoxNews.com has significantly improved its numbers for several key engagement scores over the past year as its audience has steadily climbed, according to newly-released data from Nielsen Online.
    According to Nielsen, FoxNews.com’s audience ballooned by nearly 50 percent in April to 15.7 million uniques versus the 10.5 million reached during the same month in 2008. The site reaches over 18 million users when all of its sub-domain URLs are included (such as Fox News’ mobile site and FoxBusiness.com).
    But even more eye-catching is overall increase in FoxNews.com¹s stickiness. For example, the site’s total page views jumped by 75 percent in April, going from 382 million last year to 669 million this year. …
    Still, liberals and their media—especially in Canada—will mock Fox News Channel or pretend it doesn’t exist; and Canadian news media like CBC and CTV will continue to draw on news feeds from second-rate CNN and others, instead of Fox News Channel, for their news clips from the U.S.. Once again, as I said, Fox News Channel is conservative-tolerant. So we understand.
    Fox News Channel tolerates conservatives and their points of view. Without the sneering and eye-rolling. They present both sides. And they are on America’s side. This separates them from every other channel.
    America’s Fox News Channel is the best channel in Canada. You should demand it be offered as part of your basic cable or satellite packages, instead of state-owned, state-run, socialism-reliant channels like CBC Newsworld. This would serve Canada’s interests very well.

  29. It’s been a while(10 yrs) but I’m pretty sure it was Shaw in Calgary who provided our programming. At that time the “boss” decided that Shaw wouldn’t pick up MUCH Vibe(it was everywhere else, Edmonton for example). This guy said on Rutherford that “people in Calgary don’t like that type of music” as the reason people in Calgary wouldn’t have the option to subscribe to this channel. This seems to be the mindset at Shaw, the mind set that “they” know what I should be allowed to watch.
    As I said I’m not 100% sure about the wording of the quote, or that it was Shaw, but I’m pretty damn sure.

  31. I subscribe to Star Choice in Ontario.
    When I first subscribed to Star Choice CNN Cable was in a bundle offered to Canadians.
    Subsequently CRTC allowed FOX cable access to Canadian viewers.
    I was able to replace CNN with FOX Cable news which I did, for the same monthly charge.
    I am not aware of any changes to the FOX News bundle from Star Choice.
    Should they stop carrying FOX Cable News in Canada, I will seek out some grey area to view it.
    FOX is currently beating all others in the USA.
    The real pity is that they do not function on Canadian soil.

  32. Kate,
    I should have specified: Fox in Canada is irrelevant. Fox in the US is not.
    If Fox was part of the regular dial here (like the left-friendly CHRT put the other media,) it would be more useful. How many people in Canada do you think have added (and watched) Fox but are not already right?
    Either way, I don’t need a station with bias if I’m crabbing about the bias of the other ones even if you grant the fact that Fox has more liberals than all the other stations combined have conservatives.
    There are conservatives who watch the leftard networks, as well.
    The effect biased media has is on the soft, non-partisans who don’t think much about politics. Bias isn’t effective to those with strong opinions (except as a target for anger.) The bias is effective in reaching uninformed “swing” voters who are subject to agendas (subtle or otherwise.) So if you don’t reach the swing voters, you can’t influence them.
    In that regard, since the only way to get Fox is by effort, the only ones to make the effort in Canada will be the converted, not those in need of it.

  33. – “Do you support top down censorship Eric?”
    Private organisations can do what they want.
    – “Notice the kiddies (cat o’nine and eric) come out during school lunch hour?? Or did Mommy just feed you?
    The lefts hypocrisy on censorship etc, is just overwhelming. Leftardism is a disease. I think it falls under psychotic,as they are soooooooo far removed from reality,even a galaxy far,far away is close compared to their world.”
    Is this another one of those ‘adults talking’ someone mentioned earlier?

  34. I can assure you that Shaw is pulling this stunt.
    When I phoned to confirm this new “policy” and was told it was true, I promptly cancelled my service and have ordered my new service from Bell TV. The irony is that I used to have Bell and changed to Star Choice (now Shaw Direct) to get FoxNews because Bell was delayed for 11 months in getting it when it first was “allowed” into Canada. It will be installed on June 10th.
    This really is a matter of principle here. I would suggest you all phone (not email Shaw) so they have some idea of how ticked this has made people feel. 1-888-554-7827

  35. I contacted FOX News some months ago regarding non availability in the regular channel package. You had to buy a digital box and a digital package.
    They said that it was a CRTC ruling that they are only licensed for digital. (the cable company didn’t seem to know this; and FOX was offered to their American customers as part of the regular packaging)
    After speaking to my MP, and there is likely no causal connection, my local cable supplier (a few months later) offered a free digital box and subscription. I only had to buy the FOX channel.
    Trouble is it is next to impossible for a minority Government to do the CRTC some damage.
    The opposition can pass a Motion stopping them as they did with the Gun Registry Bills C-301 and S-5. (April 22, 2009 2:00 PM Journals No. 43)

  36. While much of the discussion here is around Fox specifically, I think that the real issue is that Shaw has bypassed the obvious solution in favour of a thinly-veiled censorship knee-jerk reaction.
    The “obvious solution” of course is to give those who don’t want Fox (or any other program source) the option to remove it from their subscription. Instead they have made the To-Fox or Not-to-Fox issue the problem of people who were not previously having a problem … all (one assumes) in the name of political correctness.
    If you don’t like the products that Wal-Mart offers what do you do?
    You can
    1. Not shop there or
    2. Demand that the store be closed pending positive support from other customers to keep it open.
    Does any rational person support option 2? (HRC employees are not required to answer.)

  37. Good point Eric. Unfortunately there isn’t a free market to speak of regarding TV broadcasting in Canada so sometimes it does appear to be censorship. That being said, you are right, Shaw has every right to modify their content as they see fit.
    I’m still interested in your direct answer to the question:- “Do you support top down censorship Eric?”
    Yes or no will suffice.

  38. I am one of Shaw’s victims. There is little I watch on TV anymore. Television hardware is at the science fiction level of great, too bad no one is producing decent software (programming) to go along with it.
    I must pay a lot of money I don’t want to pay in order to access Shaw on channel 142 in a bundle of tripe.
    I do get CNN and other socialist channels at no extra charge. There is only one conservative TV new channel in the world and that is FOX.
    I believe that my political views (objectivist) make me a persecuted minority. I may consider applying to the USA for refugee status, but only after the socialist president currently in the white house is gone.
    If this planet continues on it’s current course, it will soon be a global socialist feudal state and those who live to suffer it will deserve it. The rest of us will likely have died fighting it.

  41. I am a Starchoice installer by trade and have just got off the phone with a CSR. She informs me if the numbers warrant (complaints) against the action taken with Foxnews, Starchoice (Shaw) will probably reverse the decision.
    I asked for some numbers of current Starchoice customers that complained which she of course couldn’t provide.

  42. I’ll subscribe to cable as soon as I’m able to cherry pick the channels I want. Until then, I’m not buying any cable. I’ll have to live with watching what I want, when I want it, online. No MP is willing yet to take me up on my CBC Tax Rebate yet.

  43. Here’s the reply from Shaw. I can’t believe what I am reading.
    Shaw Direct will not be removing Fox News from its channel lineup. We are enabling customers to make the choice if they would like to receive it. We’ve made changes to how we offer Fox News channel 503. There have been recent inappropriate and disrespectful comments on the channel regarding the Canadian Military’s efforts in Afghanistan, comments that were found to be offensive to our customers. Because of this, many Digital Favorites and FYI subscribers have expressed concern over not having an option to remove FOX News from their line-up. We are moving the channel to an opt-in service starting May 19. If you would like to continue receiving FOX News, we can add it back on to your account at no cost.
    Andrew L
    Administration – Ask Jim Team
    And my reply
    Thank you for your response.
    My first question is this. First and foremost why, as a subscriber to your services, was I not made aware of this either via email or an insert in my latest bill, or at least a banner running across channel 503’s screen???
    I hereby state that I do NOT want my Fox News Network to be unavailable for even one minute and to that end,insist that I be provided with it at no cost. Please confirm that this will be done seamlessly.
    Far more troubling is the fact that Shaw would react in such an arbitrary manner based on ONE commentator on ONE show that is broadcast in the middle of the night. If we were to react in such a way to other networks, CBC television should be treated the same way for all the Anti-American bile that is spewed daily from their studios. Please continue to provide me with the channels I have presently agreed to pay for. I am extremely upset with this act of Political Correctness gone mad and am considering switching to “the other guys”. Reacting in such a manner because some peoples feelings were hurt is childish and immature.
    Shaw’s reaction to this non-event is pitiful.
    Sincerely

  45. To keep FOX, I had to sign-in at their subscriber page, click on the link to change my programing and manually select and confirm that I wanted to keep FOX past May 18th. Not very user friendly to say the least – I don’t know if it is set up that way by Shaw intentionally or not.
    It has been almost two weeks since I questioned “Jim” at Shaw about this idiotic move and I have yet to get a reply. I am in a rural area and cable is not an option, but I am checking out Bell Express VU.

  47. Thanks for the ‘Joel Johannesen’ link ‘Kate’. Following the links in his blog about the rant on ‘Conservative Defence Minister Peter McKay and a Conservative Party genius strategist, Geoff Norquay’, some very good points.

  48. After the initial free preview a few years ago, Bell expressvu moved Fox News to a different tier than other “news” channels. I have the “news” package. I phoned them up and offered to trade eight CBC channels for 1 Fox News. The CSR didn’t appreciate my sense of humour. AND… Check out the description of the various shows on the news networks (500 – 510) provided by expressvu…They are “news”. All Fox News shows are “nouvelles”. And read the description of various movies on the expressvu menu. Folks, even our providers are biased. Really, really, really petty.

  49. I just phoned Shaw at 1-888-554-7827 and gave them a piece of my mind about this nonsense. I made it clear that I was not chewing out the person answering the phone, but at the management for dreaming up this idea.
    I got the same reply to an email as Atric did. The gist of my email is below.
    “I understand that Shaw Direct will be discontinuing subscriptions to FoxNews unless the subscriber affirms their wish to continue their subscription to Fox News. All because of some goofy comment by a late night comic that had an element of truth to it because of the many years of Liberal government neglect for the military. I am a retired member of almost 35 years in Canada’s military reserve and know a little of what I said above.
    This idea of yours is outrageous and I object strongly. If anything you should be cancelling CBC for its’ socialistic biased and idiotic news commentaries and doing so on my dime. How about the novel idea of allowing subscribers to choose with an open question sent with the monthly billing or in an email. Better yet, make the FoxNews channel part of one of the basic packages so that Canadians have access to some centre-right news and not just centre-left.
    Please do not cancel my subscription to FoxNews or take it off the list of available channels.”
    The lady on the phone at Shaw told me that FoxNews is included in one of my packages and am not paying for it separately.

  50. If my memory is correct, I recall an issue several years ago with Shaw Cable attempting to use reverse billing. I believe it was an issue where if you did not want to receive a certain service that you would be charged an extra $1.00 -it was up to the customer to call in and say no to the service and resulting extra charge. I recall and I could be wrong here, that the CRTC ruled that reverse billing could not be used by Shaw.
    If I am correct in my memory of these events, I find it hard to believe that Shaw would attempt this type of yes/no billing a second time. There was a huge backlash the first time they tried it.
    I agree with other posters here that the accuracy of this headline needs to be verified.

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