By EARYEL BOWLEG
Tribune Staff Reporter
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) is looking into Cable Bahamas’ recent failure to broadcast some NFL games, which sparked complaints from National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, among others.
“If you do research, you will see in other countries the regulator often fines a cable provider, makes them put something back on customers bills,” Mr Munroe told The Tribune yesterday, adding he wants URCA to hold the cable provider accountable.
“If I am one day late paying my cable bill, they give me a late fee of $5. I pay to watch content on basic cable. There are four channels I couldn’t find to watch anything on all day. So they should owe me, and they should owe everybody else with basic cable.”
URCA said in a statement yesterday that it is aware Cable Bahamas customers had NFL games blocked on certain channels on Sunday.
“Consumers have a reasonable expectation that their service should not be intentionally disrupted without notice and service providers have an obligation to inform their customers on changes to service ahead of time,” the regulator said in a statement, adding that many consumers filed complaints.
URCA said it is inquiring to understand what happened and will update the public if necessary.
Cable Bahamas, meanwhile, apologised to customers for the interruption in NFL game broadcasts, saying it deeply “regrets the inconvenience”.
“Recognising the importance of reliable service, we are actively engaging with the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) in a constructive dialogue to review and enhance our broadcasting processes and standards,” the company said.
Mr Munroe said a licensing issue likely prevented consumers from watching the NFL games.
He said: “You see how Cable and Aliv bought the rights to Junkanoo, right, and ZNS can’t play it. I gather that BTC brought the right to the games, to play it on the network, and Cable didn’t. So they knew they couldn’t broadcast the games on those networks. So they deliberately put that message there. And they put an advertising message to say you have to get the NFL ticket, which means you would have to pay Cable more money.”
“It’s sinister. They need to be punished for it. Let’s say they weren’t going to be able to put on the game. They should have gotten some other content to play, then I couldn’t complain. Go buy a Bahamian play. Go get rights to some soccer game, but you can’t not put anything on.”
Comments
immigrant 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Maybe my thinking is too simple... if you pay for CBS, NBC ABC and Fox, then you are paying for the content shown on these networks and are entitled to them or should not be billed for them. If it is a licensing issue, how do they have the license for the NFL Sunday ticket? Cable Bahamas and BTC have been doing this crap for years...they will have a message that you can either purchase the league package or tune into their alternate broadcasting channel where they will be showing a different game. How do they have the license for one game but not another...just another way to bleed customers with their lousy service.
birdiestrachan 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Something is very wrong they seem to be selling no good.remotes and false information on their web sit office open 9 to 1 not so you find out when you reach the door even the phone number is wrong small thing.they do not fix.
bahamianson 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Everything is a failure in the Bahamas, das we culture. Nothing is on time , done right ,and expensive.
AnObserver 11 months, 3 weeks ago
As much as I'd like to badmouth Cable Bahamas here - the issue is not due to them doing anything wrong. The NFL force cable companies in different markets to charge differently to televise the game. They are contractually obliged to black out the game. If they do not, they face fines in the millions, and would lose access to ever carry Sunday Ticket in the future.
If you have an axe to grind, go talk to the NFL, not Cable Bahamas, BTC, or DirecTV.
LastManStanding 11 months, 3 weeks ago
You can just go online and find a livestream link for pretty much any NFL game these days. It amazes me that people still pay for these services. More money than sense.
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