Below is the email I have just sent to: concerns@talktalkplc.com
I would urge fellow subscribers who feels strongly about the removal of the six channels also to send an email to this address, as hopefully a large number of complaints might possibly mean TalkTalk reconsiders this decision. Please feel free to use any of the points I have made, but obviously it will carry more weight it you make your email personal to your particular concerns/suggestions.
I would also appreciate a response to the points outlined from Karl or another OCE:
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to complain about the planned removal of the following channels from the TalkTalk TV Entertainment Boost from July: Discovery Channel, Discovery Home & Health, Animal Planet, TLC, Sony TV Asia and Star Plus.
As a subscriber to the Entertainment Boost (Account Number xxxxxxxxxx) I watch and record many of these channels frequently, as they provide a varied entertainment offering not available elsewhere.
Other customers clearly share my disappointment, as a thread complaining about the planned removal has already generated three pages of replies in the TalkTalk Community in a couple of days. We are concerned that TalkTalk is choosing to spend available funds on services such as BT sport that are of limited appeal, rather than renew existing contracts for the wider variety of content provided by the channels that are to be removed.
We also feel that the introduction of a 'film club' of twenty changing films, is not sufficient compensation for losing six live channels. I would therefore urge TalkTalk to add the following channels to the Entertainment Boost, which are currently only available in the Entertainment Extra Boost: NatGeoWild, CI and H2. The Entertainment Extra Boost was originally designed to add kids' and music channels to the entertainment channels already available in the Entertainment Boost, not to have its own exclusive channels as it does now, so I would like to suggest that TalkTalk add these channels anyway, whether or not the decision to remove the other six channels is reconsidered. I would also request that TalkTalk approach ITV and Discovery, to see whether the ITV Encore channel and the ID channel can be added to the Entertainment Boost.
Furthermore the On Demand offering from Entertainment Boost channels in the TalkTalk Player has been steadily diminishing over the last few months so that there are now few On Demand programmes available - Eden OD has disappeared entirely for example. Therefore I would urge TalkTalk to add more On Demand content from the Entertainment Boost channels, and reinstate programmes from Eden OD.
Specifically I have the following questions:
-Will you reconsider the decision to remove the six channels from the Entertainment Boost?
-Will these six channels still be available in the Entertainment Extra Boost or are they going to be removed entirely from TalkTalk TV?
-Will customers lose any recordings they have made from these channels?
-Will you consider, by way of compensation or anyway, adding the NatGeoWild, CI and H2 channels to the Entertainment Boost, so they are not just available in the Entertainment Extra Boost? The Entertainment Extra Boost was originally designed to add kids' and music channels to the entertainment channels already available in the Entertainment Boost, not to have its own exclusive channels as it does now.
-Will you consider, by way of compensation or anyway, adding more On Demand content to the TalkTalk player from the Entertaiment Boost channels, for example reinstating Eden OD, which used to offer a good selection of On Demand nature programmes, but disappeared from the TalkTalk Player at the end of May?
-Will you consider, by way of compensation or anyway, adding some channels in HD to the Entertainment Boost, simulcasting the freeview channels as internet channels, and allowing multicast internet channels to allow for more recording options?
-Will you consider, by way of compensation or anyway, approaching ITV and Discovery, to see whether the ITV Encore channel and the ID channel can be added to the Entertainment Boost?
-Will you consider the last four points anyway even if you reconsider removing the six channels?
Finally I would like to point out that TalkTalk are misselling to potential customers by still advertising the six channels that are to be removed as avaiable on the website - the implication is that by signing up to TalkTalk TV, customers will be able to have access to these channels if they buy the Entertaiment Boost.
I hope that in light of customers' clear dissatisfaction and the continued advertising of the channels as available, that TalkTalk will reconsider removing Discovery Channel, Discovery Home & Health, Animal Planet, TLC, Sony TV Asia and Star Plus from its TV service, and will also consider the measures outlined above to compensate and/or improve the offering to customers who subscribe to the Entertainment Boost. I look forwarding to hearing from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
Joshua Yates