Why doesn't U-Verse carry my favorite channels, GMC, Gospel Music Channel or GOD-TV?

[Lonna413]

When I switch to U-Verse from Direct TV I won't be able to continue to get some of my favorite channels.  Why doesn't U-Verse carry Gospel Music Channel or GOD-TV?  Both Direct TV and DISH Network carry them, as well as Comcast and many cable companies.  I'm having second thoughts about switching now.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

You can make your channel request at the website below:

http://uversechannels.att.com/

By the way, did you not check the channel lineup prior to signing up for U-verse to see if the channels important to you were included?

[Lonna413]

Thanks for the link.  I guess I didn't look at the channel lineup close enough.  It now seems they don't carry Hallmark or Hallmark Movie Channel either!  Those are all my favorite channels so I might not have the U-Verse installation after all.  I can't get it until after my Direct TV contract is up Aug. 2nd anyway, so I'll probably just cancel until they get my channels, if they ever do.

[dwinth]

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Lonna413 wrote:

Thanks for the link.  I guess I didn't look at the channel lineup close enough.  It now seems they don't carry Hallmark or Hallmark Movie Channel either!  Those are all my favorite channels so I might not have the U-Verse installation after all.  I can't get it until after my Direct TV contract is up Aug. 2nd anyway, so I'll probably just cancel until they get my channels, if they ever do.

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U-Verse has not had the Hallmark Channel or the Hallmark Movie Channel since September 1, 2010. Crown Media, the owners of those channels, wanted too much money for AT&T to justify paying that amount for two low-rated channels.

Again, you should have checked the U-Verse channel lineup before signing up. The prospects of the Hallmark channels being part of the U-Verse lineup in the near future is slim to none.

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Owning a computer and not having the internet is like buying a refrigerator and not stocking it with food.

[Lonna413]

If the Hallmark channels are so low rated, why can DISH and Direct TV afford to have them?  With all the money people send to ATT for phone and internet services in addition to U-Verse it's surprising to me that they say they can't afford this.  ATT can just put the Hallmark channels in the top 450 package.  That is the package I will pay for if and when ATT gets my favorite channels.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

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Lonna413 wrote:

If the Hallmark channels are so low rated, why can DISH and Direct TV afford to have them?  With all the money people send to ATT for phone and internet services in addition to U-Verse it's surprising to me that they say they can't afford this.  ATT can just put the Hallmark channels in the top 450 package.  That is the package I will pay for if and when ATT gets my favorite channels.

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The placement of a channel in a package is not arbitrarily determined by the TV provider.  Since the channel owner is paid a fee per subscriber, the placement of the channel in a package determines the total carriage fee paid to the channel owner.  Thus, the placement of a channel in a package is part of the negotiations that occur between the TV provider and the channel owner.

[oufanindallas]

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Lonna413 wrote:

If the Hallmark channels are so low rated, why can DISH and Direct TV afford to have them?  With all the money people send to ATT for phone and internet services in addition to U-Verse it's surprising to me that they say they can't afford this.  ATT can just put the Hallmark channels in the top 450 package.  That is the package I will pay for if and when ATT gets my favorite channels.

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You don't know when their contracts for those channels are up.  When AT&T's contract was up  for renewal, Hallmark had just made their most expensive blunder in signing Martha Stewart and they were trying to recoup a lot of their money. 

[Fox Mulder]

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Lonna413 wrote:

If the Hallmark channels are so low rated, why can DISH and Direct TV afford to have them?  With all the money people send to ATT for phone and internet services in addition to U-Verse it's surprising to me that they say they can't afford this.  ATT can just put the Hallmark channels in the top 450 package.  That is the package I will pay for if and when ATT gets my favorite channels.

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As with all major corporations, they have divisions. Mobility, Internet, Home Phone and U Verse are all in different divisions with their own budgets. It doesn't go into a giant pool of money. Hope this helps!