Here in Ontario at least, Spike TV seems to have stopped showing DS9. In it's place they are showing Real TV.

I was just wondering what's going on and if they are still showing in any other areas?

It's not showing on ExpressVu here in Nova Scotia either. They seem to be screwing around with their schedule this week.

Have you noticed that Space is no longer running DS9 either? Their rights to it apparently expired! (*HOW* they could let that happen is beyond me... much as I want to see it replaced with •••• like Psi Factor or Relic Hunter...)

Weird, Spike shows it 3 hrs a day here (US). I haven't really been paying attention that much since they haven't caught up with what they showed in the 1st week marathon yet, but I think they show it daily at 1pm, 7pm, and 8pm, but some of those are replays of eps shown in certain timeslots the day before. Not really sure which are which (like I said, not paying attention). In addition, there's Trek Uncut with two part DS9 eps most Fridays (it's been preempted once or twice for something else) from 9-10pm, with a replay sometime Saturday afternoon.

So, no, Spike TV hasn't stopped showing DS9, at least not the original feed in the US. Canada has some funky laws in regard to cable stations however, so they have to sometimes air different stuff on the Canadian versions of channels, so maybe that's messing you up.

I haven't been keeping up either, but when you say "Trek Uncut," does that mean some of the episodes on Spike are edited? I figured they were short enough already.

Well,

Up until this week, they were showing it at 1pm and then 7 and 8pm. Unfortunatly, they've stopped and I have no idea as to why.

I'm not 100% sure on why Space stopped showing DS9, but I think it wasen't getting the ratings and that was why they stopped showing it. But take that explantion with a grain of salt as I'm not sure of the offical one.

"Trek Uncut" refers to episodes that are shown without any of the syndication edits. Lately, they have all been two-part episodes that are aired back to back. During the regular airings, Spike seems to have cut more minutes out of the episodes than had been done when the show was in regular syndication.

I emailed Space about DS9 about a month ago.

Hi,

The contract for DS9 has expired and SPACE no longer owns the rights to it. SPACE currently does not own the rights to BABYLON 5. Your interest in these programs will be forwarded to the appropriate parties.

Enjoy your day.
SPACE Communications

"Up until this week, they were showing it at 1pm and then 7 and 8pm. Unfortunatly, they've stopped and I have no idea as to why. "

Probably has something to do with Canada's cable laws. That's why even when US cable channels are on in Canada they aren't the same feed. They have to change the schedule because of Canadian law.

I think the jist of it is that they have to show some certain percentage of Canadian produced shows per day or your parliament throws them off the air. Apparently they've used the DS9 timeslots for something else as a result of this requirement. That'd be my guess anyway.

This is also why DirectTV is not supposed to be allowed in Canada, even though it is technologically not a problem to use the same signals, it's because the channels on it don't conform to these laws.

Probably has something to do with Canada's cable laws. That's why even when US cable channels are on in Canada they aren't the same feed. They have to change the schedule because of Canadian law.

No, they don't. The schedules aren't any different, though cable/satellite companies may simulcast Canadian advertising over American ads.

I think the jist of it is that they have to show some certain percentage of Canadian produced shows per day or your parliament throws them off the air. Apparently they've used the DS9 timeslots for something else as a result of this requirement. That'd be my guess anyway.

They've used the same timeslots for Real TV, hardly "Canadian content." Meanwhile, the TV guide says DS9. While it is true that sometimes the signal is blocked due to rights issues, no such issues exist with regard to DS9.

Yes they do. Leo Laporte explained this when TechTV started airing in Canada and viewers complained about how some shows didn't air or were replaced with Canadian produced shows.

I don't know what this has to do with Real TV other than maybe Real TV had segments sent in by Canadians sometimes? Or maybe they moved Real TV out of some other timeslot and aired some other cr4p there. I dunno, but the problem obviously isn't with Spike TV, since they are still showing DS9 here.

Blame Canada. It worked for South Park. :P

Just saw this at some site. Seems you Canadians might not have to worry about Spike TV not airing DS9 in the Canadian feed anymore, as if some mother canuckers have their way you won't be getting Spike TV at all!

http://www.cablecastermagazine.com/article.asp?id=28543

"CRTC seeks comments on yanking Spike

3/22/2004

OTTAWA - Last week the CRTC issued a call for comments regarding a demand made by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters that American cable channel Spike TV be removed as an approved service on the eligible satellite list.

Spike, which now dubs itself as the first network for men, used to be The Nashville Network, where prime time programming was often line dancing and other country music based programming. The current incarnation now bears absolutely no resemblance to that as it often runs action movies and programs such as Slamball and Stripperella.

As first reported by www.cablecastermagazine.com, the CAB has asked the Commission to yank the channel from Canadian viewers because it competes too closely with a number of Canadian channels such as Men TV, CTV Travel, ROBTv, Discovery Health Network, TSN, The Score and Sportsnet. The Commission holds a long-standing policy against allowing foreign services into Canada which compete with Canadian channels of a same genre.

"The CAB is concerned that this format change, which will include a revised programming focus on travel, finance, cars, health and sports entertainment, will result in TNN/Spike TV becoming directly competitive with a number of existing Canadian specialty and pay services that under current regulations are afforded genre-protection," says CAB president and CEO Glenn O'Farrell's 2003 letter to the Commission.

"The only remedy to the current situation, according to the CAB, is the removal of TNN from the lists of eligible satellite services, which would, in turn, lead to the deletion of Spike TV from the channel line-up of all BDUs that currently distribute the service," reads the Commission's call of last week.

"The CAB was of the view that TNN, the service originally authorized for distribution by the Commission, no longer exists and that the service that replaced it, now branded as Spike TV, is a completely different service in that it is owned and operated by a different company and provides programming bearing no relationship or similarity to the programming service authorized by the Commission. For these reasons, the CAB argued that the existing authorization to distribute TNN in Canada does not extend to Spike TV."

So, the CRTC says it will hear comments on the matter with a deadline of May 17. For more, go to www.crtc.gc.ca. "

Hmmm.... SOMEBODY (that'd be me, sorry) should have checked the home page of that site before posting an old story that turned up on a google search, because there's a new follow up...

Of course, it's still pretty interesting reading and just goes to show you how tightly regulated Canadian cable channels are if there's even a question of whether a cable or satellite company should be allowed to carry a channel it wants to carry.

http://www.cablecastermagazine.com/article.asp?id=30621

"Spike must stay, says CCTA

5/17/2004

OTTAWA - The Canadian Cable Television Association told the CRTC today that removing U.S. cable channel Spike TV from the list of approved foreign services in Canada would be anti-consumer.

The CCTA has asked the Commission to dismiss the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) application to remove Spike TV from the list of foreign services available in Canada.

The CAB has submitted that since Spike now no longer resembles – in any way, shape or form – the channel it once was (The Nashville Network and later, TNN), it is now competitive with Canadian specialty services and should therefore be banned here.

The Commission took the CAB's application and, as reported by www.cablecastermagazine.com, issued a public call for comments on the matter.

The Commission has a long-held policy which forbids the entry of foreign services that compete with Canadian channels. That policy has allowed Canadian companies to establish their own niche channels and is why Canada has The Comedy Network and not Comedy Central; Teletoon and not The Cartoon Network; TSN and not ESPN.

"To propose that subscribers be denied access to a service that has existed for 20 years is absurd," said Michael Hennessy, acting CCTA president. "The fact that this application was filed suggests a growing indifference to consumer choice in the system."

The cable association believes that removing Spike TV from Canadian channel line-ups would cause unwarranted consumer disruption and impact viewer choice. The CCTA filing advised the CRTC that Spike TV is a complementary service that has evolved in response to viewers' preferences and does not compete with Canadian services, including Men TV.

"Also, removal of popular services can encourage consumers to use black market technologies to bypass the system in search of content that meets their demands," it cautions. "

None of this explains why DS9 was (apparently) replaced by Real TV.

Gotta love Spike TV.

They have started a new DS9 promo highlighting "scantily clad female officers." Included among the clips is the girl-girl kiss of Dax's, then cutting to Sisko making a loud "Whoo!" from the beach scene in "Emissary."

Spike TV seems to already have given up on showing DS9 in the United States, mid-third season in their first non-marathon run, at least around prime time. They now only show it once at 1 p.m. Pacific/Eastern time.

God only knows how long it will take to give up on Voyager.

Half-way through Parallax?

Ok, so it's not just the Canadian feed, as I'd suspected. What the frell is wrong with Spike?

It's not a problem with Spike, its a problem with Canada. (They have been up to something since 1763.)

Actually, I read somewhere that Canada might ban Spike altogether. If they did that in the US....

No, my point is that Spike has clearly been screwing around with their schedule the past few weeks. Why?

According to Yahoo's TV listings, Spike is showing DS9 in prime time on June 11 from 9 - 11 pm (Eastern) and a marathon on June 18 from 9 am - 4 pm.

June 11th is a Friday, thus that is just the weekly airing of a Trek Uncut two parter.

Interesting to hear of a marathon however. I too thought they'd just given up, what with relegating it to 1pm.

I want to encourage all consumers who can to "use black market technologies to bypass the system in search of content"! Your national government is violating freedom of expression! Read George Orwell's "1984" and Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"! They have no right to prevent you from watching any TV show you want to see!