AFN Cable - Page 2

short_lil_chick · #11 11-04-2007, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nearlywild

...he was told that it was the way they insure authorized people are getting the decoders.

Someone is going to say it so I might as well. Why aren't our ID cards good enough? This whole Star Card thing is just one more thing we don't need. On one hand lets promote credit resposiblity and on the other lets force people to get a credit card they don't need.

chucksnee · #12 11-04-2007, 04:13 PM

Korea is SO full of their own "SPECIAL" rules. If you are allowed into a PX you are an authorized user of "what ever AAFES" has to offer, as long as you have a ID card or ID card and ration card, bottom line should be no questions asked.

Korea is the ONLY place i've been where while in Uniform i have to show my ID card to get into the PX.

Why do they do this.............

Can anyone tell me "WHAT" they are suposed to be looking for when they check your ID card at the PX? I'll tell you that it's just NOT that you have an ID card......Things that make you go HHMMM..........................................

Mr. Joe · #13 11-04-2007, 05:19 PM

Since it has no legal basis, I'll go on record NOW that the Star card "requirement" could not hold up in court, and will go away very soon. The PX conveniently neglecting to tell you that you will end up paying another high fee for installation will have to end, also.
In fairness to installers everywhere, I have to say that installing Ku band dishes does require a certain amount of expertise and education, and maybe $75-100 is not too much- if travel distance, transportation, drilling, grounding and a long cable from the roof is involved. But you need to know that the initial payment to the PX is only the beginning, and you need to be told up front about the install costs and the amount you must pay every 30 days for monthly usage! The PX could pay a contractor to install the dishes. It should not cost more than what I said. It would not be a moneymaker for the PX, especially with their satisfaction guarantee, so I suspect they would rather just let it be your problem to use a list of Korean installers, who run cables willy-nilly all over town with no guarantee. I personally don't have one, so I don't know, but some places you are only leasing the decoder/receiver, and must return it to the PX when you leave the country. They may extract some penalty for not doing so, although you will have paid for it many times over. The reason the US Government wants it back is the technicality that it might fall into the hands of a Korean or a non-authorized user, who might then find a way to receive the signal ! A cable company or an apartment owner could even set up a way to "sell" that signal to many "unauthorized" users. Big sin in the US- yet very difficult to enforce. Internationally, nearly impossible to enforce. It would be easier and cheaper to build a fence along the Rio Grande to deter Mexicans.
It is not easy to understand why we are being denied such a small thing as being able to watch US TV on Korean cable. I know that it amounts to Korea pirating a US signal. I also know that they could have let it go on until such time as the US Government could get a signal into the apartments where authorized users live, or I'm sure the Cable company would have been happy to continue showing AFN if someone in the US Government had not brought it up.

nearlywild · #14 11-04-2007, 10:10 PM

I just sent my Senator an email. We'll see if I get a reply.

kosovodad · #15 11-05-2007, 10:13 AM

Okay, here's the deal ...

First let me say that I publicly and humbly apologize to Mr Joe for being terrible at responding to PMs. I'm REALLY sorry!

For those that don't know me ... I am Lt Col Mike Lawhorn, the 26th Commander of AFN Korea.

No really ... I am ...
I often get "no you're not ... you sound like some punk airman" (true story)

Let me go through some of the rumors and give you some updated info.

My responses are in bold...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrWorm

Here is the deal. The shows that we get on AFN are given to AFRTS (Armed Forces Radio and Televison) Free or at a great discount than they are given to civilian TV stations. Because of that you will never see paid commercials. AFN makes no money.

TRUE ... every single word

As part of the SOFA agreement with South Korea, AFN Korea will not show certain TV shows. Korean stations should pay a lot of money to get the right to show them.

Well not quite as true ... it has nothing to do with the SOFA ... it actually has to do with the agreements we have with people like Buena Vista and the NFL who own the programs. They let us have them with the understanding that DoD will do its very best to protect those programs. That is because -- in some cases -- the owners are trying to sell those same programs to Korean cable outlets

But here is the thing. The cable companies are making money off of AFN because they pay nothing for it and they show it on their feed. If the Show production companies in the States really ever found out, they could pull all of their shows from AFN.

the production companies actually found out a few years ago and that is what started this ball rolling ... AFRTS has actually moved several shows and sporting events off of AFN Prime Pacific and onto other AFN channels in the past few years over these types of issues

They never had the rights, like the other poster said. What they where doing was illegal. Also, GEN Bell has nothing to do with AFN Korea. Technically AFN Korea is not even part of USFK. The GEN has no say over programming.

neither do I

Hope that answered your question.

Oh and I think it's UHF 34 to get the off air signal.

34 for Yongsan

kosovodad · #16 11-05-2007, 10:29 AM

LTC Lawhorn here from AFN Korea

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Joe

... I have to say that installing Ku band dishes does require a certain amount of expertise and education, and maybe $75-100 is not too much- if travel distance, transportation, drilling, grounding and a long cable from the roof is involved. But you need to know that the initial payment to the PX is only the beginning, and you need to be told up front about the install costs and the amount you must pay every 30 days for monthly usage!

Joe... I'm pretty sure the Px has been upfront about the charges ... they (and we helped) advertise the fact that the monthly fee was cut from 25 to 13$ last year. Right now, the dish runs 84$, the decoder is 13$\month, install is 100-150k won if you have someone else do it, and in some rare cases you need a 30,000 won bracket.

...

The reason the US Government wants it back is the technicality that it might fall into the hands of a Korean or a non-authorized user, who might then find a way to receive the signal ! A cable company or an apartment owner could even set up a way to "sell" that signal to many "unauthorized" users. Big sin in the US- yet very difficult to enforce. Internationally, nearly impossible to enforce.

which is why you are forced to lease here... exactly this sort of thing goes on all the time in Germany with these things showing up in bars, etc.

It is not easy to understand why we are being denied such a small thing as being able to watch US TV on Korean cable. I know that it amounts to Korea pirating a US signal. I also know that they could have let it go on until such time as the US Government could get a signal into the apartments where authorized users live

Not really. USFK HAD to work this issue with the ROK now because of the NFL issue and the attention drawn to other programming that currently exists and FUTURE programming that AFRTS is trying to get ... Companies are now trying harder than ever to penetrate the Korean market with US programs and they are scrutinizing like never before... I really get frustrated by the repeated "but we did it for 20 years and no one cared, why now?"

It's simple ... because for 20 years US companies weren't selling the programming like they are now. Yes, they didn't care for years ... but they care now and will not continue giving DoD the programming if it continues.

Yeah, it's not what anyone wanted ... but it's about DoD keeping a promise to protect the programming.

, or I'm sure the Cable company would have been happy to continue showing AFN if someone in the US Government had not brought it up.

chucksnee · #17 11-05-2007, 10:50 AM

They were NOT up front with me on the charges for this satellite.

Let me explain, when I went to get the dish and everything they said $80 for the dish and the first months rental fee. I said fine when she rang up the final bill the total was $240ish..... I asked where the other $140 came from....she said for the installiation fee.

So technically they were kinda sorta up front but not really until the bill was already rung up, then she explained everything.

I believe you say who you are. Mr Joe introduced you when you first came to this board and that's all I need....

Mr. Joe · #18 11-05-2007, 11:13 AM

There you have it- from the best source! Thanks Col!
The problem I heard about the PX not explaining every cost to the customer was, I believe, an incident at Humphreys. Korean employees don't all have the ability to cover the finer details of how it works, perhaps.

The credit card thing is still a point of contention for those who don't need or can't handle credit. It is no doubt a good thing for the PX, but can't be required legally.

kosovodad · #19 11-05-2007, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chucksnee

They were NOT up front with me on the charges for this satellite.

Let me explain, when I went to get the dish and everything they said $80 for the dish and the first months rental fee. I said fine when she rang up the final bill the total was $240ish..... I asked where the other $140 came from....she said for the installiation fee.....

So let me ask you this ... what Px did you go to and when did you get your dish?

I'm trying to get some information to take back to USFK on this so we can do as much as we can to help.

MTL

kosovodad · #20 11-05-2007, 12:25 PM

Yeah, I don't know why the credit card is an issue with the PX...

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