We have questions regarding the operation of Amnet’s cable television service, but have not been able to get any answers.We went on the Web site, clicked on “English,” but it didn’t work. They do list a “Contact Us” (in Spanish), which we did via e-mail March 14, but still haven’t gotten a reply.
Why aren’t the programs of the English-language channels (68/ESPN, 69/ABC, 70/CBS, 71/NBC) listed on Amnet’s Channel 18 TV Guide? They used to be.Why do they bother to have the U.S. television network ABC when it’s not available during the evening? Most of us are too busy during the day to look at TV when this channel is available. And yet there are times when a program suddenly appears at 8:30 p.m.!
About the message on the screen blocking ABC, they say it’s “beyond our control.” Some of our friends who depend on Amnet for English programs say the “control” could easily be overcome with a fee. Is that correct?
Rhoda and Georges Obolensky
Alajuela
We found the “English” link on Amnet’s Web site (www.amnet.co.cr) to be working, although noticed it does not include word-for-word the entire site’s Spanish content.
Jorge Córdoba, Amnet’s director of customer service, told The Tico Times that portions of the site are occasionally down for maintenance.
Córdoba said contact via the Web site is usually the best method of contacting the company with questions or complaints.
“We try to answer all communication that comes in,” he said.
Providing programming information for the U.S. networks, which come via stations in Denver, Colorado, is tricky, he said.
Programming varies a great deal from week to week and between the network feeds and the local programming the station offers.
Córdoba suggested using the three stations’ Internet sites to obtain specific programming information. We turned up the following with a search, and all three stations regularly give their Web addresses: ABC (www.thedenverchannel.com); CBS (www.cbs4denver.com); NBC (www.9news.com).
The blocking of primetime U.S. programming is a thorny issue, explained Córdoba, but it revolves around broadcast rights of certain programs to Latin America. Those that are interrupted may be blocked at the request of the Denver stations, the U.S. networks, the program’s producers, or Latin American channels such as Sony or Warner, which do hold the Latin American broadcast rights to many U.S. shows, but on a few weeks’ delayed basis.
For example, you can watch the mega hit “Desperate Housewives” here each Thursday night on Sony Entertainment Television. You cannot see it when it originally airs in the United States on Sunday nights via the ABC affiliate from Denver.
As a service to Tico Times readers, “Get Action” will answer questions, solve problems, bridge language gaps and just generally help wherever it can. Please send your queries to “Get Action” at The Tico Times by mail, fax or e-mail. We can’t promise miracles, but we’ll do the best we can.
