Introduction
 

My name is George Smirnoff, I am the Consumer Marketing Coordinator for the Outdoor Life Network and have been employed here for about a year and a half.

I am proud to be working for such a great network and appreciate all the feedback that is offered.

I look forward to communicating with all of you, and please let me know if there's anything I can do on behalf of our network.

A couple of notes:
1) Due to current copyright laws we are unable to provide copies of any of our programming to consumers
2) If your cable company does not carry OLN, please be patient. We are initiating a major push to be in millions of more households by the Tour de France. Ultimately the decision is up to your cable company to carry us, so please keep that in mind if you do not get us and are frustrated.

Thanks!

Hey! Welcome to bikeforums!!

Well, if Time Warner would just start carrying it...
Seriously, though, it depends on what OLN costs-there really is nothing else on the channel other than cycling that I want to watch.

Actually, there is. You could get your Canadian brand-holder OLN Canada to stop insulting viewers with the crap that they air. For more information, please check out this thread:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...&threadid=5474

OLN Canada is doing its best to utterly devalue the OLN brand up here. You might want to know about that.

WE WANT MORE CYCLING COVERAGE!

No really, I subscribed to get coverage for this past year's TDF and was hooked every Thursday night for cycling night on OLN. Great Job, I really enjoyed it!

As a suggestion, I'm sure there is a ton of old race coverage from years past that I wouldn't mind seeing again. Might I suggest a hour of "historical" coverage in your line-up? Maybe even on another night or some off-hour programming so I could tape it and watch it instead of some new boring sit-com.

Since there are two major classes of cycling: road / mountain. perhaps two nights a week with specific coverage of each. Also, there is a ton of new gear that "Gear Guide" could cover more of. I've seen most of the episodes where cycling products were featured and thought they were very well done.

As I'm sure you are well aware of, cycling is not huge in the good ole USA, but it is in Europe. Is there a way to get coverage from some of the racing (road & mtn) from there? Maybe a european affiliate?

What else, if you need a "bruiser" for hardcore testing of cycling products let me know!

L8R & Thanks to OLN for the coverage they DO provide!

Hurry, hurry!! We need OLN on cable in MIlwaukee.

Welcome George.

I just got OLN last month, after paying my AT&T Broadband for the extra channels.
What I'd like to see is fewer fishing and hunting shows and more cycling, hiking, or action outdoor shows.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Just so you guys know:

1) Aside from the same name and some similar programming, there is virtually NO connection between OLN in the US and Canada. We are run by completely different organizations and operate compltely independent of one another.

2) One of the most common requests is for "less fishing and more (insert programming of choice)." Oddly enough (I wouldn't believe it unless I actually saw the research), the hunting and fishing audience is signifcant and our hunting/fishing programming, aside from the Tour, is our most popular.

We do constantly monitor research and feedback to make sure we are providing an ideal mix of programming to satisfy all of our audience, which includes a majority of hunters and fishers.

One misleading aspect of this phenomena seems to be that cycling enthusiasts are much more likely to use the internet and more vocal, but research has shown the ratings lie with the fishermen. Mind you we are not "selling out", but without ratings there is no possibly way we would be able to show things like the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France.

True, but OLN Canada pays OLNTV to license the brand. Considering the lousy quality of programming currently being offered by OLN Canada, I would imagine that OLNTV might be a little concerned about brand dilution. OLN Canada is developing a reputation in Canada for being a lazy, arrogant operation that siply airs filler and infomercials between ads.

I've studied enough of marketing to know that this could have a significant blowback on the branding of OLNTV in other markets. You may not have a direct connection with your licensee, but you do have a commercial relationship. For the interests of your brand, if no for Canadian viewers, you might want to bring some pressure to bear in that relationship.

You want higher ratings? Try showing cycling coverage in the fall and winter. A lot of cyclists can't ride as much as they would like in these seasons and would love to be able to watch cycling programs on TV.

Or another point of view on the same subject:

Cyclist dont just ride in the Spring and summer, we ride year round and would like to watch TV Programs about our sport year round.

By the way welcome to BF and thanks for asking for our feedbck!!

KevinG