--- Forwarded Message from Margo Burns <[log in to unmask]> ---
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>References: <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization: None.
>Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 12:25:52 -0500
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Margo Burns <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: TV5 experience
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We just got our TV5 up and running, and I wanted to tell the tale,
and include all the pertinent phone numbers and URLs in case anyone
else is struggling through the process, as I *definitely* did.
I got little help from my in-house A/V and satellite guy, even though
I had been putting in requests for it for a couple of years.
Sometimein the early summer someone posted some info to this list
about the availability of TV5, and I passed that info to him -- but
he still didn't do anything. So finally I called the main TV5 phone
number 1-888-902-5322 myself, listed near the bottom of the
http://www.tv5.org/usa/en.ante.rece.dish.html webpage, and talked
with a human being. He assured me that we could get the $100/year
educational institution price, but basically, he could do nothing
until we had a dish up.
I looked up the local DISHnet provider with the help of
http://www.dishnetwork.com/service/retailer.htm -- only he had
unfortunately never even heard of this $100/year educational price --
only residential or commercial prices. He tried the 888 number I'd
tried before, but he was getting no reply back.
Finally, I had a brainstorm and had one of our native French teachers
leave a message on the TV5 888 number, requesting a call back, and
lo! I had the call returned within a half an hour! ;D He gave me a
toll-free phone number for DISHnet Educational Institution
Subscriptions: 1-800-454-0837. I spoke with a woman named Beth, who
was very helpful. Her direct line 1-303-723-2841. She told me that
I should have the local provider install the dish (we pay him around
$200 -- for the dish, receiver, and installation) and then to
activate it, we'd call DISHnet's customer call center at
1-800-454-0843 to activate it and specify that it was an educational
institution account, and they'll bill us the $100 annual subscription.
My A/V guy came into the picture near the end to make sure that the
feed was distributed across our campus cable system properly.
The TV5 program schedules are available on-line weekly at the
http://www.tv5.org website.
Cheers,
Margo
Margo Burns 603-229-4666 [log in to unmask] http://www.sps.edu
Director of The Language Center, St. Paul's School, Concord, NH
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