I have been one of your biggest supporters and wrote a letter objecting to the removal by Foxtel of my favourite channel.

I am disabled and I first discovered Andre Rieu on Ovation, this led to me purchasing his dvd's and cd's and my wonderful daughter took me to his Melbourne concert as a Mother's Day gift. It was quite an experience and she organised everything to make it happen for me, she booked a car park and the wonderful staff at the stadium gave me a lift in a wheelchair when it looked like I would never be able to get to my seat around the other side of the stadium.

What a night, one to be out at night after many many years, two to be with my wonderful daughter and then to see Andre who has brought me a great deal of pleasure with his concerts and music. I was often able to watch his concerts and forget about my health for a little while.

But then I discovered Tommy Fleming, I don't think it gets much better than that. I love his music with a passion and never tire of watching his concerts. I would record them and watch them over and over. I even wrote on his website how wonderful his music is and to thank the Ovation Channel for giving us notice of his coming concert this year.

So thanks to Ovation, I have tickets for his concert in October, at Warragul and I am so excited, I was able to get great tickets and because of my disability the lady at the concert venue sent them to me so I wouldn't have to go and pick them up.

I also get updates from Padraig on his website and help with any album I can't find.

So YES the Ovation channel is fantastic, I have put many people onto a subscription to pay tv just so they can get to see the fantastic concerts, .

Keep it up, I am so glad to have you back.

It is my understanding that Foxtel is considering cancelling the Ovation channel from its range of viewing options. Should this be the case let me make this point to the decision makers.

In my opinion Ovation is by far and away the best channel provided by Foxtel. From time to time my viewing of other channels leaves me with the impression that some are so poor in content that to continue watching them is an insult to one's intelligence.

The content of the Ovation channel gives the viewer a wide range of musical and artistic enjoyment that is unsurpassed by your other channels.

Having made these points let me say that if Ovation goes so too does my subscription to its package in the short term with the strong possibility of cancelling Foxtel altogether in the long term. Please do not regard this as "musical blackmail" - it is just a statement of fact and concern about a diminution of enjoyment in every day viewing life.

It is with great alarm that I learn of your proposal to restructure the Ovation Channel to "attract a younger, more affluent male audience". Since I am no longer young and as a pensioner not "more affluent" I cannot see the restructured channel as offering me anything. You seem to have forgotten that it was Ovation Channel that introduced Andre Rieu and Helmut Lotti to Australia with audiences full of not young, not more affluent older people. Given that Foxtel already had a number of channels devoted to "pop music" I think it would be a shame to ignore an older audience to provide more popular music.

PLEASE ABANDON YOU RESTRUCTURE PLANS AND LEAVE OVATION CHANNEL AS IT IS!!!!!

I have been enjoying Ovation Channel for some years and would be immensely disappointed if it were to be discontinued.

My strong preference would be for 2 art channels but please keep Ovation substantially the same as it currently exists.

Please don't stop the Ovation Channel. We love it and all the programs we
get to see. We love the music, interviews and movies.

Please reconsider your decision to cater for the under somethings.

I am disgusted and appalled at the decision of Foxtel to axe Ovation from its service. In its current form Ovation is a joy and I have spent many hours watching the fantastic programs shown on Ovation.

If it wasn't for Ovation, I would not be a fanatical Andre Rieu fan.

Foxtel, reconsider this decision.

We have heard of plans that the Ovation channel will not be carried by Foxtel from end March next year.
There could not be much more of a disaster for your reputation than to do this, in the light of:
a) The increasing body of opinion that less and less of television content is worth watching any more
b) An alarming increase in artistic and historical illiteracy of our population.
c) The desperate corresponding need for quality entertainment and drama such as currently enjoyed on the Ovation channel.

See to it that this moronic decision is reversed and canned for ever. We can then look forward to oncoming years of intelligent and entertaining broadcasts!

Your message is the SAME as that I received on 2 December 2009 AND on 21 December!!

Instead of this canned beans packaged reply, I would like to know what Foxtel/Austar is DOING about KEEPING the OVATION CHANNEL.

Have you gauged the extent of the disgust and disappointment and anger that you have created by ditching this channel????? Just go to the Ovation Channel website and read the hundreds of furious customer comments!

OVATION is the ONLY channel which provides uplifting and stimulating programming - the ONLY channel which provides joy and entertainment for thousands of people from the young to the elderly, and for those with health issues, and for their carers, for those unable to attend concerts and events such as is covered by the OVATION CHANNEL.

We don't want the SBS Channel! We want OVATION!!!!

CAN I HAVE A PERSONAL REPLY PLEASE ON THE CURRENT SITUATION REGARDING YOUR POSITION WITH OVATION CHANNEL?

Our Foxtel subscription is on the line here.

ONCE AGAIN - CONTACTING YOU REGARDING THE AXING OF THE OVATION CHANNEL!

YOU MAY BE GETTING THE MESSAGE NOW SEEING THE HUNDREDS OF VIEWER ENDORSEMENTS OF SUPPORT TO KEEP THE OVATION CHANNEL!!

PERHAPS YOU HAVE MADE A VERY STUPID DECISION TO REPLACE RATHER THAN ADD - BUT IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

I WOULD LIKE AN UPDATE ON WHERE FOXTEL/AUSTAR NOW STANDS WITH THIS DECISION.

When I first read this information I just couldn't believe what I was reading so I contacted Foxtel and a very sympathetic young Foxtel Customer Service man advised me the reason why, according to what he had been informed. It would appear that the over 50's are going to lose out, and the channel will be replaced with an arts program in conjunction with ABC & SBS.

Yes I am over 50 and retired, and my favourite channel with out a doubt is the Ovation Channel - my wife has the same sentiments. I indicated to the Foxtel officer that my first channel that I go to EVERY DAY is 132 (new number) for OVATION and then I search the program and work my day around what my wife and I are going to view that day.

So it would appear we are in the majority that use this channel although many of my friends also watch OVATION- but obviously not enough according to Foxtel.

The OVATION channel has such a varied viewing of musicians and documentary shows- ie Andre Rieu - Helmot Lotti - Fleming from Ireland and so on and so on !!! I am fairly confident in saying that Andre Rieu would not have been as successful in Australia without the support of OVATION.

Well I guess all I can do is lodge my GRIPE with Foxtel which will be probably be like water off a duck's back !!

I enjoy all my other Foxtel viewing so I would be stupid to even contemplate closing my account however I will no doubt review my package at a later stage and if appropriate delete part of my existing package to suit my future viewing.