SkyCable

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SkyCable
TypeCable TV
FoundedMerger between SkyCABLE, Home Cable, SunCable & Sunvision Cable
FounderLopez Group of Companies
HeadquartersImage:Flag of the Philippines.svg Metro Manila & Some Parts of the Provinces
Websitehttp://www.skycable.com

SkyCable is a direct-to-home cable TV and subscription service, established by the Lopez Group of Companies and Central CATV Group Of Companies. It is one of several subsidiaries of ABS-CBN.

SkyCable should not be confused as a service of British Sky Broadcasting in the UK -- neither it nor its parent, News Corporation, own any interest in SkyCable even as Star TV channels are carried by the former. SkyCable offers a range of analog and digital Cable Television services, and also offers high-speed internet services as well.

Contents

[edit] Company timeline

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[edit] 1990s

  • 1992 – SkyCable is founded.
  • 1994 – SkyCable launches its first local movie channel, Sky1(later Pinoy Blockbuster Channel then Cinema One).
  • May 1, 1996 – SkyCable launches its first local news channel, Sarimanok News Network (now ABS-CBN News Channel).
  • 1 January 1999 – The "i" channel ceases to air on SkyCable
  • July 11, 1999 – SkyCable launches Lifestyle Network.

[edit] 2000s

  • May 1, 2000 – SkyCable launches AXN.
  • May 20, 2001 – Pinoy Blockbuster Channel replaces Cinema One as the digital Filipino movie channel.
  • October 19, 2001 – Home Cable loses STAR TV channels, SkyCable acquires Home Cable.
  • July 1, 2002 – SkyCable launches Disney Channel.
  • November 17, 2002 – Home Cable removes Disney Channel and Hallmark Channel.
  • May 7, 2004 – SkyCable and Home Cable launches ETC and Sports Plus (now BTV).
  • July 1, 2004 – SkyCable and Home Cable changes their hotline number to +6326310000.
  • July 1, 2005 – SkyCable changes its channel guide; acquires Home Cable and Sun Cable.
  • October 1, 2005 – SkyCable launches HERO-TV channel 44 on test broadcast from November 30 to December 31. Programming started in January 2006.
  • October 15 and December 15 – SkyCable launches Crime Suspense and ETC 2nd Avenue, respectively.
  • January 2006 – SkyCABLE becomes SkyCable Gold, and Home Cable and SunCable becomes SkyCable Silver.
  • March 16, 2006 – SkyCABLE launches SkyCABLE Platinum.
  • April 11, 2006 – SkyCable launches commercials for SkyCable Platinum, seen on MySKY & SkySKED and as a filter on some channels.
  • April 12, 2006 to July 20, 2006 – SkyCable shows previews of SkyCABLE Platinum Channels on SkySked Channel 33. Channels from the HBOPak each have 5 to 10 minute previews, while channels from the Metro Pack each have 15 to 30 minute previews.
  • July 12, 2006 – QTV moves to ch.24, leaving ZPDee Channel to Ch 11.
  • September 01, 2006 – KBS World replaced Arirang TV (Channel 75).
  • October 19, 2006 – SkyCable main offices are moved to 33rd Floor, Tektite East Tower, Exchange Road, Ortigas Centre, Pasig City.
  • November 13, 2006 – UniversiTV premiers on Ch. 05.
  • Dec. 2006 – SkyCable launches its children's club, called SkyCable Fun Club
  • April 12, 2007 – Skycable launches Teleradyo Channel 22, leaving MTV on Channel 57 and Channel News Asia on Channel 79 (channel 67 on Skycable Digital). Also, SkyCable launches an infomercial about their Digibox product, seen on mySky Channel 33.
  • June 26, 2007 – SkySked on Channel 11 has been reformatted.
  • August 13, 2007 – Change Channel Assignments: TeleRadyo moves to 26, Zpdee moves to 61, Iglesia Ni Cristo TV moves to 22, NHK World Premium moves to 78 and Makisig (formerly Karera Channel) moves to 76.
  • September 1, 2007 – Test Broadcast of another sports channel - Balls. It currently broadcasts the 2007 US Open which is exclusive to SkyCable.
  • September 15, 2007 – Test Broadcast of MySky Channel 33 is reformatted.
  • November 7, 2007 – CUBEiTV will transferred on channel 67 while ABS-CBN Pay-Per-View will also transferred on channel 25. SkyCable's new CPI channels and the replacement for Solar's channels started its preview on Channel 25 for Velvet, Channel 33 for Balls and Channel 61 for Maxxx.
  • January 1, 2008 – All Solar Entertainment Channels were removed, namely, BTV-Basketball TV, ETC, 2nd Avenue, Crime/Suspense, JackTV and Solar Sports. Also on that date, AXN Beyond, Fox Crime and KidsCo will be available on SkyCable, but, KidsCo will also available for Gold subscribers.

[edit] Channel listing

Please be advised that this list is the current SkyCable channel listing. Some channels may be listed in more than one genre. Channel numbers in bold are channels exclusive to SkyCable.

This list is lifted from SkySked Channel and SkyCable's official website.

Channels not yet available on SkyCable can be found on the Future Channels section.

[edit] Information and interactive channels

  • 011 PRIMETIME SkySked
  • 025 Platinum Preview
  • 033 MySky Channel
  • 067 CUBE iTV

[edit] Local channels

[edit] Music channels

[edit] Radio channels

[edit] News and information channels

[edit] Sports channels

[edit] Educational, documentary, and travel channels

[edit] Children's entertainment and animation channels

[edit] Lifestyle channels

[edit] General entertainment and variety channels

[edit] Movies and drama series channels

[edit] Religious channels

[edit] Indian channels

[edit] East Asian channels

[edit] Premium channels

  • 113 Pay-Per-View
  • 136 Pay-Per-View
  • 149 Pay-Per-View

[edit] Future channels

These channels are not yet available on any of SkyCable's subscription plan or pack. SkyCable has no public announcement yet about any or all of these channels, but possibly may have a contract. In any case, the Channel Listing by Genre section is more reliable data-wise, for they have citation unlike this section.

If any of these channels do become available, they will be moved up to the Channel List section. These channels are arranged according to their "channel numbers." The channel numbers beside their names are predicted channel numbers only; these numbers may conflict with those in the Channel Listing by Genre section.

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Alleged bias with GMA

In mid-2003, GMA Network, the chief rival of SkyCable's sister company ABS-CBN, accused SkyCable of purposely tampering with the signal of GMA received by SkyCable's subscribers. At that time, SkyCable changed its channel assignments, moving GMA to channel 14. Subscribers still received poor reception of GMA, but officials at SkyCable denied these claims. [1] The National Telecommunications Commission ordered SkyCable to move GMA to an appropriate channel. [2] SkyCable complied with the order and moved GMA to Channel 12 on the system.[3]

Even so, some subscribers have complained still about GMA's weak signal on 12, especially in timeslots where GMA's ratings are relatively high. In response, GMA provides a telephone line where subscribers can complain to GMA about the signal quality. The phone line has been promoted during newscasts, and is being used to collect evidence in preparation for a formal complaint against SkyCable. Similar issues also occurred with GMA's secondary network, Q.

[edit] Removal of Solar Entertainment's Channels

Due to a dispute with SkyCable, channels owned by Solar Entertainment Corporation have been removed from SkyCable's lineups on January 1st, 2008. The channels have been "replaced" with several new channels: AXN Beyond, Fox Crime, Balls, MAXXX and Velvet TV.

Solar Entertainment responded to the move by starting to air programs on Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC), RJTV 29, and SBN 21, apart from Radio Philippines Network (RPN), which already airs Solar's programs. One insider commented that it was the best move, while another claimed that the troubles started when Manny Pacquiao, whose matches Solar Entertainment has exclusive rights to air and distribute, switched his loyalties from ABS-CBN to GMA. However, the said move, according to SkyCable's vice president for Programming Juno Chuidian, was just part of the thrust to improve programming and reduce redundant programs.[4]

[edit] Competition

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SkyCable competes with many cable TV providers in Metro Manila, some only operating in a certain locale in Metro Manila. But SkyCable's major competitor is Global Destiny Cable, which also operates metrowide. Both have their own affiliates nationwide, and both provide their own cable internet services to subscribers. However, the market for Global Destiny Cable is now vastly different from that of SkyCable, considering that it now focuses more on Asian shows than the predominantly English programming still adopted by SkyCable to this day. It is therefore safe to assume that the two cable giants are no longer in direct competition with each other.

Another major competitor in the Philippine pay TV industry was Dream Satellite TV, the country's first and only satellite TV provider. It operates nationwide since it transmits its signals to its subscribers via satellite. Until 2006 Dream offered a reasonable alternative to Sky cable. But because of mismanagement Dream now offers a very limited, and continuously shrinking number of channels, at prices far higher than than top packages of the cable providers. So it is now only a viable choice in areas too remote to have a cable provider.

In spite of the advantages each competitor has over SkyCable, it has been seen that the latter is still the most preferred among them. This is mainly due to its vast variety of channels sourcing from STAR TV, SPE Networks Asia, Creative Programs, Inc., and Solar Entertainment, which is testified by subscribers to be "worth the high cost."

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.inq7.net/ent/2003/may/12/ent_5-1.htm
  2. ^ http://www.inq7.net/ent/2003/sep/01/text/ent_1-1-p.htm
  3. ^ http://www.inq7.net/brk/2003/dec/10/text/brkpol_4-1-p.htm
  4. ^ San Diego, Bayani Jr. (November 22 2007), "Solar joins ABC 5, RJTV", Philippine Daily Inquirer: E4, <http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=102344>

[edit] External links

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