EchoStar to Provide Ku Bandwidth to National Programming Service

[dfergie]

EchoStar to Provide Ku Bandwidth to National Programming ServiceENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 29, 2006--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) today announced that its subsidiary, EchoStar Satellite Operating Corporation (ESOC), has entered into a contract with National Programming Service, LLC (NPS) to provide domestic satellite capacity. The multi-year contract will provide full-time capacity to support the NPS consumer satellite programming business.
"We are extremely pleased to be in a position to support the satellite capacity needs of NPS," said Michael Kelly, executive vice president of Commercial and Business Services for EchoStar.
ESOC will provide transponder bandwidth on EchoStar VII, one of EchoStar's 14 owned and/or leased satellites, to support NPS bandwidth needs.
"NPS is a leading provider of satellite delivered consumer programming services and customer support," said Mike Mountford, CEO of NPS. "The recent contract with EchoStar further strengthens our commitment and capability to provide television programming services to our customers who receive their programming by satellite."
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Source: Echostar

 

[dfergie]

Just a thought, but maybe NPS in conjunction with E* will offer 4dtv with the Denver 8 to all who have lost distants at a discount...

 

[photoman76]

There must be a typo in the press release. Echostar 7 is a dbs satellite. DBS is not compatible with 4dtv. All NPS customers would have to add a dbs lnbf to their big dish for this to work. I suspect that NPS will be using Echostar 9 or possibly AMC 15 instead. NPS was looking for more transponder space to uplink all the analog channels that are going digital. Echostar probably had the cheapest rates.

 

[dfergie]

Yeah, I know spike is going among others...

 

[airgator96]

So Ku Band will be getting its own pay programs now?

 

[photoman76]

So Ku Band will be getting its own pay programs now?

NPS is already using Ku for subscription programming. Many of the Absolute Digital package channels are on Galaxy 16 ku.

 

[airgator96]

NPS is already using Ku for subscription programming. Many of the Absolute Digital package channels are on Galaxy 16 ku.

Ya, but right now you still need the hit from cband. I'm wondering if they are just going to offer straight up KU without the Cband hit.

 

[photoman76]

Ya, but right now you still need the hit from cband. I'm wondering if they are just going to offer straight up KU without the Cband hit.

I doubt it. You'll still have to go to Galaxy 15 for the Guide Info and subscription authorizations. I assume NPS will only uplink those channels which are not available in 4dtv format and have enough subscriber potential to pay for the transponder space. The Echostar ku transponder is probably cheaper than what they are paying for their Cband transponder on Galaxy 13.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=83254

Make sense now?

Also note it is CBS doing the emergency filing - not the NAB, not the local stations - but the network.

 

[dfergie]

Just a thought, but maybe NPS in conjunction with E* will offer 4dtv with the Denver 8 to all who have lost distants at a discount...

Looks like I wasn't that far off the mark if true...

 

[photoman76]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=83254

Make sense now?

Also note it is CBS doing the emergency filing - not the NAB, not the local stations - but the network.

Yes, it makes sense now. The new bandwidth is for NPS Dish Network customers, not NPS C/KU customers. The original news release wasn't clear about this.