wow! A rarity. Luken's financial problems combined with yanking 2 of their 3 sat feeds combined with news about IP streaming which usually signals a video service is looking to drop their satellite feed made me ASSume that 87W was going to be a goner once they got their affiliates converted to the IP stream.
BINGO........
Over the years that's been the M.O. of many a dying service. Shut down the expensive satellites and switch to IP. Then when IP is too expensive to maintain, lights out.
I've seen several of them do exactly this, some of them
promising to return to satellite once finances spring back from the grave. NOT ONE EVER HAS..
I'll wager that the cost of maintaining a
very high speed internet system, plus the cost of buying all the IP receiver boxes that would be sent to the stations, would be just as expensive as the satellite system, if not more.
Next up, goodbye SES2... If they are still transmitting on any satellite at all come the end of 2014 I'll be utterly amazed.
I DO WISH that Luken will salvage the business and keep it going. I HOPE they can keep the satellite feeds going.
In my opinion, I think he's letting it all die on the vine so he can do a big write off.
I don't see it surviving. I wish that it would but I just don't see that happening.
The writing is on the wall.