Sky Angel to ditch satellite broadcasts, expand via Internet

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Sky Angel to ditch satellite broadcasts, expand via Internet

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Sky Angel to ditch satellite broadcasts, expand via Internet


Company building corporate headquarters in Naples
By Laura Layden
Thursday, November 1, 2007

It seems the sky is the limit for Sky Angel.
Sky Angel is making plans to build a new corporate headquarters in Naples. Owned and operated by Dominion Video Satellite Inc., the company will end its existing Christian and family-oriented satellite service and begin airing its programming over high-speed Internet.

As it looks to build a new corporate headquarters in Naples, the company has its eye on the heavens. It’s moving toward a global expansion.
In the next few months, Sky Angel, owned and operated by Dominion Video Satellite Inc., will end its existing Christian and family-oriented satellite service and begin airing its programming over high-speed Internet. The technology is called IPTV, short for Internet Protocol Television.
It will allow the company to add more radio and TV channels and to offer new programming.
“What it really does is gives us the opportunity to eliminate much of the old equipment,” said Tom Scott, the company’s president and chief operating officer. “You don’t need the dish on your house anymore. You don’t even need anybody to install it.”
Customers will get a set-top box that connects to the TV. A computer isn’t required to get the service, just the Internet connection.
“It plugs in like a Game Boy,” Scott said.
The company has never owned its own satellites, and leasing them has been very expensive, he said.
Owning a satellite is cost-prohibitive and risky, he said.
“If a satellite breaks down, you can’t lift the hood and fix it,” Scott said. “You can’t send out an IT person to fix it.”
With the new technology, the company can expand from about 30 TV and radio channels to more than 70. Without it, expansion would have been next to impossible.
“We had limited capacity through satellite. We were only licensed for so many transponders, which allowed us to have only so many channels,” said Nancy Christopher, vice president for corporate communications.
In 2006, the company expanded its call center and relocated it to Cleveland, Tenn., along with its technical operations. The relocation was driven by the high housing costs here that made it difficult to find and keep workers, Christopher said.
But the company, founded in Naples, wanted to keep its home office here.
In the next few weeks, it will start building a new two-story headquarters off Goodlette-Frank Road just north of the post office. It will span 20,000 square feet.
“We are currently trying to figure out whether we want to lease out some of the space,” Christopher said. “We may end up taking all of it.”
At one time, Sky Angel planned to build a larger headquarters on 23 acres it owned off Collier Boulevard, near Cracker Barrel restaurant. But after running into permitting problems and relocating parts of its operations to Tennessee, the company put the land up for sale, Christopher said. About 10 acres are still on the market, she said.
Between Naples and Tennessee, the company now has about 115 employees. It will soon add more as it begins ramping up for its new IPTV service.
“We’ve had steady growth,” Christopher said. “We’ve been on the air for 10 years.”
With the IPTV service, customers will also get Video on Demand, giving them access to free and pay-per-view movies.
The set-box will allow customers to view programming up to 48 hours after it airs, without hitting the record button.
Now Sky Angel has one service for $14.99 a month.
With IPTV, the company will offer more service choices, including a package for $19.99 a month with 20 of the most popular family and educational channels. The lineup will include the Hallmark Channel and FOX News.
The first focus is on expanding in the U.S. Then the company will start exploring options for international delivery.
With more channels, the company plans to do more of its own programming. In June, it formed Sky Angel Productions LLC, headed up by veteran Emmy-award winning producer Kathleen Johnson, who has more than 20 years of television experience .
Dominion Video Satellite looked at the possibility of getting county incentives to help it build its new headquarters. But it couldn’t qualify because it didn’t meet the requirements for job creation and wages.
Tammie Nemecek, president of the Economic Development Council of Collier County, said while Sky Angel’s decision to relocate parts of its operations to Tennessee came as a disappointment, she’s glad the headquarters is staying here.
The council works to bring more high-wage, high-skilled jobs to the county.
“The corporate headquarters is definitely a target for us,” Nemecek said. “Usually they are not dependent on the local economy for revenue. Most of the times, it’s national or international headquarters.”
 
“It plugs in like a Game Boy,” ... wow, there's someone who knows his technology! A Game Boy, you say? You mean, like that hand held gaming system that doesn't plug into anything?
 
It seems the theory that they are preparing to fold and sell out was off the mark. I am a bit surprised there will be tier service. If they are starting the pacakges at $19.99 for only 20 channels I wonder what the largest package will cost. Does anyone have a listing of the "70" channels they hope to have?
 
title of article says it all

Sky Angel to ditch satellite broadcasts, expand via Internet

they are ditching their loyal subs, especially lifetime members. there is an email in the article I suggest we use it to give the WHOLE picture!

Notice the game boy quote came from SCOTT at SKYANGEL!!!! Definitely inspires confidence.......

Once again any major news is in the newspaper, not our mail box!!!
 
14.99 for the faith pkg( tv & Radio) 19.99 for the family(secular) pkg and 24.99 for both packages combined and with an 18 month comittment the set top box is free.

I asked if lifetime subscribers are to get a discount , they said they are discussing it.
 
14.99 for the faith pkg( tv & Radio) 19.99 for the family(secular) pkg and 24.99 for both packages combined and with an 18 month comittment the set top box is free.

I asked if lifetime subscribers are to get a discount , they said they are discussing it.

Did they direct you to a link or say they were sending out information soon?
 
the cs person reviewed my address and said they will send info to us, with options, she mentioned discovery ch, the weather ch, qvc, sportsman ch, she said there where 8 chs pending and she didnt know what they were.
They said the first qtr inext year this would take place,
i have actually called 4 times to get peices of info and this one gave me the most info, others didnt give out info like this today
 
My rep also mentioned Fox. Think maybe they are just now ready for CSRs to have and give out this info. I was also told that the faith package will be 50 channels - 30 TV, 20 radio, again not totally final exactly what the channels will be.
 
I wouldn't long term commit to anything sky angel is involved in. Certainly wouldn't suggest prepaying them a dime based on their past history.

In the past few years their price has jumped 2x, this will be the 3rd. How long before another increase with IPTV? Once you bjuy the equipment you are stuck :(\

I think the reason they are still discussing LIFETIME members is a)they want to see how many commit without any incentives and b) how many call up screaming. Obvioulsy if they can get away without offering much they will.
 
I'm hoping that there is some sort of time to view, like a 30 day time frame to return the equipment.

I do like the pkgs, and i am hoping for a discount.

Doues anyone know if skyangel charges sales tax on the invoices ?
 
Sky Angel is making a mistake with the IPTV only format. What about rural customers? Now they would have to get a Hughes Net StarBand, or Wild Blue dish then pay for the programming on top of that? It doesn't make sense to me! Some people don't want broadband and will simply cancel Sky Angel.
 
Have you seen the prices for hughesnet and wildblue?!

Hughes is $299 for equip/install then $79 per month for UP TO 1.5 mbps

wildblue you MUST commit to ONE YEAR of service!! cost is $299 for equip PLUS install IF its available in your area. I tried 4 zip codes in 2 different states and it was not available so they would not give me a monthly price quote :(
 
Actually they only officially notified people of the upcoming IPTV about a week ago via a small flyer. Even that did not clearly state that DBS is being shut down. it also did not address the lifetime members. Everything else is word of mouth and rumors at this point :(

Hughesnet is NOT compatible with skyangel IPTV!!!!! Be aware of this BEFORE you make a 2 year committment
 
Bad 4 Rural & Sat Only-Good for Cable/DSL/World

Sky Angel is making a mistake with the IPTV only format. What about rural customers? Now they would have to get a Hughes Net StarBand, or Wild Blue dish then pay for the programming on top of that? It doesn't make sense to me! Some people don't want broadband and will simply cancel Sky Angel.

Yes it is going to hurt rural customers. :mad: That is a sad fact. :( But in its place it creates a brand new segment of potential customers who were out of the mix with a sattelite only option. :eureka It gives easy access to all those who already have the distribution network via cable modems and DSL. The number of subscribers to those services far outnumber rural customers and those with satellite only. Then there is the international component that expands it even further. It would probably be a good thing for this to succeed. If Cable and Satellite see this as a successful venture. Why wouldn't they start offering similar programming directly through their service. It has worked for Christian Music, Movies, Videos, Books, and Radio to be offered via mainstream/secular distribution methods. Television is the only thing that hasn't experienced this except with Sky Angel. Well maybe some kind of on a show by show basis "Touched By An Angel, 7th Heaven, 700 Club, Joel Osteen, etc. Sky Angel is attempting to be the mainstream "Pay" television network service equivalent of Christian Music, Movies, Videos, Books, and Radio. If you desire a free and all donation supported network then Glorystar will fill that void.

Yes some people will cancel. :mad: But others will join if the technology of the service works as advertised. :rolleyes::up
 
hughesnet

You mentioned hughesnet BUT skyangel has recently issued a discalimer saying the IPTV is NOT COMPATIBLE with hughesnet. Just want to point that out again before someone signs up for 24 months! Earthlink has various packages of satellite ISP but they are expensive.
 
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