Nick
12-23-05, 04:06 AM
What a Year!
NRTC moves into IPTV ... DISH gets VOOM and WildBlue is sitting
pretty ... DirecTV launches local HD ... and multicast has the biz in
a tizzy ... Another year in the satellite industry wonderland. Here
is SkyREPORT's list of 2005's big events, as picked by the editors:
10. NRTC Does IPTV - After selling satellite TV for
close to two decades (first C-Band then DirecTV), the NRTC this
year moved into a completely different direction - IPTV.
Instead of dishes, members of the cooperative will offer video
via phone lines. My, how things change.
9. EchoStar's OLN Skirmish - The No. 2 satellite TV
service was forced to drop OLN (which this year gained rights
to NHL hockey) after the Comcast-controlled network backed DISH
into a corner over carriage. EchoStar had been offering OLN in
its America's Top 180 package, but OLN reportedly wants DISH to
carry the channel in more widely distributed packages.
8. Satellite Radio Spectrum Plays - Like any other business,
satellite radio wants to grow. And Sirius and XM need the
spectrum to do just that. XM is taking over WCS Wireless,
and at one point Sirius was eyeing 2GHz of spectrum abandoned
by a handful of mobile satellite services. Broadcasters - always
fretting about the good old-fashioned competition the DARS guys
deliver to traditional radio - are freaking out about this one.
7. SBCA Woes - In April, the Satellite Broadcasting and
Communications Association became a shell of its former self
when its members agreed to strip the organization of its
lobbying and policy efforts, and put it in charge of training.
It's a shame certain members of the organization didn't step up
and attempt to keep the SBCA mission intact, given that the
association has done so many good things over the years
(although, to be fair, the group had its share of miscues too).
6. WildBlue Launches - It seems we have been waiting
a long time for WildBlue to make its debut. But the satellite
broadband service finally launched service in June ... and even
in SkyREPORT's backyard. Consumer response has been strong ...
maybe too strong (for details see:
http://www.skyretailer.com/view.cfm?ReleaseID=790.
5. DirecTV Launches Local HDTV - The much-anticipated debut
of local HDTV came from the No. 1 satellite TV company late in
the year, following two satellite launches and the roll out of
MPEG-4 boxes that receive high-def broadcasts. Nonetheless,
some are wondering if the billion-dollar HDTV push, which will
include more satellite launches and technology upgrades
during the next two years, will be enough for Rupert Murdoch's
DBS jewel, given the intensifying competition from cable and telcos.
4. Alaska-Hawaii Multicast - Uh oh. Just when cable and satellite
TV wrote off multicast as a bad joke, there's a rule requiring DBS
to deliver multicast streams from local stations in Alaska and
Hawaii beginning in 2007. Yep, it's unfortunate the FCC bought
into the broadcaster lobbying push on this one. Are more narrow-
minded multicast mandates on the way from the Portals?
3. DISH Gets VOOM - As with all things DISH, EchoStar's takeover of
Cablevision's VOOM assets developed into another industry soap
opera. However, this time, Cablevision was the soap opera.
Cablevision Chairman Charles Dolan pushed ahead a plan to take
over VOOM himself, putting him at odds with his son, CEO James
Dolan, who desperately wanted to cut ties with the struggling DBS
service. In the end, the elder chairman relented. DISH won
regulatory approval for its VOOM takeover in October.
2. DTV Transition - This issue has been on the Capitol Hill radar for
years, but lawmakers finally agreed to "move back" the switch to
digital television for February 2009. So, do you think they will get
it right this time?
1. Satellite's Hurricane Response - No words can describe the efforts
of the entire satellite industry - satellite TV, satellite radio, satellite
broadband and the commercial satellite guys - in responding to the
hurricane disasters along the Gulf Coast. Not only did companies
quickly move into action, but so did employees, retailers, installers
and technicians, programmers, and even satellite TV subscribers
themselves. Despite the tragedies inflicted by hurricanes Katrina,
Rita and Wilma, the business and its customers should get a big
pat on the back for helping those who needed help the most.
www.SkyReport.com - used with permission
NRTC moves into IPTV ... DISH gets VOOM and WildBlue is sitting
pretty ... DirecTV launches local HD ... and multicast has the biz in
a tizzy ... Another year in the satellite industry wonderland. Here
is SkyREPORT's list of 2005's big events, as picked by the editors:
10. NRTC Does IPTV - After selling satellite TV for
close to two decades (first C-Band then DirecTV), the NRTC this
year moved into a completely different direction - IPTV.
Instead of dishes, members of the cooperative will offer video
via phone lines. My, how things change.
9. EchoStar's OLN Skirmish - The No. 2 satellite TV
service was forced to drop OLN (which this year gained rights
to NHL hockey) after the Comcast-controlled network backed DISH
into a corner over carriage. EchoStar had been offering OLN in
its America's Top 180 package, but OLN reportedly wants DISH to
carry the channel in more widely distributed packages.
8. Satellite Radio Spectrum Plays - Like any other business,
satellite radio wants to grow. And Sirius and XM need the
spectrum to do just that. XM is taking over WCS Wireless,
and at one point Sirius was eyeing 2GHz of spectrum abandoned
by a handful of mobile satellite services. Broadcasters - always
fretting about the good old-fashioned competition the DARS guys
deliver to traditional radio - are freaking out about this one.
7. SBCA Woes - In April, the Satellite Broadcasting and
Communications Association became a shell of its former self
when its members agreed to strip the organization of its
lobbying and policy efforts, and put it in charge of training.
It's a shame certain members of the organization didn't step up
and attempt to keep the SBCA mission intact, given that the
association has done so many good things over the years
(although, to be fair, the group had its share of miscues too).
6. WildBlue Launches - It seems we have been waiting
a long time for WildBlue to make its debut. But the satellite
broadband service finally launched service in June ... and even
in SkyREPORT's backyard. Consumer response has been strong ...
maybe too strong (for details see:
http://www.skyretailer.com/view.cfm?ReleaseID=790.
5. DirecTV Launches Local HDTV - The much-anticipated debut
of local HDTV came from the No. 1 satellite TV company late in
the year, following two satellite launches and the roll out of
MPEG-4 boxes that receive high-def broadcasts. Nonetheless,
some are wondering if the billion-dollar HDTV push, which will
include more satellite launches and technology upgrades
during the next two years, will be enough for Rupert Murdoch's
DBS jewel, given the intensifying competition from cable and telcos.
4. Alaska-Hawaii Multicast - Uh oh. Just when cable and satellite
TV wrote off multicast as a bad joke, there's a rule requiring DBS
to deliver multicast streams from local stations in Alaska and
Hawaii beginning in 2007. Yep, it's unfortunate the FCC bought
into the broadcaster lobbying push on this one. Are more narrow-
minded multicast mandates on the way from the Portals?
3. DISH Gets VOOM - As with all things DISH, EchoStar's takeover of
Cablevision's VOOM assets developed into another industry soap
opera. However, this time, Cablevision was the soap opera.
Cablevision Chairman Charles Dolan pushed ahead a plan to take
over VOOM himself, putting him at odds with his son, CEO James
Dolan, who desperately wanted to cut ties with the struggling DBS
service. In the end, the elder chairman relented. DISH won
regulatory approval for its VOOM takeover in October.
2. DTV Transition - This issue has been on the Capitol Hill radar for
years, but lawmakers finally agreed to "move back" the switch to
digital television for February 2009. So, do you think they will get
it right this time?
1. Satellite's Hurricane Response - No words can describe the efforts
of the entire satellite industry - satellite TV, satellite radio, satellite
broadband and the commercial satellite guys - in responding to the
hurricane disasters along the Gulf Coast. Not only did companies
quickly move into action, but so did employees, retailers, installers
and technicians, programmers, and even satellite TV subscribers
themselves. Despite the tragedies inflicted by hurricanes Katrina,
Rita and Wilma, the business and its customers should get a big
pat on the back for helping those who needed help the most.
www.SkyReport.com - used with permission