Competitor - Sky Angel

[BrettR]

Is Sky Angel considered a competitor to Echostar and Hughes right now? If E* and Hughes want to merge to be NE*, couldnt they say Sky Angel exists as a competitor?

Although the market share is small for them, they still count right?

[gcutler]

Not the same programming. Not like a Sky Angel sub will find the same channels (more than 1 or 2) on ED* or visa versa.

[Karl Foster]

Are you kidding?

So that is justification to allow the merger. Sky Angel with few stations is supposed to compete with the big dogs. Sounds like Pax trying to compete with NBC. Where are the locals on Sky Angel, where is the news programming? Not even in the same league to be considered a competitor.

[James_F]

They have quite the channel list don't they.

http://www.dbstalk.com/sky_angel_chart.htm

I can't decide if I like "Safe TV" or "Harvest TV" better... :rolleyes:

[BrettR]

I know but FCC usually doesnt look at programming on stations and cable/satellite lineups.

Even though Comcast SportsNet is an RSN and satellite needs RSNs to compete with cable, and the whole purpose of DBS delivery of television was to compete with cable, FCC sided with Comcast that they did everything correct using loophole in the program access rules. Really this means, every RSN could go the terrestrial cable delivery route and this would be fine by FCC standards.

FCC also considers all commercial stations competitors, even when some just run HSN and have no local community interest.

For all the matters, E* could exclusively be carrying all premium movie channels, and DirecTV could be exclusively carrying all sports channels, and neither would duplicate each other, but FCC would still consider this competition.

I personally dont like exclusivity contracts and loopholes where channels cant be sold to other providers, but they are allowed.

I was wondering if market share determines a monopoly. What percentage would be needed?

[James_F]

I would assume its gotta be more that 85%, but you'd think that windows was close to that, but we don't hear anything about it for Microsoft....

[Greenpeace Supporter]

Bring on SES

[Jacob S]

SES DOES look like the best competition and a good candidate for anybody that has satellite with what was said earlier with what they were going to do with that slot.

All Sky Angel would have to do is offer some of the main cable network channels like TBS, USA, Family Channel, CNN, The Weather Channel, etc. to say that they are also a provider and offer it at a cheap price too and bundle that with their christian programming. They could offer that and not worry about the locals. If people want the locals they can purchase a second dish.

[James_F]

How is Sky Angel a competitor? They specialize in one thing, Religious programming. Dish wouldn't let them expand beyond their current role....

[Jacob S]

Yes but after the merger or if Sky Angel used their own satellite when it is launched in which I thought I heard something about.

[James_F]

Yea, but I think their mission statement contradicts with being the next competitor....