SkyCable is a direct-to-home
cable TV and subscription service, established by
the
Lopez Group of
Companies and
Central CATV Group Of Companies. It
is one of several sister companies of
ABS-CBN.
SkyCable
should not be confused as a service of British Sky Broadcasting in the
UK
, neither it nor its parent, News Corporation, own any interest in
SkyCable even as Star TV channels are
carried by the former. SkyCable offers a range of analog and
digital Cable Television services, and also offers high-speed
internet services and VOiP services.
Company timeline
1990s
- 1990 – SkyCable is founded.
- January 28, 1992 – SkyCable began
operations.
- June 12, 1994 – SkyCable launches its first
local movie channel, Sky1 The Filipino Channel(later
Pinoy Blockbuster Channel then Cinema One).
- May 1, 1996 – SkyCable launches its first
local news channel, Sarimanok News Network (now ABS-CBN News Channel).
- November 2, 1996 – SkyCable launches Cinemax.
- August 31, 1997 – SkyCable launches MGM Gold.
- November 30, 1997 – SkyCable changes its
channel guide; Studio 23 moves to channel 23.
- December 15, 1997 – SkyCable launches Hallmark Channel.
- 1 January 1999 – The "i" channel ceases to air
on SkyCable.
- May 1, 1999 – SkyCable removes STAR Movies and replaces Nickelodeon as a launch
channel.
- May-June 1999 – SkyCable removes STAR World and Channel
V.
- July 11, 1999 – SkyCable launches Lifestyle
Network.
2000s
- May 1, 2000 – SkyCable launches AXN.
- May 20, 2001 – Pinoy Blockbuster Channel
replaces Cinema One as the digital Filipino movie channel.
- October 19, 2001 – Home Cable loses STAR TV channels, SkyCable acquires Home Cable.
SkyCable also launches its own sports channel (channel 29).
- December 31, 2001 – SkyCable launches ABC Asia Pacific (now Australia
Network).
- April 18, 2002 – SkyCable and Home Cable
relaunches STAR TV channels (namely ESPN,
STAR Sports, STAR
Movies, STAR World and National Geographic
Channel) after six months of absence.
- June 3, 2002 – Vid-Ok becomes MYX as the local music channel.
- July 1, 2002 – SkyCable launches Disney Channel.
- October 1, 2002 – SkyCable removes ABC Asia
Pacific and launches TCT.
- November 17, 2002 – Home Cable removes
Disney Channel and Hallmark Channel Asia.
- May 7, 2004 – SkyCable and Home Cable launches
ETC and Sports Plus (now a defunct channel).
- July 1, 2004 – SkyCable and Home Cable changes
their hotline number to +6326310000.
- July 1, 2005 – SkyCable changes its channel
guide; acquires Home Cable and Sun Cable.
- October 1, 2005 – SkyCable launches
Hero on test broadcast from
November 30 to December 31, on channel 44. Programming started in
January 2006.
- October 15 and December 15 – SkyCable launches
Crime/Suspense and
ETC 2nd Avenue .
- January 2006 – SkyCABLE became
SkyCable Gold, and Home Cable and
SunCable became SkyCable Silver.
- March 16, 2006 – SkyCABLE launches
SkyCABLE Platinum.
- April 11, 2006 – SkyCable launches commercials
for SkyCable Platinum, seen on MySky & SkySked and as a filter
on some channels.
- April 12, 2006 to July 20, 2006 – SkyCable
shows previews of SkyCable Platinum Channels on SkySked Channel 33.
Channels from the HBOPak each have 5 to 10 minute previews, while
channels from the Metro Pack each have 15 to 30 minute
previews.
- July 12, 2006 – QTV moved to channel 24, and
ZPDee Channel was moved to channel 11.
- September 1, 2006 – KBS World replaced Arirang
TV (Channel 75).
- October 19, 2006 – SkyCable main offices were
moved to 33rd Floor, Tektite East Tower, Exchange Road, Ortigas
Centre, Pasig City.
- November 13, 2006 – UniversiTV premiers on channel 5.
- Dec. 2006 – SkyCable launches
its children's club, called SkyCable Fun Club
- April 12, 2007 – Skycable launches Teleradyo
Channel 22, leaving MTV on Channel 57 and Channel News Asia was
moved to channel 79 (channel 67 on Skycable Digital). Also,
SkyCable launches an infomercial about their Digibox product, seen
on MySky Channel 33.
- June 26, 2007 – SkySked on Channel 11 was
reformatted.
- August 13, 2007 – TeleRadyo was moved to
channel 26, Zpdee was moved to channel 61, Iglesia Ni Cristo TV was
moved to channel 22, NHK World Premium was moved to channel 78 and
Makisig Network (formerly Karera Channel) was moved to channel
76.
- September 1, 2007 – Test Broadcast of another
sports channel - Balls. It currently broadcasts the 2007 US Open
which is exclusive to SkyCable.
- September 15, 2007 – Test Broadcast of MySky
Channel 33 is reformatted.
- November 7, 2007 – CUBEiTV was transferred to
channel 67 while ABS-CBN Pay-Per-View was
also transferred from channel 25. SkyCable's new CPI channels and
the replacement for Solar's channels started its preview on Channel
25 for Velvet, Channel 33 for Balls and Channel 61 for Maxxx.
- January 1, 2008 – Six Solar Entertainment
Channels were removed, namely, Basketball TV, ETC, 2nd Avenue, C/S,
Jack TV & Solar Sports. AXN Beyond, FOX Crime and KidsCo were
made available on SkyCable, but KidsCo is only available to Gold
subscribers. Channel 25 became SkyCable Platinum preview channel.
Disney Channel becomes available to Silver subscribers.
- January 30, 2008 – SkyCable's corporate name
changed from Central CATV Inc. to SkyCable Corporation.
- February 5, 2008 – Power TV, a Chinese premium channel on
channel 64 was replaced with Phoenix
Chinese Channel.
- February 6, 2008 – Asian Food Channel now available on
Channel 58 transferring Da-Ai
TV to Channel 61.
- March 2008 – Lifestyle Network is now a 24/7
channel.
- March 1, 2008 – Asia
Plus, a Chinese premium channel on Channel 65 was replaced with
Phoenix InfoNews
Channel.
- April 1, 2008 – MySky Channel 33 is
reformatted again.
- June 1, 2008 – SkyCable Baguio launches C-Load
Prepaid Cable TV.
- August 9, 2008 – ABC, a VHF channel on
Channel 10 was replaced with TV5.
- September 19, 2008 – SkyCable had its first
High-Definition broadcast starting with the Ryder Cup from Sept 19 to 22
- September 22, 2008 – Discovery Real Time is
now Discovery Turbo
- October 4, 2008 – C/S 9
replaced C/S on RPN (Channel 14).
- October 28, 2008 – Basketball TV returned on channel 149, but you
need an additional payment for that channel.
- January 1, 2009 – FX launched on channel 156.
- January 15, 2009 – Zoe TV 33 ,
ACQ-KBN , and 3ABN were added to the SkyCable Digital platform.
- February 9, 2009 – Channel 113 has been
changed from Season Pass to Manila Jockey Club on the SkyCable
Digital platform.
- February 26, 2009-March 2, 2009 – Channel 61
airs the Accenture Match Play Championship Games temporarily
replacing Da Ai.
- February 27, 2009 – EuroNews and TV
Maria starts airing on digital platform channel 155 and
160.
- March 1, 2009 – Channel V has been moved from
Platinum package on channel 135 to channel 59 as part of Makisig Network and STAR
TV agreement and TCT
Network has been moved to channel 60 while EWTN was moved to the digital platform channel
161.
- March 2, 2009 – The History Channel
Asia, Biography Channel
Asia, Crime &
Investigation Network Asia, FX Asia
starts airing on Digital Platform (select areas). Platinum
channels, CNBC and Arirang TV become available for Gold and Silver
subscribers respectively.
- March 7, 2009 – EWTN was
moved back to analog package Channel 61.
- April 17, 2009 – C/S
Origin is now on Channel 33 replacing MySky.
- April 20, 2009 – Basketball TV is now available for SILVER
package.
- April 28, 2009 – SkyCable announced that it
will be providing two High-definition channels Discovery HD Asia and The History Channel Asia HD to its cable
subscribers in Metro Manila.
- May 1, 2009 – Channel [V] Philippines moved to
channel 25. Platinum Preview channel moved to channel 22.
- July 15, 2009 – Sci-Fi Philippines replaced
C/S Origin.
- August 6, 2009 – Makisig Network ceased airing.
- August 15, 2009 – Al Jazeera English News Channel starts
airing on digital platform Channel 152.
- September 25, 2009 – All Sports Network and
PBB Double Up 24/7 was
added to the Digital Platform Channel 158 and Channel 150,
respectively.
- October 1, 2009 – All Sports Network was
launched on SkyCable as an Ala Carte channel.
- November 29, 2009 – C/S 9
is now Solar TV merging programs from
C/S Origin & Jack
TV.
Channel Line-up
Below is a numerical representation of the
current SkyCable
channel lineup.
This list is lifted from the SkySked Channel in different SkyCable
Platform channels.
Channels not yet available on SkyCable can be found on
the Future Channels section.
The
channel listing is not applicable to subscribers in the CA
MA
NA
VA
, Rizal
and other
SkyCable Provincial areas.
| LEGEND |
| Local/Service Channels |
Movie Channels |
Gen. Ent. Channels |
Educational Channels |
Kids Channels |
| News Channels |
Sports Channels |
Music Channels |
Foreign Language Channels |
Religious Channels |
| † - Exclusive to SkyCable |
Future channels
These channels are
not yet available on any of SkyCable's
subscription plan or pack. SkyCable has no public announcement yet
about any or all of these channels, but may have a formal contract
or are negotiating with SkyCable for one. In any case, the Channel
Listing section is more reliable data-wise, for they have citation
unlike this section.
SkyCable Digibox
The Digibox, besides preventing
illegal
cable connections also provides an enhanced viewing experience
with features such as clearer picture quality, electronic program
guide, channel organizer, child lock and games. In some areas, the
use of a Digibox is required or else the subscriber will lose some
of their channels.SkyCable marketing head Ray Montinola revealed
that the company is also set to launch another new service called
video on demand (VOD) within the year . Also in the works are two
other new services called picture on picture and personal video
recorder (PVR) which may be made available next year which will
require additional set-top boxes. The PVR is similar to TiVO (tv on
demand) which has a very large following in the US.
SkyCable HD
The
Philippines'
first high-definition television
broadcast was initiated by SkyCable on September 19, 2008 with the
2008 Ryder Cup in high-definition
quality. It is broadcasted at
1080i
resolution. SkyCable currently offers
Discovery HD Asia,
The History Channel HD and Balls HD
(which has UAAP games in HD). To receive the service, subscribers
must pay an extra monthly fee and procure a set-top box with HDMI
however there is a 15-day free trial of the service.
SkyCable's telecast of the opening of the UAAP season 72 games was
the first nationally-produced show in true high definition.
Controversies
Alleged GMA-7 Signal Tampering
In mid-2003,
GMA Network, the primary
rival of SkyCable's sister company
ABS-CBN,
accused SkyCable of purposely tampering with the signal of GMA
received by SkyCable's subscribers. At that time, SkyCable changed
its channel assignments, moving GMA to channel 14. The National
Telecommunications Commission ordered SkyCable to move GMA to an
appropriate channel. SkyCable complied with the order and moved GMA
to Channel 12 on the system.
GMA provides a telephone line where subscribers can complain to GMA
about the signal quality. The phone line has been promoted during
newscasts, and is being used to collect evidence in preparation for
a formal complaint against SkyCable. Up to now, there has been no
formal complaint filed against SkyCable despite the promotion of
the telephone line where subscribers can complain to GMA about the
signal quality of SkyCable .
Non-Renewal of Solar Entertainment Channels
Starting on January 1, 2008, six
Solar Entertainment
Corporation channels were removed from SkyCable with the
exception of
Shop TV. SkyCable
had wanted to replace
Jack TV and
ETC Entertainment Central with its
own channels called
Maxxx and
Velvet but Solar decided not to renew
its contract with SkyCable altogether rather than remove two of its
top-rating channels. It is also speculated that the non-renewal of
the Solar channels may be related to Solar Entertainment and
GMA Network acquiring the exclusive
rights to air the boxing matches of Manny Pacquiao.
Three of these six channels moved to free television. ETC moved to
SBN,
2nd Avenue moved to
RJTV
and
C/S moved to
RPN. Meanwhile, some Jack TV
programs and
Basketball TV programs
aired for a short while at
ABC before transferring to
C/S, which was later renamed
C/S 9 with the
acquisition of the PBA rights. Due to this development, other C/S
programs transferred to a brand-new channel on
Global Destiny Cable called
C/S Origin to make way for the PBA and PBL
programming.
In October 2008, Basketball TV returned as a premium service to
Metro Manila subscribers of SkyCable. However, SkyCable subscribers
outside of Metro Manila do not have to pay a premium fee since the
exclusivity agreement with Global Destiny Cable covers only Metro
Manila.
In April 2009, BTV became available for no additional fee to
subscribers SkyCable Silver and above who have the Digibox.
C/S Origin also started airing on Channel
33 replacing MySky but it ceased operation on July 15, 2009,
simultaneously along with other Philippine cable networks until it
was replaced by
Sci-Fi
Channel.
Status of Competition
SkyCable competes with many cable TV providers in Metro Manila,
some only operating in a certain locale in Metro Manila. But
SkyCable's closest competitor in Metro Manila is
Global Destiny Cable. Both have their
own affiliates nationwide, and both provide their own
cable internet services to subscribers. With
the exodus of Jack TV & Solar Sports from SkyCable, Global
Destiny is now a viable competitor, despite the fact that the two
cable operators are serving two distinct markets (Global Destiny
Cable emphasizing more on Asian programming preferences than
English shows and channels).
Cablelink is
another emerging competitor servicing areas in the southern
portions of Metro Manila and some areas of Cavite.
Another major competitor in the Philippine
pay
TV industry is
Dream Satellite
TV, the country's first and only
satellite TV provider. It operates nationwide
because it can transmit its signals to its subscribers via
satellite. Dream offers a very limited, and continuously shrinking
number of channels, at prices far higher than the top packages of
the cable providers. Dream's rival
G Sat owned
by Global Broadcasting and Multimedia Inc. (GBMI), also offers
limited channels including Solar Entertainment Channels
(except
C/S Origin) and few of the favorite
and international channels.
Aside from Dream and G Sat, another Philippine DTH provider is
Cignal Digital TV owned by
MediaScape, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the MediaQuest Holdings,
Inc. under the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund. Cignal air few of local
and favorite channel including 4 High Definition channel which will
launch this June 2009.
GV Broadcasting Systems,
Inc. on the other hand
(also known as GV Sat) owned by
360Media Corp. a sister company of MediaScape which brought by
Cignal. This DTH provider features never before seen Filipino
channels both TV
(Local and International Channels) and
Radio channel.
References
- FX is now available in Skycable retrieved via
www.fxtvasia.com 01-15-2009
- CHANNEL V International and Makisig Network Announce the
Launch of Channel V Philippines Tagalog language content block on V
International set to launch with an expanded distribution for the
channel on Sky Cable retrieved via www.startv.com
02-26-2009
- CNBC
On SkyCable Digital Gold
-
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/04/28/09/skycable-offers-2-hd-channels-manila-clients
-
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/04/28/09/sky-cable-goes-picture-perfect
- SkyCable Platinum Channel Line-up retrived via
www.skycable.com 03-30-2009
- SkyCable Platinum Channel Line-up retrived via
www.skycable.com 03-31-2009
- Skycable Siver Channel Line-up retrieved via
www.skycable.com 03-31-2009
- Skycable Add-On Channels retrieved via
www.skycable.com 03-31-2009
- SkyCable Channel Guide Retrived via
www.telebisyon.net
- AAAN Continues Asia Rollout
- Deutsche
Welle is expanding its television services in Asia with two new
channels retrived via www.dw-world.de/asia 03-02-2009
-
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=450958&publicationSubCategoryId=71
-
http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/09/16/sky-cable-philippines-delivers-nations-first-hd-broadcast-with/
-
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/07/09/09/uaap-season-72-opens-historic-style
- Article Index - INQUIRER.net
- Article Index - INQUIRER.net
- Article Index - INQUIRER.net
- The Philippine Star, September 7, 2007, Main
Section, Page 16
- Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 8, 2007,
G Section, Page 6
External links
on this
channel. Channel 159 on Digital.
on this channel
/ Solar TV
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