Dec 6, 2007

[TV] SkyCable Losing Solar Channels

New SkyCable Channels


In case you haven't been paying attention to all the notices, starting January 1, 2008 local cable TV outfit SkyCable will no longer feature any of the Solar Entertainment channels. This means the loss of JackTV, ETC Entertainment Channel, ETC 2nd Avenue, Crime/Suspense, Basketball TV, and Solar Sports for all SkyCable subscribers, regardless of subscription level. Bummer.

At least it's not a total loss - SkyCable are fully aware of the popularity of these channels and have done a little something to try and ease our pain, although it's hard to say for sure if that's enough.

In place of the exiting channels, they've announced the debut of six new channels, namely Balls, AXN Beyond, Kids Co, Fox Crime, Maxxx and Velvet. While they're not perfect replacements for the lost channels, they do present related entertainment value. To sweeten the pot, as it were, they also threw in the Disney Channel, which was previously available only to SkyCable Gold subscribers to be available to all other subscribers as well.

There's no official reason given for the shift in channel line-up from either company - SkyCable just has that measly notice seen above while Solar Entertainment has chosen to use this time to renovate their website. Wonderful. The Wikipedia article about Solar has a note about all this being possibly related to the rights for the Manny Pacquiao fights and such, something that has passed from ABS-CBN (who own SkyCable) over to GMA (their local rival). However, the Wikipedia article about SkyCable adds in the official statement of VP for Programming Juno Chuidian claiming this was just another move to improve programming and reduce redundant channels.

Yeah right.

11 comments:

  1. This sucks. I hardly watch television now. And if I do, the shows are pretty much in the Solar channels. I will have to start missing Survivor. urgh! Hope they come to an agreement before the year ends like what happened with Star channel a few years back.

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  2. This is Jon by the way.

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  3. haha, well you could have left your nickname with the current comment system. *winks*

    well, it does suck for now and it doesn't seem like they're planning on negotiating in the near future given how aggressively they're promoting / testing their new channels ever since November. *sigh*

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  4. I just hope they get really bad feedback with the new channels. They did come up with a pretty decent sports channel which they named Balls. (How gay is that?) As for the channels they are trying to pit against ETC, 2nd Avenue and Crime/Suspense, they kinda suck. Who needs another channel with CSI.

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  5. make a big switch. transfer to destiny have a promo of 3K for 1 year. its not illegal. contact me if ur interested

    09225263594/09276282811 - shaq

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  6. Jon,

    I think Balls is the only decent addition unless you're really into watching the re-runs of older seasons of shows like ANTM and Extreme Makeover. Then again, it's too early to tell whether SkyCable and Solar will ever settle their differences. Time for more downloading and DVD purchasing!

    Paulo,

    WOW, thanks for the shameless plugging. =P

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  7. Oh boo. And just as I go home to Cable TV for Christmas. JackTV and ETC are the only alternatives I have to Disney Channel and Nickelodeon... Don't take them away!

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  8. hahaha skycable, bobo ba kaming mga subscribers nyo? better programming without solar channels specially BTV?

    baka kayo bobo! BTV's the only thing I watch aalisin nyo pa, sana lahat ng subscribers umalis na sa inyo

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  9. i motion that skycable bring back jacktv and replace ely soriano's ADD channel. lolz. all they do is fight with another christian sect anyway.

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  10. Nothing Sky or Home Cable is going to impress me until they start showing more football games and good television series like Pushing Daisies, Chuck, and Mad Men. So sick of reality TV series.

    Balls ripped content off Everton FC's TV channel. Is that even legal? If so, where can I get a copy of its monthly schedule.

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  11. My thanks for all your comments on the matter - it certainly makes for interesting reading on what is clearly becoming a significant issue at the moment.

    Then again, they're still pretty much the largest cable provider around and apart from some specialized cable providers further out in the south, they still have the most decent channel line-up (like it or not).

    I'm wondering how many people are going to switch just for basketball interests and the like since Destiny still doesn't have a number of the Star Channels.

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