SkyCable

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SkyCable
Type	Cable TV
Founded	Merger between SkyCABLE, Home Cable, SunCable & Sunvision Cable
Founder	Lopez Group of Companies
Headquarters	Metro Manila & Some Parts of the Provinces
Website	http://www.skycable.com

For the Manitoba-based MMDS service also called SkyCable, please see SkyCable (Manitoba).

SkyCable is a direct-to-home cable TV subscription service, established by the Lopez Group of Companies and Central CATV Group Of Companies. SkyCABLE is the leading cable TV company in the Philippines; they serve almost all major cities in Metro Manila and have affiliates almost all-around the Philippines.

SkyCable should not be confused with British Sky Broadcasting in the UK -- neither they nor its parent, News Corporation, own any interest in SkyCable.

Contents 1 SkyCable services 1.1 Cable TV 1.1.1 SkyCable Platinum 1.1.2 SkyCable Gold 1.1.3 SkyCable Silver 1.1.4 SkyCable Silver Prepaid 1.1.5 SkyCable Select Prepaid 1.2 Cable Broadband Internet 2 Slogans 3 Regional affiliates 3.1 SkyCable regional group 3.2 SunCable regional group 3.3 Home Cable reigonal group 4 Areas served 4.1 SkyCABLE Platinum 4.2 SkyCABLE Gold & Silver 4.3 SkyCABLE Silver Prepaid 4.4 Sunvision Cable 5 Company timeline (incomplete) 6 Channel listing 7 Controversies 7.1 Alleged bias 8 Competition 9 External links 9.1 Official Website 9.2 Other Links 9.3 References

[edit] SkyCable services

[edit] Cable TV

[edit] SkyCable Platinum

SkyCable Platinum is the first digital cable TV service in the country. Besides from the channels offered from SkyCable Gold, SkyCable Platinum has 25 additional channels classified into 3 different packages:

• HBO Pak - 3 addtitonal HBO Asia movie channels
• Metro Pack - a fusion of lifestyle, news, classic movies, international and children's entertainment channels
• MBC Pack - home of Korean channel MBC

[edit] SkyCable Gold

SkyCable Gold (formerly SkyCable) is an analog cable TV service. The service costs costs PHP814 (about US$15.65) per month. Besides from the channels offered from SkyCable Silver, SkyCable Gold has the following channels:

• Disney Channel Asia
• Cinemax Asia
• Hallmark Channel Asia
• Discovery Channel
• Animal Planet

[edit] SkyCable Silver

SkyCable Silver (formerly Home Cable and Sun Cable) is an analog cable TV service providing the majority of the channels available on all of the plans of SkyCable (Besides 5 Channels that are for Gold Subscribers Only). The service costs PHP636 (about US$12.72) per month.

[edit] SkyCable Silver Prepaid

SkyCable Silver Prepaid is a prepaid cable TV service. It delivers all of the channels available in SkyCable Silver that can be accessed by reloading the account using prepaid cards. Denominations of PHP90 (about US$1.80), PHP380 (about US$7.60), and PHP636 (about US$12.72) are available to access SkyCable Silver for 3, 15, or 30 days, respectfully. These cards can be reloaded by using the addressable cable box provided.

[edit] SkyCable Select Prepaid

SkyCable Select Prepaid is another prepaid cable service. It delivers a choice of channels.

[edit] Cable Broadband Internet

ZPDee (pronounced as if spelling out the letters Z-P-D) is SkyCable's flagship cable broadband internet service. It offers internet surfing speeds of 64 kbit/s, 128 kbit/s, 384 kbit/s, 768 kbit/s, and 1 Mbit/s.

[edit] Slogans

• Abot Saya, Abot Kaya. (Where fun is within reach, and so is the cost.) – Old slogan of Sun Cable
• Home is Where The Future Is. – Oldest slogan of Home Cable when the Home Cable logo had its font changed.
• There's No Place Like Home – Old slogan of Home Cable.
• The Biggest Show On Air – Slogan up to 2006
• All You Want Under One Perfect Sky – Slogan when SkyCABLE & Home Cable merged in January 2006. (Only used in SkyCable Website)
• Sky is the Limit. - Slogan used in SkyCABLE Platinum Commercial.

[edit] Regional affiliates

This is an incomplete list. Affiliates from the SunCable and Home Cable regional group may possibly be merged with SkyCable.

Source: ^[1]

[edit] SkyCable regional group

Location	Affiliate	New Name
Luzon Affiliates
Cavite City, Cavite	Coast Cable Television	SkyCable Cavite
Baguio City, Benguet	Nuvue CableVision	SkyCable Baguio
Dagupan City, Pangasinan	Metro Dagupan CATV	SkyCable Dagupan
Laoag City, Ilocos Norte	First Ilocandia CATV	SkyCable Laoag
Paoay, Ilocos Norte	First Ilocandia CATV	SkyCable Paoay
Urdaneta City, Pangasinan	First Ilocandia CATV	SkyCable Urdaneta
San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte	First Ilocandia CATV	SkyCable San Nicolas
Batac, Ilocos Norte	First Ilocandia CATV	SkyCable Batac
Agoo, La Union	First Ilocandia CATV	SkyCable Agoo
Meycauayan, Bulacan	Rainbow CATV	SkyCable Meycauayan
Rosario, Cavite	Pilipino Cable	SkyCable Rosario
San Pedro, Laguna	Pilipino Cable	SkyCable San Pedro
Sta. Rosa City, Laguna	Pilipino Cable	SkyCable Sta. Rosa
Naga City, Camarines Sur	Naga EDTV	SkyCable Naga
Visayas Affiliates
Bacolod City, Negros Occidental	Yours Entertainment	SkyCable Bacolod
Iloilo City, Iloilo	Quality Broadcasting	SkyCable Iloilo
Cebu City, Cebu	Pacific CATV	SkyCable Cebu
Mandaue City, Cebu	Pacific CATV	Skycable Mandaue
Mindanao Affiliates
General Santos City, South Cotabato	Filipino Cable	SkyCable General Santos
Tagum City, Davao del Norte	North Cable Vision	SkyCable Tagum
Polomok, South Cotabato	North Cable Vision	Skycable Polomok
Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur	SunCable Systems	SkyCable Zamboanga
Davao City, Davao del Sur	Davao Cable World Network	SkyCable Davao

[edit] SunCable regional group

Location	Affiliate	New Name
Bacoor, Cavite	Pilipino Cable	SunCable Bacoor
Cebu City, Cebu	Moonsat-SunCable	SunCable Cebu
Antipolo, Rizal	SunCable Systems	SunCable Rizal
Davao City, Davao del Sur	SunCable Systems	SunCable Davao

[edit] Home Cable reigonal group

Location	Name
Balayan, Batangas	Home Cable Balayan
Tanauan/Malvar, Batangas	Home Cable Batangas
Bulacan	Home Cable Bulacan
Cavite	Home Cable Cavite
Dagupan City, Pangasinan	Home Cable Dagupan
Lipa City, Batangas	Home Cable Lipa
Meycauayan, Bulacan	Home Cable Meycauayan
Tarlac City, Tarlac	Home Cable Tarlac

[edit] Areas served

[edit] SkyCABLE Platinum

SkyCABLE Platinum is initially available to those areas that can also avail ZPDee Broadband, but can be available by request.

[edit] SkyCABLE Gold & Silver

• Quezon City
• Pasig
• Pateros
• Marikina City
• Mandaluyong
• San Juan
• Manila
• Makati
• Pasay
• Caloocan
• Las Piñas (together with CableLink)
• Parañaque (together with CableLink)
• Muntinlupa (together with CableLink)

[edit] SkyCABLE Silver Prepaid

Silver Prepaid is still undergoing test in Pasig City

[edit] Sunvision Cable

• Taguig

[edit] Company timeline (incomplete)

• 1992 – SkyCable is founded.
• 1994 – SkyCable launches its first local movie channel, Sky1(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).
• July 11, 1999 – SkyCable launches Lifestyle Network.
• 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.
• November 17, 2002 – Home Cable loses Disney 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-TV channel 44 on test broadcast from November 30 to December 31. Programming started in January 2006.
• October 15 and December 15 – SkyCable launches Crime Suspense and ETC 2nd Avenue, respectively.
• January 2006 – SkyCABLE becomes SkyCable Gold, and Home Cable and SunCable becomes 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 moves to ch.24, leaving ZPDee Channel to Ch 11.
• Sept 01, 2006 – KBS World replaced Arirang TV (Channel 75).
• October 19,2006 – SkyCable main offices are moved to 33rd Floor, Tektite East Tower, Exchange Road, Ortigas Centre, Pasig City.
• Nov. 13,2006 – UniversiTV premiers on Ch. 05.
• Dec. 2006 – SkyCable launches its children's club, called SkyCable Fun Club

[edit] Channel listing

Main article: List of SkyCable channels

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Alleged bias

In mid-2003, GMA-7 has accused SkyCable of purposely tampering of its signal received by SkyCable's subscribers. At that time, SkyCable changed its channel listing, putting GMA-7 to channel 014. Subscribers received a poor reception of GMA there. The purpose seen for the channel change is for GMA-7 to suffer low cable TV ratings, but SkyCable says otherwise. ^[2] The National Telecommunications Commission has ordered SkyCable to put GMA-7 in an appropriate channel, preferably in channel 012.^[3] SkyCable complied the said order.^[4]

Even so, some subscribers have complained still about GMA-7's weak signal on 012, especially in timeslots where GMA-7's ratings are relatively high. In response, GMA-7 has provided a telephone number for the subscribers concerned to air their complaints. In fact, one of the ticker messages shown in GMA-7's news shows reads,

“

Attention SkyCable and Home Cable subscribers: If you are experiencing signal disruptions with this channel, please call <a certain telephone number>. Maraming salamat, Kapuso! (Thank you very much, our loyal viewer!)

”

GMA-7 said that through this number, they can gather enough evidence to file a formal complaint against SkyCable. They haven't done so yet, so the ticker message still stands.

[edit] Competition

SkyCable competes with many cable TV providers in Metro Manila, some only operating in a certain locale in Metro Manila. But SkyCable's major competitor is Global Destiny Cable, which also operates metrowide. Both have their own affiliates nationwide, and both provide their own cable internet services to subscribers. However, the market for Global Destiny Cable is now vastly different from that of SkyCable, considering that it now focuses more on Asian shows than the predominantly English programming still adopted by SkyCable to this day. It is therefore safe to assume that the two cable giants are no longer in direct competition with each other.

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 since it transmits its signals to its subscribers via satellite.

In spite of the advantages each competitor has over SkyCable, it has been seen that the latter is still the most preferred among them. This is mainly due to its vast variety of channels sourcing from STAR TV, SPE Networks Asia, Creative Programs, Inc., and Solar Entertainment, which is testified by subscribers to be "worth the high cost."

[edit] External links

[edit] Official Website

• SkyCABLE Online
• ZPDee Broadband Internet
• For Complete SkyCable Provincial Stations

[edit] Other Links

• A review of ZPDee Internet

[edit] References