Sky Cable: from Makati and Greenhills to QC
By Tet Defensor
Section Four Assistant Editor
OKAY, so the ever-reliable Far East Network (F.E.N.) station is no longer on air., Insomniacs greatly miss being entertained by Arsenio Hall, Johnny Carson and David Letterman at one in the morning., No more exciting news bulletins from Bernard Shaw of CNN, and, from now on, the National Football League will have to be viewed months after the results have been released.
It’s pathetic, especially for the F.E.N. subscriber who got used to the varied type of programing. Some households opted to install their own satellite receivers, but a system can cost an average of P250,000. Compared to the P5,000 F.E.N. antenna, the satellite dish is simply too expensive, especially for the middle class., Enter Sky Vision.
Sky Vision presents another solution for specialized viewing pleasure — cable television. The system is nothing new. In fact, cable television has been in the country since the late ‘60s. Cable was primarily used to bring Metro Manila television channels to the provinces. The present need for cable, however, was brought on by the absence of the F.E.N. station.
“Viewers wanted the variety that the F.E.N. offered,” Mel Velarde, vice president of Sky Vision said.
For a reasonable P2,500 installation fee, and P400 monthly maintenance fee, households can have access to more than 30 international channels., They can tune in to satellite feeds from around the world through Sky Vision’s built-in antenna service. Programs transmitted via Pacific Intelsat, Palapa, NHK Japan and Asiasat satellites can now be enjoyed. No need to invest in costly and space-consuming home satellite receivers.
Sky Cable offers local channels including ABC-5 and MBC-11, It also has CNN, ABC-US, NBC-US, CBS-US, RFO Tahiti, Worldnet, IFO (French), NHK Japan-International, NHK Domestic, RTM Malaysia, TV 3 Malaysia, Thailand TV7 and RCTI Jakarta.
Viewers will also enjoy the Sky exclusive cable channels. These are specially programmed channels based on specific interests. For instance, the Sky Super Entertainment channel features blockbusters, classics, and the biggest made-for-television movies, animation or live action programs. It also includes documentaries, television top-raters, concerts, theater, opera, stand-up comedies and cable TV exclusive specials.
Another exclusive feature is the Sky Sports Channel, which includes 24 hours of sports news, events, features and personalities sourced from ESPN Sports Channel. It also has live coverages of important international sports spectaculars like the NBA Finals, the Superbowl, Wimbledon, Australian and French Opens, the European Cup and the European Championship, the US Open and the Dunhill Cup.
