30 Christian Channels

[ShaneLinder]

I live on the Texas/Mexican border and help my church promote FTA systems in Mexico. Recently, one of the guys I help to do this sent me this email in answer response to a question I asked him. I am interested in what many of you here think of it.

GloryStar is offering a solution to receive over 30 Christian channels on IA5 and AMC4 without the need for a motor. The solution is currently available, but we will not be promoting and shipping the dual satellite system until the end of September. Over the past several years we have shipped tens of thousands of FTA systems for the reception of Christian programming on AMC 4 and IA 5. Other religious broadcasters have placed an estimated 50,000+ receivers into North American for FTA reception. Other services, such as Globe Cast suggest that they have an excess 100,000+ viewers who are also capable of viewing FTA.

As you probably already know, in North American the reception of KU-Band free to air is a growing and evolving technology. Most TV viewers have been trained to believe that quality programming is only available trough subscription services such as cable TV, DirecTV, Dish Network and Sky Angel while in Europe many subscription services are being dismantled and the core programming made available to FTA viewers. North America once again is the follower not the leader in the use of technology.

GloryStar has distribution contracts with 15 of the largest Christian broadcasters worldwide. Through advertising and education of potential Christian programming viewers, the viability and accessibility of Christian programming through free Direct to Home distribution is exploding.

 

[Mr Tony]

OK... what am I missing here?

we have 2 threads on this already
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=63807 about how to get Sky Angel type programming with FTA (including a picture of the monoblock)

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=74005
a way to get ti right now and for a deal

 

[ShaneLinder]

Well, I found a few things interesting.

1) How do we get 30 Christian channels from AMC4 and IA5? I am only aware of the following:

AMC4 (101W)
3ABN
3ABN Latino
Esparanza
Hope Channel
LLBN

IA5 (97W)
Old Path
Miracle Network
TBN
TBN Spanish
Smile Of a Child
Church Channel
God's Learning
JCTV
Daystar
JSTV

That is 15, half of 30.

2) Another interesting point is that thousands of FTA dishes are being sold. What impact could that cause? Are we going to see more channels send out unscambled Ku-band signals?

3) Is there any truth to the idea that subscription services like DirectTV and DISH could be dismantled in the not-so-far off future? Is that actually happening in Europe?

4) Is FTA direct to home distribution the best way for religious networks to reach their consumers?

The other thread seems to be focusing more on the monoblock itself and this email seemed to stimulate a lot of questions with me outside of the hardware that is soon to be marked.

 

[Wescopc]

I think I have found a few more channels on IA5:

CNL Russian
Rodnoy TV Russian
MRTV/ABN Arabic
GCN (Global Christian Network)

Also there are radio stations three on AMC4
I don't know about IA5

So maybe we are only missing 8 channels

 

[SatelliteAV]

AMC4: TV -

• ATN/ACN (occasional usage)
• TRWAM
• CGN TV

Radio-

• 3ABN radio
• Lifetalk Radio
• Radio74

IA5: TV-

• RBN - Rodnoy
• CNL
• TBN Russia (available again in a few days)
• CGN
• The Word Network
• Emmanuel TV
• ABN
• Al Karma
• CBS-Korean

Radio-

• Scriptures for America
• The Overcomer
• Star 4

Additional, Christian TV channels are scheduled for addition during the next few months.

 

[DiscoLoveGrapes]

Well, I found a few things interesting.

1) How do we get 30 Christian channels from AMC4 and IA5? I am only aware of the following:

AMC4 (101W)
3ABN
3ABN Latino
Esparanza
Hope Channel
LLBN

IA5 (97W)
Old Path
Miracle Network
TBN
TBN Spanish
Smile Of a Child
Church Channel
God's Learning
JCTV
Daystar
JSTV

That is 15, half of 30.

Add the radio channels on AMC4, plus CGN, and TV TRWAM. Then add Word, Telepace, Al Karma, CBS (aka KISB-3) and a few new ones that popped up recently, those ones previosuly mentioned, and you're probably closer.

2) Another interesting point is that thousands of FTA dishes are being sold. What impact could that cause? Are we going to see more channels send out unscambled Ku-band signals?

It is possible that this might get a few people to consider putting their special-interest channels (Religious, Ethnic, etc) on FTA. I think general entertainment and news channels would still be hesitant.

3) Is there any truth to the idea that subscription services like DirectTV and DISH could be dismantled in the not-so-far off future? Is that actually happening in Europe?

Huh? Dismantled? I have no idea where that rumor got started, but it's not going to happen any time soon.

Europe's been into FTA as a legit means of distribution much longer than the US had even been - which is why many religious broadcasters use FTA as their primary means in Europe and Asia. It would take a lot to get the US into gear on anything more than special-interest broadcasting and hoobyists.

4) Is FTA direct to home distribution the best way for religious networks to reach their consumers?

Maybe? I don't know, but I think it would be at best be a supplement to their existing cable stations and translators. Attempting to run a station solely on unscrambled Ku would be incredibly difficult I would think.

 

[mastermesh]

US commercial broadcasters won't ever go totally fta, or nowhere near as much as Europe. A few channels here and there do now, but a good number of them won't ever go that way for economic reasons.

One main reason why is that the USA is so freaking huge compared to countries in Europe. If a local channel in New York broadcasted an FTA primetime channel at 7:00 EST, that would show up hour(s) ahead of some place in the Midwest on CST or on the West Coast, which gives the NYC channel an unfair advantage as far as getting their advertising seen by a wider audience... at least that's the theory that the lawyers in California and other places have, and is why a lot of local channels will never go totally fta.

In Europe, a good portion of each country is mostly in one time zone, so that sort of thing doesn't matter so much, and other countries over there actually want to get their ads sent out to folks in neigboring countries. Here in the States, that ain't the case so much. Ads aimed here are either usually national or local. Ads put out by some local state in the midwest are not aimed at an audience in Mexico or Canada.

 

[mrweather]

4) Is FTA direct to home distribution the best way for religious networks to reach their consumers?

For the average person probably.

I know there are a ton of religious broadcsters on shortwave radio (they often have the strongest signals on the bands) but that's radio.

Most people like to see and hear so tv is the better medium.

 

[Mr Tony]

2) Another interesting point is that thousands of FTA dishes are being sold. What impact could that cause? Are we going to see more channels send out unscambled Ku-band signals?

its possible that some broadcasters will send stuff out unencrypted. Impact on how many dishes sold doesn't mean much

3) Is there any truth to the idea that subscription services like DirectTV and DISH could be dismantled in the not-so-far off future? Is that actually happening in Europe?

will never happen. Reasons are posted above (Disco & mastermesh have good explanations)

4) Is FTA direct to home distribution the best way for religious networks to reach their consumers?

either that or Sky Angel. Alot of the channels on Sky Angel are on C-Band

 

[Mr Tony]

Also when I go the GloryStar website (www.glorystar.tv) they show 29 radio/tv channels. Yes some are not in English but they do list 29 channels

 

[ShaneLinder]

Thanks for your feedback, everyone. I am such a novelist and this place is such a great resource. I wanted to hear your guys' feedback before I open my mouth with my friends and prove how much I don't know.

 

[Mr Tony]

Shane
If they are looking for Religious programming, by all means FTA would be the best for them (unless they need some of the "regular" channels that Sky Angel has like HGTV). Heck, put a 18" dish up on 119 and get Angel One for free too