Safe TV Announces Decision to Cease Satellite Free To Air Service

[Glorystar1]

Safe TV has announced their decision to terminate satellite delivery on Galaxy 19 and the Glorystar service due to lack of response from Free To Air viewers. If you appreciate their diverse programming, please consider contacting them immediately and showing your support.

Please call 888-777-9392 or drop them an email and let them know that you viewing their channel on Glorystar and thank them for making their channel available for free!

 

[Stargazer]

Does not bode well for FTA and Glorystar if there is that much of a lack of demand. Did they show advertisements on their station? If not then what is the deal? How are they getting funding? Through the purchase of the Glorystar systems?

 

[Glorystar1]

Don't confuse lack of demand with the lack of communication by DTH FTA viewers!

The FTA DTH market does not have a Nielsen rating service. Many broadcasters who make their signal available to the DTH market using KU band rely on the emails and phone calls to judge if people are viewing their programming and the donations by the viewers to help pay their bills. This is a situation where the broadcaster was not hearing from viewers and assumed that this meant that their KU band DTH distribution may not have viewers.

SafeTV pays for their station operation by selling advertising and the finacial support of their viewers. Glorystar does not collect any subscription fees for their Christian broadcasting partners. We are simply a ministry support partner with the broadcaster, providing distribution and support services for their viewers at absolutely no charge to the broadcaster. Instead of collecting a monthly fee, we encourage viewers to support the channels that they enjoy with prayers and donations.

Glorystar is offering this information to viewers of SafeTV as an opportunity to be proactive and communicate with the broadcaster that they do have viewers rather than waiting for the station to terminate their channel then hear that people were watching.

This is a perfect example of a situation where FTA viewers should contact a DTH broadcaster to encourage them continue to provide programming alternatives to subscription based services. We consistently hear forum members asking why more FTA channels are not available in North America. Viewers can make a difference if you really are interested in receiving alternatives to a fee based cable, satellite or IPTV service.

For the FTA service to flourish in North America like it has in Europe it is up to individual viewers to encourage the few broadcasters that are taking a chance on this market! If free TV and Radio alternatives are important to you, let a DTH broadcaster know that their service is valuable to you and your family!

 

[NYRman1975]

Wrote my email!

Just wrote my email to Safe TV. I think I am going to write to the other channels as well when I get home, just to say thanks and we are out here watching. Personally, I especially want to see the english speaking channels stays since, well, it is the only language I know! Obviously, Safe TV is one of them.

 

[shibby191]

Email sent. My wife and in-laws watch this station all the time. SafeTV needs to realize that people only contact companies when there is a problem, not when things are all good.

 

[MikeC]

I expect that once Glorystar gets it's EPG going, viewership will go up. It is somewhat difficult to use Glorystar without being able to tell what programs are on without surfing. Also difficult to record something. By the time you find something, it is partly over.

 

[Glorystar1]

MikeC,

We agree that the EPG will enhance the Glorystar viewing experience.

SafeTV has been a FTA TV channel for many ears on C-band and now most recently on KU-band. The loss of their unique programming and the departure of one of the grandfather's of North American FTA would be very unfortunate! If you enjoy the diverse programming, please take a moment to call or email them with your support!

I expect that once Glorystar gets it's EPG going, viewership will go up. It is somewhat difficult to use Glorystar without being able to tell what programs are on without surfing. Also difficult to record something. By the time you find something, it is partly over.

 

[NYRman1975]

Received Email from Safe TV

Just received the following e-mail from Safe TV. Looks like they are in serious trouble and by the tone of their statement about being on Glorystar "at the moment", tells me they may not plan on staying on satellite anyway. Serious bummer :

Dear friends:
Today my heart is heavy. The economic downtrend in our nation has created a critical situation in our Safe TV® ministry as our monthly donations have dropped considerably. Although we receive some funds from other sources, the vast majority of our funding comes from our viewers who appreciate the “Safe Television for All Ages” that we provide. Friends, today we need your help! We need to raise $134,000 immediately (by next week) to meet our obligations.
First, would you please pray with us that we are blessed with a miracle financial gift by next week to meet our obligations and to clean our slate? (The Lord may well impress you to be that blessed giver.) And second, would you be willing to consider pledging a special monthly love gift to keep us on air? Unless our viewers who are blessed by our programming partner with us, we can't continue operating with no funds! So we invite you to prayerfully consider making Safe TV® your family partner.
While we are not (by design) a "religious TV station", our mission still is "reaching the secular world for Jesus" and sowing the seeds of salvation. This is a difficult work of faith, and perhaps not the most popular, but after 15 years of service to God's work we are undeterred in recognizing that this is the very call of God for us at this time. Jesus said that He "... came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance". We clearly understand that the Gospel commission is "Go ye to the world..." That is our mission.
We praise the Lord that today we air Safe TV® worldwide, and anyone around the world with a high speed computer may see us right now at SafeTV - Safe Television For All Ages. We also air our programming on IPTV through Sky Angel throughout North America, and for the moment, still on Glorystar and Galaxy satellite from Alaska to Hawaii and from the Caribbean Islands to Canada. We also have our affiliates throughout Europe, and several other TV ministries do carry our programming around the world. We have received over 40 national awards and three EMMY nominations for excellence in programming, and the Governors of Arkansas have recognized our ministry yearly with 13 proclamations for Safe TV Day.
Dear friend, thank you for all you have done for our ministry in the past. Without your help, we would not have been able to carry our mission thus far. So thank you! Now, today, would you inquire of God what He would have you do for Safe TV® at this critical time in our history? Your participation may mean the difference in us staying on the air.
Should you choose to make a credit card donation today or direct deposit funds into our bank account, please call my secretary, Darlene, for details at 888-777-9392. Should you choose to mail your tax deductible gift, I have provided our address.
Safe TV®
PO Box 6968
Springdale, AR 72766
Thank you for your consideration, and may our loving God bless you real good today.
Always Forward!
Carlos Pardeiro
President/CEO
www.safetv.org

 

[jbmiller]

looks like safe tv is gone. all i get is a blank screen. (no video or audio)
anybody else getting this ?
its sad to loose great channels like these. i'm gonna miss the DW news and other shows
john

 

[NYRman1975]

Blank here too. Hopefully it is not for good, but the email they sent out, and the on-the-air plea they made last night, it does not look good.

 

[Glorystar1]

The uplink provider has terminated the distribution of SafeTV on Galaxy 19 effective 5/27/2009.

We suggest that viewers continue to contact SafeTV and let them know that they were being watched and would be supported if they decide to return to FTA!

888-777-9392 or email

 

[ShaneLinder]

Are they off C-ban too?

 

[Glorystar1]

SafeTV terminated the C-band feed last year when they moved to Ku-band.

 

[ShaneLinder]

I got their monthly schedule in the mail yesterday and noticed they had removed the text indicating they were on Glorystar. I put the schedule in an envelope and mailed it back to them with a post-it note asking to be removed from their mailing list. There is no sense in them spending postage to mail me something when I no longer have access to their channel.