Sky Angel Plans to Charge Lifelong Subscribers for "Special Secular" Channels

[jkeltonga]

Yes, it's true. Sky Angel plans to begin billing Lifelong Subscribers for the reception of the four ""Special Secular" channels: Fox News Channel, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, and Hallmark Movie Channel beginning May 1, 2007.

This comes after CEO Robert Johnson, Jr., realized that "the additional cost to Sky Angel to provide these special four channels just to our life long subscribers is more than $950,000 for 2007 and we simply are unable to absorb that cost."

If the life long subscriber wishes to continue receiving these special secular channels, the life long subscriber will be required to remit a monthly or annual fee to Sky Angel beginning May 1, 2007: $4.99/month or $49.88/year.

Furthermore, "in order to assure continued service without risk of interruption..." a form must be returned to Sky Angel with the following information "no later than April 15, 2007":

1. If you are currently using the service,
2. If you are the original purchaser of the Lifelong account,
3. Name, address and phone,
4. Your choice to continue receiving the "special secular" channels at the rate specified, above, and
5. Smart card and receiver serial number.

As a current lifelong subscriber, a few questions and thoughts come to mind:

• How long before all "basic channels" are replaced completely with "special secular" channels at an additional cost?
• When will we get our "33 TV & radio channels with programs that will edify, entertain and encourage your entire family." (http://www.skyangel.com/About/Index.asp?Reference=Overview&~=)
• There is no mention on Sky Angel's web site about regular subscribers receiving these "special secular" channels at an additional cost, so why lifelong subscribers?
• Will the 190,000+ lifelong subscribers lay down their $950,000 pocketbook for Sky Angel to take?

Sky Angel has plans in the months ahead to make changes to their programming "in an effort to improve your viewing pleasure." They further state that they "continue to negotiate with Echo Star for the return of the three channels...lost as a result of [their] transponder failure in April of last year..."

In a way, I'm sort of glad that I won't be receiving these "special secular" channels anymore, but some members of my family are not. My wife likes to watch Touched by an Angel and I enjoy Matlock (I have always been fond of Andy Griffith). Although I sometimes object to my kids watching Walker Texas Ranger, I guess there are worse programs they could be watching. Regardless of whether the channels are moral and worth watching, I don't feel it is fair to start charging lifelong subscribers for programming being received by regular subscribers. I guess the question that remains is, "Are regular subscribers going to be charged for these 'special secular' channels?" I may be a bit naive in saying this, but it looks to me like a class action law suit is in the works.

 

[Jellis]

That's what it sounds like to me too. I paid for a lifetime memebership to 36 channels and a promise that I would never pay monthly fees again. I don't remember them adding 4 new channels. I remember is them taking away 4 faith-based channels I paid for and enjoyed, and replacing them with ones that are not always family-friendly... in spite of my complaint at the time. I can appreciate that they may be having some financial difficulties, but if the cost of the secular channels is the problem - GET RID OF THE SECULAR PROGRAMMING. If they said "We failed and can't live up to our word" I would understand, but making it sound like I have been getting extra channels above some "basic" service I supposedly only paid for, and now they are going to take them away unless I pay more is a bit insulting to my intelligence.
Thread: Sky Angel Plans to Charge Lifelong Subscribers

 

[Wescopc]

I rather suspect that the secular channels are getting greedy. I know that SA has been trying to work for a balance, that has been more and more difficult with an aging satellite. I don't know if they will survive the issues they have, but I doubt there will be/is enough money for the greedy class action lawyers to want to pursue a class action against them.
Bob

 

[BillCrates]

Well, if Dish has problems with channels raising prices or passing on increased costs( Many posts on this site), then so would Sky Angel have to incur them as well. They probably signed a long term contract for carriage and they do not play hardball like Charlie does when the channels like this pass on costs to Dish.
Yes, I was told when I obtained a life long subscription, they would not charge me for life to get Sky Angel. However, I suspect that this group is struggling finanically and instead of being offended, I think the money I will give them for the secular channels will be just an offering for support. We need to be gracious and forgiving. After all, they are the only Christian satellite service around and if they fail... the other channels we enjoy will not be broadcast.

I think some where in Paul's letters to the churches, that lawsuits are a disgrace to the church and we would rather be wronged than sue other Christians...

 

[drfreeman]

I wonder if as an monthly sub if I dont want the secular
channel if they will give me a lower rate

 

[Stargazer]

Two ways of looking at it - the good and the bad ......

The Bad - You paid for a lifetime membership for christian stations but now have to pay to keep watching additional channels that were added.

The Good - These are not christian stations and they should be allowed to improve their service or add services for a cost. $4-5 per month is not a bad offering for those four channels. With what they are offering it does not seem too bad considering many are paying $15 per month. Wish I had a lifetime membership back then or a box that has one on it.

 

[digiblur]

I'm still lost on this losing a transponder thing? Which TP was this exactly?

 

[TNGTony]

I would have just though a Christian organization operating with Christian values, offering Christian programming to other Christians would honor their word. But I guess that was too much to ask. Lifetime, in this case means, "until we need more money from you."

But as a lifetime sub since 1999 I guess 8 years of programming for $299 was a fair deal. That is not to say I am not disappointed, I am. It is just that when I bought the lifetime subscription, I fully expected Sky Angel to be bankrupt in 5 years. I'm glad I was wrong.

See ya
Tony

 

[Claude Greiner]

Look at it this way, these channels where not part of the package when the $299 lifetime subscription was offered in the first place, so customers are not loosing anything when they go to a monthly fee.

 

[Claude Greiner]

You know whats funney, if you devide the $950,000 by 190,000 subscribers it brings the cost down to $5 for each customer per year, yet Skyangel is charging $4.99/mo for a projected profit of 11,400,000.00

But im almost willing to bet that 80% of the lifetime subscribers who only have skyangel will drop the secular channels. Most of the skyangel customers I have delt with over the years who have bought into the lifetime subscription plan, only have skyangel and are too cheap to pay for it!

 

[Bob Haller]

of those 3 channels are all on E? I got the letter today

 

[Pepper]

All four are or will be on E* soon (already is but only in the family pack, getting added to one of the AT packages).

That's why I'll not be paying the $5, I already get those from my E* subscription with better PQ. Of course many SA subs do not have E* so this might be a good deal for them.

 

[wurxhome]

different lifelong subscriber contracts?

I must be reading this wrong BUT Under paragraph 4 does it not say " includes a minimum of 32 television and radio channels as selected at Dominion's sole discretion ? I count 33 right now ! If they take 4 that does not compute

 

[catkoko]

Lifetime agreement said additional channels at NO COST

this Christian satellite company is now violating its lifetime subscription agreement. the original agreement stated that we would receive any channels added at a later date at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. however they are now threatening to REMOVE 4 channels unless we PAY them $4.95 a month. We have been receiving these channels for over a year at no charge! Never mind the fact that over the years they have lost at least 3 channels from echo star and now familyland is threatening to leave as well.

Their lifetime subscribers backed them when they needed to raise large amounts of $ and now they are selling us out rather than raise fees of their monthly subscribers Not good businesss practice for any company, never mind a Christian one..

I would like to see past and current lifetime agreements if you can scan and email them to me as I want to determine if they changed the wording over the years. Please feel free to block out personal info conniesmom@earthlink.net

$5 or not, they are violating their word, both written and spoken. Plus if its $5 this time when will it end? Change new lifetime agreements if you must but ones already signed should be honored as they were written. Also not everyone can afford an extra $5 out of their budget.

Why aren't they raising the monthly fees another $5? if these are now special/optional can monthly subscribers choose not to get them and only pay $10 now?

I have a few suggestions :
#1 do not make it easy for them. Do NOT send in the form giving them the info to disconnect you! they need those receiver #ss sso they can easily determine who to disconnect.

#2 do not pay this demand for $ (they call it a request, I call it extortion)

# 3 contact the following and file complaints www.bbbonline.com, www.complaint.com and www.complaints.com for a start.



S. Warren

 

[laseradam]

They could dump one of the "special" channels and put 3ABN back on. 3ABN would let them have the programming for FREE.

I think they may have lost more than $900,000 in subscriptions when they dumped 3ABN.

 

[Bob Haller]

is the hallmark channel unique to sky angel?

I feel bad they have a $ crunch but certinally E KNOWS the roo and card numbers for all authorized subscribers.

After having a nice chat I conclude they really dont know how many REAL subs they have. lifetimes run up their cost per channel carriage, while they may not be ever watching.

this must be part of the E legal dispute.........

 

[MellowYBird]

I'm a monthly subscriber, only because I could not afford "life-time" at the time. Personally, I did not think it was fair to replace Christian channels with secular channels in the first place. I have all the "special" channels blocked, so that leaves me with less channels than I started out with at the beginning of my subscription. It's still cheaper than cable or any other satellite, though.
It would have been nice if I was given a choice whether I wanted to pay for these "special" channels or not. I didn't even get a choice of them being brought into my home.

~MYB~

 

[ShaneLinder]

I haven't received an email or anything in the postal mail about this. I am a lifetime subscriber but paid $500 in December of 2003. So divided out, that comes to $12.50/month so far. I believe the monthly cost was $9.99 before the secular channels were added. Certainly the monthly customers should have the option of paying $9.99 and opting out of the 4 channels.

I will pay the extra, probability the annual fee. I want to support the Sky Angel ministry and hope they can make some money off the deal. I would like to see them get ahead and buy their own bird.

BTW: I never got a copy of my lifetime agreement.

As far as 3ABN goes... I am surprised they didn't drop one of their radio channels that gets low ratings and replace it with 3ABN radio.

 

[catkoko]

lifetime fee varied but

people paid anywhree from $299- $600, maybe more for lifetime memberships. Even if the memberships were free a mans word is his bond. We aren't even getting all the Christian channels we used to and now familyland wants to leave too (wonder why?) Once again christian Tv falls to the ways of the world. The point thought is that they needed $ and we supported them by buying lifetime memberships so they could raise funds to improve sky angel. This was always supposed to be non profit MINISTRY anyway. Now that the founder died his son is getting greedy. instead of raising fees for the monthly subscribers (who may just quit) he tries to get it from the lifetime people. This way he doesn't lose customers, on paper at least when trying to attract more chanels. Besides how can these be 'special price" chanels if they are included i the basic package for monthly people? he can't have it both ways. to tell the truth as much as I like sky angel I would rather see them go under if they are going to act in such a worldly, unbiblical manner. they advertised, had mailins all with the "never pay for tv again" theme as a lifetime. they specifically stated that future additions would be free. Quite honestly when I locate a copy ( I am sure some has this on a video somewhere) I will proudly post it on youtube and godtube. so go through your old videos and if you find it send it to me or post it for the world to see.

 

[RedSavina]

You know whats funney, if you devide the $950,000 by 190,000 subscribers it brings the cost down to $5 for each customer per year, yet Skyangel is charging $4.99/mo for a projected profit of 11,400,000.00

But im almost willing to bet that 80% of the lifetime subscribers who only have skyangel will drop the secular channels. Most of the skyangel customers I have delt with over the years who have bought into the lifetime subscription plan, only have skyangel and are too cheap to pay for it!

I have the lifetime pkg and AT200. I find myself paying for the AT200 only for a few channels (Noggin, Voom, Weather Channel, Food Network, and a few others). If I could get these channels (obviously not the HD ones) through Sky Angel, I would drop E* down to locals only.

As it currently stands, I will not be affected as I already receive the channels in question (those that I watch) in the AT200. If I dropped the AT200 and relied only on my lifetime subscription, would I be upset about this? Yes and no.

I am not in the least surprised to see SA move in this direction. A while back I wrote a post that suggested they might do this. The only part that bothers me is that their actions have the distinct feel of "removing" programming and not honoring past statements about what was included in the lifetime package.

What SA should do is this:
* Revert their programming package back to what it used to be before the addition of secular channels.
* Offer a secular add-on that includes the secular channels.

They could either negotiate with E* to offer these secular channels from E*'s TPs, or make some cuts in their religious lineup - with a corresponding cost cut - to make room for an additional package of secular channels.

I think this is the best approach because it allows them to keep the integrity of their Christian programming while also offering additional family-friendly (debatable term, but you get the idea) channels to their customers at additional cost.

Under this or a similar plan I would be happy to give my dollars to SA instead of E*. If I didn't have the lifetime package I would probably pay for SA, especially if they had a small secular add on package. The point here is that I'm not cheap - I'll pay for what I want; in return, I expect to receive what I have paid for. I have two lifetime subscriptions with Sirius for similar reasons (since they dropped Revolution I listen a lot less).

Cheers,
Red

NOTE: One other reason I watch the duplicate channels on E* instead of SA is that the SA versions of the channels have lower PQ.