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

[Bev]

Hi all. I've read through this whole thread and just joined the forums today. I've been a Sky Angel lifetime subscriber since 2003. Sky Angel is the only television programming we have.

On some of the old web page offers/agreements for lifetime membership that someone posted a few pages back, I noticed that the later offer stated it was for "Christ-centered" programming specifically. This could be their loophole for charging separately for the secular channels.

Bev

 

[catkoko]

loophole?

its possible BUT in order for that loophole to work, legally the same plan needs to me available to monthly and yearly subscribers eg a choice of Christian plan with option of special secular stations.

 

[catkoko]

sky angel changes customer agreement

Sky angel keeps changing the customer agreement BUT they can not change your "subscription plan" document. they are mailing out new customer agreements to everyone (see below) but that does not overide the original document they sent you which had the terms of your lifetime plans, transfer options etc

if you haven't yet, get out your subscription plan document and read it! email me a copy to look over if you want , staing year of agreement and whiting out personal info. conniesmom@earthlink.net we need to determine if al agreements are the same for lifetiime. there is strength in #s. Obviously SA is grasping at straws by amiling out the customer agreement

We have mailed a copy of our current updated Sky Angel Customer Agreement to all current subscribers. Which is effective 10/1/05. You may visit our website and download the Sky Angel Customer Agreement for your reference. Click here http://www.skyangel.com/Support/Index.asp?Reference=CustomerTerms&~= 6. Prior Agreements

 

[andrews777]

I have no idea what my exact agreement was since my father got involved when they were just putting things together. I think it was in the $600 range at that point....

He had moved overseas as a missionary and offered the sub to me, which they transferred. I am not sure how formal it was at that point.

Brad

 

[Bev]

I glanced through my Sky Angel file when I received the letter but didn't see anything that looked like a contract or agreement. Will have to look again more closely, not that there was very much in the file.

Bev

 

[catkoko]

Its official, SA is NOT going to charge its monthky subscribers for "special channels". They also will notlet them opt out of getting them! See email below:

Thank you for your continued interest and support of the Sky Angel
christian satellite service. At this time your account is not affected.
Please continue to visit our website for any new updates. We appreciate
this opportunity to serve you. Thank you.

Sky Angel

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2007 12:56 PM
To: Customerrelations
Subject: monthly subscription

when will monthly subscribers be able to opt out of getting the 4
secular channels? I saw that you are offering this to your lifetime
members. does this mean my bill will be reduced by $4.99? when will it
take effect?

 

[ShaneLinder]

Something to consider, for those who feel it is not the Christian thing to do remember Dominion/SA sued and won a lawsuit against DISH

Of course it is better to suffer the wrong than drag a fellow Christian into a secular court of law. However, that being said, such a court case could go either way. It could be the seal of death for SA and be the nail in the coffin OR the publicity could result in a bunch of new subscribers and prove to be their savior (lower case s).

 

[andrews777]

I doubt any good would come out of such a suit. Even if they "win", the negative publicity could prove bad.

Suing E* is a totally different issue. That is breach of contract with a non-Christian company. (Not that a company can be Christian, but it certainly isn't aimed at Christian things like SkyAngel.)

I do think they should have worked out a deal with Dish instead, but I think their future is tough as a niche player, especially since they are so reliant on others (Dish at this point).

Brad

 

[TNGTony]

If the "Christ Centered Programming" is the loophole, then I want them to keep the Faith & Values portion of Hallmark Channel available!!!

http://www.faithstreams.com/ME2/dir...919287C698F775B3EE&nm=Our+Television+Programs

A little history lesson...

Faith & Values TV changed names and controlling interest sold to become "Odyssey". Then sold again to become "Hallmark". Faith & Values either still has a share or has a CBN/Family Channel/Fox Family/ABC Family-type deal stating that their programming will continue to air no matter who owns the channel.

See ya
Tony

 

[MellowYBird]

Is the Hallmark Channel different now? The first year it aired on Sky Angel I was still a new subscriber. I was scoping out all the channels. Because of commercials on Hallmark Channel, I immediately had it blocked.

Also, I have another question.
If it costs Sky Angel to air these channels to the life time subscribers. Would it save them money to quit airing them to any monthly subscribers that don't watch them? I'm not quite sure how this works.

~MYB~

 

[catkoko]

Hallmark

Hallmark is the same, mostly good programming, offensive commerciald. If offereing these was too expensive then someone should have done the math over a year ago! The monthlys SHOULD be able to opt out and at a reduced cost bot SA is refusing!

 

[andrews777]

Their contract with the channel owner may prohibit that.

Brad

 

[ShaneLinder]

I believe SA only has to pay for the channels when their subscribers watch them. They know the ratings and pay these channels based on how many of their viewers are watching them.

So if for every one lifetime subscriber that watches the channels, there is one monthly subscriber that doesn't watch them or has them blocked, SA wouldn't have a problem. I suspect that is what they were counting on. However if there isn't enough monthly subscribers not watching them to cover the expense of the lifetime subscribers that are watching, then SA would have to pay the difference.

That is just from what I understand. I could have my facts wrong.

 

[TPnMD]

I have no idea what my exact agreement was since my father got involved when they were just putting things together. I think it was in the $600 range at that point....

He had moved overseas as a missionary and offered the sub to me, which they transferred. I am not sure how formal it was at that point.

Brad

Hey Andrews, if your father paid $600 in 1998, it had to include the equipment. The price for the lifelong has gone up, not down over the years. I would say around 1998 the price for the lifelong was $295.

 

[MellowYBird]

So, I'm basically paying for someone who is a life-time subscriber that watches those channels and are not paying for them? Fine, by me.
I canceled Sky Angel for about a month because I didn't like the changes, and I regretted it. I still think the $15.99 is worth the channels and programming that I do watch or enjoy. It definitely beats any other satellite, cable, or over-the-air broadcast, in my opinion. I just wish with all the 100's of "secular" channels and program choices out there, that Sky Angel would have stuck with the owner's "original vision". From what I understand his "vision" was not to be like the world and go "secular". But I could have interpreted it wrong.

~MYB~

 

[tamtamz]

I believe SA only has to pay for the channels when their subscribers watch them. They know the ratings and pay these channels based on how many of their viewers are watching them.

The way I understand the Satellite system, SA can not tell what you are watching and whether you are watching. The dish we have can only receive signals, it can not send signals. How would SA know how many are watching?

 

[catkoko]

2 "tiers"/programming levels

they are saying that there are now the BASIC channels and then the special channel package (which they want to charge Lifetimers for). however they do not intend to create these tiers for the monthly subscribers. this violates their lifetime advertising and quite possible the lifetime agreements as well

 

[andrews777]

Hey Andrews, if your father paid $600 in 1998, it had to include the equipment. The price for the lifelong has gone up, not down over the years. I would say around 1998 the price for the lifelong was $295.

It was well before SkyAngel was broadcasting. My father was into supporting a lot of ministries at the time, and this was just one of them. They didn't even have a product then, just the idea of a product.

He offered it to me at one point (since he had never activated it), since his situation had changed and he was either renting or in missionary work (I forget which, the latter cam later). He figured I would be better off using it than letting it get unused. Dominion had no trouble transferring it over.

Brad

 

[CornChex]

It was well before SkyAngel was broadcasting. My father was into supporting a lot of ministries at the time, and this was just one of them. They didn't even have a product then, just the idea of a product.

He offered it to me at one point (since he had never activated it), since his situation had changed and he was either renting or in missionary work (I forget which, the latter cam later). He figured I would be better off using it than letting it get unused. Dominion had no trouble transferring it over.

Brad

Brad,

I seem to remember something about that offer. I am a pastor, and many years before Sky Angel came about, I received a letter about a project that wanted to send up a satellite that would carry solely Christian programming. It included a brochure that had a sort of cartoon drawing of all of the televangelists who were supporting this juncture. It was a crowd of them, and included Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.

At the time, I think that the company wanted a $1000 investment/gift to help get this project started. This would also get the person a lifetime subscription.

By the time I signed on to a satellite offer, it was Sky Angel AND the cost was $350.00. (I bought a lifetime subscription, but had to make monthly payments for it.)

 

[andrews777]

I vaguely recall my dad saying it was around $600, but it could easily have been more. He died a few years ago, so I cannot ask him.

Brad