Direct broadcast satellite: Encyclopedia II - Direct broadcast satellite - Commercial DBS services

Direct broadcast satellite - Commercial DBS services

The first DBS service, Sky Television plc (now BSkyB), was launched in 1989. Sky TV originated as a four-channel free-to-air analogue service on the Astra 1A satellite, serving the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. By 1991, Sky had transitioned to a pay model, and launched a digital service, Sky Digital, in 1998, with analogue transmission ceasing in 2001. While the DBS nomaculture is rarely used in the UK or Ireland, Sky's service has caused the term "mindish" and "digibox" to be applied to products other than Sky's hardware. BSkyB is controlled by News Corporation

PrimeStar began transmitting an analogue service to North America in 1991, and was joined by DirecTV Group's DirecTV, in 1994. At the time, DirecTV's introduction was the most successful consumer electronics debut in American history. Although PrimeStar transitioned to a digital system in 1994, it was ultimately unable to compete with DirecTV, which required a smaller satellite dish and could deliver more programming. DirecTV eventually purchased PrimeStar in 1999 and migrated all PrimeStar subscribers to DirecTV equipment. In 2003, News Corporation purchased a controlling interest in DirecTV's parent company, Hughes Electronics, and renamed the company DirecTV Group.

In 1996, EchoStar's Dish Network went online in the United States and, as DirecTV's primary competitor, achieved similar success.

Dominion Video Satellite Inc.'s Sky Angel also went online in the United States in 1996 with its DBS service geared toward the faith and family market. It has since grown from six to 36 TV and radio channels of family entertainment, Christian-inspirational programming and 24-hour news. Dominion, under its former corporate name Video Satellite Systems Inc., was actually the second from among the first nine companies to apply to the FCC for a high-power DBS license in 1981 and is the sole surviving DBS pioneer from that first round of forward-thinking applicants. Sky Angel, although a separate and independent DBS service, uses the satellites, transmission facilities, & receiving equipment used for Dish Network through an agreement with Echostar. Because of this, Sky Angel subscribers also have the option of subscribing to Dish Network's channels as well.

In 2003, EchoStar attempted to purchase DirecTV, but the U.S. Department of Justice denied the purchase based on anti-competitive concerns.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Commercial DBS services", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki