The Dish Network User's Resource
The Dish Network User's Resource
What WAS Sky Angel?
SKY ANGEL IS NO LONGER IN THE SATELLITE BUSINESS as of 3/31/08.
The Sky Angel channels 9700-9781 (except 9710) have been removed from the Dish Network system. All that remains are slates telling former subscribers that Sky Angel is no longer providing service via satellite and that several Sky Angel channels are available as part of the Dish Network service depending on subscription level.
Here are the former Sky Angel satellite service channels available on Dish Network:
*Channel 9710 remains the Dish Network channels 3ABN which has been part of AT100 and the Free PI Pack.
On 4/9/08 at 1:50pm eastern time, all vestiges of Sky Angel at the 9700 channel range were removed from the Dish Network system. Sky Angel has passed into the satellite dust bin.
THE REST OF THIS PAGE REMAINS AS A HISTORICAL CURIOSITY. THE REST OF THIS PAGE IS NO LONGER CURRENT INFORMATION.
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SKY ANGEL TO CEASE SATELLITE OPERATIONS March 31, 2008. The channel providers have reportedly been informed that Sky Angel will not be broadcasting via satellite as of April 1, 2008.
Read the letter from Bob Johnson, Jr. informing lifetime subscribers that satellite service will cease on March 31, 2008 HERE
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On Sept 28, 2007 the FCC approved Sky Angel's (Dominion) sale its satellite transponder licenses to Dish Network (Echostar). Dominion plans to move the Sky Angel service to an internet protocol based TV (IPTV) system which requires special equipment for you computer and a high speed internet connection such as DSL or Cable. Anyone buying special equipment for Sky Angel's satellite service should know that this company WILL cease satellite operations in the VERY NEAR FUTURE.
Dish Network equipment with a dish pointing at 61.5° is capable of receiving Sky Angel service as well as Dish Network service simultaneously. Anyone who subscribes to Sky Angel service should be on a monthly payment plan ONLY since service could end any day. Sky Angel DOES NOT plan to honor any lifetime subscriptions when they make the switch. They have not made any announcements about the long term subscriptions (10 year pre-paid subscriptions were available some time back) which have not expired yet.
As of October 9, 2007 there is no longer any mention of the Sky Angel DBS service on the Sky Angel web site.
The rest of this page is for historical purposes. Even though the arrangement specified below is still in effect, it could end at any time.
Dominion Sky Angel is an independent
DBS service carrying what they call "Christian, family friendly" programming. Currently
Sky Angel offers a subscription service of
18* TV channels (16 full time channels and 2 channels sharing a slot) and 16 audio channels.
Dominion Sky Angel is an
independent DBS service, which partnered up with Echostar because Dominion does
not have the facilities to deliver a satellite signal. The long-term agreement
means that Sky Angel's programming is available using any standard Echostar (DiSH
Network) receiver with a dish antenna pointing at the 61.5° location.
The unique arrangement with Echostar is not without its faults. The Sky Angel
Programming should be ordered directly from Dominion (1-800-SKY-ANGEL). Since
Dominion is using the Echostar uplink facilities to deliver the signal to the
viewer's home, Dominion notifies Echostar to activate a customer. This will take
anywhere from two to four BUSINESS days. This means if Sky Angel programming is ordered on a Friday evening after "regular" office hours for Echostar, it MAY take up to the following Thursday
before the programming is activated. This is a worst case scenario and is usually completed in two business days. Sky Angel
has no control over this at the moment. Please remember, they want to get programming to you as soon as possible too!
It has been reported that Sky Angel programming may be purchased directly from
Dish Network (1-800-333-DISH) as well. However, many Dish customer service
representatives (CSR) do not know what the Sky Angel package is since it is not
a Dish Network service. Dish CSRs frequently confuse the Sky Angel
subscription service with Angel One. Angel One (channel 262) is one of six channels from Sky Angel that are available to Dish Network subscribers. (Fox
News Channel, Hallmark, Halmark Movie Channel, HGTV and TBN are the other 5
channels on Dish Network)
DiSH Network subscribers with a dish pointed at 61.5° will not see the Sky Angel
channels listed on the electronic program guide (EPG) unless they subscribe to
Sky Angel.
A subscriber to both Dish Network and Dominion Sky Angel service will be able to
switch channels between services seamlessly.
The standard subscription includes the following:
TV Channels
|
Radio Channels
|
There are two subscription packages for the channels listed above.
Apparently this provision in the lifetime agreement sent to lifetime subscribers when they paid for their subscriptions has been forgotten by Sky Angel:
4.) The primary source of funding for the Dominion DBS Television and Radio System is expected to come from individual subscribers paying either an ongoing monthly subscription fee or by prepaying a lump-sum subscription for a period of years, During the first 30 months of operation DVS offered lifelong subscriptions for a one-time payment which is being discontinued for any new subscribers, For those who purchased the lifelong subscription it will last for the operating lifetime of the Dominion Sky Angel domestic U.S. DBS service and for the lifetime of the subscriber and his or her spouse without any further monthly subscription fees and includes a minimum of 32 television and radio channels selected at Dominion's sole discretion, Once a lifelong subscription is activated to receive Sky Angel programming it is non-assignable and non-transferable.
Please bear this in mind before entering into any long-term contract with this company. This Christian company did not honor the spirit nor, at the time this was written, the letter of their own document.
