Sky to halt new channel launches

[Analoguesat]

BSkyB is putting the brakes on new channel launches on its platform, affecting 100’s of channels.

Citing “set top box memory capacity”, BSkyB said October 3 they will “cease to take further applications for places in the EPG launch queue” and any services already in the launch queue – and thus nominally approved for launch – will be proceeded with but with “extreme caution”.

Sky is understood to have more than 100 TV and radio channels in the queue, in addition to a large number of channels already been given launch dates. Sky warns would-be broadcasters that there is a considerable risk that it will not be able to launch all of the services currently in the launch queue, as the increased volume “could pose an unacceptable risk to some set-top boxes”.

Sky added that it will not now accept applications to add any further TV or radio stations to the launch queue. Moreover, any broadcaster who does not now launch a new service onto the EPG when offered the opportunity to do so will be “permanently removed” from the launch queue.

BSkyB says that it is looking to add new channels onto the EPG at a rate of two services a week during 2008, but stresses it might not be able to maintain this rate.

To help alleviate what it recognises as a significant problem, Sky says it will relax its previous rules about the trading in EPG numbers, permitting a would be broadcaster to enter into an arrangement with an existing EPG holder – and in effect ‘buy’ that EPG slot. Sky says this is the fairest and most efficient way to enable new broadcasters to gain access to an EPG number. These relaxations come into effect on Jan 1.

These rules and restrictions will affect dozens of would-be broadcasters seeking access to the UK’s growing digital audience on ‘Open Access’ terms. It is also unclear just yet as to how the new terms will affect would be broadcasters seeking access to an EPG listing on the BBC and ITV-backed ‘Freesat’ proposition, due to come to air in early 2008.

Clearly, one of Sky’s problems is legacy set-top boxes perhaps with inadequate memory or processing ability. However, it is also likely that some will question Sky’s obligations under its ‘fair and equitable’ access to its platform. This problem’s timing, when added to the basket of other regulatory issues on its plate, is not ideal


RapidTV News

[BGonaSTICK]

Blimey

[madrat]

I can think of a few channels they could ditch to free up some room

Could this be like the days of analogue when old boxes had to have little extenders plugged in :? probably more complicated than that.

[wod]

lol proper sat receiver can handle 20k channel list in the case of the vantage hd receiver so the sky receivers must be really rubbish

[nanochickin]

Must be talking about the old black Pace boxes

If they get shut of QVC and other bol*ocks like that we'll all be laughing



Nano

[madrat]

I think its more a case of the first generation of digi box's not having the capacity, mind you they are so poorly made I'm surprised there are that many of them still working :

[Analoguesat]

My guess is that some of the really old boxes are desperately short of memory, and we all know what happens when your desktop computer runs out of memory dont we??

One good to thing to come out of this though is that many of the low budget channels will disappear as they are hoovered up by the big boys.

[madrat]

and lets not forget the hamster used to powere the Amstrad boxes is getting very old now :roflmao: and the selotape used to hold the electrical connections together has degraded.

[BGonaSTICK]

Originally Posted by Analoguesat

low budget channels will disappear as they are hoovered up by the big boys.

Nail on the head. This could be the best thing that ever happened to the Sky platform. Maybe it's just a clever ploy. O.K. maybe it's just a ploy. Sky could set the ECM dogs on any of the older series of boxes if they wanted to, or just let QVC+1.5 or whatever launch tip them over the edge and send them to STB heaven

[Analoguesat]

This is an interesting post from one of the contributors over on the DS forum. He is involved in one of the smaller channels in some way (Not sure which one)

[quote=Strathclyde on DS forum]
... this is an excuse from Sky for a change in the way they are controlling the platform, but it's not a valid reason. The "technical" problems would be relatively simple to overcome in several different ways - if they wanted to... and they know full well that many of the archaic boxes which they claim to have to support probably exist only in numbers which could be counted on one hand...

If they are actually Sky paying subscribers, then Sky knows who and where they are, and the cost of giving them proper boxes would be minimal - less than a month or two's EPG revenues from just one new channel. If they're not subscribers, then are we to believe Sky's approach to CS has suddenly got them concerned for the welfare of ex customers???

For 6 or 8 years, Sky was able to launch 3 or 4 channels a week... and even that's a joke, as the work actually involved is minimal. Using phrases like "threats to the stability of the platform" are scary enough to gain unquestioning acceptance.

Sky is clearly playing other games here. They are coming under ever more scrutiny, and Ofcom et al seem finally to be waking up to their domination of the DSAT platform in the UK, and now their moves to do the same with DTT; plus their moves into broadband to position themselves able to control the IPTV platform when it finally takes off. They must also be concerned at the impact of Freesat. And all of this is happening in the context of digital media convergence.

Sky has managed, via a combination of myopic regulators and self-interested politicians, to get itself into a dominant position while being all of operator(broadcaster), wholesaler(the platform provider) and retailer(Sky for consumers) - a cross market position that is not allowed in virtually any other industry. It's going to be more difficult to get away with all that as the platforms come closer together with broadband and telephony, and other tech developments changing the landscape ...and it may have to choose which parts to fight for, and which to let go.

I see this as nothing at all to do with technical issues, but everything to do with Sky wanting/needing to slow things down on the DSAT market while it works out how to best cope with the regulatory and competitive issues ahead.

The most incredible part of their letter to broadcasters is that they are now encouraging the grey market trading in EPG slots, which until now they have aggressively tried to prevent.

Yes, interesting times ahead...