User:Longislandmedia

North American DBS Memorial;

For those providers that didn't make it.

Alphastar; This short-lived DBS service was acquired by Tee-Com after it started up in early Spring 1997, this was the only DBS service that was operating in both the United States and Canada and was the first DBS provider in Canada. Financial problems caused the service to shutdown on August 7, 1997 with only 50,000 subscribers in the United States and 6000 in Canada. In Canada, Star Choice had just started up in July and Expressvu would launch in the fall to take over the DBS market with larger channel selections. Channel list at time of shutdown which includes channels that had planned to be added that summer before the service shut down prevented them from occurring. Availability in the US and Canada are noted. Channels with no notation were available in both countries.

• 100: Alphastar Preview Channel
• 102: CBMT (CBC) Montreal (Canada)
• 103: CBFT (SRC) Montreal (Canada)
• 104: USA Network (USA)
• 105: CFTM (TVA) Montreal (Canada)
• 106: Lifetime (USA)
• 107: CFJP (TQS) Montreal (Canada) (announced)
• 108: Comedy Central (USA)
• 109: CFTO (CTV) Toronto (Canada)
• 110: A&E
• 111: Citytv (Ind-Toronto) (Canada) (announced)
• 112: E! Entertainment Television (USA)
• 113: CBUT (CBC) Vancouver (Canada) (announced)
• 114: Sci-Fi Channel (USA) (now Syfy Channel)
• 115: CHAN (BCTV) (CTV) Vancouver (Canada) (announced) (now Global affiliate)
• 116: History Channel (USA)
• 117: CBC Newsworld (Canada) (now CBC News Network)
• 118: CNN
• 119: RDI (Canada) (now ici RDI)
• 120: CNN Headline News
• 121: CITV-Edmonton (Canada) (announced) (now Global affiliate)
• 122: CNNfn (USA) (ceased operation December, 2004)
• 124: CNBC
• 125: MSNBC (USA)
• 126: Weather Channel (USA)
• 127: Weather Network (Canada) (announced)
• 128: Court TV (USA)
• 130: Bloomberg Information TV (USA)
• 131: Discovery Channel (Canada) (Canadian version)
• 132: MuchMusic (Canada) (Canadian feed) (USA feed not offered on Alphastar, USA feed became Fuse in May, 2003)
• 134: Showcase (Canada)
• 140: C-SPAN (USA) (announced for Canadian addition)
• 142: CPAC (Canada)
• 144: Vision TV (Canada) (announced)
• 150: Learning Channel
• 160: Discovery Channel (USA) (US version)
• 170: TSN (Canada)
• 190: YTV (Canada)
• 200: Disney Channel (East) (USA)
• 202: Disney Channel (West) (USA)
• 204: Family Channel (Canada) (Canadian channel not related to US one)
• 206: Cartoon Network (USA)
• 208: Canal Famille (Canada) (now VRAK, ceased operation October, 2023)
• 210: Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (USA)
• 212: RDS (Canada)
• 214: Super Écran (Canada)
• 215: Super Écran 2 (Canada)
• 220: TV Land (USA)
• 222: TV5 Québec (Canada)
• 230: MTV (USA)
• 232: VH1 (USA)
• 234: Musique Plus (Canada)
• 236: Canal D (Canada)
• 240: The Nashville Network
• 242: CMT (USA) (USA Feed)
• 244: BET (announced)
• 250: Family Channel (USA) (USA version, now Freeform)
• 260: Turner Classic Movies (USA)
• 262: TNT (USA)
• 270: ESPN (USA)
• 272: ESPN 2 (USA)
• 274: ESPN alternate (USA)
• 276: ESPN 2 alternate (USA)
• 280: MSG Network (USA)
• 282: Fox Sports West (USA)
• 284: Fox Sports Southwest (USA)
• 286: Fox Sports Northwest (USA) (now Root Sports Northwest)
• 288: Fox Sports Pittsburgh (USA) (now AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh)
• 290: Sunshine Network (USA) (now Fox Sports Sun)
• 292: Fox Sports South (USA)
• 293: Fox Sports Rocky Mountain (USA) (now AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain)
• 294: Fox Sports Midwest (USA)
• 295: HTS-Home Team Sports (USA) (now Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic)
• 296: NESN (USA)
• 300: TBS Superstation-Atlanta (now just TBS)
• 301: Superstation WGN (WB-Chicago) (now WGN America)
• 302: WJLA (ABC) Washington, DC
• 304: WRAL (CBS) Raleigh
• 306: WNBC (NBC) New York
• 308: Fox Net (ceased operation fall 2006)
• 310: PBS National Feed (Schedule X)
• 320: KOMO (ABC) Seattle (announced)
• 322: KPIX (CBS) San Francisco (announced)
• 324: KNBC (NBC) Los Angeles (announced)
• 384: Telemundo (USA)
• 386: Fox Sports Américas (USA) (now Fox Deportes)
• 388: MTV Latino (USA) (now Tr3s)
• 400: Sundance Channel (USA)
• 402: The Movie Channel (East) (USA)
• 404: The Movie Channel (West) (USA)
• 410: Showtime (East) (USA)
• 412: Showtime (West) (USA)
• 414: Showtime 2 (USA)
• 420: Cinemax (east) (USA)
• 422: Cinemax (west) (USA)
• 424: Cinemax 2 (USA) (now MoreMax)
• 430: HBO (East) (USA)
• 432: HBO (West) (USA)
• 434: HBO 2 (East) (USA)
• 436: HBO 2 (West) (USA)
• 438: HBO 3 (USA) (now HBO Signature)
• 450: Encore (USA)
• 452: Plex (USA) (now MoviePlex)
• 454: Starz! (USA)
• 460: The Movie Network (Eastern Canada)
• 462: The Movie Network 2 (Eastern Canada) (announced)
• 464: The Movie Network 3 (Eastern Canada) (announced)
• 468: MoviePix (Eastern Canada) (announced)
• 480: Superchannel (Western Canada) (announced)
• 502: Playboy TV (USA) (not on CRTC approved list in 1997)
• 504: Venus (USA)
• 600: PPV 1
• 602: PPV 2
• 604: PPV 3
• 606: PPV 4
• 608: PPV 5
• 610: PPV 6
• 612: PPV 7
• 614: PPV 8
• 616: PPV 9
• 618: PPV 10
• 641: Canal Indigo PPV (Canada) (French PPV movies)
• 700: ATN-Asian TV Network (Canada)
• 702: ESC-1 (USA)
• 704: Nile TV International (USA)
• 706: ESC-2 (USA)
• 710: International Channel (USA) (became AZN Television, ceased operation April, 2008)
• 802: Real Estate Channel (USA Business Accounts)
• 810: Business TV 1 (USA Business Accounts)
• 812: Business TV 2 (USA Business Accounts)
• 901-933 DMX Music

Primestar: This one was actually the DBS provider in the United States. Operated by a consortium of cable companies (TCI Cable, Time Warner, Continental Cablevision, Cox, Comcast among them) who operated a mid-power service which required a larger dish compared to the 18-inch dishes that would be offered by DirecTV/USSB and Dish Network. The service operated as an analog service in the early 1990's consisting of the Superstations and three Pay-Per-View channels. In May 1994, it began offering a digital service of 95 channels just one month before DirecTV and USSB started up. By April of 1997, they hit the next phase of expansion by going to 160 channels. The fact that the service would require a larger dish and its ties to the cable companies would effect the service's growth as the competition expanded. At its peak, Primestar had approximately 2,000,000 subscribers. Without the ability to expand since they didn't have the satellite fleet that allowed the other companies to expand. The service was sold to DirecTV in early 1999 and they would take over operation in the spring under the name Primestar by DirecTV with the goal of converting the subscribers to DirecTV customers so that it could be shut down. Although Dish Network would poach some subscribers, most of the subscriber base moved to DirecTV by the time the service finally shut down in November, 2000. The channel line-up shown is what was offered during the final year of operation. Certain channels were only carried part-time due to bandwidth. Those channels were carried Mon.-Fri. 2 AM-5 PM and 2 AM-Noon on Sat. & Sun.

• 1: PrimeView One (service information)
• 2: TV Guide Channel 1
• 3: CNN Headline News
• 4: CNN
• 5: CNNSI (ceased operation May, 2002)
• 6: CNNfn (part-time) (ceased operation December, 2004)
• 7: ESPNews
• 8: CNBC
• 9: MSNBC

10-19 MSNBC Weather by Intellicast;

• 10: Northeast
• 11: Mid-Atlantic
• 12: Southeast
• 13: Midwest
• 14: South Central
• 15: Central
• 16: North Plains
• 17: Four Corners
• 18: Soutwest
• 19: Northwest
• 20: C-SPAN
• 21: C-SPAN 2
• 22: Court TV (now TruTV)
• 23: Weather Channel
• 24: America's Voice (removed from Dish Network in October, 2000 would shut down around time of Primestar shut down)
• 33: WSB (ABC) Atlanta
• 34: KABC (ABC) Los Angeles
• 35: WUSA (CBS) Washington, DC
• 36: KOIN (CBS) Portland
• 37: WHDH (NBC) Boston (now an Independent station)
• 38: KCRA (NBC) Sacramento
• 39: WTXF (Fox) Philadelphia
• 40: KTVU (Fox) Oakland-San Francisco
• 41: PBS National Feed
• 42: WGN Superstation (now WGN America)
• 43: TBS
• 44: A&E
• 45: USA Network
• 46: TNT
• 47: TV Land
• 48: Comedy Central
• 49: TNN (Nashville/National Network, now Spike TV soon to be Paramount Channel)
• 50: BET
• 51: QVC
• 52: Home Shopping Network
• 53: E! Entertainment Television
• 54: Game Show Network
• 55: Discovery Health (Now Oprah Winfrey Network)
• 56: BBC America
• 66: VH1
• 67: MTV
• 68: CMT
• 69: MuchMusic USA (part-time) (now Fuse)
• 70: M2 (part-time) (now MTV2)
• 77: Nickelodeon/Nick-at-Nite
• 78: Cartoon Network
• 79: Disney Channel
• 80: Toon Disney
• 81: Lifetime
• 82: Fox Family Channel (now Free Form)
• 83: Sci-Fi Channel (now SyFy)
• 84: Odyssey (now Hallmark Channel)
• 85: TBN
• 86: HBO Family (West)
• 88: Discovery Channel
• 89: TLC
• 90: Animal Planet
• 91: History Channel
• 92: Food Network
• 93: HGTV
• 94: Travel Channel
• 99: TV Guide Channel 2
• 100: HBO
• 101: HBO Plus
• 102: HBO Signature
• 103: HBO Family (West)
• 105: Showtime
• 106: Showtime 2
• 107: The Movie Channel
• 108: Starz!
• 109: Starz! Theater (West) (now Starz! Edge)
• 110: Encore
• 111: Encore 3: Westerns
• 112: Encore 4: Mystery
• 114: Cinemax
• 115: MoreMax
• 116: Lifetime Movie Network
• 117: Sundance Channel (West)
• 118: IFC
• 119: Turner Classic Movies
• 120: AMC
• 121: Romance Classics (part-time) (now We TV)
• 122: TV Guide Channel 3
• 123: PPV Today
• 124-137: inDemand PPV
• 143: Playboy TV
• 144: Spice
• 145: Adam & Eve Channel
• 156: QVC
• 157: Home Shopping Network
• 159: Shop at Home (part-time) (ceased operation in 2008)
• 160: ValueVision (part-time) (now EVINE Live)
• 166: TV Guide Channel 4
• 167: ESPN
• 168: ESPNews
• 169: ESPN Classic
• 170: ESPN 2
• 173: CNN/SI
• 174: OLN (now NBCSN)
• 175: SpeedVision (now Fox Sports 1)
• 176: Golf Channel
• 177: NESN
• 178: Fox Sports New England (now Comcast SportsNet New England)
• 179: MSG Network
• 180: Fox Sports New York (now MSG Plus)
• 181: Empire Sports Network (ceased operation early 2005)
• 183: Home Team Sports (now Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic)
• 184: Fox Sports South
• 185: Sunshine Network (now Fox Sports Sun)
• 186: SportsChannel Florida (now Fox Sports Florida)
• 187: Fox Sports Pittsburgh (now AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh)
• 188: Fox Sports Detroit
• 189: Fox Sports Midwest
• 190: Fox Sports Ohio
• 191: Fox Sports Ohio (Cincinnati feed)
• 192: Fox Sports Chicago (lost rights to all teams in October, 2004. Ceased Operation in June, 2006)
• 193: Midwest Sports Channel (now Fox Sports North)
• 194: Fox Sports Rocky Mountain (now AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain)
• 195: Fox Sports Southwest
• 196: Fox Sports Arizona
• 197: Fox Sports Northwest (now Root Sports Northwest)
• 198: Fox Sports West
• 199: Fox Sports Bay Area (now NBC Sports Bay Area)
• 211-215 Sports Plus (overflow channels)
• 288: TV Guide Channel 5
• 289: Univision
• 290: Cartoon Network (Spanish audio)
• 292: HBO (Spanish audio) (different from HBO Latino)
• 293: HBO Plus (Spanish audio)
• 294: HBO Signature (Spanish audio)
• 295: HBO Family (Spanish audio)
• 296: Showtime (Spanish audio)
• 297: Starz! (Spanish audio)
• 298: Encore (Spanish audio)
• 299: Cinemax (Spanish audio)
• 300: MoreMax (Spanish audio)
• 311-340: Music Choice
• 703: TPN Success Channel (commercial channel)

Voom; This DBS Provider was started by Cablevision's Rainbow Programming division (now AMC Networks). It started in October, 2003 and it promoted itself as an HD-intense service at a time when most US TV providers only offered between 10 and 15 HD channels (including local stations) buffered by 21 exclusive to VOOM channels. During the one and a half years in operation, it struggled to attract subscribers and was losing money. Finally, the Cablevision board overruled Chairman Charles Dolan who wanted to keep the service going, and the service was shut down on April 30, 2005 with both the Rainbow 1 satellite and its transponders transferred over to Dish Network who also continued to distribute the Voom original channels to Dish Network customers. After the satellite service shut down, the Voom HD channels continued with 10 channels on Dish Network expanded to 15 in January, 2006. On July, 2007, the channels were also added to Cablevision's lineup as well. But on May, 2008, Dish Network abruptly pulled the channels arguing that not enough money was being pulled into them which resulted in a lawsuit for breach of contract. With the Voom HD channels only on Cablevision, the 15 channels were shut down in January, 2009 and replaced with other HD channels. The lawsuit would drag into the later contract dispute in 2012 between AMC Networks and Dish Network which was settled by Dish paying money and reinstating the AMC Networks services that Dish had dropped. These are the channels at the time VOOM shut down in April, 2005 with other channels that were on also noted.

• 2-69; Local broadcast channels (Digital ATSC channels received through off-air antenna integrated with the satellite service)
• 100: HD News (picked up by Dish Network)
• 101: Family Room HD (re-launched on Dish in January, 2006)
• 102: World Cinema HD (re-launched on Dish in January, 2006)
• 103: Film Fest HD (shut down with Voom satellite service)
• 104: Kung Fu HD (re-launched on Dish in January, 2006)
• 105: Guy TV HD (picked up by Dish Network, replaced with re-launched Kung Fu HD)
• 106: Ha Ha HD (shut down with Voom satellite service)
• 107: Majestic HD (picked up by Dish Network until January, 2006)
• 108: Vice HD (shut down with Voom satellite service)
• 109: Gunslingers HD (shut down with Voom satellite service)
• 110: Divine HD (shut down with Voom satellite service)
• 121: Monsters HD (picked up by Dish Network)
• 122: Equator HD (picked up by Dish Network)
• 123: World Sport HD (re-launched on Dish in January, 2006)
• 124: Rush HD (picked up by Dish Network)
• 125: Rave HD (picked up by Dish Network)
• 126: Ultra HD (picked up by Dish Network)
• 127: Auction HD (re-launched on Dish in January, 2006 as Treasure HD)
• 128: Gallery HD (picked up by Dish Network)
• 129: LAB HD (shut down with Voom satellite service)
• 130: Animania HD (picked up by Dish Network)
• 201: HBO HD East
• 202: HBO HD West
• 203: HBO East
• 204: HBO West
• 205: HBO 2 East
• 206: HBO 2 West
• 207: HBO Signature
• 208: HBO Comedy
• 209: HBO Family
• 221: Cinemax HD East
• 222: Cinemax HD West
• 223: Cinemax East
• 224: Cinemax West
• 225: MoreMax East
• 226: MoreMax West
• 227: ActionMax
• 228: ThrillerMax
• 229: @Max
• 241: Showtime HD East
• 242: Showtime HD West
• 243: Showtime East
• 244: Showtime Too
• 245: Showtime Next
• 246: Showtime Extreme
• 248: Showtime Family
• 251: The Movie Channel HD
• 252: The Movie Channel
• 261: Starz HD East
• 262: Starz HD West
• 263: Starz East
• 264: Starz Family (now Starz Kids and Family)
• 265: Encore
• 266: Encore Love Stories (now Starz Encore Classic)
• 267: Encore Mystery
• 268: Encore Action
• 269: Starz Edge
• 271: Encore HD (first incarnation shut down on March 31, 2005. Channel re-launched in 2008 as HD was expanding)
• 285: AMC
• 286: IFC
• 287: Turner Classic Movies
• 288: Fox Movie Channel
• 289: Lifetime Movie Network
• 301: ESPN HD
• 303: ESPN
• 304: ESPN alternate
• 305: ESPN Classic
• 306: ESPNews
• 307: ESPN 2
• 308: ESPN 2 alternate
• 311: NFL Network HD (part-time limited HD programming at the time)
• 312: NFL Network
• 323: Fox Soccer Channel (now FXX)
• 324: Speed (now Fox Sports 1)
• 325: Fuel (now Fox Sports 2)
• 327: Tennis Channel
• 328: Outdoor Life Network (now NBCSN)
• 329: Golf Channel
• 340: Fox Sports Florida
• 341: Fox Sports Florida HD (live events only)
• 342: Sun Sports
• 343: Sun Sports HD (live events only)
• 402: CNN
• 403: Headline News (now HLN)
• 404: CNN International
• 405: C-SPAN
• 406: C-SPAN 2
• 408: The Weather Channel
• 409: MSNBC
• 410: CNBC
• 412: Fox News Channel
• 455: CNN en Español
• 457: ESPN Deportes
• 501: Universal HD (now the Olympic Channel)
• 502: Bravo
• 503: Travel Channel
• 504: We
• 505: TBS
• 506: TNT
• 507: FX
• 508: TV Land
• 509: Comedy Central
• 510: A&E
• 511: Biography (now FYI)
• 512: BET
• 513: E! Entertainment TV
• 514: Style (became Esquire, now off-air)
• 515: Soapnet (ceased operation 12/31/13)
• 516: Oxygen
• 517: Game Show Network
• 519: Court TV (now Tru TV)
• 520: Spike
• 521: TNT HD
• 522: USA Network
• 523: Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy)
• 524: Lifetime
• 525: Lifetime Real Women
• 526: BBC America
• 527: Fine Living (now The Cooking Channel)
• 531: Wealth TV HD (now AWE)
• 593: WVIT (NBC) Hartford (temporary carriage of SD feed for 2004 Summer Olympics)
• 594: KNSD (NBC) San Diego (same as WVIT) (only offered in markets with an NBC owned-and-operated station)
• 601: Discovery HD Theater (now Velocity)
• 602: Discovery Channel
• 603: TLC
• 604: Animal Planet
• 605: Discovery Health (now OWN)
• 606: Cartoon Network/Adult Swim
• 607: Boomerang
• 608: Disney Channel
• 609: Toon Disney (now Disney XD)
• 610: ABC Family (now Freeform)
• 611: Nickelodeon/Nick-at-Nite
• 612: Hallmark Channel
• 613: History Channel
• 614: History Channel International (now Viceland)
• 615: HGTV
• 616: Food Network
• 617: DIY
• 618: National Geographic
• 619: Military Channel (now American Heroes Channel)
• 620: Discovery Times (now Investigation Discovery)
• 621: Discovery Home (now Planet Green)
• 622: The Science Channel
• 623: Discovery Kids (now Discovery Family)
• 625: Nicktoons
• 627: Nick Gas (now TeenNick)
• 628: Noggin (now Nick Jr.)
• 701: Playboy Hot HD (carried on DirecTV as Spice HD. Shut down in Spring, 2006. Re-launched as Playboy HD in 2013)
• 802: Fuse
• 803: MTV
• 804: VH1
• 805: MTV2
• 806: MTV Hits (now NickMusic)
• 809: VH1 Classic (now MTV Classic)
• 813: CMT
• 814: Great American Country
• 852-893: Music Choice
• 999: Inside VOOM HD (barker channel)

And many of the SD channels would launch HD channels but not until sometime after Voom had ceased operation.