Starting a CABLE TV Station: (M.Abid Mehboob)

CABLE TV:

Starting a Cable TV channel is probably the hardest channel to start, but it very lucrative. Cable companies can only carry so many cable channels to their subscribers. So they only carry the most popular because they are collecting a fee from their customer and want to keep them satisfied with the most popular channels. There is only so much space on their systems. It is called "bandwith". Bandwidth is one of the main hurdles for new channels. All cable companies and satellites are restricted to the amount of channels they can carry based on how much bandwidth their system can hold. The more bandwidth the more channels. This is why it costs the consumer more to have more channels. Also upon launching a new national channel there a carrier will have to invest money and resources into launching such a channel. If they decide you channel is worthy they will pay for it. However more and more cable companies are leaning toward video on demand. However there are still opportunities if you have a great idea and can present it well. There are probably only a handful of gatekeepers (those people who decide what channels to launch and what channels not to launch) so either your idea flies or dies. Bottom line is it costs the cable companies and satellites more money to carry more channels., especially if they have to also pay the channel a license fee to carry it.

However there are ways to get on cable. If they are not willing to pay for you or invest in your idea then if you have the money there are ways to force your new channel on the air. In other words if they do not bite on your proposal and you have the funds you can get on anyway.

If you have kept up to date with this industry then you know that it is headed to digital. Digital cable, which is now probably the fastest growing cable in the world, allows for more channels. This is because technology now has improvised the amount of bandwidth it takes to broadcast through cable. So instead where a cable operator only could carry 60 channels now they can carry 600 channels. Many stations are getting their start on digital cable, and it is possible for you too.

Carriage Agreements:

Unless you get a national launch, a new cable station many times has to build its territory. The way this is done is through "carriage agreements". This is where a channel and a cable company agree on terms to have the channel carried to subscribers. This is usually applies to channels that launch in their local markets or states. Doing it this way you might not get paid at first to have your channel carried on a cable system, but if your channel gains in popularity you will get paid just to have your channel on their system. The more carriage agreements you sign, the more territory, and people your station will cover.

Here is a little tid bit you might not know. If you are a local broadcast station a cable company is required by law to carry your station to their local market. The reason is so that a community can still get their local news, and weather. You can use this to your advantage. If you are thinking about starting a cable station contact us so we can get one of our professionals to guide you in the right direction.