The Number Of Satellite Channels Reaches Record Levels

ESPN, ESPN2, History, Discovery, Discovery Wings and HBO. The list of satellite channels goes on and on. Satellite TV providers bring hundreds of channels of both educational and entertainment TV to viewers living virtually anywhere on earth. This includes people everywhere from downtown Manhattan to the desolate sands of the Sahara. These satellite channels offer programming to suit almost everyone, regardless of gender, age and interest. The amount of this programming available is now at records levels and is continuing to grow.

Most satellite TV service providers use geostationary satellites. Geostationary communications satellites travel in a very specific orbit around the earth. This orbit is 22,000 miles above the equator. From this location the satellites are traveling at the same speed as the earth is rotating. This is important because it means that each satellite is broadcasting to a unique ‘footprint’ or geographic area on the earth’s surface. Each satellite broadcasts the satellite channels to the same TV viewers, proving consistent and reliable programming of the highest possible quality.

This band around the equator has been divided up and the spaces assigned to communications satellite companies. A finite number of satellites can orbit in this band without interfering with one another. This band has now been filled. While many of these satellites have purposes other than TV, the majority of the satellites are used to rebroadcast TV signals. When directional broadcast satellite television service was first introduced only a decade ago, subscribers with amazed with the selection of satellite channels available. There were a few hundred. Now, there are over 1,000.

The number of satellites is fixed for now, but the number of channels continues to grow. This is because each satellite is being used more efficiently. Each satellite is being used to broadcast greater numbers of channels. The growth in satellite channels has almost been exponential. This is good news for TV viewers. If a consumer cannot find something they want to watch with 1,000 channels, TV just cannot satisfy that consumer.

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