Link TV on DirecTV; Why is it grouped with the televangelist channels?

[Syrinx]

I was trying to tune in to DirecTV for an Egypt update from al-Jazeera. It's not coming in, probably because of sleet and/or freezing rain building up on the dish.

But, flipping around, I noticed something odd. Link is located amidst the Christian televangelist bloc of DirecTv real estate.

On one side of Link is the channel from the Mormon Brigham Young University, and on the other is something called the Christian Television Network.

You can get an idea of this from the (somewhat outdated) list of DirecTV listed on Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_DirecTV_channels_%28United_States%29

I noticed that channel 366, Jewish Life Television, is no longer available. (Maybe they went HD. I don't have HD yet.)

I just think it's odd that they would put a decidedly secular channel like Link TV in a channel slot in the middle of a bunch of religious channels.

Anyone know the reason for this?

[Pab Sungenis]

1. I think it's because Link pays for their space on the satellite

and the block is actually a "leased programming" section. They're just the only non Pray-Per-View channel in that category.

[Syrinx]

2. yeah, that makes sense, thanks

Though I also think it means that very few people will ever accidentally discover the channel. And what's with Free Speech TV only being available to DirecTV's HD subscribers, even though I understand FSTV only broadcasts in SD? Surely these channels understand these things when they negotiate their "pay for play" contracts? :shrug:

[Pab Sungenis]

3. DirecTV puts its HD channels on different satellites from SD.

Thus, people who get the most basic of packages with smaller dishes don't get certain lower-interest channels, which are on the HD satellites.

[Gold Metal Flake]

4. Here is what is important...

Watch it. Link TV needs numbers or Directv will take it off just like it took off G4.

[Syrinx]

5. oops... delete

What was it good for? Olivia Munn making dirty jokes about video games? :shrug:

I like the Zappa quote.

[Syrinx]

6. good riddance to G4

What was it good for? Olivia Munn making dirty jokes about video games? :shrug:

It replaced TechTV, which actually had a couple of good shows. Well, one anyway.

I like the Zappa quote.