Perhaps a more effective mode of action would be to contact/write your congressman/woman or Senators, seeking a legislative inquiry into Skycable's action. It would be very easy for Skycable (or Solar for that matter) to ignore whatever e-mails or online petitions protesting the matter. Snail-mail may have a better chance of generating impact, but they can be easily answered by the office shredder. And I'm very certain that before deciding to terminate the Solar channels, Skycable had already conducted the requisite cost-benefit analysis and concluded that the probable number of subscribers who would cancel as a result is ultimately marginal. (e.g., some people I know are responding by subscribing to Destiny while retaining their SkyCable accounts).
Why Congress? Many of the Lopez Group business concerns operate because they were awarded franchises by Congress (ABS-CBN, Meralco), and Congress well has the right to review whether the franchise-holders are managing their enterprises well. Unpleasant as it may sound, I think SkyCable will feel more threatened by the prospect of congressional investigation and regulation than by the fear that they will lose some of their subscribers. I suspect that many of our representatives will be interested in this issue. Many of them are probably NBA fans themselves, or have family members who are NBA fanatics, and come January 1, even their households will be scrambling to adjust. To say nothing of the members of their staffs who may be into the NBA as well. The more this issue affects their daily lives or routine, the better the chance that they may take action.
It is highly unlikely that Congress will adopt measures to compel Sky to return the Solar channels, though it might be possible that Sky will feel sufficiently threatened by legislative interference in their business and restore those channels on their own. But for me, the most useful thing that could come out of such an inquiry is the possibility of congressional hearings. Officials of Sky and Solar can be compellled to appear before Congress, and reveal under oath certain matters which I am most certainly interested in learning. Such as the exact terms of Solar's contract with the NBA or for the Olympics; the details behind the termination of the Solar contract; the real score whether Sky (through Ballz) actually has a shot at airing any NBA games. Your local SkyCable phone operator or form chain letter will not be able to supply such information. Once the details are public, the consumer will, at least, have a more informed basis to decide whether or not to stick with Sky Cable.
One might think that surely there are more important things for Congress to deal with. Yet this matter involves, among others, consumer rights, which is certainly a valid political concern. More often than not, Congress involves itself with matters raised by the lobbyists or the powerful vested interests, and it is a step in the right direction if Congress is forced to act not because of those powerful people, but because of a bunch of ordinary consumers banded together. Considering that our representatives may themselves feel the pain as a result of SkyCable's action, that circumstance plus consumer action may very well create a perfect storm.
