31/12/03

Last day of the year, A big thank you to Jamie the site host for hosting Apsattv for free :-) and sorting things out quickly when the site goes down.

Also thanks to all those reguler contributers that keep apsattv up todate, if there were no reguler contributions there would be NO apsattv site.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year break over the next few days.

Next update probably Saturday 3rd JAN 2004

Now to finish the year on a silly note... The annual Apsattv new year predictions! (also available on the Articles page)

Apsattv.com Official Predictions for Year 2004


Please Note The following contains, rumours, gossip, half-truths, misleads, daydreams, exaggeration, wild guess's and good old B.S it also contains some real info, it's up to you the reader to work out the fact from the fiction.


January

Impactv test signal is on air and the first paytv service available in Antartica..

The Impactv testcard includes well known icon Humphrey B. Bear.

Lots of Pay TV pirates get switched off

Asiasat 4 replaces Asiasat 2!


February

The Japanese bring out a new type of dish, the Satagami yes it folds up and is made from recycled newspaper!

Globecast adds 3 new channels, Praise the lord TV, Bible TV, and the Jesus channel

Tarbs adds the Al Qaeda Channel

Ipstar launches to 120E, a revolution in affordable 2 way sat internet!

Free XTV launches in the region

Sky NZ share plummet from $5 down to $2.10 Competition blamed


March

Tarbs add more services, including Xhosa tv which is for members of the South African Xhosa tribes.

Foxtel raises its prices after piracy levels hit a record low.

Foxtels new 100 channel "digital" service, redefines what is considerd to be a "channel", most turn out to be audio services and interactive wallet openers.

The Free XTV service leaves

A Darwin man dies in freak Satagami dish incident, Japanese manufacturer suggests the dish is not approved for use in rainy season locations.


April

The Foxtel digital upgrade turns into a disaster subscribers desert it in droves.

Russians launch AM11 to 96.5E

Apstar V launches to 138E and the huge cband footprint covers Australia / NZ / Pacific Islands and everywhere else. Giveing us yet more Chinese channels.

Chinese/Taiwanese service on I804 goes off


May

NZ's new Freeview service starts up...

AMC 13 Launches to 172E with 60 cband transponders of course they don't have any customers due to the massive amounts of spare cband capacity in the region.

Asiasat orders Asiasat 5

Free XTV starts again in our region

TV3, 4 and Prime go FTA on satellite!

Tarbs is kicked out of another Uplink

Apsattv holds the first ever make a dish contest, Vk4 wins with an effort made entirely from recycled flattend beer cans.


June

Insat 3d launches to 93.5E

Sky NZ offers their new Arts channel in the basic package due to the lack of interest in it

Some major paytv cardsharing networks are busted! services being shared include, Multichoice South Africa, Foxtel, Austar and Impactv

Playboy channel starts on Foxtel

The Eskimo channel launches on Tarbs

A satellite company in Melbourne is busted for selling pirate cards for a certain Chinese service


July

The combination of NZfreeview+PVR is a winner in the NZ market! Sky rushes to bring out a PVR unit and charge an extra $10 a month to be able to use it plus a $200 install fee.

A dozen Chinese channels signup to use AMC 13

Sky NZ moves Sky Sports 1 into the basic line-up as they are being hit hard by people canceling and moving to the new Freeview service.

A well known Australian Satellite equipment supplier switches to selling home appliances.

A small Chinese company release a cardless box that logs and decodes PowerVU channels!

FTA Satellite receivers drop below the $25 U.S mark


August

Australian man starts up a business exporting wooden dishes to iraq

Tarbs purchases the Foxtel Copter

Telkom 2 launches to 118E

Bassett killed by falling Gorizont satellite. Dunnett blamed for the sudden Impact


September

Sky NZ Subscribers flood the phonelines furious at another provider beating Sky TV to the rights of a major sporting event.

Shine TV is dumped by Sky

Impactv adds extra transponders

Small dish Cband satellite tv becomes popular


October

The new Foxtel cards are CRACKED!!!!!!!! but don't get excited its due to a stress fault in the material they are made from.

Thaicom 3 dies totally! putting Tarbs off air for 2 weeks

Nss 8 launched to 57E

Lyngsat website no longer free to view, subs $5 a month!

Rupert Murdoch has a heart attack


November

Optus B3 now has 25 FTA Ethnic TV channels, but still nothing worth watching

Australian pay tv installers go on strike

Rupert Murdoch has a heart attack

Cyclone hits NT region, 5000 Austar dishes blown away due to non compliant mounts..


December

Impactv hits 100000 subscribers

Ex Washing machine repairman named NZ business man of the year.

Rupert Murdoch has a heart attack


30/12/03

Livechat in the chatroom tonight 9pm NZ 8.30pm Syd onwards as usual might be quiet who knows?

A freeview FTA promo channel has started in with the Bluekiss adult service on Asiasat 3

Meanwhile Austech forums are reporting a new adult channel called sexz tv is starting soon on NSS6 (95E) subs @ $165 (Au?) per year or $330 for 3 years. They will use Irdeto2 encryption.

I was having a cleanup and added some pages that were there but not linked to the Articles section. If anyone wants to contribute articles / tutorials etc they are welcome to.

Tomorrows update will be the last for the year, the Annual APSATTV Predictions for next year!

Not much else to report


From my Emails & ICQ


From Asiasat

A report about the recent outage on Asiasat 2

Date Time (GMT) Time (HKT) Events
23-Dec 6:30 14:30 AsiaSat 2 telemetry indicated that the satellite suddenly developed
      an unexpected attitude nutation. Cause is unknown but could have been
      caused by the spacecraft being hit by a small particle of matter.
      All other telemetry was nominal and no other damage to the
      satellite was indicated. SCC used on-board thrusters to correct the nutation.
      Corrections managed to keep the nutation under control but was not able
      to be completely eliminated.
24-Dec 3:46 11:46 While attempting to perform station keeping procedures to further reduce
      the nutation, an on-board 'safe mode' was triggered inadvertently. All C-band
      transponders were switched off as pre-programmed.
  3:55 11:55 Reactivated the C-band transponder one by one
  4:49 12:49 All C-band transponders restored.
  various times various times Nutation persisted.
      Satellite manufacturer Lockheed Martin proposed procedure on
      Dec 25 midnight to solve the problem
26-Dec (16:00 Dec 25) 0:00 Step 1 of the procedure performed, however failed to solve the problem.
      Nutation increased dramatically.
  (19:00 Dec 25) 3:00 All traffic on AsiaSat 2 was lost as the nutation increased and the
      satellite footprint shifted
  (23:00 Dec 25) 7:00 A new procedure was used to correct the nutation problem.
  4:00 12:00 AsiaSat 2 service restored.
  7:45 15:45 AsiaSat 2 back to normal service


From Bill Richards

0140 UTC
Pas2 4041H Sr 5900, FEC 2/3, Vpid 1160 1120 SID10 "The Hope Channel" FTA English.

Regards
Bill Richards


From the Dish


Optus B1 160E 12353 H An SCB test card has started, Fta, SR 5060, FEC 3/4,PIDs 657/658.

Optus C1 156E 12407 V "Sky Racing" has left .(Now via B3)

JCSAT 3 128E 3960 V "ETTV Life" is Fta

AsiaSat 2 100.5E 4020 V "Al-Arabiyah" has left .

Insat 3E 55E "DD Bihar" has started on 3885 H, PAL.
Insat 3E 55E "DD Uttar Pradesh" has started on 3865 V, PAL.
Insat 3E 55E "DD North-East" has started on 3905 V, PAL.
Insat 3E 55E "DD Himachal Pradesh" has started on 3985 V, PAL.


NEWS


Nothing to report most news sites are on holiday




29/12/03

Wow we just ticked over 500000 hits according to the site counter! a good milestone to reach at the very end of the year!

Back after a short break since Christmas. Asiasat 2 seems to be still working. I have put my motor mount up, though dish not up as yet still trying to work out how it lines up and works etc.

The Taiwanese mux on I804 is no longer a mystery, an Asian group calling themselves "Best TV" are offering a 6 channel Pay service at $49+gst NZ a month. Hope to have some more info in a few days about it. But it would seem VERY over priced and there are very few Taiwanese in NZ who would want such a service.



From my Emails & ICQ


From Zaparra (W.A)

Nss 6 95deg E

New Skies Promo 11634 Horz
Symbol rate has changed to 26986 2/3 all other settings are the same.

This is a China beam but I am just receiving it on my 2.7mt Solid with
straight through Gardner .07 wide band LNB in South West Australia.

There is also a VERY STRONG DATA service on 10975 H 2500 1/2

No Signs of Free XTV on Low Band

Agila 2 146deg E

A mystery Audio service has started on Agila 2 KU 146 Deg E

12500 Vert

Symb 1627
Fec 1/2

This consists of 14 Audio Chs (Not Radio) tagged A- Channel 01 -14

Ch1 AUD Pid 256 PCR 256 SID 1 PMT 51
Ch2 AUD Pid 256 PCR 256 SID 2 PMT 51
Ch3 AUD Pid 257 PCR 257 SID 3 PMT 51
Ch4 AUD Pid 257 PCR 257 SID 4 PMT 51
Ch5 AUD Pid 258 PCR 258 SID 5 PMT 51
Ch6 AUD Pid 258 PCR 258 SID 6 PMT 51
Ch7 AUD Pid 259 PCR 259 SID 7 PMT 51
Ch8 AUD Pid 259 PCR 259 SID 8 PMT 51
Ch9 AUD Pid 260 PCR 260 SID 9 PMT 51
Ch10 AUD Pid 260 PCR 260 SID 10 PMT 51
Ch11 AUD Pid 261 PCR 261 SID 11 PMT 51
Ch12 AUD Pid 261 PCR 261 SID 12 PMT 51
Ch13 AUD Pid 262 PCR 262 SID 13 PMT 51
Ch14 AUD Pid 262 PCR 262 SID 13 PMT 51

Measat 2 KU 148 Deg E

11523 Vert

Sr 9762
Fec 3/4

VTV 5 Testcard added to this bouquet mpeg fta
VID 1050 AUD 1060 PCR 1050 SID 1000 PMT 1010


From Bill Richards

Optus B1
0355 UTC

12353 H SR 5060 FEC 3/4 Vpid 657Apid 658 SID 2071 "SCB 16:9 Test Card"

Pas8
0145 UTC

3950 V SR 10125 FEC 3/4
Vpid33 Apid34 SID1 UBS1
Vpid63 Apid64 SID2 UBS2
Vpid73 Apid74 SID3 UBS3

All Encrypted unkown format.

Regards
Bill Richards


From Doug

B1 feed

B1 12367 v 6671 3/4 sydney to hobart race feed

doug


From Vetrun

PAS2 Cricket Feed -

3965 V 6110 "West Indies VS South Africa"

vetrun


From the Dish


PAS 8 166E 3860 H "TAS Music has replaced Chinese Best Sell" on , Fta, APID 601.
PAS 8 166E 3860 H New PIDs for MAC TV: 168/1112.

Measat 2 148E 11522 H "VTV 5 test card" has started on , Fta, PIDs 1050/1060.

Apstar 1A 134E 4034 HThe Guangdong TV mux has started on , clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.

AsiaSat 4 122E 3881 H The Shanghai Oriental TV mux has left .

Sinosat 1 110.5E 4067 V 17 more CNR and CRI channels have started on , clear, APIDs 96-156.

AsiaSat 3 105.5E 3760 H The test card is now encrypted.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 4020 V "Sahara Swar" has left , APID 731.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 4035 H The Hubei TV mux has started , Fta, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 4082 H The Hunan TV mux has started , Fta, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E

The Guangxi TV mux has started on 3806 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Shaanxi TV mux has started on 3813 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Anhui TV mux has started on 3820 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Jiangsu TV mux has started on 3827 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The HeiLongJiang TV mux has started on 3834 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Dragon TV mux has started on 3886 V, clear, SR 4800, FEC 3/4.
The Shandong TV mux hass started on 3895 V, clear, SR 6813, FEC 3/4.
The CCTV 1 mux has started on 3904 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Jilin TV Station mux has started on 3914 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
Sichuan TV has started on 4051 H, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Qinghai TV mux has started on 4067 H, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Henan TV mux has started on 4166 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Fujian South East TV mux has started on 4180 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Jiangxi TV mux has started on 4187 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.
The Liaoning TV mux has started on 4194 V, clear, SR 4420, FEC 3/4.

AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3765 V "TVSN (China)" is back on , PowerVu, SR 4300, FEC 3/4, PIDs 1160/1120.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3905 H New PIDs for Reuters World News Service on : 3551/3552.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 4104 V "Occasional DD feeds" on , SR 6666, FEC 7/8.

Gorizont 28 96.5E "Perviy kanal (+6h) and Radio Mayak" have moved from 3875 R to 3725 R, SECAM,7.00 and 7.50 MHz.

NSS 6 95.5E "Free-XTV" has left 11578 H, moved to 11594 H.
NSS 6 95.5E 11594 H "Free-XTV" has started, SkyCrypt, SR 27500, FEC 7/8, PIDs 529/531,SE Asian beam.
NSS 6 95.5E 11634 H New SR for the mux : 26986.

Yamal 102 90E 3532 L "GTRK Altai" has started, Fta, SR 4275, FEC 3/4, PIDs 307/256.

Insat 2E 83E 4005 V "ETV 2" has started regular transmissions, Fta, PIDs 1860/1820.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3441 V "Channel Nepal" has left .

PAS 10 68.5E 4176 V "Occasional feeds" on , SR 6111, FEC 3/4.

Intelsat 702 55E "DD Bihar" has left 3886 L (PAL).
Intelsat 702 55E "DD Shimla" has left 3978 L (PAL).
Intelsat 702 55E "DD Uttar Pradesh" has left 4135 L (PAL).

Insat 3E 55E 3865 V Occasional DD feeds on, PAL.

Yamal 202 49E Yamal 202 has arrived at 49 East.
Yamal 202 49E Test carriers on 3490 R, 3570 R, 3650 R, 3730 R, 3810 R, 3970 R, 4050 R and 4130 R, (Worth a check in W.A if you can go that low..)
Yamal 202 49E Strong test carriers on 3970 L, 4050 L and 4130 L.


NEWS


Foxtel signs up TVSN channel for another three years


From http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1265&storyid=683288

SYDNEY: Foxtel has extended its TVSN Channel Carriage Agreement for a further three years from December 2004.

TVSN Ltd chairman Ron Baskin said the channel was an important part of Foxtel's subscription television line up.

"The TVSN Channel remains the only 24-hour home shopping service in Australia or New Zealand," Mr Baskin said.
"It is a unique service that is predominantly live and it is 100 per cent Australian content."

He said that over five per cent of Foxtel subscribers had purchased at least one product from the TVSN Channel in 2003.

"We are very pleased with the growth that is being achieved and would like to thank Foxtel for their ongoing support," Mr Baskin said.


BBC World on Hong Kong’s first DTH digital pay TV platform


From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k3/dec/dec229.htm

MUMBAI: BBC World will now be included on Hong Kong’s first direct to home digital pay TV platform, exTV, following an agreement signed with the operator, Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting Limited (GSB).

According to an official release, the platform will begin broadcasting early next year.

BBC World is known for broadcasting authoritative, balanced, accurate news bulletins on the hour every hour, along with the best of the BBC’s factual and lifestyle programming.

BBC World head of network development (Asia) Nic van Zwanenberg said, "GSB’s new platform, exTV, is an exciting development in the Hong Kong multi-channel market. It’s a reflection of the quality of BBC World that our award-winning news and programming will be available to subscribers from the outset."


BTV misses deadline for AsiaSat deal


From http://www.thedailystar.net/2003/12/28/d31228250190.htm

Bangladesh Television's (BTV) satellite transmission could not meet the December 25 deadline, as the information ministry did not yet ink a deal with AsiaSat.

"The contract has been sent for scrutiny to the law ministry that did not return it to the information ministry yet," a source said.

"The technical procedure is complete and all are ready to go on air. As soon as the contract is signed, we will start satellite transmission," said a high official of the state-owned BTV.

BTV's plan to transmit via satellite prompted mixed reactions. Local satellite broadcasters fear they might lose Tk 70 crore in revenue from commercials a year to BTV because of its satellite venture.

BTV earns more than 50 percent of the revenues from TV commercials, as viewers prefer it to private channels. In fiscal 2002-3, BTV earned Tk 82 crore from terrestrial transmission, with the revenues from satellite and terrestrial commercials by all television channels estimated at Tk 150 crore a year.

The government decided to give advertisers the privilege to air commercials on both terrestrial and satellite transmissions at the same rate to increase revenues in a bid the private satellite broadcasters fear will harm their commercial market further.

There is also an optimistic view. Media marketing experts think BTV's satellite venture will increase competition, making satellite providers come up with quality transmission and programmes.

The number of satellite viewers will increase thanks to competition among channels, they said, adding the now-closed Ekushey Television surpassed BTV's commercial revenue because of its quality programmes.


Over 80pc space contracted for Cabsat 2004 - UAE


From http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=37511

DUBAI - Organisers Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) announced that more than 80 per cent of the space for the 10th edition of the Middle East International Cable, Satellite, Broadcast and Communications Exhibition (Cabsat-February 8-10, 2004) has already been contracted with several industry specific manufacturers and service providers signing up.

"Cabsat is the eminent show in the region for companies seeking to gain a firm footing in the region's fast emerging cable satellite and communications sectors which form the main profile of the event," said DWTC Director General, Mubarak bin Fahad.

"A wide array of new industry-specific technologies will be showcased at the event which has gained credibility over the years as the key meeting point for regional decision-makers who seek to stay ahead of the competition by incorporating cutting-edge technologies that go on display in the cable, satellite, broadcast and communications field at this event," Bin Fahad said.

The development of Dubai's technology, e-commerce and media industry has provided increased momentum to the show. Cabsat has also benefited from the region's rapidly developing electronic media markets and associated activities.

Bin Fahad said: "The growth of the regional technology and media industry has fuelled a range of new business opportunities in the broadcast, communications and media technology fields and these developments along with GPRS, new satellites, digital compression and continued competition among pay TV and free-to-air channels has created a wealth of new business opportunities in the region."

Last year's edition of the event witnessed deals, launches and business galore proving to be an impressive event drawing more than 200 exhibitors and over 4,500 trade visitors from around the globe and particularly from the AGCC countries.

Cabsat provides exhibitors with a dynamic setting where technology and business strategies converge and trade visitors from around the region explore business opportunities.

"In 2004 we are anticipating a much more enthusiastic response from both exhibitors and trade visitors," bin Fahad said.


TELE SATELLITE NEWS - Number 50/2003 28 December 2003 -

A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by TELE-satellite International

Editor: Branislav Pekic

Edited Apsattv.com Edition

A S I A & P A C I F I C

CELESTIAL MOVIES EXTENDS COVERAGE

Hong Kong film distributor Celestial Pictures, a subsidiary of Malaysian pay-TV platform Astro, has ramped up the roll-out of its Asian film channel by inking a carriage deal with local platform exTV. From February subscribers to exTV will be able to receive Celestial Movies, a 24-hour film service. The channel beams out from the Shaw Brothers studios in Hong Kong and transmits films made in this facility and other major studios in Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The deal with exTV is part of distributor's strategy to extend Celestial Movies penetration in Asia and then Australia, North America and Europe. Launched in this year, the service is already available on Astro in Malaysia and Brunei, Starhub in Singapore and Indovision and Kabelvision in Indonesia.

AUSTRALIA

FOXTEL SIGNS UP TVSN

Foxtel has extended its TVSN Channel Carriage Agreement for a further three years from December 2004. TVSN chairman Ron Baskin said the channel was an important part of Foxtel's subscription television line up. "The TVSN Channel remains the only 24-hour home shopping service in Australia or New Zealand," Mr Baskin said. "It is a unique service that is predominantly live and it is 100 per cent Australian content." He said that over five per cent of Foxtel subscribers had purchased at least one product from the TVSN Channel in 2003.

FOX FOOTY FREE FOR PAY-TV SUBSCRIBERS

FOX Footy will be provided free next season to pay-TV subscribers. The decision by Foxtel will save customers up to $100 a year and expose Australian football to millions more viewers. Fox Footy chief Rick McKenna also revealed on December 19 the football channel would become interactive and allow for TV screens to be filled with up to four different camera angles of a live match. Foxtel would not reveal how many Fox Footy subscribers it had attracted in the past two seasons. An advance pass for Fox Footy previously cost $75 while subscribers who paid monthly were billed $100 a year. The new arrangement begins on February 1. The interactive component to Fox Footy will be ready some time in the first half of next year. All televisions will be capable of processing the interactive options after new Foxtel set-top boxes, controlled by new remote controls, are installed. The Supersmart set-top boxes are expected to be in homes from late January. Viewers will be able to configure their TV screens and speakers in various forms under the new technology. As well as having access to four separate shots -- main camera, off-the-ball camera, behind-goals camera and an individual player camera -- viewers can get access to a full range of regularly updated statistics and a variety of commentating options.

INDIA

TV TODAY PLANS TO EXPAND WORLDWIDE

TV Today, an India Today group company, has decided to make a foray into the US, UK and Dubai markets, and is considering turning its news channels into pay-TV channels once the Conditional Access System is implemented. "We are looking into the opportunity to turn our news channels into pay channels once the CAS is implemented. We expect to become pay channels by next 16-25 months," TV Today Network CEO G Krishnan said. The move would enable the company, which has recently launched its initial public offering, to become more transparent and enhance its revenue earnings from subscription. The company, which has recently launched its English news channel Headlines Today, has decided to tap the markets in the US, UK and Dubai. "There are large number of Indian viewers in these markets. The cost of delivering a signal to these places has also reduced significantly during the last few years, raising profitability. We are aiming to achieve a subscription of one million in each of these markets by 2005," Krishnan said. The company also has plans to launch a business channel and local channels in various areas in the country, he said.

AFRICA ISRAEL CONSIDERS SALE OF ISRAEL PLUS STAKE

Africa-Israel Investments on December 25 announced that it was considering the sale of all its holdings in Vash Telekanal, which holds the franchise for Israel Plus, the Russian-language TV channel in Israel. Africa-Israel sold half its 84% stake in the company a month ago to Lev Leviev-owned Memorand Management for NIS 10.6 million. Leviev also controls Africa-Israel. Israel Plus is Israel’s first designated Russian-language cable and satellite TV channel, and has a license to sell advertising time. The channel, which began broadcasting in November 2002, has suffered heavy losses, which it attributed to the recession and intense competition from non- Israeli Russian-language channels viewed in Israel, which also broadcast advertising. Vash Telekanal lost NIS 12.6 million in the third quarter, NIS 44.6 million in January-September 2003, and NIS 25.9 million in 2002 a total loss of NIS 70.5 million. A Vash Telekanal spokesperson said that the franchise owners had received many offers for the company.

JAPAN

MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC TO DEVELOP TV SYSTEM

Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co said on December 26 it will develop a digital broadcasting system for TV networks with China's largest broadcaster and a major equipment maker. Matsushita spokesman Akira Kadota said the deal with China Central Television and Dayang Technology Development Inc. isn't exclusive, and that the electronics giant has approached networks in other countries to seal similar agreements. Under the deal, Matsushita, CCTV and Dayang Technology will try to prepare a beta product by April 2004, and a final version by the end of that year. Their system will use Matsushita's Panasonic-brand P2 flash memory chips, instead of tapes, to store video and will include editing and TV transmission equipment. The camera's five 4 GB memory chips can store up to 90 minutes of video, Kadota said. Matsushita and Sony Corp. are vying for control of the professional broadcasting systems market, which is shifting from analog to digital technology. They are counting on broadcasters to upgrade their equipment ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

MALAYSIA

RTM TO GO 24/24

Transmission by Radio Television Malaysia’s (RTM) 1 will be extended to 24 hours next year and

made available to a wider part of the world, Deputy Information Minister Datuk Donald Lim said. In a move to enable RTM's coverage to be extended to other parts of the world, Lim said it had sought the technical cooperation of a Chinese company to use its satellite and they were currently in the final stage of testing. By using the Chinese satellite, which was less expensive than Malaysia’s own satellite, Measat, Lim said RTM1's coverage could be extended to cover the whole of Asia, Australia, the Middle East and 95 per cent of Africa and Europe. Once the 24-hour transmission was on air, RTM programmes would be available in Bahasa Malaysia and English.

ASTRO REPORTS PROFITS

Astro All Asia Networks has for the first time since its inception become profitable, and the company is well on track to meet its profit forecast for the current year ending January 1, 2004. Astro, which released its third-quarter results for the period ended October 31, chalked up RM8.1 million in pre-tax profit on revenues of RM373 million. Net profit, at RM5.6 million, was RM2.4 million short of the projected RM8 million for the full year. Astro’s non-Chinese subscriber base (596,000) has surpassed that of its Chinese base (594,000). Astro added 83,396 new subscribers during the quarter, bringing the total to 1.19 million, representing a 24.8% penetration rate of Malaysian TV households. The company plans to sign up 250,000 to 300,000 new subscribers annually, and that average revenue per user (ARPU) and churn levels would be managed at current levels. Astro has also gone on an aggressive drive to encourage subscribers to take up second decoder. As of October 31, there were 44,963 second box subscriptions, 3.77% of total Astro subscribers, compared with 40,226, or 3.63%, at the end of the previous quarter.

NEW ZEALAND

DISNEY CHANNEL LAUNCHES ON SKY

The Disney Channel comes debuted on SKY Digital channel 40 on December 24, which means subscribers will now have an even wider variety and choice of quality family viewing. Disney Channel will be available to SKY Digital subscribers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as part of the basic start-up package. Disney Channel is part of Walt Disney Television Australia/New Zealand which is responsible for all Disney branded television activities in the Australian/New Zealand markets. To date, the Disney Channel is available on pay-TV in 9 Asia-Pacific markets: Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan and New Zealand (from December 3). Disney branded programmes are broadcast on local free-to-air networks in 11 countries around the region, reaching a total audience of 300 million in Asia-Pacific.

SAUDI ARABIA

KINGDOM TO LAUNCH NEWS TV CHANNEL

Saudi Arabia will launch its own satellite news TV channel early next year. Culture and Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy said the new channel would offer continuous coverage of international news and current affairs. “Preparations for the launch of the channel... are in the final stages. The channel will start satellite transmission by the middle of the Hijri month of Dul Qaada,” the minister said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. He said the channel would strive for credibility and a swift response to news of national, Arab and international importance. A portion of programs would be devoted to covering events in the Kingdom, he added. Al-Farsy said the channel would air live talk shows about topical issues in addition to recorded programs on the Kingdom and other countries. Saudi Arabian Television launched a sports and youth channel in September last year on the Kingdom’s National Day. The Sports Channel aimed at increasing awareness among the young, “who are the pillar of this country’s future and its most important asset, and encourage the spirit of cooperation among different parts of society,” Al-Farsy said. The minister said the terrestrial sports channel would transmit its programs via Arabsat, with live coverage of the Gulf Cup on December 24.

THAILAND

ITV SET FOR REORGANISATION

The reorganisation of iTV will spark a fierce battle in the television industry next year, leading to a wider choice of quality programmes for viewers, advertising agencies say. Witawat Jayapani, chief executive of advertising agency Creative Juice/G1, told “The Nation” that iTV's move was expected to pressure other stations to produce more high-quality programmes to retain or woo new viewers. "This means consumers will have more choices apart from those of the dominant Channels 3 and 7," he added. The other channels will also compete with iTV by creating more attractive programmes to lure viewers, he said. Early this month, iTV partnered with famous television host Tripop Limpapath and multimedia production house Kantana Group in a share sale worth Bt30 billion. Both partners will also move their existing programmes to iTV. According to a Nielsen Media Research TV Rating Report in October, iTV's most viewed programme was the lottery draw, which had 1.3 million viewers. But iTV viewer numbers were even lower than the programmes ranked tenth from channels 7 and 3, the report showed. The fifth and tenth most popular shows on iTV were news and drama.

CABLE TV OPERATORS FACED WITH REFORM

The cable TV industry will be forced to undergo a major change next year when the state attempts to impose rigid rules on all operators. The government's plan to allow all of them to run commercials will also affect the industry. Today, only operators beaming programmes via the satellite channel and under the license of the Public Relations Department (PRD) can sell air time to advertisers. The main pay-TV operator, United Broadcasting Corp (UBC), is currently unable to run advertising as it is a concessionaire of the Mass Communication Organisation of Thailand (MCOT). UBC beams programmes via both satellite and cable channels. Thongthong Chandransu, chairman of MCOT's board, said recently that the board is expected to approve UBC's request to run advertising, starting in January next year. There are an estimated 470 Thai cable TV operators but only 78 have licenses. Out of the total, 280 have asked for licenses from the PRD but were turned down after it was found they were using illegal broadcast frequencies. Under the legalisation policies announced by the government, illicit pay-TV operators have until February next year to register themselves or face a major clampdown. To go straight, the illegal operators will have to ask the Metropolitan and Provincial Electricity Authorities to install the cable lines needed for their service. Only when they have receipts from the electricity agencies can they ask for a cable TV license from the PRD. They also need to submit their broadcast programme plans for approval by the PRD every month. Their licenses will be revoked if they ignore the rule. Under other regulations, all programmes must comply with copyright rules and cable operators will have to collaborate with the regional and metropolitan state units to promote state information via their channels. In order to be considered legitimate, all cable TV operators will have to submit evidence they have paid tax and details of their customer lists to the PRD every year to prove that they are still in operation.

VIETNAM

CRITICISM OVER PLANS TO BLOCK VTV IN AUSTRALIA

According to local press reports, the national multicultural broadcasting station in Australia, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) has temporarily postponed its broadcast of Vietnam's VTV 4 news programme. The SBS leadership made the decision following the reaction by a number of extremists in the Vietnamese community in Australia and some Australian members of parliament, who do not understand Vietnam's situation and lack goodwill for developing Vietnam-Australia relations, including information exchange."




28/12/03

Holiday Break




27/12/03

Holiday Break




26/12/03

BOXING DAY SPECIAL UPDATE

ASIASAT 2 at 100.5E is suffering major problems, much traffic has been shifted to Asiasat 3 (see below for details)


From My Emails & ICQ


This latest info From Andrew Rajcher (AXIOM COMPUSAT SERVICES)

Hi gang.....

I've just come off the phone from my contact at Asiasat, and this is the situation as at 4.45pm ADST:

(1) Asiasat-2 (AS2) does NOT, repeat NOT, have power problems. For the last three days, they have had some oscillation problems which means that they
have had dfficulties in keeping AS-2 in its correct position.

(2) As a result, signals were disappearing and reappearing as the bird drifted beyond its acceptable limits.

(3) At 3am (HKT), the situation suddenly became worse. At that point, the Chinese channels asked to be moved TEMPORARILY en masse to Asiasat-3S so
that they could continue transmission. They are NOT meant to be DTH services, so that the move to AS3 would not be disruptive to their destinations.

(4) As of now (5.00pm ADST), the situation with AS2 has been stabilised - hence reception of all BUT Chinese channels is returning. The situation is
not 100% and they're still working on it. When the techs are done and all is back as it should be, the Chinese channels will return.

Hope the above helps!!
Andrew (aragorn)


From Steve Hume

A scan of Asiasat 2 this afternoon came up with following active transponders.

Scan off Coship at 2pm QLD Time

Freq Symbol TV Radio

4000h 28125
3912h 4996
3905h 4000
3880h 20400
3799h 5632
4020v 27500
3796v 2626
3765v 4296
3660V 27500

Meanwhile these are the current service loading on Asiasat 3

Asiasat 3 Scan

Freq Symbol

4129h 13234
4110h 11234
4094h 5554 SUNTV
4082h 4417 HNSTV 1
4051h 4417 SICHUAN
4043h 4996
4035h 4417 HUBEI 1
4000h 26843
3960h 27500
3920h 26843
3886h 4796
3840h 26843
3760h 26000
3706h 6000

4194v 4417 DNTV HEITUDI
4187v 4417 JXTV4
4180v 4417 FUJIAN 1
4140v 27500
4116v 3332
4111v 3332
4091v 13328
4020v 27250
3980v 28093
3915v 4417 JI LIN TV
3904v 4417 CCTV 1
3895v 6812 SHANDONG TV
3886v 4796
3860v 27500
3834v 4417 HLJTV
3827v 4417 JSSES1
3820v 4417 ANHUI TV1
3813v 4417 SHAANXI TV1
3806v 4417 GXTV
3780v 28093
3755v 4417
3742v 3300
3700v 27500
3669v 13328

NEWS 24x7

Steve Hume




25/12/03

Christmas day GO AWAY




24/12/03

Next update 27th and final one for the year will be on the 28th! with the annual apsattv predictions for next year!

Well the chatroom was in a festive mood lastnight for the final chat session of the year.

The main news being shared was Impactv will be on Intelsat 804 @ 176E
In a configuration of 4x 36mhz for NZ and 2x72mhz for Australia.

NZ service will be on spotbeam 1
Australian service will be via spot beam 2

In Australia A 76cm size dish should be fine in most locations, except W.A and other outer fringe regions

A 76cm will also be fine in all parts of NZ, also it will probably REQUIRE a universal type LNBF due to the transponder configuration.

Please note there is no test signal up as yet. But those in NZ can find this satellite easily enough as there is also a Taiwanese mux there

Footprints below.

From the Dish


Yamal 102 90E 3532 L The "GTRK El-Altai test card" is back on , Fta, SR 4275, FEC 3/4, PIDs 307/256.
Yamal 102 90E 3709 L It's "TVS Severnaya Dvina" on , SR 2860, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3671 H,The Overcomer has started Fta, APID 7202.


From my Emails & ICQ


Merry Christmas from everyone

Could be a lot worse, where are the Christmas lights?



NEWS


Cooma Man to Face Subscription TV Piracy Crime Charges -- ASTRA


From Press release

ASTRA announced the latest individual to face subscription
television piracy charges - this time a 40 year old television
repair man from Cooma who will appear before Cooma local Court in
February next year.

This is the latest in a number of similar activities that have
been initiated by ASTRA members to stamp down on piracy of
subscription TV services.

Evidence gathered during a joint investigation by AUSTAR and Cooma
Police indicated that the man was allegedly selling unauthorised
smartcards, which may be used in a decoder box to illegally access
subscription television channels.

The man will face charges under federal laws relating to the sale
of unauthorised broadcast decoding devices (pirated smart cards).

Deanne Weir, AUSTAR's Group Director of Corporate Development and
Legal Affairs, said, "This latest investigation is another step in
our national crack-down on piracy of our television services. Our
genuine subscribers are being hurt by piracy, so we are making a
concerted effort to fight back at the pirates and increase our
policing investigations to stamp it out."

Debra Richards, Executive Director of ASTRA added, "We hope
today's announcement will send a clear warning to people not to be
hoodwinked into becoming involved in piracy activity. Piracy is a
crime. If in any doubt, or if pirate activity is suspected, we urge
you to report it through our piracy hotline on 1800 428 888."

For further information please contact
Deanne Weir
Group Director of Corporate Development and Legal Affairs
Austar United Communications
02 9295 0103 or [email protected]
Debra Richards
Executive Director
ASTRA
02 9200 1486 or mobile 0418236174

For more information on piracy, go to: http://www.astra.org.au/piracy


TV5 eyes larger indian viewership base


From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/378532.cms

KOLKATA: France appears to be getting more proactive in penetrating the Indian cable and satellite (C&S) market. French television channel TV5, which has been around in the country since 1997, but has maintained a somewhat low profile, has, of late, unveiled some moves to up its ante.

These initiatives include subtitling a share of its programme pie in English and fleshing out content with localised flavour.

Significantly, the channel’s deputy director of international marketing Alexandre Muller said that India , which now forms part of the TV5 Asia footprint, could sport a dedicated feed soon. “I hope to be in a position soon to provide a specific beam to India , a new TV5 India channel,” Mr Muller told ET.

Incidentally, the TV5 World Network’s global spectrum embraces eight exclusive brands. In addition to TV5 Asia, the basket is made up of TV5 France/Belgium/Switzerland, TV5 Europe whose prime markets are Germany , Sweden and Holland , TV5 Africa and TV5 Middle East. In the same breath, the South and North American territories are fed by TV5 Latin America, TV5 USA and TV5 Canada.

The strategy to subtitle a fair portion of the movies on the channel in English is aimed at shoring up viewership base. “We decided to subtitle the movies in English to attract a larger audience. Naturally, it was also to allow a wider segment of Indian audiences to discover the richness of the French movie industry,” Mr Muller told ET.

Of course, since movies are repeated during the month, some of these repeats may be aired with French subtitles, he added.

The channel is now actively working on stretching its subtitling approach to cover documentaries and “dramas” as well. “Yes, the plan is to subtitle more programmes and progressively increase the volume of subtitles in English. The channel, which is also broadcasting a 30-minute English news bulletin, intends to build around this genre,” Mr Muller said.

Interestingly, there is a thrust toward injecting local flavour too. Recently, the channel put on show a programme called “24 hours in Mumbai”. “The capsules in this telecast were a mix of 20 magazines on India-related themes and interviews with personalities in various spheres. There were also slots which dwelt on people with a India connection like Rudyard Kipling, Salman Rushdie or Roberto Rossellini,” Mr Patrick Madelin, audio-visual attache at the French embassy, said.

All these efforts appear to be translating into larger subscriber numbers. Real-time viewing of TV5 was largely restricted to a French speaking audience and Indians adept in the language. This may have been in the range of 250,000-300,000 in India . These viewers who have grown “tremendously” lately, according to Mr Muller, and could be double the previous base. “However, the channel will continue to remain free to air,” he said.

Driving home the gameplan to boost its India connect, Mr Madelin mentioned that TV5 has tied up with Zee to beam its programmes, on an experimental basis, via Zee’s DTH platform.




23/12/03

Livechat tonight 9pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd time onwards last official chatroom session for the year.

Free drinks will available (BYO)

Still very quiet. Sorry about the lack of news a lot of News sites have gone on a holiday break.

Optus C1 and B3 pages updated.



From my Emails & ICQ


From Perthsatvision


Optus D1 & D2

Audio interview on ABC NEWS RADIO with optus about the new
optus D1 & D2. The program is called starstuff and can
be heard on demand at www.abc.net.au/newsradio/star.htm

The program is starstuff 21/12/03 and the interview
starts 13 minutes and 52 seconds into the program.

D1 to replace B1 said to be launched in 2006
D2 to replace B3 said to be launched in 2007

It's a bit of wait though.

The satellites are said to be purely commercial to
carry television and internet data, etc.

Jason


From the Dish


Intelsat 804 176E 12681 V "CCTV 1 has replaced MAC TV", Fta, PIDs 267/268. New PIDs for all channels in this mux.

Optus B3 156E 12525 V "Al-Manar TV" has started, Fta, PIDs 1760/1720.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3520 H New PIDs for TelePace and Radio Vaticana on : 513/514 and 515.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3610 V Radio Pakistan has left .
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3671 H A Ritz Club info card and an RR Sat promo have started, Fta,PIDs 6178/6179 and 6193/6179.


NEWS


DD mulls leasing DTH infrastructure to private players


From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k3/dec/dec203.htm

NEW DELHI: With Prasar Bharati’s annual revenue on the slide as the gap between earnings and spending has increased over the years, a proposal has been mooted that the uplinking and downlinking facilities at its disposal could be rented out to private players interested in setting up KU-band direct-to-home television service in India.

That is, if a private player, interested in starting a DTH service in India, does not have the infrastructure and would not like to lease transponders for the DTH service, it can come to Doordarshan and take such facilities on lease or rent. According to sources in the government, a proposal to this effect was discussed between the information and broadcasting ministry, which gives Prasar Bharati annual grant in-aid, and the Planning Commission that is responsible for fine-tuning financial assistance to various government organizations, government-supported entities and the states.

Prasar Bharati is an autonomous body formed by an Act of Parliament and manages the affairs of India’s pubcasters Doordarshan and All India Radio. Whether such a move can be practically translated into a reality would become clear when the finer points are drawn up because a private player interested in foraying in the DTH arena would like to have its own infrastructure.

Still, the government and the Planning Commission are optimistic that this proposal would have buyers as DD’s ground infrastructure is the best in the country, but the sources added that these are early days for this proposal. Meanwhile, it has also been decided that the subscription-free DTH service that DD would be launching in 2004, unlike a typical DTH service that comes at a price, would be carrying more than 30 channels, which was decided earlier.

“The Prasar Bharati is interested in carrying many more channels (including 20 DD channels) on its proposed DTH service so as to make it attractive. There is no dearth of non-DD free to air channels even as discussions would be held with the likes of Star , Sony Entertainment and Zee for some of their channels too to join the DTH platform,” a government official said. According to information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was replying to a question on DD’s DTH scheme in the Rajya Sabha, the pilot KU-band project has been approved by the government with the cost envisaged being Rs 1643.5 million.

Interestingly, Prasad also informed fellow parliamentarians that a proposal has been received from the Andhra Pradesh government for allowing cable operators in the state to receive and distribute KU-band signals through their networks for “dissemination of high quality programmes to needy and isolated schools and colleges.”




22/12/03

NEWS FLASH

Globecast , Optus B3 12525V have added AL-Manar...very controversial didn't Tarb's drop this one while the Govt investigates it?

I must say I and others are dissapointed in what TVNZ are doing on their transponder on B1. I hope we see it put to better use next year.

I had another look at I804 on the weekend, they have changed the pids of all the services in the Tiawanese mux, Mac Tv has been replaced by CCTV1 and although FTA the Conditional access appears to be NDS Videoguard according to the Nokia.


From my Emails & ICQ


From Steve


B1 FTA New Zealand

DW has been unwatchable for some days now. I can't see the point in
TVNZ rebroadcasting such a poor signal.

The Christmas Channel is a bit of a disappointment due to the low
audio levels. Worse, TVNZ is just showing the same handful of
programmes over and over again. Who do they think they are, Sky?

I'm REALLY missing the ABC.


From Siam Global

NEW PRODUCT

THERE IS A NEW AND WELL MADE PRODUCT ON THE MARKET HERE IN THAILAND WHICH SHOULD BE OF GREAT INTEREST TO APSATTERS AS IT DOES NOT APPEAR AVAILABLE IN EITHER AUSTRALASIA OR EUROPE.

IN ADDITION THE PRICE IS SO LOW THAT FEW CAN AFFORD TO MISS IT.

IT IS THE ASPEN TURBO 4200 DUAL KU & C BAND LNBF. IT WILL FIT ON ANY STANDARD C BAND DISH AS A REPLACEMENT OF THEIR CURRENT C BAND LNBF

WITH SO MANY NEW KU BAND SERVICES BECOMING AVAILABLE THOSE WITH ONLY C BAND ARE MISSING OUT. THE RETAIL PRICE IS ONLY US$50 INCLUDING THE LNB'S.

SIAMGLOBAL BANGKOK

[ NOTE FOR MR SUTTON : IF YOU ARE HAPPY TO PUBLISH WHERE THIS PRODUCT IS AVAILABLE, : IT IS TO BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE OF www.satthai.com ]


From Tariq

hi craig

I live in pakistan and a great fan of you

today i find two fta chanels from zee dth on Insat 3A were fta
smile is fta since two days and premier movies has just arrived a few
minutes ago

[email protected]


From the Dish


Optus C1 156E 12487 V "ABC TV Northern, Win TV, ABC Classic FM Northern, ABC Territory Radio and ABC Radio National Northern" have left .
Optus C1 156E 12598 H "The History Channel and the three Fox Footy Channel" are now encrypted.
Optus B3 152E 12438 H The GlobeCast Australia mux has left .
Optus B3 152E 12525 V "EWTN Asia has replaced RTV 21 Sat" , Fta, PIDs 1660/1620.

Yamal 102 90E 3532 LThe test card has left again.

Intelsat 709 85.2E Galaxy Satellite on the Ku band has changed name to ExTV.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3520 H "Antenna Pacific" has left .
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3520 H "BVN TV and RNW 1-3" are back, Fta, PIDs 3329/3330 and 3331-3333.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3610 V "PTV 1, PTV Channel 3, and PTV World" have left , replaced by a test card.(Now via Asiasat 3)

PAS 10 68.5E 3716 V "Activate" has started, Irdeto 2, PIDs 518/646, 09-21 CET.

Insat 3E 55E 3905 V Occasional feeds on , PAL.


NEWS


Pay-TV gives footy fans a free kick


From http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,8217470%255E20322,00.html

FOX Footy will be provided free next season to pay-TV subscribers. The decision by Foxtel will save customers up to $100 a year and expose Australian football to millions more viewers.

Fox Footy chief Rick McKenna also revealed yesterday the football channel would become interactive and allow for TV screens to be filled with up to four different camera angles of a live match.

"We have now put Fox Footy into the Essentials package, the basic Foxtel package, and what that means is that even the passing footy fan in any state in the country automatically has access to everything on offer," Mr McKenna said.

"It's obviously great for the AFL as it puts football into 1.4 million homes, 24-7, and in terms of chipping away at the NSW and Queensland markets, this is an incredible boost for the code."

Industry analysts said the reach of each Foxtel subscription equated to 3.6 individuals.

Foxtel would not reveal how many Fox Footy subscribers it had attracted in the past two seasons.

An advance pass for Fox Footy previously cost $75 while subscribers who paid monthly were billed $100 a year.

AFL general manager of broadcasting, strategy and major projects Ben Buckley said the Fox Footy initiative would prove crucial in the code's quest for acceptance in NSW and Queensland.

"We're very happy with the outcome -- it is terrific for football," Mr Buckley said.

The new arrangement begins on February 1.

The interactive component to Fox Footy will be ready some time in the first half of next year.

All televisions will be capable of processing the interactive options after new Foxtel set-top boxes, controlled by new remote controls, are installed.

The Supersmart set-top boxes are expected to be in homes from late January.

Viewers will be able to configure their TV screens and speakers in various forms under the new technology.

As well as having access to four separate shots -- main camera, off-the-ball camera, behind-goals camera and an individual player camera -- viewers can get access to a full range of regularly updated statistics and a variety of commentating options.


FCC OKs News Corp. Purchase of DirecTV


From http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Business/ap20031219_2220.html

FCC Approves News Corp.'s Takeover of DirecTV, the Nation's Largest Satellite Television Provider

WASHINGTON Dec. 19 — Federal regulators on Friday approved News Corp.'s takeover of DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite television provider, but imposed certain conditions on the $6.6 billion deal.

The Federal Communications Commission said News Corp. must agree to arbitration to solve disputes with companies that carry its broadcast and cable channels, such as cable companies and other satellite providers. And News Corp. must treat all stations equally, not tilt in favor of its Fox broadcasting network and cable stations such as FX.

The arbitration was to alleviate concerns that Fox would pull its network programming, which includes pro baseball and football, off cable systems to encourage viewers to subscribe to DirecTV. News Corp. agreed not to pull either the network programming or its regional sports networks while a dispute was being arbitrated.

The Justice Department said it would not oppose the deal.

The Republican-dominated FCC split along party lines, 3-2, to approve the deal. News Corp. also owns the Fox News Channel, headed by former GOP political operative Roger Ailes.

"This merger with strict conditions ultimately benefits the American public," FCC Chairman Michael Powell said. "News Corporation has a history of taking significant risks and introducing new and innovative media services. Enhanced competition will increase pressure to improve service and lower prices for both cable and satellite television subscribers."

But one of the two Democrats on the commission, Michael Copps, said the deal would reduce competition, not enhance it.

"Where is the logic where is the public interest benefit of giving more and more media power to fewer and fewer players?" Copps said.

Democratic commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said he dissented because the deal does not require DirecTV to provide local channels to every television market, meaning some rural areas will be out of luck. Other areas may get the local channels not via the satellite but through alternative means such as an antenna on their dishes or a digital tuner, Adelstein said.

"They want to do it on the cheap and not do it right, and the FCC is going to roll over and let them do it that way," Adelstein said in an interview. "If they don't put it on the satellite, some people are not going to get it."

Under the deal announced in April, News Corp. would acquire 34 percent of DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics, a subsidiary of General Motors Corp. The deal would give News Corp. the largest block of shares in Hughes and controlling interest in DirecTV, which has more than 11 million subscribers.

The head of the cable TV industry's principal trade association said that adding News Corp's global assets makes DirecTV "a very formidable competitor." But cable operators are well positioned to compete with satellite by offering consumers an attractive array of services such as video-on-demand, high-speed Internet and cable phone service, said Robert Sachs, president and CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

The deal was opposed by some consumer groups, who said that it would further reduce competition by shrinking the number of media companies, and would drive up the price of cable and satellite services.

"Given Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corporation's already bloated holdings in over-the-air TV and cable programming, the FCC should have rejected this deal," said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, a media watchdog group. "At the very least, they should have imposed stringent safeguards that would have ensured unfettered opportunities for new and competing programmers on DirecTV."

In May 2002, a dispute over how much Time Warner should pay for the Walt Disney Co.'s cable channels led to Disney's ABC network being removed from Time Warner cable systems in New York and six other cities. In January, some 400,000 Cox Communications customers in the Washington, D.C., area, Cleveland, Dallas and Houston lost the Fox network for a week in a dispute over whether the cable company should also carry two Fox cable channels.

The FCC last year rejected a proposed merger between DirecTV and its chief competitor, EchoStar Communications Corp., ruling it would unfairly limit consumer choices.


TV1 set to go international early next year


From http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/12/20/nation/6957741&sec=nation

IPOH: TV1 programmes will be available throughout Asia, Australia, Russia, the Middle East and most parts of Europe by early next year as the Cabinet has approved the lease of a satellite from a Chinese company at RM1.2mil per year, said Deputy Information Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai.

“Countries which want to receive information or news from our country will be able to do so directly from us by switching on their televisions.

“By virtue as present chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries and Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the South-South Information Gateway (SSIG), we do not want them to get the information from other networks of countries elsewhere but directly from us,” Lim said after launching The Store’s Silver and Gold Loyalty Card Programme here yesterday.

An agreement would be signed once the satellite was fully tested, he added.

“TV1 will be setting up a department to dub the programmes from Bahasa Malaysia into English and eventually into other languages like Arab and French,” he said.

Lim said TV1, which would transmit 24 hours from Jan 1, would continue to be news orientated.

He said the station would also be introducing a new half-hour English news slot at 10pm.

“At present, there is only one English news slot at 6pm and that will be cut down to 30 minutes from Jan 1 onwards,” he said.

When asked to comment on claims by opposition parties of uneven coverage during elections, Lim said they could buy airtime from other private television stations in the country as TV1 was mainly for the Government.

Earlier, he commended The Store Group for fulfilling its social responsibility towards its customers by extending free personal accident insurance coverage of up to RM100,000 underwritten by American Home Assurance Company Malaysia that came with the cards.

He said The Store Group had also showed its concern for education in Malaysia by organising the “Kindness Through Charity” campaign to raise funds for Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar).

A mock cheque for RM78,000 was also handed over to representatives of nine thalassaemia associations in the country by The Store Group chairman Md Kamal Bilal and its managing director Datuk Dr Tang Yeam Soon.

(Craigs comment, Asiasat ? Asiasat 2??)


HK's TVB shares benefit with pay-TV launch as advertising revenues recover


From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/corporatenews/view/62758/1/.html

HONG KONG : Shares of Hong Kong's dominant free-to-air broadcaster TVB benefited on Friday from news that it will launch its pay-TV service in February.

Investors are also optimistic advertising revenues look set to improve as the local economy recovers.

TVB's new pay-TV firm is called Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting and is a joint-venture with US-based Intelsat.

It hopes to break even in four years - almost half the time it has taken rival i-Cable.

"exTV" is the brandname that will be vying for a share of Hong Kong's pay-TV market come February.

While Galaxy's launch comes six months later than planned and three years after it first received its licence, the delay has proven to be a boon.

"When you look at some of the earlier pay-TV models around the world, the set-up boxes are usually the biggest issue. We're in a new time, new era and the set-up box has reduced in price substantially," said Jim Bloomfield, CEO, Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting.

Hong Kong's pay-TV market has been something of a non-starter.

While five licences were dished out by the authorities, very few companies have actually taken up the challenge of going against incumbent i-Cable Communications.

Monthly subscription for exTV is set to be less than US$25, one-third cheaper than i-Cable's current basic package.

Mr Bloomfield said: "I salute i-Cable and I don't take them lightly. I respect what they do, they've done a great job. We certainly look forward to bringing some major competition into the market."

TVB shares gained 1.29 per cent to end Friday at HK$39.30.

In the meantime, Hong Kong's pay-TV market looks set to face a price war vying for only a limited number of subscribers. - CNA


Astro chalks up maiden profit


From http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/12/20/business/6961593&sec=business

Astro All Asia Networks plc has for the first time since its inception become profitable, and the company is well on track to meet its profit forecast for the current year ending Jan 1, 2004.

Astro, which yesterday released its third-quarter results for the period ended Oct 31, chalked up RM8.1mil in pre-tax profit on revenues of RM373mil.

Net profit, at RM5.6mil, was RM2.4mil short of the projected RM8mil for the full year. Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter came to 0.45 sen.

On a cumulative basis, the company reported pre-tax loss of RM17mil and net loss of RM25.3mil on the back of RM1.02bil in turnover. Loss per share was 2.1 sen.

“This is the first quarter of profits,’’ said an analyst. “At a glance, the results look bad, but if you strip the one-off cost and non-recurring cost, it evens out. It looks like the company can meet its full-year forecast but knowing the management of Astro, the company may just beat its RM8mil net profit forecast.”

He noted that Astro’s non-Chinese subscriber base (596,000) had also surpassed that of its Chinese base (594,000).

Astro chief financial officer Rohana Rozhan said demand for Astro’s products had been strong since the end of the quarter, and the company expected to meet full-year projections as outlined in its prospectus.

In a statement, Astro said its balance sheet had been strengthened by improved profitability and the proceeds raised from the initial public offering (IPO) in October; as at end-October its net cash position stood at RM453.1mil.

Astro added 83,396 new subscribers during the quarter, bringing the total to 1.19 million, representing a 24.8% penetration rate of Malaysian TV households.

Rohana said the firm intended to sign up 250,000 to 300,000 new subscribers annually, and that average revenue per user (Arpu) and churn levels would be managed at current levels. But after the Measat-3 satellite is launched into orbit in 2005, Astro can expect Arpu to be driven upwards.

Astro had also gone on an aggressive drive to encourage subscribers to take up second decoder. Rohana said second decoder subscriptions were not included in the computation of residential subscribers.

“As at Oct 31, we had 44,963 second box subscriptions, 3.77% of total Astro subscribers, compared with 40,226, or 3.63%, at the end of the previous quarter.

“For the quarter just ended, second box subscriptions contributed RM2 to the total Arpu of RM81 per subscriber,’’ Rohana told StarBiz.

She added that the aim was to further increase the take-up of second decoders as they contributed positively to the top line Arpu as well as to margins.

“We do not think it would be unreasonable to target a 10% take-up of second box subscriptions over the next five years, consistent with other markets,’’ Rohana said.

Arpu was maintained at RM81 and churn minimised at 7%. Radio operations were the market leader in both advertising and share of listeners, and its audience grew from 8.2 million to 8.7 million.

Contribution from multi-channel subscription TV to revenue was RM333mil; radio RM28.7mil; Celestial Pictures RM7.7mil; and others RM15.6mil.

Although Astro’s forecast full-year net profit is RM8mil, the consensus of 12 analysts compiled by Reuters Estimates puts net profit at RM11.9mil, turnover at RM1.41bil, and EPS at 0.90 sen.

Based on its forecast profit, Astro has a long way to go to hit RM11.9mil, but an analyst said he would not be surprised if it reported double-digit net profit figures for the full year.

Forty-two per cent of the 12 analysts have a buy on the stock; 25% a hold; and 17% a sell. A further 17% have no call. On Thursday, UBS Equities called a buy on the stock.

Shares in Astro, listed on the KLSE main board on Oct 29, closed unchanged at RM4.28 yesterday.


TELE SATELLITE NEWS - Number 49/2003 21 December 2003 -


A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by TELE-satellite International

Editor: Branislav Pekic

Edited Apsattv.com Edition

A S I A & P A C I F I C

AUSTRALIA

SKY TV SIGNS SATELLITE DEAL WITH OPTUS

Sky TV on December 18 confirmed it had signed a 15-year deal with Australian telco Optus to secure the future of pay-TV. Optus is launching two satellites for New Zealand and Australia over the next few years, following the launch of its $A500 million ($NZ579.1 million) C1 satellite earlier this year. Sky TV chief executive John Fellet said the partnership guaranteed the future of subscription television services in New Zealand. "By having access to both Optus D-series satellites, one as the primary and one as back-up, Sky TV has secured in-orbit redundancy for its business, greatly reducing risk in the future," Fellet said. The new satellites would also provide two-way voice and data communication services to areas in and around Australia and NZ, particularly those areas without access to terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure. Optus' B1 and B3 satellites have been in operation since 1992 and 1994 respectively and were nearing the end of their useful life. The move to launch two new satellites came after greater than expected demand for access to the C1. "A significant percentage of the capacity on the D-series satellite has been pre-sold, with Optus having signed a 15-year deal with Sky TV to provide subscription television services to its NZ customers," said Optus chief operating officer Paul O'Sullivan. C1 was expected to generate more than $A1 billion in revenue for Optus over the next few years, and had a 15-year lifespan. Pay TV partner Foxtel will pay $A40 million a year to rent transponder capacity on the satellite, meaning it can now deliver its interactive television services. Optus is wholly owned by Singapore Telecommunications.

FOXTEL TO LAUNCH NEW CHANNELS

Australian TV viewers are getting ready for more than 100 digital pay-TV channels after Foxtel finally received the green light to introduce its digital service. Foxtel plans to begin the service in the first half of next year, increasing the number of pay-TV channels it offers from 47 to more than 100. Foxtel will reveal the launch date for its digital service, and the new channels, early in 2004. However, it has confirmed it will offer a range of interactive services, including one that would allow viewers to select a movie and watch it shortly afterwards. Foxtel will also offer interactive news and sports services. Sports Active will enable people to choose camera angles, view player and competition statistics and watch highlights. Sky News Active will give a choice of eight local news screens, including specific finance news and sports broadcasts. Foxtel does not intend to offer its own interactive gambling or betting services. It has yet to determine the price it will charge for its new digital services. However, the entry level charge will be the same as that for its satellite service, currently $47.95 a month. Foxtel is spending more than $600 million upgrading its analogue cable network to digital in the hope the new interactive services will kick-start stagnating subscriber growth. Only 23 per cent of households have pay-TV, but Foxtel's CEO, Kim Williams, has predicted the arrival of a digital service will increase this to between 35 and 40 per cent by 2008. There will be room for up to 24 competing pay-TV services on Foxtel's new digital network. Seven Network, which axed its fledgling C7 pay-TV sports channel last year, is likely to introduce a pay-TV service on the Foxtel network.

CHINA - HONG KONG

BROADCASTING MEDIA GROUP TO START ON DECEMBER 26

A broadcast media group consolidating five provincial radio, television and network companies in Guangdong province will begin operations on December 26. The Southern Broadcast Television Group will have combined fixed assets of more than 10bn yuan [$1.2 billion]. It has been set up to integrate the region's broadcast networks and position itself for competition from Hong Kong. The core of the group comprises Guangdong Radio Station, Guangdong Television Station, Southern Television Station, the Guangdong Provincial Broadcast Technology Centre and Guangdong Cable. The group will later merge 19 local television, broadcast and network companies to create a broadcasting giant that covers 9 million households for cable television and 10 million households for free-to-air television. Beijing and Shanghai formed their broadcast groups in 2001 and about a dozen provinces have also consolidated their broadcasters.

GALAXY TO LAUNCH PAY-TV SERVICE IN FEBRUARY

Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting has announced that it will start its pay-TV service on February 18. The company, partly owned by TVB, will become the sixth in the pay-TV market. Galaxy has already begun to test its equipment. Galaxy will broadcast 30 channels, including TVB and ATV's terrestrial channels, which will continue to be free-to-air to non-subscribers, when it begins airing under the name exTV. Subscriptions will be offered in early February. In addition to its existing Jade and Pearl channels, TVB will air a 24-hour news channel via Galaxy, competing with around-the-clock news channels from cable and newcomer Hong Kong Broadband. Four other new TVB channels are on the line-up, offering entertainment, drama and children's programmes. Other Galaxy channels will include E! Entertainment Television, Cartoon Network, MTV Southeast Asia, HBO and news outlets such as CNBC, Bloomberg and BBC World. Satellite company Intelsat owns 51 per cent of Galaxy, while TVB owns 49 per cent. The company is expected to break even in three to four years.

BEIJING DROPS FOREIGN TV CHANNELS

Several key European and Asian cable-television channels have been dropped from distribution in parts of Beijing, just two weeks before the government is due to announce a list of approved channels for the country next year, according to the South China Morning Post. Residents of several housing estates in Beijing said Italy's RAI, TV5 of France, Germany's DW and Korean TV were among channels that had been cancelled for distribution. Media executives speculated that the cut-off could be related to last-minute bargaining before the approved channels were announced. China has granted licences to 30 channels to be distributed in approved foreign compounds, hotels and housing estates. The list does not include RAI, DW or the Korean channel, although it does include TV5. Other channels manage to have their signals viewed in some locations by negotiating deals with the estates and hotels. In addition, over time, the number of "approved" locations has widened to include housing estates where locals and foreigners live. Each of the approved channels must pay about US$100,000 per year as a so-called distribution fee for use of China's main satellite, Sinosat. Two years ago, China began forcing the foreign channels to switch from other satellites to Sinosat to distribute their signals. The move was widely viewed as a way to find a new source of revenue for the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and gradually tighten control over foreign media by grouping all signals in one place.

GALAXY SIGNS NVOD COPY PROTECTION DEAL WITH MACROVISION

Macrovision Corporation announced on December 18 that Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting has signed an agreement to use Macrovision's technology to protect Near-Video-On-Demand ("NVOD") programs from unauthorized copying. The Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting service will be an all-digital, multi-channel service featuring a range of premium Cantonese and Mandarin content programming to subscribers in Hong Kong. Macrovision's copy protection technology is incorporated within each digital set-top box deployed by Galaxy capable of viewing NVOD programming. Macrovision's technology enables consumers to view original programs but prevents unauthorized copying. Originally designed to significantly distort unauthorized recordings made on VCR and D-VHS, Macrovision's technology is now also used as a software flag to prevent unauthorized copying on DVD recorders, hard-drive recorders and media center PCs. Over 110 million digital set-top boxes worldwide incorporate Macrovision's video copy protection technology, and it has been used for the past 4 years in the UK, Germany and Japan to protect many digital satellite/cable Pay-Per-View programs.

Internet - http://www.macrovision.com

INDIA

ZEE TV TO START BROADCASTING FROM INDIA

Zee Telefilms on December 15 approved the merger of all its five Mauritius-based subsidaries, including ZEE MGM, into Asia Today, its other overseas unit, and said it would shift the broadcasting operations of flagship channel ZEE TV to India soon. The Zee board decided to merge Software Suppliers International, engaged in marketing company's products in West Asia and broadcasting of TRENDZ channel, and Zee Telefilms International, which carries out international syndication of ZTL content with ATL, also based in Mauritius and involved in the business of broadcasting ZEE TV and ZEE Cinema channels. The other companies to be merged with ATL include ZEE MGM, Expand Fast Holdings and Asia TV (Africa), earlier engaged in marketing and distribution of TV channels in Africa including South Africa. The company had earlier reorganised its international business operations whereby most of its TV channels, including ZEE Cinema, ZEE news and Alpha Channels, have been shifted to India.

NEW PAY-TV SYSTEM INTRODUCED IN DELHI

India's delayed rollout of a new TV subscription system, which could inflate revenues for broadcasters, begins in earnest this week with the launch of set-top boxes in the prime cable television market of New Delhi. The conditional access system (CAS) will force people who now get the full range of pay-TV channels through a cable plugged into their set to rent or buy a set-top box and pay additional fees for channels they want to see. It is expected to give broadcasters a greater share of revenues from some 48 million cable TV subscribers, the world's third largest base. Broadcasters say they now get only a fraction of the revenues due to them from cable operators who declare fewer subscribers than they actually have. So subscription revenues account for only 20 per cent of income for broadcasters, against a global norm of more than 50 percent. The government gave the green light for CAS to be introduced in four key metropolitan cities from July, but protests from consumer groups, cable distributors and political parties stalled it in all but one city - Madras. The rollout in Delhi will first cover the southern part of the city and involve some 400,000 subscribers, and widen to eventually cover about 1.5 million people in the capital. Bombay and Calcutta, along with Delhi and Madras, account for more than 15 percent of the cable base in India. Broadcasters expect viewing numbers to fall by 35 to 40 per cent initially in areas where CAS is introduced, reducing the fees they can charge advertisers. CAS has faced stiff resistance from cable operators fearing a loss of revenue and subscribers unwilling to pay more. The set-top boxes are expected to cost 3,000 rupees to 5,000 rupees to buy or 30 rupees to 100 rupees per month to hire. On top of that, viewers will have to pay around 55 rupees per month for packages of seven to eight channels, or 150 rupees to 250 rupees for 12 to 15 channels. Consumers also have to take a package of "free-to-air" channels for 110 rupees.

INDONESIA

BROADCASTERS REPORT INCREASED PROFIT

TV broadcasters PT Indosiar Visual Mandiri and PT Surya Citra Media are the only listed media companies to have reported net profit in the first nine months of this year. PT Indosiar, the operator of Indosiar TV broadcasting station, reported an income of Rp717 billion (US$84.4 million) with net profit at Rp80 billion in the first nine months of this year. Indosiar posted an operating profit at Rp152 billion in the first nine months of this year. Meanwhile, PT Surya Citra Media, the operator of SCTV TV station reported smaller income at Rp573 billion with net profit at Rp70 billion in the same period. PT Surya however, recorded higher operating profit of Rp164 billion.

MGM CHANNEL TO LAUNCH

MGM Networks, a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, has signed a distribution agreement covering an MGM-branded, movie-driven network in Indonesia. The MGM Channel launched last month and is broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, featuring original-language films from the celebrated MGM library. Under the agreement, the MGM Channel is delivered to subscribers via the basic tier of Indonesia's leading pay-TV operator, Kabelvision (PT Broadband Multimedia Tbk). The Kabelvision agreement is the latest step in MGM Networks' global expansion, which over the last two years has increased its channel interests fourfold to more than 100 countries on six continents.

Internet - http://www.mgm.com

IRAQ

AFN ON THE AIR IN BAGHDAD

U.S. military broadcasters hit the airwaves in Baghdad on December 10 with the first manned American Forces Radio and Television Service broadcast from the country. American Forces Network-Iraq, features live shows, news, sports, weather and commentary 24 hours a day in Baghdad. By the end of December, officials said they plan on expanding coverage to the entire country through the service's satellite network. Radio and television service is at all major troop concentrations in the country; however, areas outside of Baghdad receive their programming from the AFRTS satellites, with more than 2,200 decoders being used in Iraq to get AFN broadcast signals.

JAPAN

TV NETWORKS PLAN TO BUILD TALLEST TOWER

Six Japanese TV networks unveiled a proposal on December 17 to build Tokyo's tallest tower as part of their plans to promote recently launched digital broadcasting services. Public broadcaster NHK and five commercial networks formally agreed to begin work on plans for a 600-meter-high broadcasting tower that would be almost twice as large as the city's tallest structure. Digital terrestrial broadcasting was launched on December 1 in three major Japanese cities - Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. The Japanese government wants to make the service available nationwide by late 2006.

SKY PERFECT TO MERGE WITH PLAT ONE

Satellite broadcaster Sky Perfect Communications Inc. has agreed to absorb its industry peer Plat-One Corp. in a merger March 1, 2004. The move is aimed at providing better services to customers and helping contribute to the development of the digital satellite broadcasting business, they said in a statement. Under the agreement, Sky Perfect will be the surviving entity, with one Plat-One share to be swapped for 0.165 Sky Perfect share. Plat-One will be dissolved. The two companies have competed in TV broadcasting using a communications satellite (CS). Sky Perfect is the forerunner in the CS TV broadcasting market, while Plat-One has fallen behind. A group of companies including Itochu Corp. established the predecessor of Sky Perfect, PerfectTV Corp., in 1994 and began Japan's first digital satellite broadcasting services in 1996. By merging with then Japan Sky Broadcasting Co. (JSkyB) in 1998, Sky Perfect started offering programs under the channel name of Sky PerfectTV. Plant-One was established in 2000 by another group of companies led by Mitsubishi Corp. and Nippon Television Network Corp. and joined the market in 2002. Plat-One will continue its broadcast service until the end of February 2004, but its service will be switched gradually to Sky PerfecTV! 2, one of the services run by SkyPerfect.

JORDAN

NEW ARABIC CHANNEL PLANNED

Jordanian Al-Ra'y newspaper has reported that a new Arabic satellite channel is to be based in Amman, in its edition published on 11 December. "Al-Khalijiyah Satellite Channel [Arabic: Qanat al-khalijiyah al-fada'iyah], which is largely financed by Kuwaiti businessmen, has chosen Amman as its headquarters," the report said adding that Al-Khalijiyah is expected to begin transmission next March.

KAZAKHSTAN

NTV TO WIN FREQUENCY TENDER

A new TV channel NTV-Kazakhstan will most likely start broadcasting, with a tender for broadcasting frequencies to be held next week. In accordance with local legislation, NTV as a foreign company holds only 20 per cent of shares in the projects, the remaining shares belong to Kazakhstan represented by KazMunayGaz [Kazakh Oil and Gas] and the Rauan Media Group holding. The organizers say that the channel will work in strict accordance with Kazakhstan's legislation, specifically, in accordance with the law on the media and languages. Roughly the network will retransmit 20 per cent of NTV [programmes] with 30 per cent of broadcasts being in Russian and 50 per cent in Kazakh.

MYANMAR

NEW EDUCATIONAL TV CHANNEL

The Myanmar [Burma] Radio and Television under the Ministry of Information held a coordination meeting on the launching of a new television channel to telecast education programmes of the ministries. Ministries, schools, training centres and research centres in states and divisions will be equipped with MRTV-4 receivers. The MRTV-4 channel will integrate entertainment programmes with education programmes on “agriculture, livestock breeding, health and others, on dissemination of information data, on tips and techniques, on ways of providing training to departmental employees scattering all over the country, on international affairs, on legal procedures and regulations, on research works, on preservation of cultural heritage and Myanmar customs, on sport success and development, on crime reduction, on cooperation with NGOs and UN agencies, on disaster cautions, and on diseases common to animals”.

SAUDI ARABIA

SATELLITE TV NEWS CHANNEL TO LAUNCH IN 2004

Saudi Arabia is preparing to launch its own satellite TV news channel early next year. "Preparations for the launch of the channel are in the final stages. The channel will start satellite transmission by the middle of the Hijri month of Dul Qaada," Culture and Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy said on December 17. That could mean late January. He said the channel would strive for credibility and a swift response to news of national, Arabic and international importance, according to the Arab News. Some shows on the new satellite TV channel would cover national events, while others would feature a live talk format or recorded material. The move follows the launch of a sports and youth channel in September by Saudi Arabian Television.

SOUTH KOREA

NO END IN SIGHT FOR DIGITAL DEBATE

The dispute over digital TV standards in Korea is expected to continue as a joint fact-finding team has wrapped up its month-long tour of eight advanced countries without having reached a conclusion, the Korea Herald has reported. The Korean government set up the fact-finding team comprising experts from the public and private sectors to determine which digital TV standard - North America's or Europe's would benefit the country most. The newspaper said the government had already reached a decision in favour of the US standard but faces strong opposition from a number of broadcasters and pro-European standard advocates. Originally, the team was scheduled to issue a report that would end the lengthy row over the digital TV standard. But the team members are still divided over which is better. The 17-member fact-finding team, including officials from the Information Ministry, kicked off its month-long tour on November 22 to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each standard, visiting the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Showing keen interest in the standard dispute, President Roh Moo-hyun said the government should implement full conversion to digital broadcasting as scheduled.

THAILAND

ITV TO OFFER NEW SHARES TO LOCAL PARTNERS

Thai broadcaster iTV said on December 16 its board has agreed to offer 300 million new shares, or 20% of its stake, to the Kantana Group and popular television host Tripop Limpapath at 10 baht each. A shareholders' meeting on January 19 will discuss about the capital increase plan and the allotment of its new shares to the new partners. ITV is 55% owned by Shin Corp. PCL, a company founded by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

A F R I C A

SOUTH AFRICA

NASPERS OFFERS TO BUY SUPERSPORT SHARES

Media group Naspers is offering to take up all the shares it does not already own in pay-TV channels M-Net and Supersport at 8.50 a share. Naspers already directly or indirectly holds 40.6% of the two pay channels. Shareholders choosing to waive the cash offer can elect to swap their shares for Naspers shares. If the proposal receives the necessary support, the two pay channels will be delisted from both the JSE Securities Exchange and the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Naspers has also agreed to grant an option to Johnnic Communications (Johncom) to acquire up to 35.4% of all M-Net/Supersport shares acquired pursuant to the scheme at the cash offer price of R8.50 a share.




21/12/03

No update Sunday




20/12/03

No update this weekend, Blame Christmas!




19/12/03

The EWTN service on B3 is a temporary service only for evaluation of interest, until 05th Jan'04 on B3 .( T5, 12525 vertical, 30000, 2/3 FEC)
Interested customers should email Globecast at [email protected]

Some have been asking what will the situation look like when the 2 new D series Optus birds go up. This is what I think will happen.

D1 to replace B1 at 160E
D2 to be co-located with C1 at 156E (One news item said this will be the case)
B3 staying at 152E
B1 replacing Optus A3

The Abc Northern and Win TV that were temporary on Optus C1 have left (Back to Optus A3?)
B3 12438 H Mux has left (Back to Optus A3?)

Abc Northern left B1 12260 V (most likely for good this time)



From my emails & ICQ


From ANON

It has been quoted by Paul Mullens Business Development from Broadcast
Australia. That Channel Seven and Ten are in talks with TARBS in regards
to offering a cheaper PAY TV solution to FOXTEL on their PAS 8 Platform.


From Bryan Curtis (Australia)

For Sale

Hi All

Well its at this time of life when one can't do much climbing or clambering over roofs etc they
call it old age..
So i have

1 X 2.3 mtr mesh dish
C Band LNB Feed Horn RP-3CADL
24 inch Extenders
PALCOM Digital Sat Rx SL-7700RP (Dual Positioner)
NOKIA 9500S Rx (Complete with DVB2000 ver8 S\W)
Splitter (2Port)
Sat Finder Sig Monitor
About 20mtrs of 7 core Control Cable
A few connectors
Manuals for both recievers..

Asking price $950.00
If anyone interested pls send me an email
[email protected]
or phone (03) 5775 1628
Bryan VK3FBC


From Zaparra W.A

Multichoice Pas 10 was fta for a short time so keep an eye on it you may see get some free viewing.


From Worldnet

PID info for the Worldnet program streams.

Here is some program stream PID info for those without Scientific
Atlanta IRD's.

IOR program stream. Virtual Ch. 90 SA IRD's

Video PID 1460

Audio PID Ch1 ( Stereo) 1420
Audio PID Ch2 ( Stereo) 1422

Asiasat 2 program stream Virtual Ch. 100 SA IRD's

Video PID 2060

Audio PID Ch1 ( Stereo) 2020
Audio PID Ch2 ( Stereo) 2222

The Worldnet program schedules can be found on the following web page:

http://ibb7-2.ibb.gov/tvschedule/

Choose either the IOR network or the Asiasat 2 network.

Regards,
George C.


From the Dish


Palapa C2 113E 4080 H Kantor Berita Radio has started, Fta, APID 661, left channel.

Palapa C2 113E 11132 V "CTS" is back on , Viaccess 2, PIDs 50/51.

Insat 3A 93.5E 11507 H "Zee News" is now Fta.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3520 H "BVN TV and RNW 1-3" have left .

PAS 10 68.5E 3716 V "BBC Prime and K-TV World" are encrypted again.
PAS 10 68.5E 3716 V New PIDs for all channels in the Multichoice Africa mux.



Sky TV confirmes satellite deal with Optus for future of pay TV


From http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2761583a13,00.html

Sky TV yesterday confirmed it had signed a 15-year deal with Australian telco Optus to secure the future of pay television in this country.

Optus is launching two satellites for New Zealand and Australia over the next few years, following the launch of its $A500 million ($NZ579.1 million) C1 satellite earlier this year.

Sky TV chief executive John Fellet said the partnership guaranteed the future of subscription television services in New Zealand.

"By having access to both Optus D-series satellites, one as the primary and one as back-up, Sky TV has secured in-orbit redundancy for its business, greatly reducing risk in the future," Mr Fellet said.

Macquarie Equities investment director Arthur Lim said the deal was initially announced on October 13, but confirmation had only just come through.

"The market is already aware of this and viewed it positively when it was first announced," Mr Lim said yesterday.

"I don't think there will be any flow through (benefits to Sky TV's share price) after yesterday's announcement."

The new satellites would also provide two-way voice and data communication services to areas in and around Australia and NZ, particularly those areas without access to terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure.

Optus' B1 and B3 satellites have been in operation since 1992 and 1994 respectively and were nearing the end of their useful life.

Optus chief operating officer Paul O'Sullivan said the deal secured the company's leadership position in the television broadcasting markets of Australia and New Zealand.

It would also confirm Australia's future in the satellite market, he said.

"These launches ensure the continuity and growth of our satellite business in the Australian and New Zealand markets," Mr O'Sullivan said.

The move to launch two new satellites came after greater than expected demand for access to the C1.

"A significant percentage of the capacity on the D-series satellite has been pre-sold, with Optus having signed a 15-year deal with Sky TV to provide subscription television services to its NZ customers," he said.

C1 was expected to generate more than $A1 billion in revenue for Optus over the next few years, and had a 15-year lifespan.

Pay TV partner Foxtel will pay $A40 million a year to rent transponder capacity on the satellite, meaning it can now deliver its interactive television services.

"The purchase of the D-series satellites, together with the securing of key broadcast customers, such as Sky TV NZ and Foxtel, provides the platform for Optus satellite business to extend beyond the year 2020," Mr O'Sullivan said.

Optus is wholly owned by Singapore Telecommunications.

At 5pm yesterday, Sky TV shares were up 2c at 529, having traded between 319 and 530 this year.


Intelsat, TVB To Launch Galaxy Pay-TV Service Feb 18


From http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/031218/15/3gr3t.html

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting Thursday said it would launch its pay-television service, ExTV, in Hong Kong on Feb. 18, ending months of delay.

Galaxy's former general manager Stanley Tang said earlier this year he expected Galaxy to launch its service by the end of 2003 but the launch date was postponed for technical reasons.

Galaxy was established by Television Broadcasts Ltd. , the larger of Hong Kong's two terrestrial television broadcasters, in late 2000.

The Broadcasting Authority gave Galaxy a broadcast license on condition TVB cut its stake in the company to less than 50% to prevent TVB from repeating its dominance of the free-to-air market.

Earlier this year TVB sold 51% of Galaxy to U.S. satellite operator Intelsat Ltd. (ITST.YY) for US$69.5 million.

ExTV will offer more than 30 channels, including five Chinese-language channels, and will feature sports, news, cinema and children's programming.

Jim Blomfield, Galaxy's chief executive, said the company will announce pricing details near the service's launch date.

Galaxy's owners said in February they are aiming for the venture to be self-financing and have as many as 300,000 subscribers within three years of the launch date.

During that period, Intelsat will inject US$53 million in cash plus satellite capacity worth US$16.5 million. TVB will inject US$25.2 million in cash along with US$41.6 million in programming. All told, Galaxy will have funding of US$136.3 million over the three years.

By comparison, i-Cable Communications Ltd. 1097.HK) took eight years to break even in 2000, despite having a pay-TV monopoly in Hong Kong during that period.

I-Cable this year also began facing competition from providers delivering television signals over telephone lines, among them blue-chip PCCW Ltd. (0008.HK) and main board-listed City Telecom (H.K.) Ltd. (CTEL).


Sky Perfect to acquire Plat One


From http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nb20031219a2.htm

Share swap to give firm a monopoly in CS broadcasting

Sky Perfect Communications Inc., operator of the Sky PerfecTV digital satellite broadcasting service, said Thursday it will acquire smaller rival Plat One Corp. through a share swap on March 1.

With the acquisition, Sky Perfect will become the only communications satellite service provider in Japan.

The announcement came as CS broadcasting service providers are under growing pressure to secure subscribers amid intensifying competition.

Sky Perfect said it will merge its Sky PerfecTV 2 service with the service provided by Plat One. The acquisition will be carried out by swapping one Plat One share for 0.165 of a Sky Perfect share. Plat One will be dissolved.

Sky Perfect provides the Sky PerfecTV 2 service for use by CS 110-degree digital satellite broadcasting operations. The service has about 63,000 subscribers.

Its main service, Sky PerfecTV, has 3 million subscribers and uses a different system. It will not be affected by the acquisition.

Sky Perfect had a net loss of 18.9 billion yen on revenue of 70.3 billion yen for the fiscal year that ended last March.

Itochu and other companies set up what is known today as Sky Perfect in 1994, beginning Japan's first digital satellite broadcasting services in 1996. It merged with Japan Sky Broadcasting Co. (JSkyB) in 1998.

Sony Broadcast Media Co., Fuji Television Network Inc. and Itochu Corp. are the largest shareholders in Sky Perfect, each having a 12.65 percent stake.

Plat One, with some 30,000 subscribers, logged a 1.8 billion yen net loss on revenue of 1.86 billion yen for the business year that ended in February.

Plat One was established in 2000 by a group of companies, including Mitsubishi Corp. and Nippon Television Network Corp., and started services in 2002.


New Skies Satellites Joins Euronext's Top Large- and Mid-Cap Equities in Next 150 Index


From Press Release

THE HAGUE, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2003--New Skies Satellites N.V. (AEX, NYSE: NSK), the global satellite communications company, today announced that its stock has been added to Euronext's Next 150 equity index.

Euronext, the pan-European stock exchange on which New Skies is listed, segments its top listed companies into two indices based on market capitalization and trading activity. The largest 100 companies comprise the Euronext 100 and the subsequent 150 largest comprise the Next 150, the index New Skies has just joined.

"We are delighted that our stock has been included in the Next 150 index, which is considered to be the main barometer of the market for large- and mid-cap equities," said Andrew Browne, chief financial officer of New Skies Satellites. "Our addition to this index reflects New Skies' strong share price performance and liquidity this year and investors' growing awareness of, and participation in, the company's shares."

About New Skies Satellites (AEX, NYSE: NSK)

New Skies Satellites is one of only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite coverage, offering video, data, voice, and Internet communications services to a range of telecommunications carriers, broadcasters, large corporations, Internet service providers and government organizations around the world. New Skies has five satellites in orbit, ground facilities around the world and one additional spacecraft under construction. The company also has secured certain rights to make use of additional orbital positions for future growth. New Skies is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, and has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, D.C. Additional information is available at www.newskies.com.




18/12/03

More action to end the year with!

OPTUS D1 and OPTUS D2 announced! to replace the B series Optus Birds.

Now if you remember my rumours section a few months ago I did make mention of Optus D1! The news that Sky NZ has signed a 15 year contract isn't new either I posted that a few months back. Anyway read the news section for details, seems they have not chosen a launcher as yet perhaps they will go with Ariane again and hope not as many delays crop up like last time.

EWTN has appeared in the Globecast mux on B3 replacing RTV21, I am trying to get some info as to whats going on there.

Santa has visited my mailbox!!! A Supertrack Diseq 1.2 H2H motor mount has appeared at Apsattv HQ. It should make things a bit easier for me to check KU stuff.



From my emails & ICQ


From Siamglobal

DEAR MR SUTTON

WE DO NOT KNOW WHO GAVE YOU THE FIGURE OF $299/$399 FOR THE FREE X TV CI MODULE BUT CAN GUESS, READING YOUR POSTING..

THE PRICE HERE IS IN FACT JUST UNDER $100. WE KNOW AS WE BOUGHT ONE YESTERDAY FROM A LOCAL DEALER AND IT COMES UP TO FULL EXPECTATIONS.

FOR A FULL TWO YEAR SUBSCRIPTION AND A FREE CI FOR VIACCESS INCLUDED TO BOOT, IT IS ...ALMOST FOR FREE !

THE NSS 6 SOUTH ASIA BEAM IS EXTREMELY STRONG HERE BAND REQUIRES ONLY AN 80CM DISH

SIAMGLOBAL BANGKOK

(Craigs comment, They are changing the way the operate and going to an Irdeto 2 card based sub the FREE-XTV cam will be gradually phased out.)


From Cometcatcher

EWTN has replaced RTV21 on B3

EWTN Catholic TV has replaced RTV21 on Optus B3. Clones of it on
various transponders.

12524V and 12720V Globecast muxes


From Jsat (W.A)

RE:insat3e

hi craig,
getting 3965H , 4005H and 4025V all analog off INSAT3E at 55 degrees.
P3 on my 3.7m mesh KTI with split feed.
lower south west of WA..

regards jeff

(Craigs comment, DX! as this is an INDIA beam!)


From the Dish


Optus C1 156E Updates in Austar/Foxtel:
New SR for the mux on 12438 H: 27800.
New FEC for the mux on 12567 V: 3/4.

JCSAT 3 128E 3996 V Two of the test cards are Fta.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3671 H The RR Sat promos have left .
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3695 H "Sky International" is now encrypted.

PAS 10 68.5E 3716 V "BBC Prime and K-TV World" are FTA!.
PAS 10 68.5E 4099 V "New Africa Network" has started, Fta, PIDs 2306/2307.


NEWS


Optus announces new satellites


From http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/18/1071337071531.html

Optus said today it would launch two new satellites for Australia and New Zealand over the next few years, following on from the successful launch of its C1 satellite in June.

Optus made the announcement as it signed a multi-million dollar deal with United States-based Orbital Sciences Corp to build two new D-series satellites.

Optus chief operating officer Paul O'Sullivan said the deal secured the company's leadership position in the television broadcasting markets of Australia and New Zealand.

It would also confirm Australia's future in the satellite market, he said.

"These launches ensure the continuity and growth of our satellite business in the Australian and New Zealand markets," Mr O'Sullivan said.

He said the decision to use D-series satellites followed higher than anticipated demand for access to the C1 and that they would replace the two Optus B-series satellites, which were nearing the end of their useful life.

"A significant percentage of the capacity on the D-series satellite has been pre-sold, with Optus having signed a 15-year deal with Sky TV to provide subscription television services to its NZ customers," he said.

When the $500 million C1 satellite, co-owned by the Australian Department of Defence, made a successful entry into space, Optus boosted its ability to deliver domestic pay TV and broadband services.

The company, wholly owned by Singapore Telecommunications Lts, also strengthened its presence in Asia with the launch of C1 - its fourth satellite.

With most of its capacity pre-sold, Mr O'Sullivan said at the time C1 was expected to generate more than $1 billion in revenue for Optus over the next few years, and had a 15-year lifespan.

Pay TV partner Foxtel will pay $40 million a year to rent transponder capacity on the satellite, meaning it can now deliver its interactive television services.

Mr O'Sullivan said that while the B-series satellites had been a key to Optus' success in the past, the C1 and two new D-series satellites represented the way of the future.

"The purchase of the D-series satellites, together with the securing of key broadcast customers, such as Sky TV NZ and Foxtel, provides the platform for Optus satellite business to extend beyond the year 2020," Mr O'Sullivan said.

Orbital Sciences Corp chairman and chief executive David W. Thompson said the company was extremely pleased to be in partnership with Optus.

"We are looking forward to working in close partnership with Optus to deliver the spacecraft in time for a smooth transition from the B-series services to the new D-series," Mr Thompson said.

Sky TV NZ chief executive John Fellet said that by partnering with Optus it guaranteed the future of subscription TV services in New Zealand.

"By having access to both Optus D-series satellites, one as the primary and one as back-up, Sky TV has secured in-orbit redundancy for its business, greatly reducing risk in the future," Mr Fellet said.

Optus said the new satellites would also be used to provide two-way voice and data communication services to areas in and around Australia and NZ, particularly those areas without access to terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure.

Optus' B1 and B3 satellites have been in operation since 1992 and 1994 respectively.


Orbital Awarded Contract for Two GEO Communications Satellites by Optus of Australia

Company Extends Dominance of Global Market for Small Commercial GEO Satellites

From Press Release


Orbital Sciences Corporation announced today that it has signed a major new contract in its geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellite manufacturing business. Optus Networks, Pty., based in Sydney, Australia, has placed a firm order for two spacecraft that will provide Ku-band fixed communications and direct television broadcasting services to Australia and New Zealand. The two new satellites, which will initiate Optus' D-series of satellites, will be based on Orbital's Star(TM) platform and will carry 24 transponders, with 8 back-up channels also available. The first satellite, known as D-1, will generate approximately 4.0 kilowatts of electrical power and is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2005. The second satellite, D-2, will generate approximately 4.7 kilowatts of power and is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2006. Financial details of the contract were not released.

Commenting on the contract award, Dr. Ali Atia, head of Orbital's GEO communications satellite unit, said, "We are very appreciative of Optus' decision to deploy our Star satellites into their fleet. We are fully committed to working in partnership with Optus to see that the satellites are delivered on schedule for a smooth transition into their network."

Dr. Atia added, "This contract is further evidence of Orbital's increasing dominance in the niche market for small GEO satellites. With an advanced satellite design based on three-axis stabilization and significant power and mass margins over our nearest small platform competitor, we have clearly become the preferred supplier of satellites in this class."

The order from Optus continues Orbital's growth in the market for small GEO communications satellites. Since the late 1990's, Orbital has received orders for 14 small GEO satellites, seven of which have been delivered to customers in the U.S. and Asia. Including this most recent order, Orbital currently has five GEO satellites in various stages of design, manufacturing and testing, and has options for two additional satellites that could be exercised in the future.

Mr. Paul O'Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer of Optus, said, "The deal with Orbital is very significant as it confirms Optus' position as a leading satellite operator in the Asia Pacific region. It secures our leadership position in the direct-to-home subscription television broadcasting markets of Australia and New Zealand. We are looking forward to a successful relationship with Orbital."

Orbital's highly successful GEO communications satellites are based on the company's Star-1 and Star-2 standard spacecraft platforms, which are able to accommodate most types of commercial communications payloads. For many applications, the lighter-weight, more-affordable Star design is an attractive alternative to the larger, more costly GEO satellites offered by other suppliers. Orbital's Star satellites are smaller and significantly less expensive to manufacture and launch. They are an ideal fit for established companies that require incremental capacity for their network or for customers in the early stages of building their business.

About Optus

Optus is an Australian leader in integrated communications, serving more than six million customers each day. In 2001, Singapore Telecon became the parent company of Optus, paving the way for Optus to become a strong and strategic telecommunications player within the Asia-Pacific region. The company provides a broad range of communications services including mobile, local, national, long distance and international telephony, business network services, dial-up and broadband internet and satellite services as well as subscription television.

More information about Optus can be found at http://www.optus.com.au

About Orbital

Orbital develops and manufactures small space systems for commercial, civil government and military customers. The company's primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-orbit, geostationary and planetary spacecraft for communications, remote sensing and scientific missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense boosters that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds satellite-based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators.


Cyclone concerns hamper satellite TV


From http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1012592.htm

The Member for Macdonnell in the Northern Territory says the installation of satellite television in central Australia's remote communities is being delayed because of cyclone fears.

John Elferink claims a Northern Territory Government rule means the brackets for the Austar's satellite dishes need to be strong enough to withstand a cyclone.

He says with residents of remote communities living at least 1,500 kilometres from the nearest ocean, the rule is ridiculous.

"I think what the department is trying to do is avoid any civil liability because of a breach in regulations, but you've got to start to think that well the chances of being exposed to civil liability because of a cyclone hitting central Australia would be fairly remote within the realms of discretionary power," he said.

"I mean I think the last time we had a cyclone in central Australia was when we were part of Pangaea."

An Alice Springs business that installs the satellite dishes says all of Austar's bracket mounts are approved for use and do meet the national building code.




17/12/03

Free XTV Porn channels starting in Australia soon, read the emails section for info. At $299/$399 per year it re-defines the term FREE! Satfacts magazine makes mention of the Blue Kiss adult channels on Asiasat 3 and the Viaccess 2.5 cards for it being $199 and available from Jacob Keness, Mediastar (61-2-96185777)

I701 Worldnet, any problems try reloading as the pids have changed

Maori TV , Optus B1, Screenshot



From my Emails & ICQ


From Austech Forums

It is official Free-X TV on NSS6
Service starts on February 1st on NSS6 KU-Band
Info from [email protected]

The website will be updated soon: http://www.free-xtv-r.us which links to the official website http://www.free-xtv.com

60cm dishes should do in most cases all over the country.
Old equipment is valuable. We will not broadcast interactive content so your old PACE, HUMAX SMS or whatever should do

Service is Irdeto encrypted and smartcard is ACS 4.1

Information centre will open in January in Fyshwyk / Canberra
Subscription for 12 month will be $399 AUD and we are going to have a launch special at $299 AUD until service starts

Any further info by e-mail; enquiries welcome
Your Free-X TV team



From the Dish


Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H New APID for Ant 1 97.2 on : 649.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3695 H "The Sky International" info card is now encrypted.

Intelsat 702 & Insat 3E at 55E

DD Rajasthani has moved from Intelsat 702: 3978 R to Insat 3E: 3965 H, PAL.
DD Madya Pradesh has moved from Intelsat 702: 4014 L to Insat 3E: 4005 H, PAL.
DD Oriya has moved from Intelsat 702: 4014 R to Insat 3E: 4025 V, PAL.

(Craigs comment, any reports from dxers in Western Aus?)


NEWS


Maori TV launched - with symbolic screw up


Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Murray McCully MP for East Coast Bays

In the absence of an announcement from anybody else, National MP Murray McCully is pleased to officially announce that the Maori Television Service is now on air....or sort of, eighteen months after the original on-air date.

While there is no signal in the UHF mode chosen by the Government, a one hour promotional tape can be viewed on Sky Digital Channel 33.

"Because MTS still has no UHF transmission arrangements in place, the service planned to go to air in the digital mode, using TVNZ transponder space. That means it can be received only by those with digital set top boxes, mostly Sky digital customers," says Mr McCully.

"In the circumstances, MTS appears to have opted for a very quiet launch this week. The plan was to play a continuous one-hour MTS promotional tape, on Channel 33.

"True to its track record for screw-ups, MTS managed to butcher even the quiet launch," he says.

"An inability to operate the server properly meant the MTS promotional tape didn't play; instead, the movie "Babe" played - a movie for which MTS does not possess the necessary broadcast rights.

"So, the Maori Television Service - designed to promote Maori language at a cost of $55 million a year of taxpayers' money - finally got to air 18 months late, in a mode which only Sky subscribers can receive, in English, and playing a children's movie for which MTS didn't possess the necessary broadcast rights.

"The problem is now rectified, and the promotional tape is playing. But few know. So, as a service to the public, I am pleased to provide this public launch announcement," says Mr McCully.




16/12/03

Livechat tonight 9pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd onwards in the chatroom.

Maori TV Promo is now up and running on B1 12456V TVNZ mux. (screenshot tommorow) also running on Sky Digital channel 33. Speaking of Sky NZ they are adding a new Arts channel, http://www.theartschannel.co.nz/ they have to be kidding $2.95 PER WEEK!! paying for the priveledge of being able to pay YET AGAIN for more tv.

Activity on C1 for those in Australia, new services loading on some Vertical Foxtel transponders. NDS encrypted! one service is showing a FTA Sky News Mosaic.

Check

12567V
12607V
12647V
12447V
12438H
12354H

all Sr 27800 Fec 3/4

Getting to the end of the year so things very quiet at the moment in terms of news



From my Emails & ICQ


From Various

Maori TV promo running now on B1 12456V Sr 22500 Fec 3/4 (TVNZ mux)


From Bob Cooper, Satfacts monthly

"SF December front cover disaster: SatFACTS printer managed to destroy the front cover photos (two) which were essential to the report on new delivery schemes appearing pages 6-14. SF apologises for the printing error - the two photos will be reprinted in the January issue!"

Bob


From Hans

Subject: Intelsat 701


Dear Craig,

Could you tell me what is happening with the WorldNet signal on Intelsat 701 at the moment? FTN in Warkworth can't get it either. It went off at around 3:30am this morning. The Asiasat2 feed is still OK.

Best wishes,
Hans Versluys
Director of Programming, Triangle Television


(Craigs comment, I am unable to check it myself anyone know if its still there? perhaps a change in settings?)


From the Dish


PAS 8 166E 3860 H "Chinese Best Sell has replaced Taiwanese Soft Song", Fta, APID 901.

Chinasat 20 103E 4180 H Test carriers seen .

Yamal 102 90E 3709 L "Telekanal Dvina" has started Fta SR 2860, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256.

PAS 10 68.5E 3864 H "ARY One World" has started regular transmissions on , Fta ,PIDs 518/710.


NEWS


THE ARTS CHANNEL - COMING SOON TO SKY NZ


From Press release

A new arts channel is launching on the SKY Digital Network on March 1, 2004.

The Arts Channel is the first dedicated channel to bring the world’s best arts and cultural television to New Zealand screens.

Viewers will be treated to a comprehensive mix of programming, which will be entertaining, contemporary and stimulating for all those passionate about the arts.

The content will be wide ranging; from the traditional to the very latest in artistic developments, from music, visual arts, dance, opera, theatre, documentaries, design and literature, to profiles on writers and composers.

The Arts Channel will be accessible as a subscription channel on SKY’s Digital Network on channel 59. However, for its first month on air it will be available to all SKY Digital subscribers, giving them the opportunity to experience world-class cultural and arts focused television.

New Zealand based company - Niche Media International (NMI) will manage the day-to-day running of the channel. NMI partners, Nick Samitz and John Green, have extensive experience in television, nationally and internationally, and have proven expertise in the development and running of television channels.

John Green said, “We saw a gap in the market for a top quality arts channel. Our aim is to provide world class programming and to create a platform for promoting excellence in the arts.”

The people behind the Arts Channel financially, are passionate supporters of this philosophy and well-know contributors to the arts in New Zealand.

On the board of the Arts Channel are Chairman, David Ross the co-founder of the Rialto Channel and the Rialto theatre chain; James Wallace, a businessman and a keen patron of the arts; and Lloyd Williams, a well-known musician and experienced manager of arts organisations.

All Arts Channel Board members have a common vision to bring the best of arts programming to New Zealanders.

SKY Television is delighted to be airing the channel and sees top quality arts programming as a welcome addition to its programming mix.

SKY Television CEO John Fellet said, “The arts is a special interest in the viewing spectrum, that up to this point, has been under served by both the free to air broadcasters and SKY.”

SKY will screen the Arts Channel on Digital channel 59 from March 1, 2004 and it will cost $2.95 a week from April 1.


(Craigs comment, $2.95 a week!! arghhhhh it should be FREE to all and in the basic package.)


Showdown looms on Foxtel Digital


From http://afr.com/premium/articles/2003/12/15/1071336887062.html

The power of the digital set-top television box is about to be tested, as free-to-air broadcasters still refuse to pay the $5 million-plus a year required to join Foxtel's satellite service.

Foxtel has a dismal 22 per cent market penetration in Australia, but now that the regulatory hurdles have been cleared to introduce digital transmission, it claims this will double its audience to about 3million homes.

PBL and SBS have already signed to allow their programs to be re-transmitted by Foxtel on satellite, which means you need only one remote control to access the full suite of services available.

Then again, PBL and News Corp are the only companies already making money from Foxtel through their joint ownership of Fox Sports, which makes about $35 million a year on revenues of about $200million.

By contrast, in the last quarter Foxtel lost $18 million compared with a $17 million loss in the previous corresponding period, despite a 31 per cent increase in revenues from $138 million to $182million.

The increased loss is due to its spending on the digital upgrade, which will cost about $600 million.

Telstra owns 50 per cent of the business, so in effect pays $300million while its partners get to pay for their share from their ownership of Fox Sports.

The phone company has had to wear the lion's share of the $1billion in losses Foxtel has clocked up since its inception in 1995.

Fox Sports is a fixed-cost business, so any boost to subscription numbers from here goes straight into the collective pockets of Messrs Packer and Murdoch.

In the case of the latter, there are also movies and other programming deals.

Ten, Seven and the ABC are trying to get a better deal on digital transmission with the knowledge that Nine has already effectively snookered them. The new digital electronic programming guide is promised to be a more user-friendly version (which frankly won't be hard) and the remote will allow program choice by content, such as news rather than simply a number.

This means that if the recalcitrant free-to-air team is not in the system, it will cede some ground to Nine.

To balance this, Foxtel's ratings share of the pay television homes varies between 40 per cent and 55per cent.

Even allowing for cable homes, where only one remote is needed, consumers have shown an ability to use two remote controls. So the free-to-air argument is: why should we pay for something which we already get for nothing?

It's a fair point, particularly as the dice, thanks to the ACCC, is now loaded heavily in Foxtel's favour.

The content sharing deal meant Telstra gave its arch-rival, Optus, a free kick of enormous proportions to get the deal through.

This included Foxtel paying Optus parent SingTel some $40million a year for satellite space and relieving it of its obligation to pay $400 million-plus in bad programming contracts.

Maybe it's a coincidence, but at the same time even Telstra concedes Optus has taken it to the cleaners in the mobile telephony space. It has taken better quality customers and grown revenue at strong double-digit rates.

To put the telecom space into context, Telstra has revenues of more than $20 billion, Optus one-quarter of this at $5.5 billion.

The former's earnings before interest, tax and depreciation margins are around 50 per cent, while Optus is edging towards 30 per cent.

This said, Ziggy Switkowski and his crew need to substantially revamp retail customer focus within Telstra - fighting for consumer business rather than taking the attitude that the customer is lucky to get Telstra on the phone. To be fair to Ziggy, this is an issue that is well understood and will become a major focus in the new year.

But as a guide, on CSFB numbers, Telstra's retail share of DSL growth has fallen from about 75 per cent a couple of years ago to 20 per cent in the last six months.

Its share of the broadband network has increased from 66 per cent to 71 per cent, with wholesale sales beating retail sales by a factor of two-for-one.

Still, ownership of the customer is the key, and it's fine for Telstra to boast about all the money it is making selling space to its rivals. They are the ones getting the customer contact.

Telstra's retail broadband share has fallen from 62 per cent to 43per cent in the last two years. This explains the recent price cuts.

The whole idea of owning the customer is that you get a better chance of selling them more products down the track.

So Telstra has now realised it's fine to promote market growth but at some stage it would help if it got to keep ownership of the customer.

One reason why it agreed to help Optus in the pay television content deal was that it allowed Telstra to sell bundled services.

The battle lines have now been drawn.




15/12/03

Win TV update on C1, according to one source The WIN Belrose uplink to A3 got fried by lightning- the feed could be up on C1 for 1 day or several months depending on how long it takes to get replacement parts in.

An update on TVNZ tranponder happenings on B1 courtesy of Bob Cooper's Satfacts Monthly magazine, The RWC channel will end mid-day Dec 20th. Content will switch to Christmas programing (details unknown at this stage) and run until January 5th. FV4 or MTS will start with on-air Promo possibly this week.

I804, B1, C1, B3, Pas8, Pas2, Pas10, NSS6, Asiasat 3, Thaicom 3 pages all updated.


From my Emails & ICQ


From Steve Hume 14/12

B1 12330h, 6980 ABC running Reuters feed live!

Reuters on Asiasat 2 not in 4.2.2.. Good place to watch the IRAQ: BREMER
NEWS CONFERENCE about Sadam.



From Zapara W.A 14/12

Pas 10, Feed ESPN FTA Asian Basketball

4135 V Sr 5690 Fec7/8


From Siamglobal

NEW CHANNELS ON NSS 6
ON THE SAME TRANSPONDER AS FREE X TV WITH PARAMETERS AS LISTED BY LYNGSAT ARE

11578 v THE SOUTH EAST ASIA BEAM

1. MOTOR TV
2 TV 5 FBS
3. TV5 EUROPE
4 ROMA UNO
5 VIDEOLOOK
6 KURDISTAN TV
7. TBNE
8. VIDEOLINK
9. TELE-GENOVA
10. RTB

SIAMGLOBAL BANGKOK


(Craigs comment, mostly Italian might be for Tarb's? but not yet linked through to the Australian beam? There is a similar mux on Hotbird 6..)


From the Dish


PAS 8 166E 3860 H "Taiwanese Soft Song" has started, Fta, SID 131, APID 901.

Asiasat 3 105.5E 3669 V "Blue Kiss and Blue Kiss Plus" have started, Viaccess, PIDs 49/51 and 65/67.

NSS6 95E 12631 V "Free-XTV" has left .
NSS6 95E 12688 V The New Skies promo and test card have left .

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3585 V "ILearn" is back on , Fta, PIDs 514/642.

PAS 10 68.5E 4135 V Occasional ESPN feeds on , SR 5690, FEC 7/8.


NEWS


Foxtel gets green light for digital rollout


From http://www.thewest.com.au/20031213/business/tw-business-home-sto117022.html

FOXTEL has overcome the last major hurdle in its quest to launch a $600 million digital service next year, with the competition watchdog allowing third party access to its and Telstra's digital platforms.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission decided that Foxtel's methodology for calculating the price it will charge to run a new digital channel through the pay-TV service was fair.

"This (decision) should benefit consumers by providing the opportunity for more choice in the pay-TV service they receive," ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said.

New channel operators will pay Foxtel for the use of its digital set-top boxes and for access to its 1.07 million subscriber base, which the company said it had worked hard to build in its eight years of operation.

Though the amount paid to Foxtel by each channel operator will differ depending on the channel's success, Telstra will charge a flat $750,000 annual fee for the use of its fibre-optic digital cable.

Telstra owns 50 per cent of Foxtel, with the remaining half shared equally by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and Kerry Packer's Publishing & Broadcasting.

Foxtel chief Kim Williams said the company was creating "unprecedented opportunities" for open participation in digital television.

"The terms are fair, transparent and equitable for all users of the system," he said.

About 60 per cent of Foxtel subscribers get their content via Telstra's cable. The remainder are fed a signal through Optus' C1 satellite.

A new player wanting to reach all pay-TV homes in Australia will be required to pay three different fees - the $750,000 for use of the Telstra cable, a fee for the use of the Optus satellite and the fee to Foxtel for use of its set-top box infrastructure and access to its customer base.

Optus is yet to disclose the fee it will charge for satellite access.

Foxtel's formula for calculating its fee depends on what value each new third party derives from access to the platform. A channel that receives high viewer numbers will need to pay more than a niche channel with lower viewer numbers.

In the first phase of the rollout, 24 channels will be available to the market. More channels will be provided as Foxtel's remaining analogue subscribers convert to digital over the course of 2004.

Foxtel is expected to start installing digital set-top boxes in the homes of subscribers early next year. It is also installing a return path through each subscriber's home to allow for viewer interactivity.

The new service will allow viewers to access different camera angles, pay-per-view programming and shopping through their remote control.

Its digital service is expected to include more than 100 new channels.


Over 100 channels set for digital TV


From http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/12/1071125654010.html

Get set for more than 100 digital pay TV channels next year - including movies on demand and interactive sports broadcasts - after Foxtel yesterday finally received the green light to introduce its digital service.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission approved the rate Foxtel can charge budding pay TV players like Kerry Stokes's Channel Seven to gain access to its network, removing the last regulatory hurdle Foxtel had to clear before rolling out its digital service.

Foxtel plans to begin the service in the first half of next year, increasing the number of pay TV channels it offers from 47 to more than 100.

Foxtel will reveal the launch date for its digital service, and the new channels, early in 2004.

However, it has confirmed it will offer a range of interactive services, including one that would allow viewers to select a movie and watch it shortly afterwards. Likened to having a personal video and DVD library in your lounge room, it will enable viewers to select new releases.

Foxtel will also offer interactive news and sports services. Sports Active will enable people to choose camera angles, view player and competition statistics and watch highlights.

Sky News Active will give a choice of eight local news screens, including specific finance news and sports broadcasts.

Foxtel does not intend to offer its own interactive gambling or betting services.

It has yet to determine the price it will charge for its new digital services. However, the entry level charge will be the same as that for its satellite service, currently $47.95 a month.

Foxtel is spending more than $600 million upgrading its analog cable network to digital in the hope the new interactive services will kick-start stagnating subscriber growth.

Only 23 per cent of households have pay TV, but Foxtel's chief executive, Kim Williams, has predicted the arrival of a digital service will increase this to between 35 and 40 per cent by 2008.

There will be room for up to 24 competing pay TV services on Foxtel's new digital network.

Seven Network, which axed its fledgling C7 pay TV sports channel last year, is the best-known media company likely to introduce a pay TV service on the Foxtel network.

The rate Foxtel charges companies for access to its network will be regularly independently audited.


T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 48/2003 14 December 2003 -

A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by TELE-satellite International
Editor: Branislav Pekic

Edited Apsattv.com Edition

A S I A & P A C I F I C


HONEYWELL COMPLETES SATELLITE TV TESTING IN MIDDLE EAST

Honeywell has completed initial flight and ground testing of its AIS-2000 multi- regional airborne satellite television system in the Middle East. "Successful testing is a significant step in delivering a true multi-regional television system for business aircraft," said Timothy Swords, Honeywell Cabin Management, Systems and Services Site Leader. "We can now offer business jets that provide television programming in the Middle East similar to that available in the United States, Canada and Europe." Honeywell assessed system performance by monitoring many non-subscription channels available on the Nilesat and Arabsat DBS satellites within the region. During testing, signal performance and video quality were recorded to verify coverage areas while gathering up-to-date channel information. Honeywell completed testing was completed using its Gulfstream IV-SP aircraft. Additional regions throughout the world will be added to the Honeywell system capability as additional ground and flight testing takes place in the future. Honeywell's multi-regional satellite television systems offer passengers and crew real-time television content throughout North America, Europe and the Middle East.

Internet - http://www.honeywell.com

AUSTRALIA

FOXTEL TO LAUNCH DIGITAL TV

Foxtel is expected to launch its new digital pay-TV service early next year after receiving the nod from regulators over third party access to its network. The approval given by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) also applies to undertakings given by Telstra Corp regarding its digital platforms. It also enables Foxtel to carry more than 150 digital channels and additional digital services. Some analysts believe Foxtel's new digital cable and expanded satellite services could dramatically boost subscriber numbers and adversely affect advertising on free-to-air (FTA) TV networks. This would be dependent, however, on whether Foxtel and its smaller regional counterpart, Austar United Communications, can get their hands on more live sport, currently protected under anti-siphoning legislation. Foxtel, which is investing more than $600 million in building its digital cable and satellite platform, said it plans to launch expanded and interactive digital television services in 2004. It intends to announce details about the timing of the launch and the nature of the services early next year. Telstra chief executive Ziggy Switkowski said the telco would now digitise its Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) network to support the provision of digital TV services. The upgrading of the Telstra cable and a similar upgrade by Foxtel will enable the TV platform to carry in excess of 150 digital television channels and additional digital services.

CHINA - HONG KONG

CCTV TO LAUNCH CHILDREN CHANNEL

The children channel of the CCTV (China Central Television) will start broadcasting from December 28. It means that 360 million Chinese children aged from 0 to 18 will own their first national channel. The children channel will provide 26 programs for its audiences. It will invite some famous children television hosts, like "Sister Ju Ping", and some new members. At present, the CCTV owns 13 channels. It broadcasts children and youth programs for about ten hours each day, however, it cannot meet the needs of children and youth. CCTV currently operates 13 channels, which include a movie channel, a sports channel and a 24-hour English language channel.

PCCW AND STAR TO LAUNCH TWO NEW CHANNELS

PCCW has tied up with News Corp's Star for the launch of two channels - Chinese Movies and Xing Kong on Broadband TV pay-TV service in Hong Kong. This is the first time Star's flagship Chinese channels will go on air in Hong Kong via Broadband TV. Star Chinese Movies, tailor-made for Hong Kong, features over 100 movies including at least 20 exclusive premieres a month. The movies are commercial-free. Xing Kong is Star's latest Chinese general entertainment channel offering content including comedies, talk and game shows, drama series and variety. The two channels will be piped to the 150,000 subscribers on PCCW's Now pay-TV platform, which carries broadband television, telephony and high-speed internet over regular phone lines.

TVS TO AD RATES ON PIRATED PROGRAMMING

Guangdong's Southern Television Guangdong (TVS) has proposed to increase advertising rates on pirated Hong Kong programming by as much as 80 per cent, according to a report in the South China Morning Post has reported. The proposed increase is designed to offset possible financial losses because of greater government restrictions on prime-time advertising. TVS, which operates under the Guangdong Administration of Radio, Film and Television, downloads and distributes programmes beamed by Hong Kong broadcasters, Television Broadcasts (TVB) and Asia Television (ATV) on cable networks across Guangdong. Like many provincial network operators, TVS blocks out the advertising embedded in TVB and ATV's feeds and re-sells the advertising slots in a widespread practice known as ad-splicing. According to a proposed rate card given to selected advertising agencies late last month and seen by the South China Morning Post, Nanfang Television has proposed raising prices for prime-time TVB ad slots by 60 to 80 per cent. As a partial concession for the proposed rate rise, TVS said it would scale back its official prime-time period by two hours - from 6pm to 11pm at present to between 7pm and 10pm.

HONG KONG TO GET FTA DIGITAL TV IN 2006

Hong Kong viewers may be able to enjoy free digital television as soon as 2006, the Standard newspaper has reported. The newspaper quoted Hong Kong’s Commerce, Industry and Technology Branch as saying four new licences will be open for bidding by new entrants and existing players to operate digital television services, either as a free-to-air broadcaster or as a pay-TV broadcaster. There are currently only two free-to-air broadcasters in Hong Kong, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) and Asia Television Limited (ATV). In its second consultation on digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting, released yesterday, the government said the implementation of DTT should not be delayed further, even though the central government had not yet decided on a national DTT standard. Apart from European DVB-T, the American ATSC-T standard and the Japanese ISDB-T standard were also considered by the government in its first consultation in 2000. The central government is understood to be looking at five different standards, and a final decision is not expected before 2005.

INDIA

NEWS CHANNELS IN TELUGU COMING SOON

For the news-hungry Telugu viewers, good times are ahead from December 10 onwards. Three satellite television channels have lined up 24-hour news bonanza for the Telugu viewers. Interestingly, two of the news channels belong to the big media houses in the south -Eenadu TV and Sun Network. The third channel, TV9, is being promoted by Srini Raju of i-Labs. The last one, in fact, has received Rs 15 crore funding support from i-Labs Associated Fund and Chennai -based Unify Wealth Management. All the three channels together are estimated to be investing over Rs 25 crore in beaming news and current affairs based content. Media mogul Ramoji Rao has decided to go in for a 24- hour exclusive news channel in Telugu in the name of ETV2, after his successful entertainment channel ETV, which is now into its eighth year. ETV2 will start beaming its news and news-based programmes from December 10. The new channel will have hourly news bulletins. In addition to them, programmes on agriculture, education, science, culture, health etc will be telecast to cater to different segments of the viewers. The Srini Raju-funded TV9 is being promoted by Associated Broadcasting Company, which is founded by V Ravi Prakash, the ex-news in-charge at Teja TV. The channel expects to run trial broadcasts from December 8 and launch its operations by January 15. Ithas entered into a tie up with i-Vision, another venture promoted by Srini Raju, for exclusive national news footage. Teja TV, which belongs to the Chennai-based Sun Network, is planning to make the channel a news and current affairs oriented by the end of January. The four-year-old channel currently broadcasts five news bulletins, with the rest of the content devoted to entertainment.


PAKISTAN

DTH SERVICE TO LAUNCH JANUARY 1

In a move to combat the spread of Indian broadcast services in Pakistan, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has awarded DTH licences to Cross Currents Private Limited and Ary Communication. The DTH service is expected to commence from January 1, 2004. PERMA said "If we don't start the service now, the DTH of our neighbour (India) will flourish in Pakistan".

SINGAPORE

MEDIA CORP SAYS STIFF COMPETITION IN TV INDUSTRY

MediaCorp Group CEO Ernest Wong says the competition problem exists only in Singapore's television industry, and not in the whole media industry. He has dismissed speculation on the question of a merger between MediaCorp and Singapore Press Holdings. Mr Wong was responding to media queries following market rumours about consolidation in the media industry. The question of mergers in Singapore's media industry arose after the government said fierce competition in too small a market was taking a toll on profitability. It said it was leaving it to the two key players here to decide if they wanted to close any operations. Wong said MediaCorp is ahead of the competition, garnering over 77 per cent of the viewership with Channels 5 and 8. MediaCorp is also financially sound. It has no debt or bank borrowings and is cash-rich. As a group, he added, MediaCorp made S$134 million last year and its operational profits are expected to be higher than previous years.

TAIWAN

BROADCASTING LAWS SET FOR APPROVAL

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan is expected to ratify the three broadcasting and television laws this week after major lawmakers of major political parties have reached consensus on the contents, according to local media reports. The rules will bar the government and political parties as well as the foundations set up by them from making investments in broadcasting and TV business. Those holding stakes in such firms must sell their shares within two years after the enactment of the new laws. The Kuomintang (KMT), which has stakes in Broadcasting Corporation of China and China Television, will liquidate its shares in two years. The government's shares in Taiwan Television and Chinese Television will be sold in six months. Government employees, political party officials, and elected officials cannot take up positions such as board directors and supervisors of the companies. Those who holding such posts must give them up in six months. According to the draft rules, family members and close relatives of lawmakers also cannot control over one percent of any one broadcasting or TV company. Also included in the new law is the restricting of broadcast TV channels for airing programs or commercials related to elections sponsored by candidates themselves or by the government.


A F R I C A


SOUTH AFRICA

QUESTION MARK OVER FUTURE OF PUBLIC SERVICE

SABC Director of Corporate Affairs, Dr Ihron Rensburg, said Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) in Africa "is ripe for the picking and will be killed off" if a concrete case is not made for it on the continent. Speaking at a PSB workshop at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva on December 9, Rensburg said, "If we do not do something about this, we are simply going to take a hiding for nothing. As it is, the PSB is not adequate, robust or vigorous enough to exist in this environment.” He said his organization, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), has successfully tried to address this problem by increasing the number of local programmes. However, Rensburg said the SABC, like all PSBs, faces a problem of funding, which is further exacerbated by the demands put on it by the South African government. The SABC gets 16 per cent from license fees and only two per cent from the South African government.

M-NET LAUNCHES AFRICAMAGIC

Continental broadcaster M-Net hits a double this year. The popular direct-to-homes TV operator which held a milestone Big Brother Africa reality show, a couple of months ago, made officially launched its latest initiative - AfricaMagic - its first completely African general entertainment channel on DStv. The new channel which is available to DStv subscribers on the Pas 10 and W4 platforms for East, West and Central Africa, will be screened to audiences in over 30 countries on the continent including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Fittingly called AfricaMagic, in celebration the continent's undeniable creativity and unforgettable imagery, and magic is just what it promises to be - showcasing programming made by Africans for Africans, the new channel on DStv bouquet, runs daily from 19:00 CAT to 01:00 CAT, AfricaMagic will be broadcast on DStv Channel 7. It's line-up, which includes series and documentaries, is driven by award winning and recently released African movies and at the centre of the channel is a strong contingent of popular movies from Nigeria, a rapidly growing hub of African filmmaking.

14/12/03

No update its Sunday go away!




13/12/03

No update this weekend, sorry




12/12/03

Not much today bit late due to Christmas shopping...hate it

The Wine Network a new niche channel coming soon to Foxtel ??



From my Emails & ICQ


From Superfly

Tas TV Update

Tas TV currently has a test feed on B1.

It is for the new digital only terrestrial channel for Tasmania.

The official commencement date is 1 January 2004, with local terrestrial test broadcasts to commence on 22 December 2003.

The programming on the new digital channel - Tas TV - will be mainly sourced from Network Ten. This will include Ten's sport such as the AFL and motor racing, and new programs not broadcast on the other two commercial TV stations. Tas TV will be broadcast in Standard Definition and MPEG sound, providing DVD quality pictures with CD-like quality sound. Whenever possible, programming will be in widescreen 16:9 format.


From the Dish


Intelsat 701 180E 10975 H "Seasons" has started on Mediaguard 2, PIDs 168/112.

Optus B1 160E 12354 H "7 Central, occasional feeds and Taima Radio" have left .

Palapa C2 113E 11132 V "Phoenix Chinese and Phoenix InfoNews have replaced TVBS and ERA News" on, Viaccess 2, PIDs 64/65 and 72/73.

Yamal 102 90E 3606 L "Rambler TeleSet" (+0h) is still on , fta, SR 4275, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256.
Yamal 102 90E 3719 L "Rambler TeleSet" (+2h) is still on , fta, SR 5070, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256.


NEWS


Acc Accepts Foxtel Digital Deal


From Auspaytv.com.au

FOXTEL is ready to launch new digital cable and expanded satellite services in 2004 following acceptance of the regime for
third party access to its and Telsra's digital platforms by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (AGOC),

The FOXTEL Digital Access Agreement (DAA), and the allied agreement from Telstra for access to its cable network, will allow
third parties to independently use FOXTEL's digital platform to supply digital subscription TV services to FOXTEL's subscribers
through FOXTEL's digital set-top-units (STU's).

The ACCC today announced it had granted FOXTEL and Telstra exemption orders under new provisions of the Trade Practices AGt
specifically introduced to promote investment in new telecommunications infrastructure. The orders required FOXTEL and
Telstra to make some variations to which they have agreed.

FOXTEL is addressing the ACCC's expressed concerns on the regime for third party access to FOXTEL's analogue subscription television
platform and is confident of finalising the analogue agreement shortly,

FOXTEL is investing more than $600m in building its digital cable and satellite platform. FOXTEL plans to launch expanded and
interactive digital television services in 2004 and will announce details about the timing of the launch and the nature of the
services early next year.

"This is a critical step to providing new and enhanced digital television services for Australian consumers," said FOXTEL Chief
Executive, Mr Kim Williams.

'FOXTEL is making a massive digital investment, and through our access agreement we are creating unprecedented opportunities for
open participation in the digital era of subscription television. Today's decisions by the ACCC give FOXTEL the regulatory certainty
it needs to proceed with the digital investment.

"Under the agreed access provisions content providers can deal directly with FOXTEL, or they can market to our installed customer
network completely independently of FOXTEL utilising the provisions of the Digital Access Agreement.

"FOXTEL will pay for its use of the installed STU network in FOXTEL customers' premises on the same basis as all access seekers
and will bear the bulk of the costs as the primary provider and user of the system.

"The terms are fair, transparent and equitable for all users of the system.'

Mr Williams said the digital access regime has been subject since September 2002 to a most comprehensive and transparent public
inquiry process in which potential access seekers have had extended opportunities to review materials and to make submissions.

"FOXTEL and others who want to participate in this most exciting broadcasting sector can now develop their businesses with clarity
and certainty about the regulatory impart on investment and with a reliable knowledge as to the costs of using the infrastructure that
FOXTEL is building."

Key points:

o The ACCC has accepted a regime under which FOXTEL will provide third parties with long-term, secure access to its planned new
digital cable and satellite STU network under known pricing parameters.

A There is provision for 24 digital channels by Telstra on its cable network for access seekers under the first phase of the regime, and significantly more in the second phase after all existing analogue customers have migrated from analogue to digital delivery.

o FOXTEL will make an announcement in early 2004 about the timing of the launch of its proposed new digital services.

o The ACCC accepted the digital access regime under the "anticipatory exemption provisions" of the Trade Practices Act
which were specifically introduced to promote efficient investment in new telecommunications services by removing investment
uncertainty as to the terms for regulated access prior to the investment being made.

o These are the ACCC's first decisions under the provisions of Part XIC of the Trade Practices Act which received parliamentary
assent in December 2002.

o The ACCC determined that FOXTEL's Digital Access Agreement was in the long-term interests of end-users.

o All potential access seekers have been able to comment upon and fully participate in the public inquiry process into the FOXTEL
access regime, which commenced in September 2002 when FOXTEL first published the most comprehensive set of undertakings in the history
of competition administration in Australia.

o The Digital Access Agreement will promote competition in the supply of digital subscription television services because its
pricing methodology is fair, transparent, and the costs of access are shared equitably amongst FOXTEL and each access seeker.


Australian firm wins HK satellite contract


From http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/12/1071125640229.html

Australian firm Environmental Systems & Services (ES&S) has won a deal to supply an X-band satellite ground station to the Hong Kong Observatory, a media release says.

The system will receive high resolution meteorological, oceanographic and environmental data from the Terra and Aqua MODIS satellites.

The data is used for applications such as fire and smoke monitoring, pollution monitoring, fishing, aquaculture, agriculture and will help in more accurate forecasts of severe weather such as tropical cyclones or typhoons.

It is set to be commissioned next June.

The system was designed and built in Australia with the assistance of a R&D Start Grant from the Australian Government through AusIndustry and in collaboration with the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology.


Taiwan delays satellite launch


From http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20031211-053143-6463r.htm

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Newly discovered electrical circuit problems have delayed the scheduled launch of Taiwan's second satellite, the Taipei Times reported Thursday.

According to Lee Luo-chuan, director of Taiwan's space program, U.S.-based Orbital Sciences Corp., the operator of the Taurus launch vehicle, sent an official letter Wednesday morning explaining it would take five more weeks to solve the electrical problems.

The Taurus rocket will be used to launch the satellite ROCSAT-2. The scheduled liftoff on Jan. 17 is now pushed back to Feb. 26.

Technicians found abnormal electrical current levels last week when a newly-repaired electronic control unit installed in the launch vehicle was switched on for the first time.

Abnormal vibration of the electrical control unit installed on the rocket previously postponed the launch from the end of December to Jan. 17.

Under its contract, Orbital Sciences Corp. will have to pay $36,000 for each day of delay.




11/12/03

Foxtel are still testing various things on C1, Last night according to reports 12646V sr 27800 (on Aus beam) had some content in 16x9 and with Ac3 sound. Probably some kind of test of PPV movies or on demand stuff. Some Foxtel services may also be testing NDS encryption or simulcrypting with it.

Some changes in the Thaicom 3 Tarbs mux, looks like they are shuffling things around, activity also on NSS6 at 95E

Optus B1, C1, B3 pages all updated


From my Email & ICQ


From Jsat in W.A

Wanted 3M solid dish

W.A Only..


From MR Humax

hey all,

Ive put all my satellite screen dumps online if anybody wants a look the url is below

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chef_nads/album?.dir=/Satellite+pics&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/chef_nads



From the Dish


Optus B1 160E 12260 V "ABC TV Northern, ABC Classic FM Northern, ABC Territory Radio and ABC Radio National Northern" are back, Fta, SR 5026, FEC 3/4,PIDs 832/833 and 836-838.
Optus B1 160E 12456 V "A test card has started on Fv4", Fta, PIDs 512/650.

Optus B3 152E 12525 V "3ABN" has started , Fta, PIDs 2160/2120.
Optus B3 152E 12438 H TRT International, Thai TV Global Network, TCT World, The God Channel,SET Asia, 3ABN, BVN TV, TRT FM, Voice of Turkey and RNW 1 have started, Fta.
Optus B3 152E 12438 H "RNW 2" has started, Fta, APID 5157.

Agila 2 146E 12581 H "JC-TV" has started, Fta, PIDs 172/128.

Palapa C2 113E 3727 HNew PIDs for TBN on : 4176/4177.

AsiaSat 3 105.5E 3980 V "Adventure One Asia" has started , Videoguard, PIDs 519/668.

Chinasat 20 103E Test carriers on 4020 H.

NSS 6 95E 12646 V "Lig TV (Cryptoworks), Future TV USA, ESC 2, Tele Liban (BISS), Leonardo,Kanal D Fun and Nile Culture" have started, Fta, SR 21015,
FEC 3/4, PIDs 273/275 and 769/77-865/866, Australian beam. (Tarb's stuff might not stay Fta long)

Yamal 102 90E 3606 L "Rambler TeleSet (+0h)" has left .
Yamal 102 90E 3719 L "Rambler TeleSet (+2h)" has left .

Insat 2E 83E 3660 V Occasional Asianet feeds on , SR 1900, FEC 3/4, wide beam.

Thaicom 2 78.5E 3770 H "BBTV Channel 7" has started, Fta, SR 4700, FEC 3/4, PIDs 4194/4195.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3520 H "Cyprus Sat" has started, Fta, PIDs 1537/1538.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3585 V "ILearn" has left , replaced by a test card.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H "Perviy kanal Vsemirnaya setj" has started, Fta, PIDs 524/652.Future TV USA and Mega Cosmos have left, replaced by test cards.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3695 H "Sky International" is Fta.Sky International and the Sky International info card have swapped SIDs and PIDs.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 12562 H "MTV Thailand has replaced MTV Southeast Asia" , Irdeto 2, PIDs 516/690.

PAS 10 68.5E 3864 H "The City Channel" has started regular transmissions, Fta,PIDs 521/740.


NEWS


Smart Plug May Banish Cable Clutter


From http://www.nytimes.com

LOOK behind the average home entertainment system and you will see a rat's nest of cables reminiscent of an early 20th-century telephone switchboard. With so many components to hook up - DVD player, surround-sound receiver, and cable and satellite boxes, to name a few - the number and types of cables seem to be multiplying.

To account for the possible permutations, today's television sets include inputs and outputs for virtually every type of connector. Video signals can be carried over RF, composite, S-video, component or DVI cables. Audio can be relayed over analog, digital PCM or digital optical cables.

The industry took a stab at cleaning up this mess several years ago by agreeing to put DVI (short for digital video interface) connectors on future digital TV's. DVI cables were originally created to connect PC's to monitors, but they can also carry uncompressed digital video signals from a set-top box to a TV.

But a DVI cable is not about to win any design awards. It uses a plug about two inches wide with screws, similar to the one on a serial cable for a PC. And it doesn't do audio.

So last year Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, Thomson, and Toshiba contracted with a company called Silicon Image to develop a more elegant solution. This new connector, called HDMI, or high-definition multimedia interface, can carry an uncompressed digital stream of both audio and video. And rather than use a giant connector like the DVI, the HDMI version is about the size of a U.S.B. plug, easily connected with a simple push.

Each HDMI cable can replace all the audio and video cables needed to display a high-definition image with Dolby Digital surround sound, simplifying installation and, once most devices become HDMI-compatible, putting an end to cable clutter.

The first HDMI-equipped televisions and DVD players were introduced by Panasonic, Pioneer and Sony in September. Next year Philips will introduce a line of HDMI-compatible digital TV's, DVD players and recorders and a set-top box, according to a spokeswoman. Other companies are expected to follow. The HDMI standard is also being adopted by LG Electronics, Mitsubishi, Pioneer, Samsung, Sharp, TiVo and manufacturers of various set-top boxes.

While consumer electronics companies have the right to manufacture digital TV's and peripheral equipment using only HDMI connectors, they are unlikely to do so anytime soon because such devices would be incompatible with current equipment that have only analog connectors. Instead, HDMI inputs and outputs will be one more connection choice on the back of each piece of gear.

The new connector is backward-compatible with DVI, allowing those who own sets with the older video-only DVI inputs to hook up to it with a simple converter plug (although in that case it will still only carry video).

The connectors will also be able to send setup information between devices. For example, if a manufacturer includes the necessary software, the HDMI connection can send a signal from the DVD player to the digital television, telling it that the movie it is about to play is coming in on input 1 and will be in wide-screen format. The TV can then automatically change its settings.

Because the HDMI standard does not allow for program recording, other connectors will still be required to connect a video display to a VCR or a DVD recorder.


T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 47/2003 7 December 2003 -

A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by TELE-satellite International

Editor: Branislav Pekic

Edited Apsattv.com edition

AUSTRALIA

SATELLITE TV PROVIDERS FIGHT PIRATES

Foxtel and Austar are introducing new technology aimed at thwarting the growing piracy of its satellite signal - a practice that some believe is costing the pay-TV industry more than $40 million a year. By early next year, subscribers to both services will be sent a new smartcard. Illegal smartcards are giving thousands of households access to premium programming such as pay-per-view movies and sport - when they have subscribed only to the basic pay TV service. Foxtel spokesman Mark Furness said the new smartcards were "pirate-proof technology" and would quickly render all imitations useless. "This technology has not been cracked by pirates in three years of use in other markets around the world," he said. "What we want to do is encourage people who have pirate services to contact us and legitimize their services." The anti-piracy technology is the first phase in Foxtel's estimated $550 million roll-out of digital television services, due for completion in the first half of next year. All subscribers will eventually get a new digital set-top box allowing them to view more than 100 digital channels. Foxtel - jointly owned by Telstra, News Corp, and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd - will also enable viewers to interact with the television station via their telephone line. The digital roll-out faces a major hurdle in winning approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on third party-access issues. The three major pay-TV platforms are Foxtel, which, with more than 1 million subscribers, is the largest service in the market; regional player Austar, and Optus TV. Between them they account for an estimated penetration of about 23% of Australia's 7.2 million TV homes.

RECORD EBITDA FOR NETWORK TEN

CanWest Global Communications Corp. announced on December 2 that its Australian media operation, Network TEN, had recorded another record quarter for the three-month period ended November 30. TEN's quarterly earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose to A$105 million compared to A$74 million for the corresponding quarter last year, a gain of 37%. The dramatic EBITDA increase was fueled in large part by a 20% increase in television revenues at TEN.

Internet http://www.canwestglobal.com

CHINA - HONG KONG

SMG CHANNEL TO CLOSE

The Shanghai Media Group is prepping a 24-hour movie and general entertainment channel for the region's cable subscribers, according to local reports. SMG, a state-owned media conglomerate, will trial the channel before its official launch at the start of 2004. Content will be a mix of local, regional and international fare and will include HBO's drama 24, local press said.

STAR LAUNCHES NEW CHANNELS

After a deal with Asian broadband TV operator PCCW, regional broadcaster Star is launching two new channels - Star Chinese Movies and Xing Kong - into Hong Kong this month. Star, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, has tailor-made the 24/7 Cantonese ad-free movie channel for HK audiences, offering 100 Asian blockbusters a month. Xing Kong, meanwhile, has been on Guangdong Cable for a year and the PCCW deal takes a local version into HK for the first time. The channel airs general entertainment, comedies, talk and gameshows. Launching December 15, the two channels will pipe to the 150,000 subscribers on PCCW's Now pay-TV platform, which carries broadband television, telephony and high-speed internet over regular phone lines.

FTA DIGITAL TV CHANNELS LAUNCH IN 2006

Hong Kong viewers may be able to enjoy free digital television as soon as 2006, the date set by the government for the two existing free-to-air broadcasters to introduce the higher-resolution service. Four new licences will be open for bidding by new entrants and the existing players - Television Broadcast (TVB) and Asia Television (ATV) - to operate digital television services, either as a free-to-air broadcaster or as a pay-TV broadcaster, the government's Commerce, Industry and Technology Branch said on December 7. In its second consultation on digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting the government said the implementation of DTT should not be delayed further, even though the Central Government had not yet decided on a national DTT standard. Branch deputy secretary Marion Lai said that in setting the technical standard for digital TV, the government was adopting a market-led approach. ``While the government recommends the European DVB-T standard, it does not prescribe officially a particular technical standard ... so long as an operator can prove to the Telecommunications Authority that their proposed standard can meet our standard selection criteria,'' she said. Apart from DVB-T, the American ATSC-T standard and the Japanese ISDB-T standard were also considered by the government in its first consultation in 2000. The Central Government is understood to be looking at five different standards, and a final decision is not expected before 2005. The SAR government, meanwhile, proposes that by 2008 both ATV and TVB must provide territory-wide digital coverage, and between 2006 and 2008 they must operate both traditional analogue and digital TV as a transitional measure.

INDIA

SET TOP BOXES MAY BECOME CHEAPER

Cable operators have decided to offer set-top boxes at less than Rs 4,000 in Delhi for a smooth rollout of the Conditional Access System regime, which they say will begin from midnight December 14-15. Having decided the pricing of set top boxes and other modalities ahead of the full-fledged CAS roll out, Multi System Operators are expected to meet major broadcasters on December 8 to thrash out last-minute glitches even as the government has chosen to remain tightlipped on the issue. Meanwhile, in a meeting attended by all major MSOs, it was decided that set top boxes will be priced less than Rs 4,000 against Rs 6,500 in Chennai and these will be made available under several schemes including rentals. The Cable industry has set December 15 deadline for implementing CAS in South Delhi zone even as the government is noncommittal on whether it will appeal against Delhi High Court order asking it to put the system in place.

IRAQ

CZECH BUSINESSMAN COULD LAUNCH TV CHANNEL

An anoymous Czech businessman has launched a project to build a private television station in southern Iraq. "We have agreed to establish a private television station called the Voice of the South, based in Basra," says the owner of the firm, whose name is also withheld. The Czech-Iraqi television station may start broadcasting in southern Iraq as early as February, three hours a day at the beginning. The broadcast will focus mainly on news but will also contain animated films for children. The joint television station is supported not only by Czech officials but also by the British, in whose sector the broadcasting will take place, says Czech news agency CTK. Interest in the project has also been shown by some Kuwaiti companies. The Voice of the South owners expect the station to be profit-making within two years.

JAPAN

DIGITAL TV BROADCASTING LAUNCHED

Digital broadcasting was launched in Japan on December 1 and the Japanese government is vowing to make it available countrywide by the end of 2006. For now, it only reaches three major cities and potential viewers are estimated at 12 million households, though actual viewers may be as low as 300,000, according to industry experts. The government has invested 180 billion yen to help get the system started. It hopes the economic perks will total 200 trillion yen over the next decade as people rush out to buy digital TVs, broadcasters invest in equipment and new kinds of services blossom. The electronics industry estimates 300,000 Japanese households have already purchased digital TV sets, which is equivalent to 0.6% of all Japanese households. Terrestrial digital broadcasting will eventually replace the analogue transmission format for conventional TV programs at both Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) and private-sector TV broadcasters. Aso, minister of public management, home affairs, posts and telecommunications, said the government and broadcasting industry plan to end the 50-year-old analogue services in 2011.

WOWOW CLOSES SPTI OUTPUT DEAL

Premium pay-TV channel WOWOW has signed a feature film output deal with Sony Pictures Television International. The satellite-delivered channel will have access to a slate of Sony Pictures releases, which include, Spider-Man, Men In Black 2, XXX, Charlie’s Angels, Full Throttle, Bad Boys II and S.W.A.T. WOWOW launched in 1991 and today has some 2.5 million subscribers.

FUJI TV PROFITS UP

Fuji Television Network, Inc. has said its group net profit for the six months to September 30 rose 37.4 per cent from a year earlier to US$ 128.3 million, the Japan Times has reported. In its consolidated earnings report, the leading broadcaster said it posted a pre-tax profit of US$ 233.8 million in the first half, up 21.1 per cent, with revenues rising five percent to US$ 2.06 billion. Fuji Television said revenues in its mainstay segment, which includes television broadcasting, movies and events, increased 7.1 per cent to US$ 1.6 billion, with those from non-broadcasting businesses soaring 101.1 percent. Broadcasting revenues fell 2.1 per cent amid the still sluggish advertising market.

NEW ZEALAND

SKY NZ OFFER CLOSES

News Corp.-backed INL has confirmed that its offer for the remaining shares in New Zealand pay-TV operator Sky closes December 5. INL, which owned 66% of Sky before the offer started, has secured 78% of Sky stock but the remaining shareholders are seeking a higher price. INL said that once the offer closes it will be able to confirm the size of a planned return of capital to shareholders, likely to be at least NZ$340 million.

SOUTH KOREA

DISPUTE OVER DIGITAL TV STANDARDS INTENSIFIES

The dispute over digital TV standards has intensified as the Korea Broadcasting Commission delayed its schedule for issuing licenses in a move that irked the Ministry of Information and Communication. The KBC, the top broadcast regulator, surprised the ministry with its move to delay the start of the licensing period by seven months. As a result, broadcasting stations located in major cities and provincial areas will be able to apply for digital broadcasting licenses only in June 2004. The Information Ministry said the move by the KBC could disrupt the country's digital broadcasting schedule. According to the ministry's original plan, all broadcast stations would go digital in December 2005. Ministry officials said they could not afford to wait for seven months to grant licenses to local broadcasting stations. In fact, the KBC's decision has given some advantage to those who favor adoption of the European standard for digital broadcasting. MBC, a major broadcasting station which favors the European standard, is planning to deliver controversial public notices during its programming that may affect the sales of digital TVs, alarming the ministry and electronics makers. The digital TV committee of MBC is considering inserting a message in its high-definition programs that warns viewers of the digital standard change. The message is that viewers would need to change their digital TVs and set-top boxes if the digital TV standard changes. MBC wants state-run broadcasting station KBS to join the move, but KBS has remained cautious about enlisting in the plan. In 1997, Korea finalized a plan to adopt the U.S. digital broadcasting standard, which has also been adopted by Canada, while some 50 other nations have chosen the European standard. But the dispute about the digital TV standard has hounded the Information Ministry for the past couple of years, as MBC and other groups strongly opposed the government's decision. MBC and pro-European-standard groups argued that the U.S. standard does not support mobile transmission of digital broadcasts, while the European standard offers smooth delivery of standard-definition broadcasts under mobile environments.

THAILAND

ITV DECISION EXPECTED SOON

Thai broadcaster ITV will hear on December 15 whether its bid for lower license fees has been successful. ITV currently pays up to four times as much as its commercial rivals because its license fee is calculated using a newer system. ITV wants to have the fee reduced to the same level as leading commercial broadcaster Channel 7.

PROFITS UP AT UBC

Leading pay-TV provider United Broadcasting Corporation has reported a net profit of $3.9 million for the nine months to September 30, reversing a loss of $13 million reported for the same period in 2002. The financial results came against a modest increase in subscriber numbers to 425,755, a rise of just 5,112. UBC's, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Vasili Sgourdos said "Sales in the 3rd quarter of 2003 were the highest for a 3rd quarter in more than three years. Churn reduced to 1.3 per cent per month in Q3 versus 2.4 per cent per month in Q2. Our return to growth will continue to improve our financial performance." UBC has been fighting to overturn a ban on pay-TV operators from carrying advertising. In addition the company says there are an estimated 420 operators that flout copyright laws and who carry large amounts of pirated content without paying any fees or royalties to the rights owners.


A F R I C A


SOUTH AFRICA

BROADCASTING BILL APPROVED

Cabinet on December 3 approved the Convergence Bill, which seeks to promote uniformity in the broadcasting, telecommunication and signal distribution. The Bill also seeks to make new provision for the regulation of communication services, provide control of radio frequency spectrum. The Bill's aims to include monitoring licensing processes by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and to ensure the evolving needs of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in South Africa are properly addressed. Director-General of Communications Department Andile Ngcaba said the approval would make it easier for the department to monitor the broadcasting industry. The Communications Department said the Bill was crafted by all relevant stakeholders in the industry, including broad consultation with parastatals and the private sector.

HISTORY CHANNEL LAUNCHES ON MULTICHOICE

The History Channel UK, a joint venture between A&E Television Networks and BSkyB, has launched The History Channel in the sub-Saharan region of Africa, including South Africa. The channel, distributed via MultiChoice Africa, will be available to approximately 900,000 subscription TV households in 50 countries. The channel will be transmitted in English, and programming, marketing and operations will be coordinated by The History Channel UK. The five-year deal signals the first expansion outside the UK for the London-based channel, and will add to the existing 200 million households in over 120 countries that can currently receive other international History Channel affiliates.

ZIMBABWE

SECOND TV CHANNEL TO LAUNCH

Zimbabwe will get its second state-run television channel early next year. The new National Television (NTV) will broadcast 24-hours and run exclusively in local languages. It will be run by the state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. ZBC director, Justin Mutasa, said the second channel will be funded with a €5 million grant from Iran. NTV will showcase local and African talent which Mutasa said could not be accommodated on a single channel. Zimbabwe's radio and television networks operate only through its government.




10/12/03

7 Central left B1? replaced by "TAS TV"? on 12355H Sr 5100 some info is in my Emails section. Anyone know what the story is?

Dwelle TV is currently on TVNZ's transponder on B1 on the Fv2 channel. Don't get to excited its only tests. Fv 4 channel has colour bars on it also.

Sorry not a lot of news around at the moment.

Satmagazine December issue online at http://www.satmagazine.com


From my Emails & ICQ


From SuperFly

Tas TV

Tas TV on B1 is currently showing CH10, Brisbane.
Probably testing for new channel. Is in 16x9 (720x576i) anamorphic aspect ratio.

Tas TV is a new digital ONLY tv channel coming soon to Tasmania. A joint venture between SCB and WIN.

It will be Australia's first digital only terrestrial channel (no analogue simulcast).


From ANON

Optus C1 T14 - To be Permanently Removed on Friday 12/12
Frequency 12438 Symbol Rate 29473

Optus C1 T20 - To be Permanently Removed on Friday 12/12
Frequency 12688 Symbol Rate 29473

Optus C1 T15 - Will be the NEW HOME Transponder for AUSTAR
Frequency 12478 Symbol Rate 27800


From TNC (NZ)

A new Christian channel has started on Optus B3 (Wed 9 Dec), 3ABN can be found on the new GlobeCast mux: 12525V, S/R 30000.

It is currently FTA, and viewable across NZ and Australia.

Kind regards,
Bryan Heath,
TNC Communications,


From Steve Johnson (NZ)

12456v on B1 - FV4
New service on 12456vt (TVNZ) SR 22500 FV4 = VPid 512, APid 650 & PCR Pid 138 - colour bars (NZ BEAM)


From Zapara

Screenshots from Optus B3

TCT, 3ABN, and God Channel

Screenshots from Optus C1

ABC Northern and Win TV


From the Dish


Lyngsats 2 days behind but anyway here we go

PAS 8 166E 4140 H "Disney Channel New Zealand" has started , PowerVu, PIDs 1460/1420.(looks like talk of NZ just taking the Foxtel feed was wrong?)

Optus C1 156E 12487 V "ABC Territory Radio" has started,Fta APID 837.
Optus C1 156E 12567 V "ABC TV National and Sport 927" have left .

Optus B3 152E 12525 V "Bangkok Radio 94 FM" has started, Fta, APID 1422.

Gorizont 33 145E 3723 R "Telekanal Rossiya" has started, Fta, SR 3109, FEC 3/4, PIDs 4194/4195.

Asiasat 4 122E CCTV 4/9 reported on 11880H 11805 H both Sr 13240 China beam?? might be worth a scan on Ku

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H All channels in the TARBS World TV mux are Fta.

PAS 10 68.5E 4184 V The TARBS World TV mux has left .


NEWS


Sky joins NZRU to tackle high dollar


From http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2754037a1823,00.html

Sky TV and the New Zealand Rugby Union are teaming up to tackle the rampaging Kiwi dollar.

The pair have held talks in a bid to base the multimillion-dollar rights to televise New Zealand matches in New Zealand currency instead of US dollars.

Such a move would help both parties to budget because their profits will be less exposed to the wildly fluctuating Kiwi – up 23 per cent against the US dollar since the start of the year.

Sky does not reveal how much it pays for broadcast rights – but it is its single biggest programming expense.

"We have discussed this possibility with Sky," NZRU chief executive Chris Moller said. "If we went down that route, it would be an important development."

Sky gets its rugby coverage as part of an umbrella deal its parent company News Corp has with the South African, Australian and New Zealand rugby unions. That 10-year US$500 million deal expires in December 2005, so any agreement to value the New Zealand portion of the deal in Kiwi dollars would be likely to take effect after December 2005.

Sky pays News Corp – as the holder of the agreement – for rights to televise matches in New Zealand. News Corp sells the rights to televise matches in other regions to other subsidiaries such as BSkyB in Britain and Star TV in Asia.

Both Sky and the NZRU said talks were at a preliminary stage.

A higher dollar is generally good for Sky because it cuts its programming costs, which are denominated mainly in US dollars.

But this year it has not enjoyed the full benefit from the higher currency because it bought hedging contracts to cover the bulk of its foreign spending, assuming the Kiwi would stay at about US50 cents.

Since Sky bought those contracts in July, the dollar has risen to about US65 cents.

Programming such as rugby rights is the company's single biggest expense and is expected to gobble up 52 per cent of sales, forecast to rise this year from $391 million to $426 million.

Sky chief executive John Fellet admitted Sky had not gained as much as it could have from the dollar's recent rise. But it was not Sky's job to gamble on currency movements.

"It is a fact of Life. If you look at any company in New Zealand they may get it right for one year, but they will not get it right for five years in a row."

The NZRU has done better. It receives most of its $100 million annual revenue in US currency.

Since it struck the current TV deal in 1995, it has progressively bought hedging contracts at about US40 cents on the assumption that the Kiwi was undervalued. These last till 2005 and at current market rates are worth $15 million a year.


Care TV to be launched on December 11


From http://www.agencyfaqs.com/news/stories/2003/12/10/7850.html

After two months of a quiet dry run, Care TV, the health channel, promoted by Atul Saraf, CMD, Live Satellite Media (LSM), which specialises in all-India regional cable advertising, will be officially launched on December 11. The channel, being broadcast via a Thaicom satellite, has a footprint ranging from the Gulf to the Far East, and will be distributed by LSM, which has 1,300 multi-system operators (MSOs) affiliated to it.

“There was a gap in the marketplace for a 24-hour health channel,” explains Saraf, who has hived off operations of Care TV under Take Care Pvt Ltd. “The channel is educative in nature and has a spectrum of shows dealing with a wide range of medical problems, therapies, tips and so on.”

On board is a panel of doctors, who along with head of programming, Ajit Gupta, a media veteran who has worked with ZEE, Aastha and CMM, will decide on the content for the channel, states Saraf. “The concept of Care was proposed by Ajit,” says Saraf, “and by January, next year, we are looking to reach 20 million households,” he states.

The target for the ensuing six months is 35 million households, and to build awareness a mix of regional cable TV, print and outdoor communication will be used, he adds. “The campaign will most likely break on the day of launch and in January we will have three new shows. One, a live phone-in addressed to a panel of doctors in the studio, a women’s show dealing with the period from pregnancy to childbirth and a third programme on sex and marriage counseling,” states Saraf.

Meanwhile, the five-year old LSM is streamlining operations by introducing the concept of cable monitoring, to bring in greater accountability and transparency into the business. Perfect Monitoring Services has been commissioned to monitor cable transmission and generate reports on the advertisements appearing on cable channels affiliated to LSM. These reports will be made available free of cost to clients, who number around 100. “Local advertising is handled by the cable operator in that area or region,” says Saraf. “We handle the corporate or national-level clients for whom transparency and accountability is a must,” he adds.

The significance of cable regional TV (simply put, cable channels that carry new movies) can be gauged from the fact that it stands second only to STAR Plus in terms of all-India channel share for the month of September at 11.34 per cent while STAR Plus is 14.88 per cent and SUN TV is third at 6.7 per cent (Source: TAM Media Research quoted in Businessworld, issue dated December 15).

Most corporate clients, points Saraf, show some presence on cable regional TV, but due to operational bottlenecks in monitoring cable transmission, have refrained from making huge spends on the platform. “With monitoring coming into the picture now, the market is bound to open up,” he states. Data capturing will start on January 1, 2004, with the first set of records to be generated by January 20, 2004, on the net. Subsequently, information will be updated dynamically on the net with the help of over 225 control rooms spread across 70 locations in the country.

“Apart from advertisers, cable operators are bound to gain from the process,” points Saraf. “With increased ad spends, the entire mechanism benefits,” he adds. © 2003 agencyfaqs!




9/12/03

Live chat tonight 9pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd onwards, if you are having problems with JAVA for getting into the chatroom a couple of links for you to try

Microsoft Java virtual machine
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/java/

and go here to download various versions

http://java-virtual-machine.net/download.html

WinTV Info http://www.winnet.com.au/winnet/

Some Intelsat 804 screenshots of the Taiwanese Mux

Dragon TV, FTV and CTS

TTV, Mac TV and PTS


From my Emails & ICQ


From David Ross

South East Asian Games

Palapa C2 Horz
4174 MHz Sr 5632 Fec 3/4 256 308
This is a feed for RBTv


From Zapara


Optus B3 12438 Horz 30789 3/4 all FTA

Moved from Optus A3???????

Globecast

"BYN - RNW" VID 5153 AUD 5157 PCR 5153 SID 1 PMT 1389
"TRT" VID 257 AUD 258PCR 257 SID 3 PMT 5003
"TRT FM" AUD 4353 PCR 4353 SID 4 PMT 5004
"VOT" AUD 4609 PCR 4069 SID 5 PMT 5005
"SET" VID 1260 AUD 1220 PCR 1260 SID 6 PMT 5006
"TCT" VID 513 AUD 514 PCR 513 SID 7 PMT 5007
"GOD CHANNEL" VID 769 AUD 770 PCR 76 SID 8 PMT 5008
"3ABN" VID 2049 AUD 2050 PCR 2049 SID 10 PMT 5010
"THAI TV" VID 512 AUD 690 PCR 512 SID 11 PMT 5011
"RNW 1 & 2" AUD 5156 PCR 5156 SID 13 PMT 5013


From the Dish


Lyngsat not come in yet


NEWS


Sky TV shareholders stymie INL


From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

Sky TV's minority shareholders will have to wait until at least late next year for a sweetened buy-out offer from majority shareholder INL.

INL picked up Telecom's 12 per cent stake in the pay television company through an offer first announced in August, taking its holding in Sky to 78.2 per cent.

However, shareholder anticipation of a better deal further down the track pushed Sky's share price above the value of the offer - $3.35 cash plus three INL shares for every 10 Sky shares held.

The offer closed on Friday and INL revealed yesterday that as a result of acceptances from shareholders other than Telecom it had increased its stake in Sky by a meagre 0.1 per cent, to 78.3 per cent.

INL sold almost its entire newspaper and magazine titles to Australia's John Fairfax Holdings for $1.2 billion in June.

Its only other publishing asset, Victoria's Geelong Advertiser newspaper and magazine group, went to News Limited for $64 million in August, leaving it with cash and its Sky stake.

INL executive chairman Ken Crowley said yesterday the company planned to distribute about $340 million - or 78c a share - to INL shareholders in April or May next year.

As part of the deal which secured Telecom's stake in the company for $156 million, INL agreed not to acquire Sky shares for a higher price for 12 months from the time the offer was announced.

Sky shareholders obviously felt their shares were worth more than INL has so far offered, Macquarie Equities investment adviser Arthur Lim said.

"Sky TV shareholders are taking the view that ... after many, many years of cash-burn, it has built up economies of scale, presence in the marketplace, a digital pay-TV monopoly in New Zealand and it's now very well positioned to leverage off that position."

He expected INL to remain a separate entity on the market and to make another tilt at Sky when it was free to do so.

"From INL's perspective it makes it a lot more desirable to have 100 per cent so that INL can freely access the cashflow of Sky TV."

The other option, liquidation, would not suit INL's 45.1 per cent owner News Corp, which found the Sky stake attractive, Lim said.

However, remaining an investment vehicle also did not make a lot of sense because INL had no other major investments and it was simply duplicating costs.

To trigger an automatic takeover, INL must secure 90 per cent of Sky.

Its biggest obstacle to reaching that mark will be Australian fund manager Colonial First State, which is now Sky's second largest shareholder and increased its stake during the just-completed takeover offer from 5 per cent to 7 per cent.


The History Channel: new service in Africa


From http://www.advanced-television.com/pages/pagesb/newsdaily.html

The History Channel UK, a joint venture between A&E Television Networks (AETN) and British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), has made an agreement to distribute The History Channel to Sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa.

The deal with MultiChoice Africa will see the newly assembled channel distributed on the DStv platform from this month. It will be broadcast on Channel 68 from 1800 to midnight daily and repeated twice the following day at 0600 and 1200.

The five-year MultiChoice deal will make The History Channel available to approximately 900,000 subscription television households in 50 countries. Transmission will be in English and programming, marketing and operations will be coordinated by The History Channel (UK).

This is the first distribution arrangement for the London-based joint venture outside the UK. Commenting on the deal, Managing Director, Geoff Metzger said, "Expanding the business has been one of our objectives for several years. We are delighted that the joint venture shareholders have given us this opportunity and very pleased that our first partnership outside the UK is with MultiChoice in Africa."


24-hr Telugu news channel launched


From http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2003/12/09/stories/2003120901691700.htm

ASSOCIATED Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd on Monday announced the launch of TV9, a 24-hour free-to-air Telugu news channel.

This news channel was formally launched by the caretaker Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, and will go on air by the Sankranthi day next month.

Mr Naidu said that scores of television channels have come up providing a wide range of entertainment for people across all strata of society. But the challenge was to provide the right content to the people, which very few channels currently offered.

The Congress leader in the State, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said that the challenge was to provide the right content to people across all walks of life. The benefits of reforms have not reached many parts of the country and it is important that a channel like TV9 addresses it, he added.

Mr A. Krishna Prasad, Managing Director of Associate Broadcasting, said that the channel sought to build a robust media organisation that would play a role in democracy rather than create assets for individuals. To broadbase the initiative, it is proposed to have about 150 I-Vision centres (to be increased to 500) and a news content provider.

The company plans to tie up with Sify's i-Way centres for bandwidth so that the information gathered could be reached to its users.

Associate Broadcasting had raised about Rs 20 crore from i-Labs Venture, promoted by Mr Srini Raju, one of the founders of Satyam Computers, and the Chennai-based Unify Wealth Management, promoted by Mr K. Srikanth Reddy.

(Craigs comment, Insat 2E?)


DTH set to take off in Pakistan on 1 January 2004


From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k3/dec/dec90.htm

MUMBAI: While Zee continues to meander in soft launch terrain and Star's Space TV is up in the air, it may well be India's not-so-friendly neighbour Pakistan where one will see a full-blown launch of DTH.

The targeted date for launch is reportedly 1 January 2004.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on 25 November awarded two DTH licences to Cross Currents (Pvt) Limited (the highest bidder) and ARY Communications which matched its bid with the highest bid through an open bidding process, Pakistan's The News reported recently.

Cross Currents offered the maximum bid of Pak Rs 250 million while ARY Communications quoted Pak Rs 192.500 million but under the rules, the ARY matched the highest bid of Pak Rs 250 million and qualified for first two DTH channels rights in Pakistan.

Pemra chairman Mian Muhammad Javed was quoted by The News as saying, "DTH would bring a revolution in the country with maximum possible expansion of TV viewers. Cable network is available to only four million houses while PTV could reach about 85 per cent of the area whereas the DTH will reach every nook and corner of the country."

Interestingly, Javed had said in a speech on 22 November, "The DTH licences are being issued at the right time, as the neighbouring country (India) has also started this service," adding that if "we don't start the service now, the DTH of our neighbour will flourish in Pakistan."

While Pakistan's DTH platforms can carry anywhere between 50 to 250 channels, Pemra clearance under its code of ethics will be needed for each channel in the bouquet.

This is significant because when it was announced that ARY was also in the running for the licence, queries were raised. One referred to an article in The Washington Post in which ARY was reported as having links with al-Qaeda and Taliban, and that the FBI was probing the matter. ARY was also accused of telecasting "substandard and obscene programmes" produced out of India and Pakistan.

According to industry sources, the man who is advising ARY in its DTH project is the Dubai-based Arab Digital Distribution's (ADD) CEO Dr. John Tyderman. The Pehla platform, which targets subcontinent viewers, is part of ADD.




8/12/03

I have moved my dish of I804 to C1 not a lot there for us in NZ with small ku dishes. See from the dish section for a few changes there.

Before I moved my dish off I804 I took some screenshots of the Taiwanese channels. These will go on the site tomorrow.

NSS6 has more channels , it looks like Tarb's muxes have moved there from Pas 10.

New Chinasat at 103E The beams probably all on China but anyway its testing there take a look you never know where the signals ends up China beams are usually very large.


From my Emails & ICQ


From Alan

Disney FTA on Sky NZ

At 11.22am Sunday 7 Dec the Disney channel is FTA on Sky Sport 3 and
also Eng 69. (B1 , 12608V Sky transponder)

Alan


(Craigs comment, it was just the one service using the same Vpid, ENG69 is Sky's internal test channel. It has since encrypted again)


From Zapara

The following is an update of several transponders on Optus C1 @ 156deg E.

12446 Vert 27800 3/4 FTA "TVSN Aust" VID 308 AUD 256 SID 1 PMT 32
12566 Vert 27800 3/4 FTA "TVSN Aust" VID 308 AUD 256 SID 1 PMT 32
12486 Vert 30000 2/3 FTA "WIN TV" VID 1536 AUD 1537 TXT 1538 PCR 1536 SID 1 PMT 32
12486 Vert 30000 2/3 FTA "ABC NT" VID 832 AUD 833 TXT 834 PCR 832 SID 81 PMT 33
12486 Vert 30000 2/3 FTA "ABC NT FM RADIO" AUD 836 PCR 836 SID 82 PMT 33
12486 Vert 30000 2/3 FTA "ABC NT RADIO NATIONAL" AUD 838 PCR 838 SID 83 PMT 33
12486 Vert 30000 2/3 FTA "ABC NT RADIO REGIONAL" AUD 837 PCR 837 SID 84 PMT 33


(Craigs comment, yes 12486V is on Aus/NZ dual beam......)


From Jason

More channels from NSS6

Just did a complete scan, can confirm the following:

12595 V 21015 3/4
TV Moda
ESC
SIC International
Video Italia
TV Polonia
ARM 1
TGRT
ATV

12646 V 21015 3/4

LIG TV (Encrypted)
Future TV
ESC 2
TeleLiban
Leonardo I
Euro D
Nile Culture

12728 V 27531 7/8

NTD TV
New Skies Promo

some feeds seen on the weekend

B1 12370 H Sr 6670 3/4 "Music feed"
B1 12380 H Sr 6625 Fec 3/4 "Basketball"
B1 12367 V 6625 3/4 "Sky NZ , Basketball"


From the Dish


Optus B3 156E 12438 H SR 30806 "Thai TV Global Network, TCT World, The God Channel, SET Asia and BVN TV" have started, Fta, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/690, 513/514,769/770, 1260/1220 and 5153/5154.
Optus C1 156E 12447 V TVSN has started, Fta, SR 27800, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256.
Optus C1 156E 12478 V "ABC TV Northern, Win TV, ABC Classic FM Northern and ABC Radio National Northern" have started , Fta, PIDs 832/833, 1536/1537, 836 and 838. (Aus/NZ beam..)
Optus C1 156E 12567 V TVSN has started, Fta, PIDs 308/256.

AsiaSat 4 122E 3881 H New PIDs for all channels in the Shanghai Oriental TV mux on : 1021/1022-1046/1047.

Palapa C2 113E Smart FM has moved from 3604 H to 4080 H, Fta, APID 662.

Palapa C2 113E 11132 V "J Wave 2 has replaced XXX", Viaccess 2, PIDs 176/177.

Sinosat 1 110.5E 3990 H "Hunan University Satellite TV" has started, Fta SR 2100, FEC 2/3, PIDs 100/110. (Should be receivable in Aus, those with blindsearch should note low SR so may require manual entry)

AsiaSat 3 105.5E 3980 V "The History Channel" has started on , Videoguard, PIDs 512/640,time sharing with Adventure One India.

Chinasat 20 103E Test carriers on 3900 H, 3940 H,4060 H, 4100 H and 4140 H.

Insat 3A 93.5E 3899 V "Gurjari" has left .

Yamal 102 90E 3532 L The Altai test card has left .
Yamal 102 90E 3564 R "BBC World Service" has started, Fta, APID 4210.
Yamal 102 90E 3595 L "TVS Servernaya Cvina" has started, Fta, SR 4275, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256.

Thaicom 3 78.5E Several changes in the TARBS World TV muxes on 3520 H and 3640 H.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H All channels in the TARBS TV mux are now encrypted.

PAS 10 68.5E 4184 V Nile Drama has left , moved to Thaicom 3.


NEWS


Sorry no NEWS




7/12/03

No update Sunday




6/12/03

Some new niche channels are starting on Asiasat 3, I expect they will be FTA to start with for 6 months or so like when Tech tv started there. They will be targeting the Cable market in Asia.

Vetruns FTA forum is back up and running, click forum link on the left to get to it

Sorry the News sections not been very interesting lately not much news of interest.



From my Emails & ICQ


From Steve Hume

Malibu TV and Casino TV , via Asiasat 3


From Me

B1 12367 V sr 6620 fec 3/4 "NBL" feed


From Superfly

3 new channels for Asiasat 3s

3 new channels start on January 1st 2004, on Asiasat 3s.
The new channels are Malibu TV, Platinum TV and Casino TV. All will be interactive.

Malibu TV: The best in boards. Surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding, plus music and fashion.

Platinum TV: A lifestyle channel for the rich. Showing you all worlds expensive and exotic places to visit.

Casino TV: As the name suggests, a tv channel about casinos. It covers and explores casinos from around the world.

All channels will be in English.

ASIASAT 3S
FREQ: 3669 Mhz S/R: 13333
FEC: 3/4
Pol V
More details at www.smiletv.com


From the Dish


No Lyngsat, has been late last few days


NEWS


SMILE TV Launches Three New Interactive Channels for Asia


From Press Release

Singapore, December 3, 2003

Singapore, December 3, 2003 - At the opening of the third Asia Television Forum today, television network Smile TV (www.smiletv.com) announced three exciting new channels to be launched on the AsiaSat 3S platform on January 1, 2004.

The three channels, Malibu TV, Platinum TV, and Casino TV, offer strong, highly targeted programming, which brings value to both cable broadcasters and advertisers. For Asia's television viewers, the channels have been designed to take full advantage of a dynamic portfolio of interactive entertainment programming and applications.

AsiaSat has one of the largest television viewerships in the world with a reach of over 80 million homes via cable and DTH transmissions. The satellite's footprint extends from Japan and China in the east to India and the Middle East in the west.

The three channels will initially be transmitted in English, with additional languages introduced over time. Malibu TV is an active sports channel with a focus on the California and Pacific board sport and beach culture; Platinum TV is a luxury lifestyle channel; Casino TV explores the lifestyle of some of the greatest casino destinations in the world, alongside the best in sophisticated interactive entertainment.

"We know from our experience in the UK and Europe that the fastest growing area of interest among television viewers is programme participation through using the mobile phone and the Internet. The viewer wants to interact and already has the technology in hand to do so," said Manivel Malone, Managing Director of Smile TV. "Recent research forecasts that TV generated SMS messaging will have a global value of over US$9 billion in 2004. "

Innovative formats will enable viewers to participate in a wide range of interactive programming on all three Smile TV channels: join live games via their mobile handset, and download the games to play when they are not viewing; enter quizzes and competitions; compete in for-fun casino games ; vote for TV favourites via a video juke box; post messages live on screen and send greetings to friends or comment on current programming; interact live via SMS with the programme hosts and other viewers simultaneously and communicate via multi-party voice chat forums. New applications will be unveiled in the months following the launch.

Interactive services will be provided by Cellcast Interactive, which is among the world's leading developers of interactive TV solutions facilitated through real time viewer interaction via mobile and fixed line telephony, Internet and wireless data devices.

"When combined with Cellcast's mobile and Internet applications, Smile TV will offer consumers in Asia seamless interactive entertainment whether they're at home or on the move, twenty-four hours a day, via television, mobile phones and the Internet," said Andrew Wilson, Director of Business Development, Cellcast Interactive.

The Malibu, Platinum and Casino TV channels are available from January 1, 2004, on AsiaSat 3S,

105.5° E, C-Band:
Downlink frequency: 3669 MHz
Polarity: Vertical
Symbol Rate: 13,333 Symbol
FEC: 3/4

Press Contact:
Manivel Malone
telephone +33 620599719
fax +44 2076315174
email [email protected]


History loops as subbies join the union


From http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/05/1070351791720.html

I attended an illegal assembly yesterday; at least it might have been. Nobody is entirely sure. In any case, it was definitely a window to the industrial relations revolution that is going on.

The assembly was a gathering of Telstra subcontractors who are employed to install and service Foxtel and broadband cable internet. They met on a football field before taking their white vans into the city to drive round Telstra HQ honking their horns and generally making nuisances of themselves.

The union was present (the subbies are mostly members) but it's not a strike under the Workplace Relations Act because they're not employees - they're small business people - and they are acting individually because otherwise they could be charged with collusion and/or price fixing under the Trade Practices Act.

On December 1, Telstra switched head contractors for servicing its network. It used to be done by Downer and Visionstream, now it's Siemens Thiess and ABB. As part of Telstra's commitment to cut costs by up to $800 million over two or three years, Siemens Thiess and ABB will be doing the work for less than their predecessors.

The subcontractors who actually do the work are the same people; it's just that their paymasters have changed. And their new rates from the new paymasters are between 15 and 20 per cent less than they were before. They say they have been cut virtually every year since 1999, but not this much.

I spent some time talking to these subbies on the football oval yesterday morning, and it would be fair to say they're not happy.

Here's what one of them said: "My Foxtel service call-out fee has been cut from $40 to $36, flat rate. I have to buy all my own equipment and supply the parts. If I go into a house and it turns out the problem is an isolator, as it often is, that costs me $16. After I've finished I have to ring Foxtel on a 1300 number from my mobile to get the customer reconnected and I usually have to wait half an hour on the phone. Then, usually, the customer wants to chat.

"The whole job, including travel, takes about two hours. Plus I've got to be on call from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week; the only way I can get a day off is to call in sick. I pay my own WorkCover premium, and get no paid holidays. If I do anything wrong on a job, including wear the wrong clothes, I get fined $60."

Telstra's comment yesterday was that it's nothing to do them - talk to the contractors. I did. The contractors said they're working to resolve the issues and expected to have the subcontractors back at work next week.

The union - the CEPU - is worried about attracting the attention of the ACCC and is also being coy. Indeed, lawyers for Siemens Thiess and ABB have been looking at suing the subcontractors under the Trade Practices Act for collusion, although they're trying to negotiate a settlement first.

Foxtel, meanwhile, has had a major pre-Christmas subscription promotion under way, which has been thrown into some disarray because new connections have been disrupted.

Telstra's partners in Foxtel, News Corp and PBL, are frustrated by problems but there's nothing they can do: Foxtel employs Telstra which employs Siemens Thiess and ABB which employ the subbies who deal with the Foxtel subscribers. Kim Williams, the CEO of Foxtel, is a long way from his customers.

There are a couple of ways to look at all this. If the subcontractors were employees of Telstra or Foxtel, there's no way their pay could be cut 15 or 20 per cent without a riot. There's no way Telstra would be promising an $800 million cost cutting campaign if all its work was being done by employees, as it used to be.

That's because employees are governed by the Workplace Relations Act and explicitly allowed to act collectively; subcontractors are governed by the Trade Practices Act and explicitly prohibited from colluding.

On the other hand, it could be argued the Telstra technicians who were once lifetime employees and are now small-business people buying their own vans and sending out their own invoices have been the architects of their own destiny.

The Telstra workforce was featherbedded and inflexible. Privatisation forced Telstra to achieve more flexibility, and to do that it has contracted out the work. Now it's using that flexibility to cut wages.

There has been a certain grinding inevitability about this process, but the interesting development now is that the subcontractors are joining the union. The CEPU claims 90 per cent coverage.

Everybody seems to be going full circle


SBS drops Vietnamese news


From http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1004480.htm

SBS has decided to immediately suspend the broadcaster's Vietnamese news service following a series of demonstrations by the Vietnamese community.

The Thoi Su news service is produced by a state-owned Vietnamese broadcaster and replayed unedited by SBS.

The SBS board said in a statement they would suspend the program and consult with the Vietnamese community about a possible replacement.

Vietnamese Community in Australia president Trung Duan says he hopes an alternative program can be found quickly, but not at the expense of quality.

"Whatever program SBS uses it's got to be accurate, be balanced, be impartial and independent," he said.

"We would rather nothing than a program that is of very low journalistic standards."

He says it is unfortunate the decision took so long.

"I would have liked the SBS to have taken a much quicker decision on this," he said.

"The fact that they had to wait for the board to direct them tells me there's a lack of common sense in top management of SBS TV."


HK Govt/Digital TV: DVB-T Technical Standard Preferred


From http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/031205/15/3ggf8.html

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--The Hong Kong government said Friday it proposes that current free-to-air, terrestrial television broadcasters begin migrating to digital broadcasting in 2006.

There are currently only two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong: Television Broadcasts Ltd. (0511.HK), and unlisted Asia Television Ltd. Between them, the two companies broadcast four channels in all.

The government said it will continue public consultations before settling on a standard for the digital broadcasting.

As one of the key conclusions of its first consultation that started in December 2000, the government said five sets of frequency spectrum are available for the implementation of digital broadcasting.

The migration to digital broadcasting could bring four newcomers to Hong Kong's free-to-air TV industry. The government said it will invite expressions of interest for four SFN, or single frequency network, multiplexes in the second half of 2004.

"In the light of the responses received, the government may ask short-listed parties to submit detailed proposals for assessment with a view to issuing licenses to the deserving applicants," the government said, without outlining a concrete timetable for granting new licenses.

Meanwhile, MFN or multiple frequency network multiplexes will be reserved for TVB and ATV to start their digital migration - by simulcasting their four existing program channels in both analogue and digital formats in 2006 with a view to achieving territory-wide digital coverage in 2008.

The government said it will adopt a "market-led" approach for the technical standard for Hong Kong's digital broadcasting, but it will have a preference.

"There will be no officially prescribed standard but the government recommends the European DVB-T (digital video broadcasting-terrestrial) standard," the government said in a press release.

The Digital Video Broadcasting Project forecasts that its DVB standards for satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcasting will become the standard for the entire world except the Americas and Japan, according to its Web site, http://www.dvb.org.

In a joint statement, ATV and TVB reiterated that "for the benefits of Hong Kong and healthy growth of the industry, it is of crucial importance that China's digital terrestrial television system should be considered before coming to any conclusion as to which system Hong Kong should adopt."

The two broadcasters have been arguing that Hong Kong and China should share the same technical standard so that multimedia applications developed in Hong Kong can capture a larger market.


Axe falls on topless Trendz


From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/342477.cms

NEW DELHI: After FTV, the axe has fallen on Trendz. The government has asked the new fashion channel not to show topless women.

The Information & Broadcasting Ministry has told the Zee-run channel that the Indian programme code for television programming did not permit display of topless women.

Representatives from the channel recently met officials in the ministry and have given an assurance to the government to keep the code in mind while airing their programmes.

Apparently perturbed by certain images on a late night serial on Trendz, Fashion Uncensored, the ministry, which does not view as “fashion” exhibition of women bare till the waist, sees no justification for such a programme. (Do you support this move of the I&B Ministry?)

Not wanting to be seen as moral police, nor relishing the image of being indifferent to its role as regulator, the ministry finds itself in a Catch-22 situation on the issue of censorship on television. However, it feels it has a role to play in regulation of programmes on television and cannot shirk this responsibility towards the viewers




5/12/03

I 804 services were off for a while. Back on Now though no changes in the line-up. Also new mux on B3 H pol though so maybe no available in NZ on small dishes.

Abc Northern back for a short time?

Cricket on Via Geo TV PAS from 7pm NZ



From My Emails & ICQ


From John McDermott

Optus B3

There are a few channels loading on the following:
B3 12437H Sr 30806.
The channels are:

BVN & RNW
TRT
SET
TCT
GOD CHANNEL
3ABN
THAI TV &


(Craigs comment, looks like a repeat of RRSAT's Thaicom 3 mux possibly for linking to Globecast HQ)


From Steve Hume

Asiasat 4

3760H SR: 27720
Yet another data channel it looks like. And strong!

NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume


From MED

The government recently announced a way forward for digital television,
involving further work by both government and the broadcasting industry (see
http://www.med.govt.nz/pbt/broadcas/digitaltv/index.html). The attached open
letter from Steve Maharey, Minister of Broadcasting, and David Cunliffe,
Associate Minister of Communications, invites industry to establish a
digital television group to assist the further development of digital
television services in New Zealand. The government is interested to
facilitate the initial establishment of the group, with the intention that
it will be based on an industry consensus and will be run by industry.

You are invited to register your interest and submit ideas on a possible
structure and terms of reference for a group to the Ministry of Economic
Development through [email protected] by 20 February 2004. You may wish
to address the following questions in any submission:

* Who should belong to the group?
* How should it be structured?
* What should it do? e.g.:
* work on a digital television business case
* develop transmission or receiver standards
* promote uptake of digital television
* focus on free-to-air digital television
* consider terrestrial, satellite or wired platforms equally
* How should it be funded?
* How often should it meet?
* How should it interface with government?

Karl Simpson
Senior Policy Analyst
Ministry of Economic Development
33 Bowen Street, PO Box 1473
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Direct: +64 4 462 4211
Fax: +64 4 499 0969
Email: [email protected]


(Craigs comment, this is open to anyone to make suggestions etc to their email address as above)


From the Dish


Intelsat 804 176E 12681 V "MAC TV, FTV Entertainment, Dragon TV, PTS, TTV and CTS" have started, Fta, SR 15000, FEC 5/6, Spot 1.

PAS 2 169E 4040 H The Hope Channel has started, Fta, SR 5900, FEC 2/3, PIDs 1160/1120.

PAS 8 166E 3785 V "Occasional CCTV" feeds on , SR 5632, FEC 3/4.

Apstar 1A 134E 4160 H All channels in the CCTV mux are now encrypted.

Sinosat 1 110.5E 4016 V "Hunan University Satellite TV" has left .

AsiaSat 3 105.5E 3669 VA Malibu TV promo and a Casino TV promo have started on , Fta, SR 13333, FEC 3/4, SIDs 1 and 5, PIDs 2081/2082 and 4130/4131.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3626 V New PIDs for Punjab Today on : 2081/2082.


NEWS


INL shares slide as Sky TV investors spurn takeover offer


From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/latestnewsstory.cfm?storyID=3537857&thesection=business&thesubsection=latest

INL shares slipped lower shortly after midday today as Sky TV shareholders continued to spurn its cash and scrip takeover offer for the pay television operator Sky TV which closes today.

By 12.30pm INL shares were down 15c at 485 while Sky TV shares were down 4c to 517 on turnover of just 4525 of its 390 million shares on issue.

INL has said it won't extend its offer which comprises $3.35 cash a share plus a swap of three INL shares for every 10 Sky shares held.

The offer has already been accepted by Telecom which held a 12 per cent stake, giving INL 78 per cent, but other shareholders want a higher price.

Sky TV's independent directors, John Hart and Barrie Downey, have said the INL offer is unfair to Sky's minority shareholders.

INL said yesterday once the offer closed it would be able to announce the size of a planned capital return to shareholders, flagged in November to be worth at least $340 million.

INL, the New Zealand arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, sold its stable of some 80 newspaper and magazine titles to Australia's John Fairfax Holdings Ltd for $1.2 billion in June, leaving it with a 66 per cent stake in Sky TV.


Russia adopts Europe's DVB


From http://www.advanced-television.com/pages/pagesb/newsdaily.html

Russia will adopt DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) as its national standard of digital television. The decision was announced by the Telecommunications Ministry.

"On the basis of standard developers' analysis of digital TV systems that are currently operated and have passed international standardisation, results of pilot studies and domestic experience of digital ground-based and satellite TV broadcasting using all standards suggested, Russia gave preference to the European digital TV system, DVB," the Ministry said in a statement.


Telekom buys into Measat


From http://www.theedgedaily.com/article.cfm?id=26932

Telekom Malaysia Bhd is acquiring a 15% stake in Measat Global Bhd (Measat) from Measat Global Network Systems Sdn Bhd (MGNS), a company controlled by tycoon Ananda Krishnan, for RM250 million cash - marking its first foray into the satellite industry.

Under the deal, Telekom will have representation on Measat’s board and be involved in the management.

In an announcement yesterday, Telekom said it had entered into an agreement with MGNS on the same day to acquire 60.02 million shares in Measat at RM4.165 a share, which the former described as fair market value.

This follows the placement of 80 million Measat shares for RM340 million or RM4.25 apiece early this week to local institutional funds to enable Measat to meet the shareholding spread requirement.

Measat shares were suspended in July 2002 after MGNS shareholding in the company exceeded 90% following Measat’s acquisition of Binariang Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd (BSS) and a general offer for the shares not owned.

BSS, the owner of Measat satellite system and a licensed commercial satellite operator in Malaysia, operates two satellite and plans to launch a third one in May 2005.

Yesterday, Telekom said the strategic investment did not only give it the opportunity to become a significant player in the satellite industry but also strengthen its position as the leading fully integrated communications service provider in Malaysia and in the region.

“Telekom’s role as a strategic investor in Measat will be enhanced through the allocation of one board seat and management participation,” it said.

It said Telekom had been a major user of satellite capacity in both its core and support telecommunications network infrastructure. Satellite services are fast turning into an important component of national, regional and global infrastructure, the company said.

Analysts said there would be synergies involved for the two companies. “Telekom needs satellite transmission and the acquisition would guarantee Telekom certain capacities. So, there are synergies,” an analyst says.

Avenue Securities Sdn Bhd analyst Jeffrey Tan said Telekom’s venture into the satellite business could be part of its strategy to leverage on its fixed line business as it is migrating to multimedia. “Over the long period, Telekom may gain from the acquisition,” he said, adding that it would take six to seven years for Measat to recoup its investment after having committed RM300 million for Measat 1 and 2.

Another analyst said Telekom’s investment in Measat could be part of its capacity building exercise to position itself ahead of the launch of 3G services in Malaysia by end 2005.


3 exclusive news channels in Telugu soon


From http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=23&story=29135

For the news-hungry Telugu viewers, good times are ahead from December 10 onwards. Three satellite television channels have lined up 24-hour news bonanza for the Telugu viewers.

Interestingly, two of the news channels belong to the big media houses in the south -Eenadu TV and Sun Network. The third channel, TV9, is being promoted by Srini Raju of i-Labs.

The last one, in fact, has received Rs 15 crore funding support from i-Labs Associated Fund and Chennai -based Unify Wealth Management. All the three channels together are estimated to be investing over Rs 25 crore in beaming news and current affirs based content.

Media moghul Ramoji Rao has decided to go in for a 24- hour exclusive news channel in Telugu in the name of ETV2, after his successful entertainment channel ETV, which is now into its eighth year.

ETV2 will start beaming its news and news-based programmes from December 10. The new channel will have hourly news bulletins. In addition to them, programmes on agriculture, education, science, culture, health etc will be telecast to cater to different segments of the viewers.

The Srini Raju-funded TV9 is being promoted by Associated Broadcasting Company, which is founded by V Ravi Prakash, the ex-news in-charge at Teja TV. “We have conducted market surveys which revealed that viewers are gradually getting boared with the routine soaps and film- based programmes. They are now looking for more news and current affairs based content in their television sets,” says Ravi Prakash.

“The present news bulletins are unable to address the needs of the viewers in that they are trying to focus more on the crime and accidents. Our programmes will be different with more focus on issues and problems faced by people,” he adds.

The channel expects to run trial broadcasts from December 8 and launch its operations by January 15. Ithas entered into a tie up with i-Vision, another venture promoted by Srini Raju, for exclusive national news footage. i-Vision, a news agency for television channels, will have presence in 150 important locations in the country, and get itself connected with 2 mb leased lines through all the locations.

On the feasibility of so many news-based programmes for the Telugu audiences, Ravi Prakash pointed out that ETV could earn about Rs 10 crore from advertisements with just two news bulletins. TV9 expects to break-even in the first year itself.

Agrees V Janaki Rama Raju, JMD of Maa Television Network: “News is primarily watched by the A and A+ segments. High-end car manufacturers, mutual funds, credit cards and other financial services providers are the major advertising contributors to news broadcasts.”

Teja TV, which belongs to the Chennai-based Sun Network, is planning to make the channel a news and current affairs oriented by January end. The four-year-old channel currently broadcasts five news bulletins, with the rest of the content devoted to entertainment.

According to sources, the channel now plans to have 15 news and news-related programmes per day. It has also decided to shift its entire news desk to Hyderabad which is now sitting in Chennai, and start uplinking the news broadcast from here by January.

Sun Network is also gearing up to launch Gemini Cable Vision, its third channel, which will be operated like a cable TV with focus on entertainment and local events in respective towns.




4/12/03

I just did a blindscan of B1 and found a new signal on 12407 V SR 41062 fec ? The Innovia stores it but doesn't load anything off it. Meanwhile Nokia with DVB2000 doesn't "see it" at all must be due to the high Symbol rate. Most likely to be a data signal.

Good news for Innovia/Powtek owners the programers have removed the silly game from the software and supposedly it now has space for an extra 3000 channels to be stored!

Not much in the news section today.



From My Emails & ICQ


Final word about ABC Northern via B1?

From ABC

Dear X

Thank you for your email.

By way of background, this will have been the Darwin RABS backhaul that was
recently taken off Optus B1 and put onto fibre.

Viewers in New Zealand have been fortuitously able to get this service because
the particular beam on the B1 satellite also covered New Zealand.

However, technically Asia Pacific TV is not designed for New Zealand and
therefore reception cannot be guaranteed.

I apologise that I do not have any immediate solutions but I hope this information is
of some assistance.

Regards
Katreena Doherty
Communications Officer
ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs
ph: 02 8333 2377


From the Dish


Lyngsat hasn't arrived as yet


NEWS


The Mouse roars in Japanese


From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20031204woad.htm

With the number of pay-TV subscribers rising, cable television networks and the SkyPerfecTV! satellite service launched a special version of the Disney Channel tailored for viewers in Japan on Nov. 18.

The channel, first launched in 1983 in the United States, has been considering branching out to Japan for seven or eight years, because the continuing success of Tokyo Disneyland, which opened in 1983, makes this country an obvious market.

The Disney Channel is now available in 64 countries. In other Asian countries, the programs are subtitled in the local language. Considering the high value of Japan's market, however, the broadcaster concluded that all programs should be dubbed in Japanese, and waited for a time when the nation's pay-TV market would mature enough to make such a project profitable.

The company deemed that point to have been reached this year, the 20th anniversary of Tokyo Disneyland and the 75th birthday of Mickey Mouse. The channel is available on SkyPerfecTV! and 55 cable television services.

The main feature of its programming is Magical World of Disney, a movie program that usually airs from 8 p.m. Fans can also see popular characters on other programs, such as House of Mouse.

Walt Disney Television International Japan, based in Minato Ward, Tokyo, established a studio in Tokyo to produce some unique programs for Japanese viewers, hiring Japanese entertainers to create the content.

The channel is free to subscribers of cable television services, but viewers of SkyPerfecTV! will have to pay 600 yen per month to subscribe to the channel.

Believing the Disney brand will help increase family-unit subscribers, Sky Perfect Communications Inc. is campaigning to promote the new channel.

Disney Channel is also stepping up its campaign by advertising on terrestrial broadcast TV programs, aiming to increase the number of subscribers to 5 million in five years.

"The target may seem high, but I believe that we can reach the figure, as Japanese people like Disney characters," said an official of Walt Disney Television International Japan.

For more information about the channel, call (0570) 000-391, or visit the channel's Web site:

www.disneychannel.jp.




3/12/03

Phone chaos at Foxtel, big stuffups and problems with the swapover to the red cards. Some very upset subscribers out there!

Cricket on Geo TV from 5pm NZ time. (NZ vs Pak ODI)

Asiasat 4 122E 12354 V Sr 8000 Fec 3/4 New signal?? on the Aus/NZ dual beam?? can someone take a look?

Taiwanese channels on I804 @ 176E Spot beam 1 over NZ, 12681 V Sr 15000 Fec 5/6 appear to be , TTV, CTS, FTV, PTS, Dragon, and Mac TV. Footprint for the NZ spot Beam is shown. EIRP in the Center is 52dBW



From my Emails & ICQ


From John Smith (NZ, Dunedin)

Hello Craig

1804 romps in down here
Is anyone in NZ selling the Toroidal 90

I need some more and would rather buy them locally

John


From RRSAT

The latest program of Dr Dish will be re-transmited on RRSAT GLOBAL NETWORK
from December 11, 2003 until December 14, 2003 every day at 13:00- 16:00 GMT on folowing satellites and frequencies:

To Asia, Africa and Australia via Thaicom-3 satellite at 78.5 deg. East.
Reception frequency: 3671 Mhz (C-Band) Polarization: Horizontal Symbol Rate: 13.333 Msyb/s FEC: 3/4 Beam: Global .



From Kotak

Insat 2E,3B (83.0E) Freq:3580,Pol:H,s/r: 3255 radio Red has left

Pas 7/10 (68.5E) Freq:4064, Pol: V,s/r: 21000,3/4 (8 channals has Left)


From the Dish


PAS 8 166E 3940 H "CTS - Christian TV System" has left , replaced by a test card.

Insat 3A 93.5E 3931 V Occasional DD Raipur feeds on , SR 3800, FEC 3/4.

ST 1 88E 3582 H "TBL Movies" is now encrypted.

Insat 3C 74E 3868 H Occasional DD Lucknow feeds on , SR 2250, FEC 3/4.
Insat 3C 74E 4136 V Occasional DD Jammu feeds on , SR 5000, FEC 3/4.

PAS 10 68.5E 4064 V The TARBS World TV mux has left . ( Is that violin music I hear??)


NEWS


Satellite TV providers fight pirates


From http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/03/1070351620905.html

Foxtel and Austar are introducing new technology aimed at thwarting the growing piracy of its satellite signal - a practice that some believe is costing the pay television industry more than $40 million a year.

By early next year, subscribers to both services will be sent a new smartcard - the credit card-like device that slots into the set-top box and allows pay TV operators to read a customer's subscription details.

Illegal smartcards are giving thousands of households access to premium programming - such as pay-per-view movies and sport - when they have subscribed only to the basic pay TV service.

Foxtel spokesman Mark Furness said the new smartcards were "pirate-proof technology" and would quickly render all imitations useless.

"This technology has not been cracked by pirates in three years of use in other markets around the world," he said.

"What we want to do is encourage people who have pirate services to contact us and legitimise their services."

The anti-piracy technology is the first phase in Foxtel's estimated $550 million roll-out of digital television services, due for completion in the first half of next year. All subscribers will eventually get a new digital set-top box allowing them to view more than 100 digital channels.

Foxtel - jointly owned by Telstra, News Corp, and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd - will also enable viewers to interact with the television station via their telephone line.

The digital roll-out faces a major hurdle in winning approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on third party-access issues.


Foxtel Targets satellite piracy


From https://www.aapmedianet.com.au/scripts/DisplayRelease.dll?id=364329

FOXTEL has commenced a national satellite system upgrade in preparation for the planned launch of new digital television
services in 2004.

As part of this process, FOXTEL is introducing new technology that is turning off pirated satellite subscription television services.

The anti-piracy action involves the replacement of all legitimate FOXTEL satellite smartcards (the cards that are inserted in FOXTEL
set-top-boxes to enable them to receive and read the satellite signal).

The smartcard replacement program is part of the wider satellite system upgrade and users of pirate services are progressively
losing their signals. When the smartcard upgrade is completed by early next year, all pirated satellite services will be eliminated.

There has been a temporary disruption to the service of some legitimate satellite subscribers. FOXTEL cable subscribers are not
affected.

Some legitimate FOXTEL subscribers who during the current upgrade process have turned their set-top-box off, or who have removed the
smartcard in their set-top-box, may have lost their signals.

Affected subscribers have been asked to contact FOXTEL to reactivate their service.

The process has caused a high volume of calls to our customer service centre in recent days and some callers have experienced
delays in getting through. FOXTEL apologises for any inconvenience and asks for the patience of its customers as we work through this
process. FOXTEL has put on additional customer service resources.

Legitimate subscribers who have lost their signal during this process will be compensated for the service they have lost in
accordance with FOXTEL's loss-of-signal credit adjustment process.

FOXTEL's Chief Executive Mr Kim Williams said: "We apologise for any inconvenience to our legitimate subscribers.

"We understand the majority of affected people are using pirate services.

"Dealers in pirated equipment are committing a crime and this action by FOXTEL will put them out of business. Would-be purchasers
of pirated equipment should not waste their money because they are losing their pirated signals permanently".


Foxtel and Austar to roll out 'unhackable' smart card


From Satellite today

Australia's two-largest pay TV providers will simultaneously roll out a smart card they claim that pirates will be unable to hack, replacing nearly one million subscriber cards by April 2004.

Market leader Foxtel and second-ranked Austar will each invest in Irdeto Access Version 4 smart cards at the same time, as well as upgrading their subscriber equipment. Although Australia does not have the endemic piracy that afflicts Asian pay TV operators, the industry in Australia believes that it loses several million dollars a year to pirates.

Under the plan, Foxtel and Austar will each swap around 400,000 subscribers cards, with the plan to complete the process by April of next year. Austar and Foxtel serve rural urban Australia respectively, and have joint advertising and program-making operation, which explains the close cooperation on the anti-piracy initiative.

"If we only made our system more secure there could still be a chance that pirates could get into Foxtel," explained an Austar spokeswoman of the simultaneous initiative.

Neither Foxtel or Austar would comment on the cost of the card swap, other than saying that the capital expenditure to buy the new cards would provide a long-term revenue boost because of a perceived increase in the number of legal subscribers.


(Craigs comment, "unhackable" umm that's tempting things..)




2/12/03

Livechat tonight 9pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd onwards

Sites a little late and a bit rushed today, I have been up the ladder ad justing my dish from B3 to take a look at I804 @ 176E since Steve Johnson here in NZ mentioned a signal on 12681V. But he didn't have a blindsearch or Nokia to latch onto the SR and Fec. Anyway I found the transponder easily enough its 12681 V Sr 15000 Fec 5/6. With 6 unnamed Taiwanese channels testing in NTSC. Signal is good and stronger than B3 at my place! The channels are the usual CTS , Mac Tv etc. Also a good signal on 12563V which dosn't lock. This one may be the Thai internet tests. Vertical signals on I804 Ku are on Spot beam 1 which is over NZ. Those in Eastern Aus with large Ku dishes may like to try it also.

R.I.P ABC Northern B1 Vertical.



From my Emails & ICQ


From Johnz (Auckland)

I804

I'm geting really good signal here in auckland up to 98% with the
strong receiver & 90 cm dish lodeing 6 ch one of them is runinig on
pal


From Gavin Barbour (ChCh , NZ)

804 @ 176E

Yippee!
Another 6 channels of chineese
Bother

12683 15000
5/6

Gavin


From Robert Anthony

DVB Satellite using Apple Mac

http://www.elgato.com/eyeTV/eyetv300.html


From the Dish


Optus B1 160E

Updates in Sky TV, Videoguard:
The History Channel and Disney Channel have replaced CNBC Australia
and Sky Box Office Preview on 12546 V, PIDs 513/651 and 515/653.
UKTV has replaced Hallmark Channel Asia on 12581 V, PIDs 516/654.

(Ok I supplied these, quite old news)

Apstar 2R 76.5E 3631 H "TV Lanka" is back on , Fta, SR 3500, FEC 2/3, PIDs 1360/1320.

PAS 10 68.5E 3744 V "AfricaMagic" has started, Irdeto 2, PIDs 1968/1967.
PAS 10 68.5E 4064 V "ATV Avrupa and SIC Internacional" have swapped PIDs.


NEWS


Call to end 'biased' Vietnamese TV


From http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/auspac/12/01/australia.vietnam.ap/

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Thousands of Vietnamese called Tuesday for an Australian television station to stop broadcasting news from their homeland -- saying they fled Vietnam to get away from such "biased" reporting.

They are airing exactly what we risked our lives for
-- Dr. Tien Nguyen, Vietnamese community president

The Australian government-funded SBS network in October began broadcasting a 35-minute Vietnamese language segment six days a week, taken by satellite from Vietnamese broadcaster VTV.

But a spokesman for Australia's Vietnamese community said the program was causing "psychological damage."

"They are airing exactly what we risked our lives for," Vietnamese community president Dr. Tien Nguyen said. "Things produced (from Vietnam) are all biased, all state-run."

Nguyen said the Vietnamese community, many of whom arrived as boat people in the 1970s, felt "ambushed," as they had not been consulted by SBS before the program went to air. He was speaking at a rally of about 8,000 people outside SBS' Sydney office.

"We respect and cherish the editorial independence of a public broadcaster like SBS," Nguyen said. "But this is not about editorial independence, it's about editorial responsibility."

SBS spokesman Mike Field rejected as "pointless" the suggestion that the feed could come from elsewhere.

"In our WorldWatch schedule, the preference will always be the national broadcaster -- the broadcaster of record," he said.

Field added that SBS would discuss the Vietnamese community's concerns at a board meeting on Friday.


(Craigs comment, more Ethnic programing upsetting viewers another one for Tarb's to add?)


Japan's satellite flop


From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2003/12/02/200312020030.asp

Pyongyang must be gleeful at the news of Japan's failure Saturday to put into orbit two satellites designed to monitor North Korea, as it had denounced the Japanese spy satellite program as a hostile act that could set off an arms race in this region.

An arms race is indeed underway in Northeast Asia, but Pyongyang is the one most responsible. It was their Daepodong ballistic missile, which they fired over Japan's main island in 1998, which prompted Japan to accelerate its space program.

Tokyo established a $2 billion surveillance project to keep watch on North Korea's missile and nuclear programs and sent its first two spy satellites into space in March. The failed H2-A rocket was carrying two intelligence satellites which would have drastically boosted Japan's North Korea monitoring capability combined with the two satellites launched earlier.

China demonstrated its regional supremacy in space technology by putting a man into earth orbit with its Shenzhou 5 spaceship in October. Japan, the world's technological leader, may have advanced its space program a little because of China's spectacular success.

Technical problems had postponed the takeoff three times before last week's launch which ended up in blowing up the rocket minutes after takeoff. It was the third unsuccessful launch after failures in 1998 and 1999. But the failure will rather spur Japan's space program than delay it, as the Japanese will try to regain their pride.

In the face of the competitive development of rockets and satellite technologies by nations in the region, including Taiwan, Seoul may be tempted to speed up its own missile program. Bound by an agreement with the United States, our missile development capabilities remain at a relatively insignificant level.

The overall scheme will have to depend on how the military alliance with the United States moves on, especially in connection with the progress of Washington's global forces redeployment plan. Yet, in view of Seoul's long-term program for securing independent defense capabilities, it may well be considered a major goal of the present administration.




1/12/03

Start of a new month and a few things going on

ABC Northern on B1 12260V GONE??????????

Live coverage of the Lord Of the Rings Movie Premiere has been on all day via Optus B1 12456V (NZ Only) TVNZ transponder ,FV2 channel.

After some major dispute over uplinking the game , the Cricket will be on tonight 7pm NZ start NZ vs Pak ODI from Pakistan , LIVE and FTA on Geo TV Pas 10 and PTV1 Asiasat 3. Also Sky Sport 1 (NZ).

History Channel has started on Sky NZ

Fox News started overnight on TV3 (NZ)


From my Emails & ICQ


From Steve Johnson (NZ)

I804 @ 176E

Another carrier into NZ on I804 @176E.
12683vt, SR & FEC unknown.
Existing carrier on 12563vt still present.

Steve J
NZ


From Steve Hume 1/12

Asiasat 2

Soccer Feed - ROM v LEC
3687v s/r 6203
Loads 3 Channels
No Names on any

Mystery SAT??

While positioning a new lnb on the Toroidal this arvo, I noticed a
signal rise on the meter, on the very end of the rail facing to the
east. At a guess, I'd say somewhere between 170-140 degrees west.

I ran the Coship over it, but nothing. Guessing not enough gain on the
dish.

When I moved the lnb the slightest, it disappeared. There's something
there, but no idea what.

When I get time, I might run a bigger dish over it. Might have some nice
U.S. goodies on it.

NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume


From Nat Kopel

Optus B3, FR2 has been replaced by RTV21...


This is not Albanian. It is from Kosovo !


Regards,
Nat Kopel
International Radio Monitors Australia


From the Dish


AsiaSat 4 122E 3881 H "Sun TV (China)" has started, Fta, PIDs 1016/1017. New PIDs for Enlight Stream TV: 1021/1022.

PAS 8 166E 12409 H "Radio Thailand" has left. Asia beam

Apstar 1A 134E 4180 V "The CCTV mux" has left .

AsiaSat 3 105.5E 4020 V "Sahara Swar" has started, Fta, APID 731.

Insat 2E 83E 3572 V "Red 93.5 FM" has started, Fta, APIDs 2308 and 2309.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H "El-Bernameg Al-Aam, El-Quran El-Karim, Iza'at Al-Sharq Al-Awsat and Sout Al-Arab" have started, Fta, SIDs 146-149, APIDs 2337-2385.

Apstar 2R 76.5E 3631 H "TV Lanka" has left .

PAS 10 68.5E 3863 V "The History Channel" has started, Irdeto 2, PIDs 3016/4016.
PAS 10 68.5E 4064 V "Radio Italia Anni '60, Radio Italia, Kanal Melodia and TGRT FM" have started , Fta, SID 22-25, APIDs 353-401.



NEWS


Japanese destroy spy satellite rocket


From http://www.billingsgazette.com

TOKYO - Japan's space program suffered a setback Saturday after a rocket carrying two spy satellites meant to keep an eye on North Korea malfunctioned following liftoff and had to be destroyed, officials said.

The head of Japan's space agency, JAXA, said one of the H2-A's two rocket boosters failed to separate, making it impossible for the rocket to obtain sufficient height and speed to reach orbit. The malfunction prompted the agency to order the rocket blown up 10 minutes after liftoff.

"There was no chance of the mission being accomplished, so we destroyed the rocket," JAXA President Shuichiro Yamanouchi said at a news conference.

"It is extremely regrettable we failed this important mission," Yamanouchi said, bowing deeply. "We are very sorry."

Saturday's launch was kept under tight security, with live film coverage of the liftoff banned because of the sensitivity of the rocket's payload.

Tokyo put its first two spy satellites into space in March as part of a project to watch North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. The move prompted protests from North Korea, which warned Tokyo against triggering a regional arms race.

Japanese officials say the program was prompted by North Korea's surprise test launch of a long-range missile over Japan's main island in 1998. The satellites are not meant as a provocation and would also be used for other missions such as monitoring natural disasters and weather patterns, they say.

Saturday's launch failure will likely complicate Japan's space ambitions. Technical glitches have delayed the launch of the domestically designed and built H2-A rocket three times since Sept. 10.

"It's very unfortunate, as our country needs to increase intelligence capability to increase readiness for natural disasters and secure national security," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said in a statement. "We will quickly, strictly and thoroughly study the cause and consider what further actions to take."

A team of engineers and executives has been set up to investigate the cause of the malfunction. The government had planed to put a total of eight spy satellites into orbit through 2006.

The program has faced criticism from some Japanese, who say it goes against a long-standing policy of conducting only nonmilitary space missions.

Japan had also hoped that the H2-A, meant to be a cheaper and more reliable replacement for its predecessor, the H-2, would boost the country's commercial launch business. But it is still seen as too expensive to compete with its European, Russian and American rivals.

Prior to Saturday's aborted mission, the H2-A, developed at a cost of $78 million, had five straight successful launches, including the first flight in August 2002.

But analysts say Japan may need as many as six successful back-to-back launches before it wins insurance coverage for commercial missions.

The H2 had also performed flawlessly five times in a row before misfiring on its sixth launch and blowing up on its seventh. The malfunctions prompted U.S.-based Hughes Space and Communications International to dump an order for 10 satellite launches with Japan.

The H2-A has not yet carried any commercial payloads. Last December, it carried its first international payload, when it lifted off with an Australian research satellite.


TV row block live telecast of Pak-NZ one-dayer


From http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=46474

The ineptness and unprofessional conduct of cricket managers in the country once again came to limelight on Saturday when the cricket lovers could not enjoy the live telecast of first clash between the Pakistan and the visiting Kiwis on their idiot boxes.

The Pakistan Cricket Board granted the live coverage to a private TV channel but the uplinking of match coverage on satellite hit snags owing to the mismanagement of PCB high-ups and the TV viewers remained unable to watch the one-dayer on any national or international channel on Saturday.

The sources said that the egoistic approach and selfishness of PCB boss, Gen (Retd) Taqueer Zia, towards the cricketing affairs in the country, remained the main barrier for the live telecast of cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand from Lahore. Also, the PCB management could not keep the pledge to render go-ahead signal to the private channel for the match coverage albeit the fact Gen. Zia assured the state-run TV channel PTV and the private channel for the same.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the Chief Executive of PCB Ramiz Raja defended PCB's position on the issue. "We have just granted the coverage rights to the highest bidders and what happened afterwards we have nothing to do with it", he said.

PCB granted the coverage rights of the match to a private TV Geo as they floated the biggest bid for the coverage of the one-day series between the New Land and Pakistan. But the private channel did not have the uplinking facilities in the country rather PTV is the only broadcasting channel in the country to have the same. The incumbent PCB Chairman assured on the grant of agreement that PTV would also telecast the one day and test series on its network.

When the Geo contacted PTV to use of their uplinking network for the live converge of the match in the country, both the parties could not reach an agreement on the issue.

Millions of Pakistan's cricket fans were frustrated as both the channels, which advertised that they would show the match live, failed go on air and accused each other for blocking the telecast.

The private channel claimed to have bought the television rights for the five-match series from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for USD 5 million. However, the government-run channel did not provide it with the necessary uplinking facilities.

The state-owned channel, which has so far shown all the cricket matches played in Pakistan, contended that it would telecast the match as it has been given the rights to relay the signals by virtue of its monopoly over up-linking facilities.

(Craigs comment, Geo TV on PAS10 did attempt some kind of coverage using a studio format with no actual video of the game! Check for it today on Geo TV Pas 10, it also should be on PTV 1 on Asiasat 3)


PTV, Geo To Telecast Pak-Kiwi Cricket Series Live


From http://www.paknews.com/main.php?id=4&date1=2003-12-01

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Dec 01 (PNS) - Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday said PTV and Geo would telecast the ongoing Pakistan-New Zealand cricket series live for their respective viewers from Monday.

"The dispute, on the intervention of President General Pervez Musharraf, who also is Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has been resolved amicably for the live telecast of the cricket series," he said while addressing a press conference.

A special meeting chaired by the Information Minister was also convened early Sunday which was attended by Secretary Information, Chairman PEMRA, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and representatives of PTV and Geo. It amicably decided to simultaneously telecast the cricket series for their inland and abroad viewers respectively.

PTV will telecast the matches for its terrestrial viewers while the Geo will broadcast the current series for viewers through cable and satellite, he said, referring to the decisions taken by the meeting.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said, the President taking serious notice of the situation advised him to take measures for resolution of the issues between the state owned TV and private TV channel for airing of Pak-Kiwi cricket series.

PTV would not make any payment for getting the signal from Geo and Geo will bear all the cost for airing the series as per its earlier commitment, he said.

Meanwhile, PTV has made an alternative arrangements to telecast the matches live, even if they did not receive the signal from Geo, he added.

PTV and PEMRA have also agreed to provide up-linking facility to the private channel for the series, he said. He said that this decision has been reached only for the current cricket series, while PTV will continue to telecast the upcoming series for its terrestrial viewers as well, as it has been given telecast rights for local (inland) viewers.

In the meantime, he said, Open Bidding for the future cricket series coverage would be held by the organisers (PCB), giving the telecast rights for international viewers, excluding the terrestrial viewers.

The meeting also decided that the private TV channel that used derogatory remarks for a government official, during this controversy, will issue regret through its channel as well as the other modes of the media.

Answering a question, Sheikh Rashid said, the whole episode would be probed and measures would be taken that no such event occured in future. "President has taken serious view of the situation and ordered an inquiry to probe the matter," he said.

To another question, he said, the government has been following the policy of "free media" and recently it has accorded permission to seven television channels in the private sector.

He ordered an enquiry into the alleged misuse of the time specified for PTV's programme "Kissan Time." The Managing Director PTV, who also was present on the occasion, was asked by the minister to look into the matter and report.

When the minister's attention was drawn towards the alleged killing of two newsmen in Sindh, he said, the matter was being probed by the concerned and appropriate action would be suggested after its complete findings.


SkyLife reaches 1m subs milestone


From Satellite Today

Korean digital satellite-delivered pay TV provider SkyLife has broken the one million subscriber mark after just 20 months since it launched.

Skylife president Hwang Kyu Hwan said the service now commands 6.1 per cent of all viewing in TV homes. "SkyLife pioneered a new market under challenging circumstances. The service has grown to one million subscribers in just one year and eight months. This is proof that Korean viewers are rapidly accepting digital satellite broadcasting. "

After launching in March 2002 Skylife ended 2002 with around 430,000 subscribers. He said that its interactive offering launched in June, SkyTouch interactive TV, made Skylife one of the few direct to home services to launch MHP broadcasts with conditional access. SkyTouch iTV, offers interactive services in four genres and in 14 categories, as well as real time games, quizzes, stock prices and real estate values.

Skylife's launch is meant to be the opening act of an $11 billion government-led initiative to digitise Korea's TV sector, starting with satellite and cable, and extending to the terrestrial area. According to the Korean Broadcasting Commission (KBC), digital terrestrial services should be operational nationwide by 2005.


Turner’s kids channel Pogo to go regional


From http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=23&story=28642

Turner International India, the satellite channel network that owns CNN and Cartoon Network, will air regional language content on its proposed new kids exclusive channel, Pogo.

The new channel will be launched on January1, 2004 on the Zee-Turner bouquet. To begin with, Pogo will air Telugu programmes from February. The regional focus will then be extended to Tamil and other major language audiences.

“We have already produced a block of Telugu and other regional language programmes, and our effort is to reach out to a wider audience in the country,” Anshuman Misra, the MD of Turner India, said here.

Moving beyond animation to a kids' live action channel is a first for Turner, not only in India, but for Turner Broadcasting worldwide.

Pogo will strike a healthy balance between good quality kids' entertainment and a safe environment that encourages learning for young viewers, he added.

“Ever since we launched Cartoon Network in India in 1995, we have been closely monitoring the kids’ entertainment habits. Recognising that TV is an integral part of kids' lives, it is important to continue to offer them a choice of kids-specific multi-genre programming that suits them, and the content that the parents will want them to watch, Ian Diamond, the senior vice-president and general manager of Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, said.

Pogo's programmes come in three parts - Young Kids, Kids Prime and Family & Special events. For very young ones, it will offer internationally acclaimed shows such as Barney & Friends, Teletubbies and Tweenies. For older kids, it offers drama, comedy and other shows like Brum, Hi-5, The Sllepover Club and Beakman's World.