30/11/03
No update Sunday
29/11/03
Sorry no update this weekend, Back Monday
28/11/03
A new channel operating in the Globecast B3 mux on 12524V , RTV21 not very exciting looking and it has a few video and audio problems at the moment. Also 2 new channels reported on Asiasat 4 in the Chinese mux there. "Football" and "Cartoons".
Not much to end the week with.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Satellite Info
Asiasat 4 now has a "FOOTBALL" and "CARTOON" channel on 3881h 26500 3/4
From Vj
Optus B3, FR2 has been replaced by RTV21...
I think it is Albanian...
From Siamglobal
DEAR MR SUTTON,
IT IS POSTINGS SUCH AS THAT MADE BY "JEFF" FROM PERTH TODAY WHICH MAKE YOUR WEBSITE SO ESSENTIAL FOR ALL FTA SAT VIEWERS IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION AND BEYOND.
WITHOUT 24 HOUR MONITORING HOW COULD ONE POSSIBLY HAVE KNOWN THAT PART OF THE MULTICHOICE BOUQUET , A CARD FOR WHICH COSTS OVER US$1000 A YEAR WHERE LEGALLY AVAILABLE ( USUALLY ONLY IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES ) IS CURRENTLY FTA.?
WE ARE NOW ABLE TO WATCH, ALBEIT TEMPORARILY, CHANNELS OTHERWISE TOTALLY INACCESIBLE IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION IE REALITY TY, BLOOMBERG EUROPE, CNBC EUROPE AND MANY MORE.
WE CONFIRM THAT AT 0900 GMT THE MULICHOICE BOUQUET ON PANAMSAT 10 3863MHz IS STILL FTA FOR EVERYONE WITHIN THE FOOTPRINT.
MANY THANKS MR SUTTON AND PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
SIAMGLOBAL BANGKOK
From Steve Hume
PAS 8 Golf Feed Live
PAS 8 3996v sr 6617 3/4
Loads as KDD1 9.151M 525N
In NTSC
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From the Dish
Optus B3 152E 12525 V "RTV 21 Sat" has started on , Fta, PIDs 1660/1620.
PAS 10 68.5E New PIDs for all channels in Multichoice Africa. (Reload if you are having problems)
PAS 10 68.5E 3863 V A History Channel info card has started, Irdeto 2,VPIDs 3008 and 3016.
NEWS
Nothing to report
27/11/03
Software update on Foxtel/Austar on the 28th 29th and 30th? be sure to leave your decoder on. Perhaps they may be marrying cards to boxes?? or more likely KILLING pirate cards.
ABN religous channel mentioned yesterday is looking at being on B3 Globecast platform according to an email from them.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Jeff
Multichoice free to air on Pas 10 C band
Multichoice on Pas 10 3863 vertical sr 20600 FEC 3/4 has been free to air since yesterday evening and is still FTA at 1:20 PM Perth time.
Watching Sky News UK as I type this....Enjoy it while its FTA.
From the Dish
Optus C1 156E 12567 V "Raw FM" has left .
Optus C1 156E Centrelink has left 12720 V, moved to Optus B3.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 3760 H "F Men" has left .
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 3669 V The RR Sat mux has left again.
NSS 6 95E 11456 H "F Men" has left .
NSS 6 95E 11543 V "F Men and Fashion TV Hong Kong" have left .
NSS 6 95E 12593 V "Radio Italia Anni '60, Radio Italia and Kanal Melodia" have started, Fta, APIDs 353, 369 and 385.
NSS 6 95E 12593 V "TGRT FM" has started, Fta, APID 401.
ST 1 88E 3582 H "TBL Movies" is now Fta. ( not for long I bet)
Thaicom 2 78.5E 3764 H "BBTV Channel 7" has left .
NEWS
China pulls satellite base off Kiribati
From http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,222193,00.html
SUVA (Fiji) - China is dismantling a satellite tracking base it built on the remote Pacific nation of Kiribati, after the government there opened diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a government official said yesterday.
Chinese officials have told the Kiribati government they are taking the tracking station back to China for 'upgrading'.
Technicians were also seen burning files at the high security compound on the eastern end of the island, an eyewitness said.
The closing down of the tracking station, which Beijing has maintained since 1997, came on the heels of Kiribati President Anote Tong's decision on Nov 7 to recognise Taiwan.
China continues to maintain its mission on Tarawa but its ambassador Ma Shuxue told Radio Kiribati that Beijing would suspend relations next week if ties were maintained with Taiwan.
But by yesterday China had withdrawn its doctors from the only hospital and halted construction of a sports stadium.
The Kiribati government is expected to ask Taipei to help complete work on the US$9 million (S$15 million) sports centre China began two months ago as an aid project.
Kiribati is currently the only nation in the world with diplomatic ties with both China and Taiwan.
Beijing insists that self-governed Taiwan is part of its territory and has successfully used its clout to pressure nations from recognising Taiwan.
Only 27 countries have formal ties with Taiwan.
Although remote, Kiribati's position on the Equator makes it attractive for the aerospace industry. -- AFP, AP
26/11/03
Abn religous channel coming to Australia soon via ku band? according to a comment heard on their Thaicom 3 Cband service.
Fv2 in the TVNZ mux on Optus B1 now active with Colour bars, most likely testing for Maori TV service.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Bassett
The RRsat mux on asiasat 3s 3669 V 13328 has now gone,
5 channels RRsat 1 // 2 RRSat globe, VIC-TV NET VIC-TV NET 2
From the Dish
Nothing from Lyngsat
NEWS
Top TV sport may no longer be free
From http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/25/1069522607076.html
Some international cricket matches, tennis tournaments and rugby competitions could soon disappear from free-to-air television.
The Government is expected to announce before Christmas an overhaul of the list of events that must be shown. The list expires at the end of 2005 and the networks will soon have to begin negotiating rights for events beyond that date.
The 10-year-old anti-siphoning regime was designed to prevent big sports events being shown exclusively on pay TV. Pay TV companies are not allowed to buy the rights to broadcast events on the list unless a free-to-air network also owns the rights.
Sources have told the Herald that the new Communications Minister, Daryl Williams, is likely to cut events that have not been "consistently shown" on free-to-air TV. The Government is expected to take note of recommendations by the Australian Broadcasting Authority.
In a report to the Government in June 2001, the broadcasting watchdog suggested the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, the Australian men's and women's hardcourt tennis championships, and Australia Test and one-day cricket matches outside Australia or Britain could be cut, and the list reviewed after five years.
The former communications minister, Richard Alston, was preparing to take a submission to cabinet to overhaul the anti-siphoning regime just before he stepped down in September. Industry players have been told the new minister views changing the regime as a priority.
There is speculation that the Government wants the issue dealt with before entering the 2004 election year.
The pay TV industry has long been lobbying for a change. It is frustrated by the number of events on the list that are not shown live free-to-air. It claims its growth is being retarded by the free to air industry hoarding well-known sporting events.
Except for the Ashes, Nine has rarely broadcast an international cricket tour live. Seven broadcast live only one of the 31 national soccer league matches last year - the grand final.
The free-to-air networks want the existing list renewed for another 10 years and events such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and world swimming championships added.
Pay TV operators want a system of dual rights, under which neither the free-to-air nor pay networks could obtain exclusive rights to sporting events. But the Government opposes dual rights. It would find it politically difficult to deny viewers sports they have been accustomed to seeing on free-to-air TV.
Gandhi Launches The History Channel On Sky
From press release
SKY Television's newest channel The History Channel will begin broadcasting at 6.30pm this Monday December 1 on button 53 with an episode of its flagship series Biography featuring the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
The History Channel is New Zealand's first and only channel dedicated to history 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week and is available as part of the basic start-up package to SKY digital subscribers.
The History Channel is renowned for bringing history to life for a modern audience while making the past resonate in a way that is both compelling and accessible.
As part of the global A&E network, The History Channel has access to a vast library of the world's best historical programming and can therefore offer critically acclaimed and award-winning documentaries from every corner of the globe. These include the Emmy-Award-winning Biography series, Modern Marvels, History's Mysteries, Escape!, Conquest and Fly Past celebrating a Century of Flight.
SKY Television's Director of Entertainment, Travis Dunbar said: "The History Channel is a wonderful addition to SKY's Digital platform. A service of this quality and depth is sure to attract viewers while further broadening SKY's programming line-up."
The History Channel is programmed for a New Zealand audience and delivered from the FOXTEL network in Australia at a time to suit New Zealand viewers. FOXTEL is Australia's leading subscription television provider and is connected to more than one million homes on both cable and satellite.
Foxtel's Director Of Television, Brian Walsh said: "We are very proud of The History Channel and its expansion into New Zealand - the channel has struck a major chord with our subscribers and we look forward to sharing in its continued success with SKY."
SKY Television now has more than 540,000 subscribers and is in around 40% of New Zealand homes.
China to Launch Sinosat-2 Communications Satellite in 2005
From http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200207/10/eng20020710_99480.shtml
China to launch its Sinosat-2 communications satellite in early 2005, as reported from the Chinese Academy of Space Technology. The geo-static satellite, with big capacity and long life span, represents the latest development of China's space technology.
China to launch its Sinosat-2 communications satellite in early 2005, as reported from the Chinese Academy of Space Technology. The geo-static satellite, with big capacity and long life span, represents the latest development of China's space technology.
Based on China's first generation large-scale pubic platform of communication satellites in geo-stationary orbit, Sinosat-2, the third-generation communication satellite, would carry 24 KU-band transporter with a designed life span of 15 years.
The platform, at a world advanced level for satellites of this kind, can be used in communication tasks of geo-stationary satellites for telecasting, live broadcasting and mobile communications.
Now initial design for Sinosat-2 has passed examination and will be worked out at the end of this year. The formal design will be completed in two years, and delivered to user after being launched in early 2005.
Developing and launching of Sinosat-2 is of great significance for China's satellite industrialization, expert said, for it would serve to guarantee a new generation of large-scale communication satellites and further meeting users' demand at home and abroad.
Sinosat-2 will be run by Sino Satellite Communication Co. Ltd., whose Sinosat-1 has got good social and economic returns.
Backgrounder: Sinosat
Sinosat is a bulky telecommunications satellite manufactured in Europe. There are 24 C-band and 14 KU-band transponders on the satellite.
The service term of the satellite in orbit is 15 years. The satellite serves both China and neighboring countries and areas. The ground monitoring and control station for Sinosat was designedand manufactured by China independently and the software used to control the satellite was also programmed by China.
Sinosat was carried into orbit by the Long March-3B carrier rocket on July 18, 1998, resting at 110.5 degrees east longitude over the equator.
At present, Sinosat serves several dozen users including China's national education and scientific research computer network, theglobal satellite data broadcasting network of Xinhua News Agency, a state program which aims to help all villages in China's less-developed areas to have access to radio and television programs, China Meteorological Administration, Jitong Communications Company,China Unicom and China Education Television Station.
UBC is back in black
From Satellite Today
Thailand's dominant 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. But the main difference in the figures was as a result of rising revenue per subscriber, as well as an increase in the value of the Thai baht, falling satellite transponder rental costs and lower interest rates. UBC's, Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Vasili Sgourdos commented "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 used the announcement of its financial results for the quarter to repeat its long-standing appeal to the Thai authorities to liberalise the broadcasting regime governing pay TV. 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.
History Channel to debut in India on 30 Nov, sets ambitious targets
From Indiantelevision.com
MUMBAI: The one of a kind channel solely dedicated to historical programming - The History Channel - will make its debut in India on the Star Network on 30 November.
This represents a delay of just a week when at Mipcom AETN International, the division of A&E Television Networks had announced the date of 23 November. AETN international markets The History Channel outside the US.
It has set itself the ambitious target of reaching 25 million subscribers by June 2004. Addressing a briefing this morning NGC India MD Zubin Gandevia said that AETN international had chosen the Star platform because of the success that NGC has enjoyed. "National Geographic is the fourth most distributed channel in the country. We have successful engagement programmes with cable operators and we will seek to leverage our relationship with them to achieve the distribution target. When we launch we will straight away be in 15 million homes. Our aim is to be a brand that every family considers a must have. We have also set ourselves the target of a 20 per cent weekly reach by June."
Initially the channel will also have a two-hour Hindi feed everyday. This will increase to 24 hours by June. The cornerstone of Discovery's programme line up will be its series Biography. Elaborating on the strategy Gandevia added, "Research has indicated that Indians have a strong preference for personality led programming. They tend to identify strongly with famous faces. Therefore Biography will air every night in the prime time slot of 10pm. Viewers will get to see historical figures like Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi get profiled."
Discovery's other shows will involve Spy and Espionage, War, Crime and Technology. "The challenge for us is to make history which has been considered traditionally as boring to be innovative and interesting and most importantly relevant to the viewers lives. The entertainment quotient is also vital. The History Channel launched in 1995 and today is available in 150 million households in 70 countries.
"The broadcaster has succeeded because it has always aimed at making a global product around a subject that has global appeal. Over time it has evolved into a creative, distinct brand for the family. Everybody can sit in front of it and learn and be entertained. Our USP is that we offer content that parents would strongly approve of. Having said that research indicates that our core audience would be males 25+ and kids from 7-16," Gandevia said.
Gandevia also mentioned that The History Channel has got over 2000 hours of original programming. The aim is to keep adding 500 hours each year. A long-term goal of the channel is to have 10 per cent of The History Channel's programmes outsourced from India by 2007. As time progresses the broadcaster will progress into locally themed shows with a global appeal.
Star will be using its network to create awareness about the channel. In addition the print and outdoor mediums will also be used. Another promotion could revolve around the Greatest Indian. People could send in their votes online as to whom they think is the greatest Indian of all time. BBC had earlier done this for The Greatest Briton. However the price of The History Channel has yet to be announced.
BBC, ITV and Villiage Roadshow are some of The History Channel's production partners. Gandevia said that this helped to keep costs down.
25/11/03
Live chat tonight 9pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd time onwards in the chatroom. Not a lot to report today. France 2 on B3 was fta overnight but has gone off now. The Vetrun FTA Satellite message forum has really taken off in the last week or so. Be sure to take a look at it via message forum link on the left.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Steve Hume (yes him again)
More Intelsat 701 feeds
Loads as - Intelsat NBA 3
3812 Right S/R: 6109 VPID: 1160 APID1: 1120 APID2: 1122 PCR: 1160
Color Bars atm. Guessing NBA game feeds.
3821 Right S/R: 5632 VPID: 308 APID1: 256 APID2: 257 PCR: 8190
Unable to load fully, looks like color bars. Possibly another feed channel.
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From the Dish
Intelsat 701 180E 3812 R Occasional feeds on , SR 6111, FEC 3/4.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 4020 V "Sahara Swar" has started, Fta, APID 730.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 4020 V "Dubai Al-Quran Al-Kareem" has left , replaced by a Dubai test card.
NSS 6 95E 12729 V "Fashion TV Sydney and F Men" have left .
NEWS
Russian gas giant launches ambitious satellite programme
From http://www.gateway2russia.com/st/art_172697.php
November [Presenter] A Proton booster rocket blasted off from Baykonur Cosmodrome this morning. By now, it has put two Yamal-200 telecommunications satellites into orbit. The satellites were launched with the money of the Russian natural gas giant, but today's events at the cosmodrome were closely watched by the Russian police as well. The Interior Ministry reckons on the Yamals to provide information on theft from oil pipelines and on illegal drilling platforms. Our special correspondent Sergey Dedukh reports. [Correspondent] Preparations for this blast-off, which lasted less than 10 minutes, took years and hundreds of millions of dollars. At 0922 Moscow time [0622 gmt], the heavy rocket Proton with a pair of Yamal-200 satellites underneath its main fairing lifts off Baykonur Cosmodrome. Gazkom, the telecommunications firm owned by Gazprom, is in the process of consolidating its orbital fleet. At the moment, Gazkom only operates a single satellite, Yamal-100. That satellite provides communications, control and accountability in gas transport and distribution systems. The two Yamal-200s, whose capacity is triple that of Yamal-100, if put into orbit successfully, would enable any mode of communications right across Eurasia, as well as in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, in the Middle East and in North Africa. Basically, everywhere Gazprom's interests extend. [Aleksandr Ananenkov, deputy board chairman of Gazprom, captioned] In 2005 two more satellites, a third and fourth, will be put into orbit and then the system's capability will be expanded even more and in this way there will be five [as received] Gazprom satellites operating in orbit, enabling all those interests and the tasks Gazprom is setting for space technology. [Correspondent] Yamal's capacity does not only meet Gazprom's needs. If in 2005 Gazkom increases its fleet to five satellites, it is bound to become a serious player on the international telecoms market. Already, a contract is being considered, for example, to broadcast Israeli television networks to Birobidzhan. Furthermore, federal organizations are using the Yamal system. [Andrey Shestakov, Gazkom first deputy managing director, captioned] Today we have about six ministries leasing capacity on our satellite for their tasks. Some examples are the Atomic Energy Ministry, the Federal Department for Safe Storage and Disposal of Chemical Weapons, the Finance Ministry's treasury for the Chechen Republic, among others. But we are supplementing the existing state-owned fleet with our satellites. [Correspondent] Only 585 seconds elapse after the lift-off when at an altitude of 215 km the third stage is jettisoned and the two satellites fly further driven by Booster D, which was once built for the Soviet lunar programme. A little less than seven hours after the lift-off, the Yamal-200 satellites are to reach geostationary orbit at an altitude of 35,800 km. The blast-off can only be regarded as successful after the satellites have responded to test commands from the Earth. Sergey Dedukh, Anton Peredelskiy and Andrey Fedulov, NTV, from Baykonur Cosmodrome.
Russia Launches Two Yamal-200 Satellites
From Press Release
Two Russian telecommunication satellites Yamal-200 have been launched. They were built and manufactured at S.P.Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia based on the multi-purpose satellite bus, the first version of which has been in operation on geostationary within Yamal-100 satellite since September 6, 1999.
Yamal-200 satellites to be placed into 90 deg.E and 49 deg.E geostationary orbit slots, respectively, are designed for transmission of large amounts of data between regions of Russian Federation and former Soviet Union in the interests of the Gasprom company and other users, including TV broadcasts.
The mass of SC-1 is 1360 kg, the mass of SC-2 is 1320 kg. The satellites are designed to operate in orbit for more than 12 years.
The launch of the Proton-Yamal integrated launch vehicle consisting of Proton-K launch vehicle (LV), the space upper stage of the Block DM-type as the fourth stage and a satellite stack of two spacecraft Yamal-200 took place at 9 hours 22 minutes Moscow time.
Alenia Spazio Signs Agreement With Russia For Telco Satellites
From http://www.spacedaily.com/news/satellite-biz-03zzzd.html
During the state visit of President Putin to Italy, Alenia Spazio signed an important agreement with RSCC, the Russian satellite operator, under which the Finmeccanica group company has been awarded a contract to supply two payloads -- on-board electronic systems -- complete with antennas for the new generation of light satellites, called Express MD, for commercial telecommunications and TV in Russia. The agreement also includes an option for a further two systems.
Alenia Spazio has also signed an agreement for wide collaboration with Khrunichev that will strengthen the ties between the two companies in satellite programmes, where the Russian company will supply satellite platforms and Alenia Spazio payloads. The first result of the agreement is the co-operation on the Express MD programme.
The two agreements consolidate the collaboration that Alenia Spazio has had for some time with the Russian space agency (Rosaviakosmos) and other Russian companies, including GASCOM (GASPROM group), to supply telemetry and telecommand equipment, and a complex system of antennas, for two telecommunications and TV satellites of the Yamal-200 programme slated to be launched from the Baikonur base on November 20.
Co-operation is also on-going with RKK ENERGIA in building the ATV cargo vehicle to supply the International Space Station and for the construction of new-generation, large diameter (12 metres) antennas for mobile telecommunications.
Turner International India to launch 24-hour kids’ channel, POGO
From http://www.agencyfaqs.com/news/stories/2003/11/25/7709.html
When Time Warner company Turner International launched its animation channel, Cartoon Network, in India in 1995, it raised many eyebrows. After all, a 24-hour cartoon channel was not something Indians were used to watching.
Eight years on, the group is at it again. Only this time Turner International hopes to plug yet another gap in the kids’ entertainment space – live action. While channels such as Nickelodeon (once part of the ZEE-Turner Bouquet) target a similar brood of viewers, the big difference is, it is not aired round the clock. Sensing an opportunity here, Turner International India announced the launch of POGO – a new 24-hour television channel created exclusively for kids in India – at a press meet organised in Delhi yesterday.
POGO will be broadcast via the PAS-10 satellite and will be available to viewers across the country beginning January 1, 2004, as part of the ZEE-Turner bouquet. This new offering from Turner would include multi-genre dramas, comedies, movies, animation and special documentaries.
Unveiling the channel, Anshuman Misra, managing director, Turner International India, said, “Moving beyond animation to kids’ live action, POGO is a first for Turner, not only in India, but for Turner Broadcasting worldwide.” While the channel brass has yet to talk to companies for advertising opportunities, it plans to bundle POGO with Cartoon Network and other channels in the bouquet for advertising and cross promotion. Misra adds, “We are confident that POGO will enhance our offering to advertisers, distributors and most importantly, appeal to our viewers.”
The Turner group seems upbeat about the prospects of the channel. “Ever since we launched Cartoon Network in India in 1995, we have been closely monitoring the kids’ entertainment genre. Recognising that television is an integral part of kids’ lives, it is important to continue to offer them a choice of kids-specific multi-genre programming, on a destination aimed at them and a destination parents will want them to watch,” says Ian Diamond, senior vice-president and general manager, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc. Diamond also mentioned that the channel would offer consumer local productions in due course and perhaps look at dubbing of these programmes in Hindi if consumer feedback point at a need to do so.
To get the mix right, the group had undertaken a research to find out how exactly the channel could aim to plug the gap. “Research shows a need for more programming dedicated to young kids and across a wider time band. In fact, our existing strengths in this genre point to early success of ‘Young Kids’ mornings and afternoons on POGO. In line with research showing older kids view more programme genres, POGO’s Kids Prime and Family time bands provide kid-friendly alternatives to existing fare on adult-oriented channels,” adds Duncan Morris, vice-president, research, Turner International, Asia Pacific.
Programming on POGO is genre-based and has been divided under three key day parts, which include ‘Young Kids’ (morning and afternoon), ‘Kids Prime’ (early evening) and ‘Family & Special Events’ (evening). For the youngest members of the family, POGO will have international shows designed to promote learning and development such as Barney & Friends, Boohbah, Teletubbies, Miffy & Friends, Tweenies and Ethelbert The Tiger. For older kids, the channel would showcase drama, comedy and variety shows such as Brum, Hi-5, The Sleepover Club and Beakman’s World. Since family is also a segment that the channel intends to target through its offerings, POGO has programmes such as Wallace & Gromit, Mr Bean - the animated series, Lois & Clarke: The New Adventures Of Superman, and Walking With Dinosaurs.
24/11/03
Well the rugby was great, my score pick was close. Steve Hume has found some new activity on I701 its not a satellite many look at due to it really needing a Circular pol capeable feed. He is using a 3.8M mesh in Queensland with regular V/H pol LNBF which is enough to make up from the signal loss from not having a circular pol capeable feed.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Siamglobal
Telkom & Thaicom
We confirm that Mr Lynsgstrom is entirely wrong and that the two Apsatters in Australia are completely correct. The Telkom horizontaL transponder at
3900 Mh s/r 2000 is broadcasting a very strong signal and this comes up as 9mhz Pal 1au. It shows a colour bar and an audio track of a radio prog is playing.
In addition we have tried for the last 3 days to receive the currently posted BB 7 channel on Thaicom 2 3764mhz s/r 4420 H but can receive no signal whatsoever ! The appearance of this channel in digital would be highly significant here were it true,
as it would be a reason for Thai sat owners to finally go digital as only one domestic channel would then remain unavailable in C band fta digital.
The above info is backed up by Satodx which we recommend for checking any postings. They list the Telkom transpoder but show no BB7 digital channel with the above parameters..
The moral seems to be : do not blindly believe the listings on one of the two services. If the posting is correct both Lyngsat and Satco should have it listed.
Siamglobal Bangkok
From Steve Hume
Intelsat 701
3803 RHC S/R: 6109 VPID: 1160 APID1: 1120 APID2: 1122 PCR: 1160
Loads on Coship as INTELSAT RIVE. Something about "NBA TV". Could this
be the NBA TV the yanks were all excited about?
Currently has a score sheet up, running updates of Basketball games.
DSNG 2
3821 RHC S/R: 5632 VPID: 308 APID1: 256 APID2: 257 PCR: 8190
Having problems loading image. No idea what it was now, vision gone.
DSNG 3
3830 RHC S/R: 5632 VPID: 308 APID1: 256 APID2: 257 PCR: 8190
BT LA Test Bars up like on Ku.
On 3769 RHC is now carrying Pictures of Croatia, and Abu Dhabi TV Pictures of Croatia VPID: 2660 APID: 2620 (SAT in red in a little box
top right) Abu Dhabi TV VPID: 2560 APID: 2520
3815 RHC S/R: 5632 "Colour Bars"
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From Dharmesh Bamrolia
Dear sir,
New radio channel called 'SAHARA SWAR' has started
on Asiasat 3S on freq.4020 V.
There are 2 separate audio o/p as 2 radio channel on
one freq./pid.(One song on left track, another song on right track)
So, enjoy all Hindi listeners!!!
From the Dish
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 3669 V "RR Sat promos, VIC-TV and occasional RR Sat feeds" have started on ,Fta, SR 13333, FEC 3/4, PIDs 1058-1105/1059 and 2081/2082.
Intelsat 701 180E 3803 R "NBA TV Barker" has started on , Fta, SR 6111, FEC 3/4,PIDs 1160/1120, West hemi beam.
Intelsat 701 180E Occasional British Telecom feeds on 3821 R and 3830 R, SR 5632, FEC 3/4,West hemi beam.
Intelsat 701 180E 3769 R Abu Dhabi TV Europe and HRT Satelitski Program have started on , Fta, PIDs 2560/2520 and 2660/2620.
Sinosat 1 110.5E 12726 H "Shanghai Education TV" has started, Fta, SR 2605, FEC 3/4, PIDs 110/111.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3905 H "Reuters World News Service" is fta again.
NSS 6 95E 12688 VA SatLink test card and a New Skies promo have started on , Fta,SR 26087, FEC 3/4, PIDs 257/258 and 513/514.
Launch time for Yamal 201 and Yamal 202 with Proton on 24 November: 06:06 UTC.
NEWS
Adventure One Makes Way For History Channel
From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=46851
MUMBAI: STAR India will replace its Adventure One channel with History Channel in its distribution bouquet. History Channel, which is owned by US-based A&E Television Networks, will be launched in India on November 30.
National Geographic Channel had obtained rights for History Channel for the Asian region. The company has given the distribution rights in India to the STAR Group. STAR will have to pay a minimum guarantee fee. STAR will also handle the ad sales of History Channel in India.
History Channel will be available from 8 am to 12 midnight. Adventure One channel will be shown only from midnight to 8 am. Both the channels are on AsiaSat-3. “Adventure One will be accommodated by History Channel in India. It will continue to beam in the Asian region. We are planning to get the channel back only in the conditional access system (CAS) scenario,” said a source.
A thrill-seekers channel, Adventure One could not attract viewers in India. STAR Group had secured a three-year distribution deal. A wholly owned subsidiary of National Geographic Channels International, Adventure One is an encrypted digital format on the AsiaSat-3 satellite. The channel has adventure travel, sport, personality, outdoor and the environment.
STAR is yet to finalise the price of the History Channel. Adventure One did not have any price tag for cable operators but formed part of the STAR distribution bouquet. “We haven’t decided on the price. But we are launching the channel on November 30,” said STAR India chief operating officer Sameer Nair.
History Channel has a wide range of content ranging from biographies, war, espionage and modern gizmos. Several political leaders including Nelson Mandela are profiled on the channel. It will also have content on Hollywood personalities.
Turner Intl Lines Up New Channel For Indian Market
From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=46850
NEW DELHI: Turner International, part of the Time Warner group, is likely to bring a new channel into the India market soon. Currently, the group is represented by CNN and Cartoon Network in the country.
There’s a strong possibility of a movie channel being launched by the Turner group. Even as company officials were not available for comment, it is understood that the group would like to have a movie channel in India. It could even be a comeback for a movie channel. The toss is between Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and TNT (a mix of movie and entertainment channel), it is being speculated. Internationally, Turner has CNN, TNT, TCM, Cartoon Network, TBS, and a few sport channels.
For almost one year now, Turner has not had a movie channel in its India offering, if Zee channels are not taken into account. Turner channels are distributed along with those of Zee in the country. Popular movie channel HBO, which was earlier part of the Turner bouquet, switched over to Sony’s ‘One Alliance’ platform from January. There’s been a clear void in the Turner offerings since then.
That was not the first time that a void was created in the Turner bouquet, in terms of movie space. A couple of years ago, its English classic movie channel (TNT and then TCB) was pulled out from the India market, disappointing many film freaks in the process. In fact, no movie channel, in any of the bouquets, has been able to fill up that gap.
Time Warner is the world’s leading media and entertainment company, whose businesses include interactive services, cable systems, filmed entertainment, television networks, music and publishing.
T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 45/2003 ? 23 November 2003 -
A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by TELE-satellite International
Editor: Branislav Pekic
A S I A & P A C I F I C
AUSTRALIA
ANIMAL PLANET SIGNS DISTRIBUTION DEAL
Discovery Networks Asia will almost triple the distribution of Animal Planet
in Australia next month, after signing a carriage deal putting the channel
into Foxtel's pay-TV bouquet. From December 1 the wildlife-themed service,
a joint-venture between Discovery and BBC Worldwide, will join Discovery
Channel on the News Corp-backed pay platform. Discovery Channel also airs
on Austar, while Animal Planet is also carried by Optus.
TELSTRACLEAR PREPARES TO LAUNCH DIGITAL TV SERVICE
New Zealand telco TelstraClear will rollout a digital TV service in the
country in 2004. The cable network will need some upgrades and will initially
launch the service in Wellington and Christchurch in mid 2004 where it has
40,000 analogue customers. The company said it has not yet decided what
set-top boxes it will use.
CHINA - HONG KONG
HONG KONG CABLE GETS 2006 WORLD CUP
Zug, Switzerland: Infront Sports & Media AG has signed an exclusive agreement
with Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (Hong Kong Cable), a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the i-CABLE Communications Group, for the Hong Kong television
rights to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Hong Kong Cable will show all 64 matches
of the 2006 event, which takes place in Germany. The agreement follows the
company's successful carriage of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, which
took place in the same Asian time zone and was tremendously popular with
viewers. Hong Kong Cable, the leading pay-TV service provider in Hong Kong,
has established a leading position in sports programming and the FIFA World
Cup which is "must have" programming will be the highlight of its 2006
schedule.
CETV TO RELAUNCH IN 2004
Loss-making China Entertainment Television (CETV) will breakeven within
three years, according to new owners, the Hong Kong multimedia company,
Tom.com. Chief executive Sing Wang made the prediction as he unveiled plans
to relaunch CETV, the cable and satellite-delivered Mandarin-language channel
in 2004, its' 10th anniversary year. Sing also revealed plans to move CETV's
production base from Hong Kong to the Chinese city of Shenzhen. At the same
time the sales, advertising, marketing and public relations teams would
be relocated to China's largest cities, Guangdzhou, Shanghai and Beijing
as part of a cost-cutting move. CETV, founded by Hong Kong-based entertainment
veteran Robert Chua, has failed to turn a profit since it went on air in
1994, even after Chua sold it to Time Warner in 1999 before they sold the
channel to Tom.com earlier this year. CETV is only one of four channels
with landing rights in southern China, although this advantage is offset
by its poor reception by audiences and it only has a two percent market
share in the areas it can be seen. Sing said that next year the channel
will ramp up the percentage of in-house production from 15 per cent to as
high as 45 per cent. The losses in 2002 reached $17 million before taxes
and other deductions, with less than $500,000 in revenue.
CHINA TO PROMOTE DIGITAL CABLE
Chinese broadcast regulator SARFT has given more details of its planned
move to digital. The first phase will involve rolling out digital cable
services. The second, starting in 2005, will see the debut of digital satellite
broadcasts and trials of digital terrestrial services. In the last phase,
the 2008 Beijing summer Olympics will be used to promote the take up of
digital sets and high definition services. The transition to digital cable
will be complete in four stages between 2005 and 2015, at which point all
analogue signals will be switched off.
INDIA
MUSIC VIDEOS TO BE SCREENED BY GOVERNMENT
According to local daily, the Hindustan Times, the Indian government's Information
and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry will begin screening and certifying music
videos before they can be broadcast on locally uplinked channels. The videos
will now have to be cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC),
and given a U (universal) certificate, before making it to air. For channels
broadcast from outside the country, content will be regulated through the
Cable TV Regulation Act, which gives cable operators the right to block
a given channel or program. I&B Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the ruling
was necessary because of the increasingly risqué videos making their way
onto Indian screens. "Makers of music videos must understand the psyche
of the Indian people and should make programs which are within the limits
of decency. The vulgarity must stop," he said. The certification ruling
will not dramatically affect channels uplinked from outside of India, such
as Channel V and MTV, but will likely have severe ramifications for local
music and entertainment channels like Sahara and ETC.
IRAN
VOA-TV REACHES 12% OF IRANIANS
Voice of America's (VOA) Persian television programmes, including a daily
show that focuses on sought-after news and information, are reaching a remarkable
12 per cent of Iranians over the age of 18, a new survey shows. "News and
Views", a 30-minute programme launched only three months before the survey,
along with two separate weekly Persian-language programmes, are seen by
about four million people each week via direct-to-home satellite, according
to a nationwide telephone survey taken in September. The survey of over
1,000 people also shows that the total audience for all US international
broadcasting products - radio and television - tops out at 18 per cent of
the adult population of Iran, a country where the government jams international
radio broadcasts, bans television satellite dishes and censors all news.
While VOA-TV reaches 12 per cent of the over-18 population, Radio Farda
has a 7 per cent audience share and VOA Persian radio has 2 per cent. "It's
amazing that in a country where viewing of satellite television is illegal,
American-produced news shows in Persian can attract 12 per cent viewership,"
said Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors
(BBG), which oversees all US non-military international broadcasting. He
noted that "News and Views" has quickly proved popular, attracting a 6 per
cent audience.
ISRAEL
SCRIPPS PROGRAMMES ON THE GOODLIFE CHANNEL
Israeli broadcaster, The Goodlife Channel, has licensed at least 300 hours
of lifestyle television programming from the American-owned Scripps Networks.
The lifestyle network, owned by Israel's Ananey Communications, will initially
air HGTV's Extreme Homes and Fantasy Open House; Food Network's Ming's Quest,
Keith Famie's Adventures, Good Eats, Melting Pot, Barefoot Contessa, $40
A Day, Date Plate and Food Fight. From DIY Do It Yourself Network, Goodlife
will broadcast Cake Baking & Decorating and Fine Living's Breathing Room,
Luxury Adventures, The Great Adventure, Radical Sabbatical, Your Private
Island and Sheila Bridges: Designer Living, as well as 10 hours of Fine
Living interstitials. The Goodlife Channel features local and international
programming on interior design, food and drink, health and beauty, and spirituality.
JAPAN
BROADCASTERS TO PROTECT DIGITAL CONTENT FROM PRIVACY
Japan Broadcasting Corp., known as NHK, and the National Association of
Commercial Broadcasters in Japan said on November 17 that they will add
a signal to terrestrial and satellite digital broadcasts beginning next
April to prevent programs from being copied more than once. The measure
comes in response to concerns that because digital content can be copied
multiple times with no degradation in quality, copyrights for audio and
video programming could be infringed. Japanese public and private broadcasters
said they will introduce a common card, called B-CAS Card, which will be
given to consumers when they purchase digital TVs. Viewers will have to
insert the card into their TVs in order to watch or record digital content,
while broadcasters will air their shows with a special transmission signal
enabling only a single, non re-recordable copy of the program to be made,
the broadcasters said. The method will apply to both existing broadcasting
satellite (BS) digital programs and terrestrial digital broadcasts, which
are set to begin December 1 in some areas of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Since
digital broadcasts are of high quality, which does not deteriorate with
recording, broadcasters fear these characteristics may encourage piracy.
SKYPERFECT SIGNS DEAL WITH HARMONIC
Harmonic Inc. on November 17 announced that SKY Perfect Communications,
Japan's leading digital multi-channel satellite broadcasting company, is
upgrading its video infrastructure with Harmonic digital headend systems.
Harmonic's DiviCom MPEG-2 encoders and DiviTrackXE statistical multiplexer,
which form the foundation of the new service, are expected to effectively
double the capacity of SKY Perfect's existing satellites while improving
picture quality. SKY Perfect will also use Harmonic's NMX Digital Service
Manager to maximize service availability and simplify the operation of its
geographically distributed video infrastructure. The system is scheduled
to be fully operational in January 2005. With more than three million direct-to-home
(DTH) subscribers, SKY Perfect is Japan's leading digital multi-channel
satellite broadcasting company. SKY Perfect Communications Inc. had total
assets as of March 31, 2003 of approximately US$1,101 million and total
annual revenues of approximately US$596 million.
Internet - http://www.skyperfectv.co.jp/skycom/e/
http://www.harmonicinc.com
JAPANESE INTERESTED IN DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TV
Nine of 10 people surveyed want to watch terrestrial digital TV broadcasts
due to begin in Japan's three major urban areas in December, according to
a survey released on November 17. Conducted by Tokyo Broadcasting System
Inc., advertising agency Hakuhodo Inc. and Matsushita Electric Industrial
Co., the survey found that 92.8% of surveyed people want to watch the broadcasts.
Asked whether they want to watch the broadcasts on portable TVs when they
become available, 74.4% replied in the positive. Many of those respondents
intend to use portable sets when they wait for trains and other transportation
means or when they are aboard them. The survey was conducted in October
on 180 people, aged between 20 and 49, in the Tokyo metropolitan area by
showing demonstration broadcasts on both regular and portable TVs.
FUJI TV PROFITS UP
Fuji Television Network Inc. said on November 19 its group net profit for
the six months to Sept. 30 rose 37.4% from a year earlier to 14.07 billion
yen. In its consolidated earnings report, the leading broadcaster said it
posted a pre-tax profit of 25.64 billion yen in the first half, up 21.1%,
with revenues rising 5.0% to 225.88 billion yen. Fuji Television said revenues
in its mainstay segment, which includes television broadcasting, movies
and events, increased 7.1% to 179.94 billion yen, with those from non-broadcasting
businesses soaring 101.1%. Broadcasting revenues fell 2.1% amid the still
sluggish advertising market. For the full year to March 31, Fuji Television
forecasts a net profit of 22 billion yen and a pre-tax profit of 41.5 billion
yen on revenues of 442.5 billion yen.
PROFITS DOWN AT NIPPON TV
Nippon Television Network Corp. on November 20 reported double-digit profit
falls for the half year to September 30 amid slumping ad revenue. NTV, said
its group net profit for the six months fell 14.1% to 9.33 billion yen,
while its pre-tax and operating profits slid 19.4% to 18.62 billion yen
and 21.7% to 18.13 billion yen. Group revenue dropped 5.6% to 160.88 billion
yen. The major commercial TV network's mainline TV broadcasting business
saw revenue decline 4.6% to 141.12 billion yen. In its full-year outlook,
NTV expects group net profit to fall to 10.50 billion yen from the previous
year's 20.30 billion yen on projected revenue of 325.70 billion yen, down
from 336.30 billion yen.
DISNEY CHANNEL LAUNCHES
The Walt Disney Co launched the Disney Channel, a TV station exclusively
for the company's entertainment programs, in Japan on November 18 with a
ceremony in Tokyo. The U.S. entertainment and media giant provides three
core patterns of programs aimed at preschool children, grade school and
junior high school students, and families via satellite TV broadcaster Sky
Perfect Communications Inc and cable TV networks.
A F R I C A
ETHIOPIA
GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE BROADCASTING LICENCE
According to local press reports, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Agency has
said that it would start giving broadcasting licence this year [some time
in 2004]. The agency's public relations officer, Sisay Meles, on November
18 said that the licence would be given to private, government or community
owned radio and television stations.
SOUTH AFRICA
TV5 JOINS MULTICHOICE PACKAGE
French channel TV5 has signed a carriage agreement with South African satellite
operator Multichoice, giving local audiences access to a Francophone network
for the first time. From January next year, TV5 will be offered on the DStv
platform which boasts 750,000 subscribers. TV5 is already available to almost
1m viewers in sub-Saharan Africa on two other pay-TV services run by Multichoice.
This latest deal secures total coverage across the African continent for
the 24-hour generalist channel. Over 135 million homes in more than 165
countries can now receive TV5 via cable and satellite feeds worldwide.
ZIMBABWE
ZBC TO INTRODUCE NATIONAL CHANNEL
THE Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) will establish another television
channel called National Television (NTV) next month, focussing on vernacular
languages. NTV, which will become operational from December 1 and will broadcast
from Montrose Studios in Bulawayo, will be a national channel focussing
on Shona and Ndebele programmes. ZBC deputy chairman Mr Justin Mutasa said
the establishment of NTV was part of the corporation's ongoing commercialisation
programme. "The establishment of NTV is a result of a 5 million Iranian
credit facility that was availed to the corporation and will see state-of-the-art
studios being built at Montrose Studios. Its establishment will largely
help in the showcasing of local and African talent which could not all be
accommodated on the single channel currently available," said Mutasa. Iran
has agreed to help revamp ZBC's equipment under the Zimbabwe-Iran Joint
Commission.
23/11/03
No update Sunday
22/11/03
B1 should have some RWC related feeds tonight. My pick Australia 20 England 23
Someone has asked what is Free-XTV , sorry I assumed everyone knew it is a "Free" adults only channel, website for it is here http://www.free-xtv.com/
Can people who can get Telkom 1 at 108E take a look at 3899H SR: 2000. FEC: 3/4 and please send me and email and also cc: it to Lyngsat he is refusing to publish this signal as according to him "3899 H is not possible to use on Telkom 1,according to the technical documentation from Telkom"
That doesn't explain why there are at least 2 people in NT getting it without problems in fact its a very strong signal when its on-air
From my Emails & ICQ
From various
Feeds seen on B1
12318 H 6984 3/4 - B1 Tadiran Scopus - Tadiran Scopus -
12371 H 6666 3/4 - Channel V Feed
12398 H 7200 3/4 - B1 Seven Network - BCS Slot 6 -
Saturday
12430 V 7000 3/4? B1 Seven Network - BCS Slot 6 -
From Kotak
Intelsat 704
Freq:4058, Pol:V, s/r: 27500,3/4 (Ch 1401,Ch 1402,Ch 1403) Fta
Three Channal
Insat 3A
Freq:4120, Pol:V,s/r: 5000,3/4 (Pid P:8190, V:308, A:257) Fta
DD Gujarati Feed
Mukesh Kotak
From the Dish
PAS 8 166E 3860 H "Videoland Sports and CTI TV International" are encrypted again.MAC TV is Fta again.
Gorizont 31 140E Gorizont 31 has replaced Gorizont 25 at 140 East.
Gorizont 25 has left 140 East, moving west.
Apstar 1A 134E All channels in the CCTV muxes on 4160 H and 4180 V are now in clear.
ST 1 88E 3582 H "Phoenix InfoNews, Phoenix Chinese and Azio TV" are encrypted again.
Insat 3C 74E 4150 V "DD Hissar" has started , Fta, SR 5000, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650.
Insat 3C 74E 4166 V "DD Raipur" has started , Fta, SR 5000, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650.
Insat 3C 74E 4174 V "DD Ranchi" has started , Fta, SR 5000, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650.
Apstar 2R 76.5E 3631 H "TV Lanka" has started , Fta, SR 3500, FEC 2/3, PIDs 1360/1320.
PAS 10 68.5E 3716 V "Christmas Music" has replaced Urban Beat on , Irdeto 2, APID 1979.
(M Rudenko)
Insat 3E 55E Insat 3E has moved from 52 East to 55 East.
New launch date for Apstar 5 on Zenit/Sea Launch: 28 April.
NEWS
Maori Television Service deal, but no start date
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Long-lasting wrangles between the Government and the Maori Television Service appear to have been resolved, but the channel's on-air date remains uncertain.
Two months ago the Government approved a last-minute bid by the service to go to air on a Sky channel, after appearing ready to reject the deal.
But a formal announcement was not made because the approval was subject to several conditions.
Those conditions created a fresh round of tensions between the parties, including talk of legal action.
Under the Sky deal, MTS will use one of Sky's existing UHF channels in exchange for letting Sky use the four frequencies reserved for Maori television it has been squatting on.
Associate Communications Minister David Cunliffe refused yesterday to spell out what the problem over the management right was, but said "we had to think our way through some process issues".
But a letter which should clear the path for Sky and MTS to conclude negotiations had been sent last week.
MTS would not comment yesterday on when it expected to go to air, saying commercial arrangements were yet to be completed.
Political pressure builds for Maori Television to launch
From http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=7607&cid=1&cname=Media
Maori Television Service is set to go on the recruitment trail to find a new chief executive as political pressure mounts for the channel to launch.
Amid political embarrassment over MTS snafus, Prime Minister Helen Clark is said to have told Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia to get the channel broadcasting "no matter what."
Acting chief executive Ani Waaka is holding the fort but chairman Wayne Walden is playing a significant role in the running of the company.
And in the latest unorthodox move, MTS has appointed a board member, Tawini Rangihau, to be its general manager of news.
Meanwhile, a team of top broadcasting executives with commercial experience has been working to get MTS broadcasting by Waitangi Day if possible.
Since Derek Fox stepped down as CEO on August 22 the board has sought television expertise outside the tiny pool of Maori television management talent.
To that end MTS has secured the services of Prime Television New Zealand chairman Brent Harman on a short-term consultancy to push ahead planning for the on air date.
Mr Harman is a former chief executive of TVNZ, managing director of giant UK television company Flextech and, until last year, chief executive of Prime Australia.
Mr Harman sought to play down his role and MTS spokeswoman Sonya Haggie said his consultancy was nearing completion.
There is some sensitivity at MTS that the involvement of Mr Harman and other non-Maori will be depicted as pakeha stepping in to sort out problems at the Maori channel.
Another respected executive sent in to gear up for the launch is Paul France, the former chief executive of Singapore-based Asia Business News and a former head of production at TVNZ.
Also involved is Trish Carter, the former deputy head of news and current affairs at TVNZ who is setting up new systems to run the MTS news service.
Ms Carter who worked alongside Mr Harman when he ran Newstalk 1ZB and was recently dumped by TVNZ head of news and current affairs Bill Ralston in a changing of the guard has extensive experience overseeing One News and Holmes.
The run of temporary appointments is believed to have stemmed from the appointment to the MTS board of Rod Cornelius, a retired former general manager of the Avalon Studios. Mr Cornelius is a respected veteran of the TV business and he is also Mr Walden's neighbour in Devonport, Auckland.
Meanwhile, another major issue for MTS getting to air transmission has still not been resolved.
Mr Walden was still in negotiations this week with Sky executives over leasing the Sky UHF channel being used to broadcast CNN.
Under pressure from Maori MPs and the Ministry of Maori Development, Te Puni Kokiri, the Cabinet approved MTS going with the Sky option rather than using a set of frequencies set aside by the Crown for Maori.
Cabinet ministers Steve Maharey and Michael Cullen had opposed the change and Sky's role, but with Maori hostility growing over the seabed and foreshore issue the government avoided more ill will with its Maori caucus.
Sky faced costs of more than $10 million if MTS used the Crown-allocated frequencies because it had tuned set-top boxes into TV sets using the channels allocated to MTS.
MTS, Te Puni Kokiri and Mr Horomia's office all refused to discuss the status of talks.
However, parliamentary sources said MTS had indicated it wanted to take over management rights for the Crown-allocated network as well as the network being leased from Sky.
The Ministry of Economic Development is required to hand over the frequencies to MTS.
One source said that Sky wanted the Crown frequencies to remain unused, ensuring there was no more competition for Sky, and that this was not a good way to manage a scarce resource.
But Sky spokesman Tony O'Reilly said he was unaware of any problems or concerns.
Meanwhile, MTS looks certain to be well serviced by transmission on two platforms.
MTS will be broadcast on analogue UHF frequencies and available for free on the Sky digital platform.
Non-Sky subscribers will be able to receive the digital MTS signal using a satellite dish like the one used to receive Sky plus a satellite receiver available at electronics stores and on the web for $250-450.
Humax Co. Ltd Enters US Consumer Electronics Market With Digital Flat Panel TVs and Digital Video Recorders
From Press release
Announces Plans of Humax USA Launch at 2004 Consumer Electronics Show
SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Korean-based Humax Co. Ltd today announced plans for its US debut at the upcoming 2004 Consumer Electronics Show, to be held in Las Vegas, NV, from January 8-11. At the show, executives will share the company's US marketing strategy with members of the press, sales representatives and retailers, and unveil their 2004 line-up of flat panel televisions and digital video recorders.
Founded in 1989, Humax is recognized as one of the top three leading manufacturers of satellite set-top boxes worldwide. Currently conducting business in over ninety countries, Humax's strong strategic alliances with leading operators, major consumer electronics companies and technology partners internationally will help facilitate its entry into the competitive US consumer electronics market.
The company's marketing and distribution efforts are being led by Sales and Marketing Vice President Tony Goncalves, who previously successfully managed various product lines and business development affairs for Samsung and Sharp Electronics. "I'm excited about this opportunity for Humax," says Goncalves. "We are starting from a clean slate in this venture, allowing us to employ our R&D and marketing experiences and create products that consumers want to use and that retailers want to sell."
Humax also announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with TiVo to manufacture DVR products in 2004. The companies will discuss this venture in January at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Goncalves added, "The DVR market segment is prime for explosive growth these next few years. The hard disk drive in CE products is here to stay, as is consumer's desire to manage content. The market is wide open for a new manufacturer that can drive innovation and cost. Humax's dominant position in the set-top box industry will allow for such innovation. And we are looking forward to delivering DVRs that carry the powerful TiVo brand in 2004, as they clearly are the leader in driving DVR sales at retail."
The initial launch of the Humax product line will be through independent, higher-end retailers. Two-step distributors will be brought on to serve smaller independent home installation retailers.
Humax's US effort is part of a larger, global company effort. Each of the company's six worldwide subsidiaries will be announcing plans to enter their respective consumer electronics markets with niche, innovation driven CE products. This initiative will drive Humax to become a $1 billion company, with an anticipated 45% of revenue coming from these new businesses by 2006.
Dr. Dae Gyu Byun, CEO & President of Humax says, "Humax, in short, aims to become a Digital Home Multimedia Product Provider of reliable products that allow consumers to enjoy a wealth of content at home. Humax will continuously release more advanced products that will combine various set-top box functions, storage, and networking ability. Humax is confident it will stand as a competitive Global CE Brand with $1 billion in revenues worldwide by year 2006."
21/11/03
Sorry no time for a Friday update back Saturday
20/11/03
Free XTV is coming to Australia according to posts over at Austech Forum. They will use NSS 6 at 95.5E which is going to be difficult for many in eastern Australia to get due to the low look angle. Some have had to mount dishes upside down to be able to get the dish down to the right elevation. While the signal should be strong enough there WILL be problems for some due to ground noise and rain fade. Its expected they will use the standard Irdeto 2 type access card for a one off payment rather than their special "freextv" cam used in Europe.
Looks like Saturn Cable in NZ is expanding and going digital.
NZ to Score 50 against France tonight in a rugby revenge match
From my Emails & ICQ
Aus Idol Feeds reported last night by Various people
12400 V Sr 6667 Fec 3/4 "crowd"
12412 V Sr 6667 Fec 3/4 "4:2:2?"
12420 V Sr 6667 Fec 3/4 "Delayed TX
12430 V Sr 6667 Fec 3/4 "Non Delayed
From Skip
PAS8 3860H SR28000 SID12 in this mux (MAC TV) is now encrypted.
From the Dish
PAS 8 166E 3860 H "MAC TV" is now encrypted.
NEWS
Digital TV for Wellington, Christchurch
From http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2732086a13,00.html
Australian-owned carrier TelstraClear expects to launch a digital television service from the middle of next year in Wellington and Christchurch.
TelstraClear head of consumer sales Steve Jackson said digital television offered much higher picture quality, stereo sound, interactivity and more channels.
The subscription price for the digital cable TV would rise, but he said no decision had been made on how much.
TelstraClear was upgrading its cable network in Wellington and Christchurch to offer digital television. Cable television was now received through analogue transmission, he said.
The only other digital television service in New Zealand is Sky TV.
The upgrade would cost about $1.5 million, but the bigger cost would be in swapping over the set-top boxes in customers' homes. That cost would be "in the millions".
TelstraClear was still deciding what set-top box technology to go with.
It had about 25,000 television customers in Wellington and 15,000 in Christchurch, most signed up by Saturn in Wellington and TelstraSaturn in Christchurch.
Mr Jackson said TelstraClear had been accused of not investing in infrastructure but it was continually upgrading its network with new services. TelstraClear has invested $1.5 billion in telecommunications networks in New Zealand.
Thai Shin,HK AsiaSat In Frequency Agreement
From Press Release
Following is a joint press release from Thailand's Shin Satellite PCL and China's Asia Satellite Telecommunications Ltd.
HONG KONG, China/NONTHABURI, Thailand, Nov. 19, 2003--Shin Satellite Public Company Limited and Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) are pleased to announce that on 15 November 2003, the administrations of China and Thailand have concluded a frequency coordination agreement between both countries. The agreement settled all concerned ITU filings of both sides at 120E and 122E for Thailand and China respectively.
The final meeting between the two administrations was held in Hong Kong between 13-15 November 2003. Mr. Rianchai Reowilaisuk, Director General of the Post and Telegraph Department of Thailand and Mr. Liu Lihua, Director General of the Radio Regulatory Department of China led the negotiating teams together with Mr. Peter Jackson, CEO of AsiaSat and Dr. Dumrong Kasemset, CEO of Shin Satellite.
Dr. Dumrong Kasemset, CEO of Shin Satellite said, "We have to thank the governments of both China and Thailand for their continual support, leading to a reasonable and equitable resolution. We believe that with this agreement the customers using satellites located at the two slots will be protected from interference. This is also a good example of how Asian regional satellite operators can cooperate for the benefit of all."
Mr. Peter Jackson, CEO of AsiaSat said, " This agreement demonstrates that the normal ITU processes work exceptionally well in cases where potential harmful interference could occur between satellites. The agreement between AsiaSat and Shin Satellite fully protects AsiaSats clients in China and Australia from the signals at Ku band generated by iPSTAR. AsiaSat's Ku band clients will be able to use 60 cm antennas for receive only DTH type applications and 80 cm antennas for two way communications applications. Protection criteria for C band applications were also agreed and will ensure that clients of both companies do not suffer from adjacent network interference
iPSTAR Internet project gets privileges
From http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/20Nov2003_biz69.html
Dispute with AsiaSat on slots also settled
Shin Satellite Plc has received Board of Investment promotional privileges for its iPSTAR project to provide broadband Internet access service in and outside the country.
The project, involving an investment of 16.543 billion baht, would create job opportunities for 100 people when service begins in May.
The project has an earth station in Nonthaburi province and 18 gateways in 14 countries.
Shin Satellite will be exempted from corporate taxes on revenues generated from iPSTAR services provided outside the country for eight years, and from import duties on equipment used to provide the services.
In another development, Shin Satellite and China's Asia Satellite Telecommunications (AsiaSat) said they had settled their longstanding dispute over orbital slots after a meeting over the weekend in Hong Kong.
In a joint statement, the companies said they had concluded a frequency co-ordination agreement at 120 degrees East for Thailand and 122 degrees East for China. The decision would settle the filings both companies had made earlier to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), they said.
Shin Satellite chief executive Dr Dumrong Kasemset thanked the governments of both China and Thailand for their support, leading to a reasonable and equitable resolution.
The agreement, he said, would ensure customers using satellites located at the two slots would be protected from interference. ``This is also a good example of how Asian regional satellite operators can co-operate for the benefit of all.''
AsiaSat chief executive Peter Jackson said the agreement demonstrated that the normal ITU process worked well in cases where potential harmful interference could occur between satellites.
Shin Satellite, founded by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was granted a 30-year concession to provide satellite services in 1991.
The company's shares closed yesterday at 23.20 baht, up 50 baht, in trade worth 762.73 million baht.
IPSTAR DEAL: Frequency stumbling block cleared
From http://nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=6&id=103810&usrsess=1
After a year of negotiations, Shin Satellite Plc (ShinSat) yesterday announced that it had clinched a frequency coordination deal with rival Hong Kong-based satellite operator AsiaSat.
The deal means ShinSat’s soon-to-be launched multimedia satellite iPSTAR is clear of one major stumbling block.
The problem arose when iPSTAR was to be positioned at 120 degrees East, while AsiaSat 4 would be at 122 degrees East, prompting concern over frequency jamming.
AsiaSat 4 is currently orbiting in that position.
The two firm’s reached a long-awaited agreement last week to solve the possible signal-jam problems between their iPSTAR and AsiaSat 4 satellites.
ShinSat chief executive Dumrong Kasemset said the agreement meant customers using both satellites would be free from interference.
“It’s a good example of how Asian regional satellites can operate for the benefit of all,” he said.
The collaboration also means that the satellites will not suffer signal interference, especially in the skies of their big markets of China and Australia, said a source at the Transport Ministry.
“It’s surprising that they have been able to reach a deal after negotiations had dragged on for over a year,” he added.
ShinSat, founded by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s family, wants to make the Bt16.5-billion iPSTAR its flagship to tap the vast region’s Internet broadband market.
ShinSat shares closed at Bt23.20 yesterday, up Bt0.50 from the previous day.
ShinSat also had other good news yesterday when the Board of Investment granted its iPSTAR project an eight-year corporate tax break on its foreign-currency revenue.
Its Thaicom 3 satellite won similar approval from the agency yesterday.
19/11/03
Austar is sending out new cards, Irdeto 2 version 4, cards have Spongebob Square pants on the front. I Wonder how many will be damaged by kids "playing with them" ?
Aus Idol Final tonight. Live feed B1?
Jason Burns has done a review of the Powtek Blindsearch receiver. Which can be downloaded in the articles section.(Warning its a 2 meg word file)
From my Emails & ICQ
From Steve Hume
Telkom 1 feed
Was up, but now down. Remote feed via SNG kit.
DNSG_TV7two (TV7 Indonesia)
Freq: 3813H S/R: 6000 FEC: 3/4 VPID: 0033 APID1: 0036 APID2: 0037 PCR: 0033
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From the Dish
PAS 8 166E 3860 H CSN is still/back on , Fta, PIDs 450/451.
AsiaSat 4 122E 4091 H The test card has left .
Telkom 1 108E 3813 H Occasional feeds on , SR 6000, FEC 3/4.
Insat 2E 83E Asianet, Jeevan TV and Asianet News have moved back from 3652 V to 3643 V, Fta, SR 19531, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650-514/670.
Thaicom 2 78.5E 3764 H "BBTV Channel 7" has started , Fta, SR 4420, FEC 3/4,PIDs 4194/4195.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3600 H One of the test cards has left .
Chinasat 20 was launched with Long March at 16:01 UTC on 14 November, will be located at 103 East. (Not sure if this will offer anything?)
NEWS
T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 44/2003 16 November 2003 -
A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by TELE-satellite International
Editor: Branislav Pekic
USA
NBA EXPANDS GLOBAL COVERAGE
The NBA has finalized new broadcast agreements throughout the world, continuing to expand the vast distribution of NBA programming. This season, NBA games and programming will be televised in 212 countries in 42 languages via 151 different telecasters, including agreements for the first time with REDE TV (Brazil), Anhui TV (China), Canal+ (Poland), LTV (Lithuania), First National TV (Belarus) and Imedi TV (Georgia). The league has renewed deals with many long time international telecasters, including NHK (Japan), Sky Italia (Italy), NTV Plus (Russia), DSF (Germany), Premiere (Germany), Sport 5 (Israel) and IBC (Iceland). NBA TV, the 24-hour television network of the NBA, which launched internationally during the 2000-01 NBA season, will be distributed to a record number of fans overseas this season. New agreements in France and Russia will increase NBA TV's distribution to 39 countries, including Spain, Israel, the Philippines, Turkey and throughout the Middle East. In addition to one live NBA game every night, NBA TV viewers can watch vintage NBA games and features such as NBA TV Daily, NBA Greatest Games and programming customized for the local market. The league has expanded its reach in China this season. The NBA now reaches 314 million television households through TV partners China Central Television (CCTV) and the following 14 provincial TV stations: Beijing TV, Shanghai TV, Guangdong TV, Liaoning TV, Shandong TV, Sichuan TV, Anhui TV, Shaanxi TV, Fujian TV, Hainan TV, Hubei TV, Hebei TV, Tianjin TV and Zhejiang TV. This season, the NBA will co-produce 16 customized programs with international TV partners including, NBA Jam (BTV, China); NBA Dei Di (ATV, Hong Kong); Above the Rim (7TV, Russia); NBA Max (Telemundo, United States); and La Magia de la NBA (Fox Sports Latina America). Among the other broadcasters carrying co-productions are NHK (Japan), IBC (Philippines), Deportes 13 (Puerto Rico) and NTV (Turkey).
A S I A & P A C I F I C
AUSTRALIA
SEVEN PREPARES TO GO TO COURT
THE Seven Network's $2billion-plus legal claim against most of its media rivals would be thrashed out in a three-month trial likely to start in February 2005, according to a report in The Australian. Seven launched the action last November after last year's closure of its C7 pay-TV sports channel. Seven alleges pay-TV group Foxtel, its owners and others forced C7 to close by acting anti-competitively, preventing C7 from securing rights to sports such as the Australian Football League. Seven alleges those actions lessened competition in the pay-TV market, breaching the Trade Practices Act. As part of the damages sought, Seven wants the court to restrain the existing AFL rights owners (Foxtel, News, Nine and Ten) from rebidding for the rights. Seven supports the belief of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which has stated pay-TV is a separate market. That belief forced it to disallow a merger between Foxtel and the now defunct pay-TV group Australis Media in 1997. Counsel for Ten and Optus also said they generally agreed with Seven and the ACCC. But News, Foxtel's 50 per cent owner Telstra, and the National Rugby League maintained there was a larger "TV entertainment" market that included pay-TV, free-to-air TV and DVD and video rentals.
HEZBOLLAH TV CHANNEL TAKEN OFF AIR
Islamic militant group Hezbollah has had its television service taken off the air in Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Authority said on November 14. Lebanese station Al Manar, a subscription service, was voluntarily withdrawn by satellite television provider Television and Radio Broadcasting Services World TV, an ABA spokesman said. The decision comes after the ABA launched an investigation following recent reports that Al Manar was sponsored by Hezbollah, a fact not widely known in Australia until raised by the local media. Al Manar serves as a mouthpiece for Hezbollah, an Islamic militia group that operates mainly in the south of Lebanon and frequently calls for the destruction of Israel.
CHINA - HONG KONG
CHINA SETS 2015 ANALOGUE SWITCH-OFF DATE
Roughly all cable TV broadcasting in China will be in the digital mode by 2010, while existing analogue broadcasts will be terminated by 2015, according to government sources. An official with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said China initiated a large-scale promotion of digital cable TV this year. So far, 25 cities have been operating digital cable TV broadcasting on a trial basis, 19 of which have started digital pay-TV channels. The official predicted that most regions in China would complete the transition from analogue TV broadcasting to digital TV broadcasting by 2008.
PAY-TV SERVICE DELAYED UNTIL JANUARY
The launch of Hong Kong’s pay-TV platform Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting has been delayed until January next year. Galaxy, which is 51 per cent owned by Intelsat and 49 per cent by Television Broadcasts (TVB) said: "Galaxy needs a bit more time to increase the number of homes passed, after SARS caused delays earlier in the year." According to local media reports, Galaxy plans to have access to 300,000 homes by start-up, rising to 600,000 after one year and a million after two years.
INDIA
TV TODAY TO FLOAT 25% STAKE
The country's most popular Hindi-language news broadcaster, TV Today, plans to sell a 25 per cent stake that the company it hopes will raise a minimum of $22 million. The planned float comes after TV Today's English-language rival, NDTV, raised $11 million in July by selling 15 per cent of the operation. TV Today will use the money to strengthen its news-gathering and editorial operation to fight News Corp's Star Group's Indo news channel, launched earlier this year. The number of news-focused TV channels serving the pay-TV market in India has more than doubled to 19 over the past year. TV Today's Aaj Tak launched its 24-hour service in 2000 and now has a nearly 42 per cent viewer share for news channels. Aaj Tak also took nearly half of the $50 million spent on cable and satellite TV news channels in 2002. Star TV will launch a Hindi news channel in April 2004. TV Today had total revenues of Rs1.1 billion in the year to March 31, with EBITDA of Rs543 million.
ESPN STOPS IN CABLENET SERVICE
Channel provider ESPN Software India has halted distribution of two if its sports channels to Indian MSO IN CableNet. The company says that the cabler owes it Rs71 million ($1.5 million) in unpaid fees. The signal switch off affects customers in Mumbai and Delhi.
IRAQ
IRAQIS PREFER SATELLITE TV CHANNELS
Most Iraqis prefer satellite broadcasts to their own revamped state channel, which was launched this summer with a $6 million budget provided by the United States. The U.S.-funded Iraqi Media Network (IMN) has AM and FM radio outlets and a television network capable of reaching about two-thirds of Iraqi homes. IMN’s long term goal is to become a "world-class" media operation, including a 24-7 satellite channel, two land-based TV channels, two radio channels, a national newspaper, and TV and film studios in every major region of Iraq. But Iraqis say IMN's programming presents only the American point of view, and is reminiscent of the state propaganda broadcast by the ousted regime. Satellite dishes have mushroomed in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities in the months since Saddam Hussein was ousted from power. Iraqis who can afford the equipment suddenly have access to a wide range of news and entertainment from the Western and Arab worlds. A recent poll found that 35 per cent of Iraqis now have satellite receivers, and of those, 67 per cent prefer to get TV news from the satellite channels Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera, rather than from IMN.
ITV TO RUN NEWS CHANNEL
Media Guardian reports that Britain's Independent Television News (ITN) is preparing to bid for a contract to run a TV news channel in Iraq. The Coalition Provisional Authority has advertised a contract worth $10 million over two years. ITN currently has a team in Baghdad assessing the contract. According to Media Guardian, it's is likely that ITN would enter a consortium with a US engineering firm. That's because ITN would need a big company to help restore the transmission infrastructure, and most of the reconstruction contracts are being awarded to US firms.
INDIA ORDERS MORE DIGITAL EQUIPMENT FROM SCOPUS
Indian TV broadcaster Doordarshan has ordered additional digital video broadcasting platforms from Israel-based Scopus Network Technologies for satellite TV broadcast head-ends throughout the country. The systems are also configured to be used for occasional services such as covering special events. Scopus is equipping Doordarshan with digital broadcast head-end systems and project integration with its strategic Indian partner Bharat Electronics.
JAPAN
SKY PERFECT IN THE BLACK
Sky Perfect Communications Inc said it posted a group net profit of 3.80 billion yen in the fiscal first half, a reversal from a loss of 18.59 billion yen a year earlier. Sky Perfect, the operator of digital satellite broadcaster Sky PerfecTV, also climbed into the black on a pre-tax basis in the April-September period by booking a profit of 4.15 billion yen. That compared with a loss of 18.57 billion yen in the same period of fiscal 2002.
SOUTH KOREA
SKY LIFE REACHES ONE MILLION SUBSCRIBERS
Technology from NDS Group, a News Corporation company, has enabled Korean broadcaster SkyLife to securely deliver programming to over one million subscribers, becoming one of Asia's largest and fastest growing pay-TV platforms. SkyLife launched Korea's only digital satellite TV service in March 2002. Since then it has grown quickly to gain market share of 6.1% of television households. SkyLife research shows that this growth rate far surpasses expansion of satellite broadcasting in America, which reached only 3.4% market share after two years, and only 1.4% market share in Japan in the same timeframe. With piracy a continuing problem across the Asia Pacific region, the security of NDS VideoGuard conditional access has allowed SkyLife to build their business without concerns about piracy. In May 2003, SkyLife became one of the world's first pay-TV operators to launch MHP broadcast services with conditional access. The SkyTouch DVB-MHP interactive TV service is based on VideoGuard conditional access and runs on the SkyLife Smart Box 2.0 set-top box. SkyTouch interactive TV service delivers 14 categories of interactive services, such as games, quizzes, data services, weather forecasts and real estate prices. SkyLife has also capitalized on technology to commence a 24-hour SkyHD high definition channel and mobile services for pay TV reception in private vehicles.
18/11/03
Live satellite chat 9pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd onwards in the chatroom. Might be a bit quiet with the cricket final being on.
Asiasat 3 page and Gallery updated
From my Emails & ICQ
From Bill Richards
PTV1 and PTV 3, New on Asiasat 3
Stv3-Cbn, Shanghai Oriental Tv2, Shanghai Oriental Tv4, Enlight-stream tv all Asiasat 4
(Craigs comment, I have the rest of the channel in this mux and will put them up when its been decided what they actually are called. Anyone reading in Asia know what other channels are here?)
From the Dish
PAS 8 166E 3860 H CSN has left .Videoland Sports, Super TV and CTI TV International are Fta.
PAS 8 166E 3880 V Occasional ABS-CBN feeds on , PIDs 502/550.
AsiaSat 4 122E 3881 H "CBN, OTV Arts & Entertainment and OTV Music Channel" have started Fta, PIDs 1001/1002, 1006/1007 and 1011/1012.(and of course the others that he (lyngsat) refuses to list without knowing what the real channels are)
NSS 6 95.5E 12631 V "Free-XTV" has started , SkyCrypt, SR 2441, FEC 2/3, PIDs 3524/3644,Indian beam.
ST 1 88E 3582 H "Phoenix InfoNews, Phoenix Chinese and Azio TV" are Fta.
Insat 2E 83E The mux with Asianet, Jeevan TV and Asianet News has moved from 3643 V to 3655 V, SR 19527, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650-514/670, wide beam.
Insat 2E 83E 4005 V A test card has started, Fta, PIDs 1860/1820.
Thaicom 3 76.5E 3585 V "ILearn" is back on , Fta, PIDs 514/642.
PAS 10 68.5E 4064 V New PIDs for SIC Internacional and ATV Avrupa on : 337/338 and 1026/1027.
NEWS
GlobeCast Distributing Picture Of Croatia And Voice Of Croatia Via WorldTV Satellite Platforms
From http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2003/Nov/1021294.htm
GlobeCast announced that it is distributing Picture of Croatia and Voice of Croatia via its GlobeCast WorldTV direct-to-home satellite platforms in North America (Telstar 5) and Australia (Optus B3), as well as on NSS 806 in Latin America. Picture of Croatia and Voice of Croatia are digital networks produced by Croatian public broadcaster HRT (Hrvatska Radio Televizija).
GlobeCast - a subsidiary of France Telecom - is the world's leading satellite services company, operating a global network of satellite distribution platforms for broadcast and advanced content delivery. GlobeCast WorldTV is the fastest growing community of international television and radio channels on DTH satellite, available via Telstar 5 in North America and Optus B3/C1 in Australia.
HRT is benefiting from GlobeCast's global presence and reach with a seamless, end-to-end solution involving both satellite and fiber and including transmission, turnaround, multiplexing, standards conversion and space capacity. GlobeCast receives HRT's feed at its Paris technical operations center and provides uplink to NSS 806 for broadcast to Latin America and turnaround to North America at its Miami Gateway. GlobeCast then delivers HRT's signal across its ATM fiber network to the company's Los Angeles teleport for transmission onto GlobeCast WorldTV on Telstar 5, as well as turnaround to GlobeCast's Sydney teleport on Intelsat 180 for distribution to the GlobeCast WorldTV platform on Optus B3 in Australia and New Zealand.
GlobeCast also supplies HRT with complete DTH Call Center Services in North America and Australia. This includes subscriber management and retailing of a private-label MPEG2-DVB receiver and antenna package, as well as technical assistance, billing and recovery. GlobeCast currently manages subscriber services for numerous channels on GlobeCast WorldTV, including EuroNews, GERMAN TV and TV Polonia, among others.
Shin Satellite shares surge
From http://nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=6&id=103744&usrsess=1
Shares in Shin Satellite, Asia’s second-largest satellite operator, surged almost 20 per cent yesterday after a newspaper reported the company had signed a deal with Australian telecom firm AirNet.
The Australian newspaper reported that ShinSat signed a contract with AirNet to help provide Internet services in Australia.
ShinSat officials declined to comment on the report.
A financial source close to the company said Shin Sat had not signed a contract with any Australian firm since it joined forces with an Australian unit of Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson in August.
“The company has been in talks with several parties, but as far as I am concerned, it has not signed any contract recently,” the source said.
ShinSat, 51-per-cent owned by Shin Corp, is the flagship of a telecommunication group founded by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. – Reuters.
Harmonic Goes Into SKY Perfect
From http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?site=lightreading&doc_id=43636
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Harmonic Inc. (Nasdaq:HLIT - News) today announced that SKY Perfect Communications Inc., Japan's leading digital multi-channel satellite broadcasting company, is upgrading its video infrastructure with Harmonic digital headend systems. Harmonic's award-winning DiviCom® MPEG-2 encoders and industry-leading DiviTrackXE(TM) statistical multiplexer, which form the foundation of the new service, are expected to effectively double the capacity of SKY Perfect's existing satellites while improving picture quality. SKY Perfect will also use Harmonic's NMX Digital Service Manager(TM) to maximize service availability and simplify the operation of its geographically distributed video infrastructure. The system is scheduled to be fully operational in January 2005.
With more than three million direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers, SKY Perfect is Japan's leading digital multi-channel satellite broadcasting company. A respected pioneer of digital broadcast services, SKY Perfect has grown its subscriber base by continually expanding its video and audio programming. Though satellite is the primary service platform, SKY Perfect is exploring delivery vehicles such as fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) to extend its reach.
"SKY Perfect's mid-term strategy calls for us to reach the five million subscriber mark by 2007 through the aggregation of rich entertainment and information content that addresses a wider range of our subscribers' needs and interests," said Mr. Hajime Shigemura, president of SKY Perfect Communications Inc. "After thorough research and evaluation, we found that Harmonic digital video solutions were best able to help us achieve our business objectives."
A recognized leader in video compression and transport, Harmonic systems provision digital television channels for many of the world's largest direct-to-home satellite broadcasters. Harmonic has refined two essential technologies that, when combined, can multiply the capacity of a network. DiviCom encoders with advanced noise reduction and filtering remove even subtle imperfections to deliver crisp and clear, broadcast-quality video at very low bit-rates. DiviTrackXE, the third-generation closed loop statistical multiplexing system, dynamically reallocates bandwidth between programs in a transport stream to further expand the service-carrying capacity. This system is fully compatible with SKY Perfect's installed base of set-top boxes and transport equipment, enabling a seamless transition that will increase the return on SKY Perfect's existing infrastructure investments.
"In just a few years, SKY Perfect has built one of the most successful satellite broadcast services in the world. They have set a very aggressive growth plan in the face of increasing competition that assumes a substantial increase in the number and types of channels as well as an improvement in picture quality and service availability," said Anthony J. Ley, president and chief executive officer of Harmonic Inc. "SKY Perfect's evaluation process, one of the most rigorous of its kind, is a strong affirmation of our technology and service leadership."
17/11/03
Not much to say up here today other than Australia deserved to win the rugby as they played much better than NZ. The satellite pages need updating I will try and work on them later tonight.
Hotels have been told CNN, is leaving Sky UHF service. No surprises Maori TV will take over the freq as mentioned months back.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Zaparra
Nss 6 Screenshots.
ESC, Tv Polonia, TV Moda, ATV
Sic International, Armania TV, TGRT
From Steve Hume
16/11 World Cup Feed for TWI
Pas 2 3924V Sr 5632 Fec3/4
Encrypted
Measat 2 new
This has been up now for some time. There is also some data showing up.
All hits were on the Vertical beams.
Service Name: No details. (Test Pattern with "SA" in one part of the bars)
Audio1 PID: 4097 Audio2 PID: 0000
Audio Mode: Audio1 Stereo
Video PID: 4096
PCR: 4096
TTX PID: 0000
Symbol Rate: 3203k
Sat Name: Measat 2
Frequency: 4076 M
Polarization: Vertical
Asiasat 2 Feed - Soccer -Scotland v Holland
Soccer -Scotland v Holland
Loads as Setanta
4083v s/r 6101 possibly 3/4
VPID: 512 APID: 650
PCR: 8190
Cyasa4 (In 4.2.2. it looks)
4094v s/r 6664 3/4
VPID: 512 APID: 4112
PCR: 8190
Asiasat 2 motor racing feed
"Macau G.P"
3 Loads
Ch.1 Signal 1
Channel 101 signal 2
Channel 111 signal 2
3696v sr 6109 3/4?
VPID: 1160 APID: 1120
PCR: 1160
Asiasat 2
Feed from Damascus to DD NEWS India
3687v sr 5632 3/4
Not in 4.2.2. as listed on Lyngsat. In the clear.
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From Scrappydoo
Measat 2
All the channels on 11602H, 41500 seem to be free to air here. I was fairly
sure they were encrypted last time I looked.
Mainly chinese language.
From Kotak
Apstar 2R (76.5 E)
Freq:4169, Pol: H,s/r: 4400, 3/4 It has left
Insat 3C (74.0 E)
Freq:4150,Pol: V,s/r 5000, 3/4 DD Hissar Pid (pcr: 128 V: 512 A: 650) It has left
Freq:4166,Pol: V,s/r 5000 3/4 DD Chattigarh Pid (pcr: 128 V: 512 A: 650) It has left
Freq:4174,Pol: V,s/r 5000 3/4 DD Ranchi Pid (pcr: 128 V: 512 A:0) It has left
ST 1 (88.0 E)
Freq: 3799, Pol: V, s/r 1627, 3/4 Feeds It has left
From the Dish
PAS 2 169E 3771 H "MBC (South Korea) and KBS World" have started, enc., SIDs 1 and 2, PIDs 33/38 and 81/84.
PAS 8 166E 4133 V "Occasional CTS feeds" on , SR 3472.
Superbird B2 162E 12644 V Occasional feeds on , SR 5273, FEC 3/4.
AsiaSat 4 122E 3881 H "Enlight Stream TV" has started, Fta, SR 26500, FEC 3/4, PIDs 1026/1027.
AsiaSat 4 122E 12354 V Occasional feeds on , SR 8000, FEC 3/4.
Telkom 1 108E 3500 H "CNBC Asia has replaced Nickelodeon Indonesia", Irdeto 2, PIDs 592/593.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 4090 V "PTV National" has left .
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 4091 V A PTV mux has started, Fta, SR 13333, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650-515/680 and 651, line-up: PTV 1, PTV World, PTV Channel 3, PTV National and Radio Pakistan.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 4108 V "PTV World and Radio Pakistan" have left .
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3694 H Occasional Guangdong TV feeds on , SR 6000, FEC 3/4.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3905 H "Reuters World News Service" is encrypted again.
NSS 6 95.5E 11594 H The test card has left .
Insat 3A 93.5E Dish TV has left 3985 V, 4025 V and 4065 V.
Insat 2E 83E 4005 V "ETV Telugu" has left , PIDs 1860/1820.
Apstar 5 with Zenit/Sea Launch is delayed from November to April 2004.
NEWS
Thai deal to help telco's net service
From http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7885822%255E15306,00.html
BUDDING South Australian telco AirNet has signed a deal with Thailand's Shin Satellite which it says will help deliver better and cheaper internet services to regional Australia.
Shin is 26 per cent owned by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and has spent $US400 million ($550 million) on Ipstar, a satellite designed specifically to carry broadband internet services.
Shin is in discussions with a range of other service providers, including Telstra, about deals to supply the service for their customers.
Under its Universal Service Obligation, Telstra must supply all Australians, regardless of geography, with standard telephone and data services.
The Government recently tipped $181 million into a new fund for telecoms services to the bush ahead of attempts to make Telstra a fully private company.
Some of these funds will be used to subsidise remote users for satellite broadband service.
AirNet director Peter Karidis said the broadband network, to be announced on Wednesday, should be rolled out before Christmas, starting in an as yet unidentified South Australian regional town.
"This service, no question, will provide equal, if not better, service into the bush as is available in metropolitan areas," he said.
He claimed the satellite would provide service levels of 99.8 per cent, outstripping even ISDN-based internet providers, which operate at about 99.7 per cent.
He also said the deal would be a launching pad for broadband satellite services which traditionally had been "significantly under-utilised in Australia".
AirNet is a small company with a turnover of around $2 million, but Mr Karidis said that number would "double or triple in the next year" as the benefits of the Shin partnership became evident.
The long-term goal of AirNet is to take the business nationwide.
Korea's SkyLife Reaches One Million Sat TV Subscribers With Pirate Control Technology
From http://www.spacedaily.com/news/satellite-biz-03zzza.html
Technology from NDS Group plc, a News Corporation company and a leading provider of solutions for digital pay-TV, has enabled Korean broadcaster SkyLife to securely deliver programming to over one million subscribers, becoming one of Asia's largest and fastest growing pay-TV platforms.
SkyLife launched Korea's only digital satellite TV service in March 2002. Since then it has grown quickly to gain market share of 6.1% of television households. SkyLife research shows that this growth rate far surpasses expansion of satellite broadcasting in America, which reached only 3.4% market share after two years, and only 1.4% market share in Japan in the same timeframe.
Mr. Hwang Kyu Hwan, President of SkyLife, commented at the ceremony, "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 and welcoming the harmony of broadcast and communication."
According to Ms. Sue Taylor, Vice President and General Manager of NDS Asia Pacific, SkyLife has achieved phenomenal success in a relatively short timeframe and is one of the fastest growing pay-TV deployments using NDS technology worldwide.
"We congratulate SkyLife on reaching one million subscribers and proving that its digital vision is now a reality. SkyLife is leading the way in digital satellite broadcasting in Asia and delivering unparalleled growth rates in the industry. The success of SkyLife has proven the scalability and reliability of NDS solutions," said Ms. Taylor.
With piracy a continuing problem across the Asia Pacific region, the security of NDS VideoGuard conditional access has allowed SkyLife to build their business without concerns about piracy. VideoGuard conditional access will continue to play a key role in securing the pay-TV programming of SkyLife and protecting revenue from new services such as interactive TV.
NDS supported SkyLife to leverage the investment in leading digital broadcasting technology to offer new services to viewers. In May 2003, SkyLife became one of the world's first pay-TV operators to launch MHP broadcast services with conditional access. The SkyTouch DVB-MHP interactive TV service is based on VideoGuard conditional access and runs on the SkyLife Smart Box 2.0 set-top box. SkyTouch interactive TV service delivers 14 categories of interactive services, such as games, quizzes, data services, weather forecasts and real estate prices.
SkyLife has also capitalized on technology to commence a 24-hour SkyHD high definition channel and mobile services for pay TV reception in private vehicles. NDS VideoGuard is uniquely able to support revenue generation through these varied transmission methods.
"NDS technologies and the expertise of the NDS Seoul office have been dedicated to supporting SkyLife to build their business. With 16.4 million TV households in South Korea, there remains significant potential for further growth of the SkyLife service," Ms. Taylor said.
PTV Should Set Up Independent News Section
From http://www.paknews.com/flash.php?id=13&date1=2003-11-16
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Nov 16 (PNS) - Minister for Information and Media Development Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Saturday directed Pakistan Television (PTV) to establish an independent and credible section of current affairs and news.
"This section should be credible and fully independent so that the viewers should have complete reliability on its news," he said.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was speaking as chief guest at the launch of PTV's Digital MCPC Platform, to bring all its four channels - PTV-1, PTV World, PTV National and Channel 3 - on ASIASAT-3 satellite.
The ceremony was telecast live on all the four channels of PTV. Secretary Information and Chairman PTV, PBC and STN, Syed Anwar Mahmood and Managing Director PTV Akhtar Waqar Azeem were also present.
"The new year will dawn with the new face of PTV when its news and current affairs section would present programmes with improved standards," Sheikh Rashid said.
Highlighting the significance of the media and especially its electronic mode, Sheikh Rashid said, this mode of information has attained focal position after the happenings of Sept 11. This importance, he said, was increasing with the passage of time.
The level of its significance could be gauged from the fact that the many countries have been diverting major allocations for promotion of the electronic mode, he said adding, the size of allocations for this sector were second to the defence sector in many cases.
He said that the government of Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has been giving importance for improvement of the electronic media. For this purpose PTV has been allocated special grant of Rs 420 million in addition to the regular grant of Rs 260 million.
He said efforts are afoot to expand the PTV channels from existing four to 10. With the addition of PTV AJK, early next year on the Kashmir Day and launch of the PTV-Home in the near future, the total number of its channels would increase to six.
PTV protector of geographical, ideological frontiers of country: Rashid
From http://www.pakistanlink.com/headlines/Nov03/16/10.html
ISLAMABAD (SANA): Information Minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has said that PTV is the protector of the geographical and ideological frontiers of the country adding that it is playing vital role to build up nation.
“PTV is custodian of the geographical and ideological frontiers of the country. PTV defends our internal borders like our soldiers who are engaged in safeguarding the frontiers of the country in the open fields and rugged mountains”, he said this while addressing the launching ceremony of PTV channel Asia set-3 here Saturday. He held that PTV administration and its workers have achieved important objectives in the shortest possible time. Government has released grant of Rs 420 million to improve the efficiency of PTV and purchase of modern equipment.
He went on to say “we are bringing a new PTV to face the evolving situation in this sensitive region. However it requires hardworking and painstaking efforts to realise this objective, he noted. He announced that the time is not far off when the country will have its ten TV channels. Six are running and for the remaining four, government help is needed so that PTV could offer a comprehensive package to the world, he remarked.
Speaking on the occasion Information Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood pointed out that government has for the first time extended huge grant of 680 million rupees for the development of PTV after many decades. “We are going to put all the four channels on satellite. Channel three will be given new shape from the next year, he informed. He held that this year PTV would enter into its 40th year. 2004 has been declared as PTV year, he added. We are drawing up several programmes for PTV this year. PTV will try to go into DTH as a project. The matter has been discussed with the Information minister as well as finance minister, he added.
16/11/03
No update Sunday
15/11/03
Big sports night tonight 2 semi finals, Aus vs NZ in the Rugby and NZ vs India in the cricket. My score pick NZ 45 Aus 20
Rugby Live on Star Sports, and most probably a feed on B1.
Asiasat 4 is ALIVE! No surprise, MORE Chinese channels! 8 channels see details below. Cband via 90cm dishes anyone?
Asiasat 3 , Some activity with the Pakistan channels, read below.
RE: Adverts on the Mailing list, yes private selling of gear is fine to post.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Jsat (W.A)
Woohoo..
Asiasat4 is up and running with an 8 channels package FTA..scanned in on the
Coship..STV3,OTV2,OTV4,DRAMA1,DRAMA2, AMUSE,SITCOM AND DRAMA4,
Freq 3881H 26500..
85% on a 3.7m mesh with c/ku feed in lower south west of WA..
regards jsat
From Aragorn (Andrew)
I've identified the first three - (language alternates between
Putonghua <Mandarin> and Shanghaihua <Shanghainese>)
STV3 is Channel Business Network CBN (STV's channel 3) http://www.stv.sh.cn/channelbiz/bizchannel.htm
OTV2 is Shanghai Oriental TV - Arts & Entertainment Channel http://www.shotv.com/arts/index.htm
OTV 4 Shanghai Oriental TV - Music Channel http://www.shotv.com/music/index.htm
The sixth one listed as "AMUSE" is
ESTV - Enlight Stream TV (also from Shanghai with a mixture on both dialects) http://www.netandtv.com
From Ahmad Mobasheri (Auckland NZ)
Asiasat 4 8 Channels 80% reception, 3m dish, rx is Pheonix 333 in Auckland
From Steve Sharp
Asiasat 4 Very strong and loading 8 channels, 2.3m mesh NSW/Q border.
From Vk4bkp
Asiasat 4 All 8 channels load on my ID-Digital. 77% signal quality on a 1.8m
home made solid in Mackay.
From Mr Samsung , (U.A.E)
Subject: FW: PTV ALL 4 CHANNELS IN ONE FREQUENCY
Dear sir,
I would like to inform all the Satellite channels addicts that the PTV (PAKISTAN TELEVISION) is going to start their all 4 channels includes (PTV-WORLD, PTV NATIONAL, PTV-1, CHANNEL 3) today at 5:00pm (PST) on ASIASAT 3S
Frequency - 4091
Symb. R. - 13.333
Polarity - Vertical
FEC - 3/4
Modulation - QPSK
PCT - 128
Video PID - 512, 513, 514, 515
Audio PID - 660, 670, 680, 690
Transponder - 12V
Encryption system – FTA
WEB LINK - http://www.ptv.com.pk/ptvhtml/FixedchartMCPDigital/MCPCDigitalPlatform.html
Thankx
Mr. Samsung (abu dhabi, UAE)
From Bill Richards
Pas2
0100 UTC
4055H SR 5420, FEC 1/2, Vpid1160 Apid1120 SID 10 "Asian Bible Study Feed"
0105 UTC
3804V SR 4444, FEC 2/3, Vpid3601 Apid 3604 SID1 "Asian Bible Study Feed Same as Above Service"
Regards
Bill Richards
From Stiwerx
Pre Match Rugby Feed
Powtek finds:
B1 12366 V 6671 3/4
From Kotak
Dear Viewers
INSAT 3A (93.0E) Freq:3828, s/r:3800, Pol:V,3/4
9MHZ,PAL,1 AU (One Scrambled Channal)
INSAT 3C (74.0E) Freq: 3734 Pol:V s/r: 6248, 3/4 Free-to-Air (2 New Channel)
DD Calcutta & DD Feed
From NaeemAkram (Pakistan)
I Found New Channel In NSS6 (Free-X TV) India Beam SkyCrypt not FTA
Hello Apsattv,
This is my first Email to U, My Name is NaeemAkram I am from
Karachi, Pakistan.I like APSATTV Very Much
Dear I found Only One Channel in Nss6 (95.5East) Detail is:
Name: Free-X TV
Video Cryption: DVB SkyCrypt NOT FTA
Freq : 12631
SR : 02440
Pol: Vertical
FEC: 2/3
Beam : India
Best Regards
NaeemAkram
www.naeemakram.i8.com
From the Dish
PAS 2 169E 3771 H Occasional feeds on , PIDs 33/38 and 81/84.
PAS 8 166E 3764 V "Discovery Channel China" has started , PowerVu, PIDs 710/700.
PAS 8 166E 3860 H "MAC TV" has started on , Fta, PIDs 921/920.
PAS 8 166E 3880 V Pinoy Central TV (PowerVu) and a test card (clear) have started on ,PIDs 501/540 and 502/550.
Telkom 1 108E 3580 H "KTV (South Korea) has replaced Arirang TV World 1" on , PIDs 656/657.
Telkom 1 108E 3640 H Star Sports Asia has started on , PIDs 400/401.New PIDs for Fashion TV on 3460 H: 101/102.
NSS 6 95.5E 12593 V TV Moda, ESC 1, SIC Internacional, Video Italia, TV Polonia, Public TV of Armenia, TGRT and ATV Avrupa have started on , Fta SR 21000,FEC 3/4, Australian beam
NEWS
Australian TV unplugs Hizb Allah
From http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1CA513C0-EFFC-4928-9E3D-BAD1BC994DCE.htm
Al-Manar is under scrutiny from the broadcasting watchdog
The Lebanese group Hizb Allah’s satellite channel al-Manar has been removed from the package of channels offered by a pay-TV service in Australia.
The suspension from the Television and Radio Broadcasting Services PTY LTD (TARBS) came last week, in response to an investigation opened by the country's broadcasting watchdog last October.
The inquiry initiated by the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) is looking into whether the station has breached the criminal code act.
“The material we viewed was of sufficient concern for us to commence an official investigation," a spokesperson for the authority told reporters.
But al-Manar says the show must go on.
"We are looking for other alternatives that might be a bit costly but we will not deprive our Australian audience from the service," al-Manar's head of foreign news Ibrahim al-Musawai told Aljazeera.net.
"We are even thinking of broadcasting from a different satellite," he said adding that they are still negotiating with TARBS.
Media control
Chief editor of the Australian-based the Arabic Telegraph, Antwan al-Qizzi agrees the decision is not based on the channel’s material.
“I believe the decision is a pure political one and has nothing to do with the content,” al-Qizzi told Aljazeera.net.
The resistance group was banned in Australia in June
“This move stems from the Australian government’s earlier banning of the Hizb Allah organisation,” he added.
In June Australia banned the Lebanese group as Australian intelligence has linked it to “terrorist activities”.
The chief editor believes the government’s scrutiny of Hizb Allah's media outlet is due to “external pressures”.
“The decision is influenced by the overall global media domination which is mainly controlled by the Americans and the Israelis.”
Al-Manar is one of 10 Arabic channels available in Australia via subscription.
Hailing the investigation
Colin Rubenstein, executive director of the Australia Israeli Jewish Affairs Council is satisfied with the Australian's broadcast authority’s inquiry.
"Al-Manar is basically a propaganda tool for Hizb Allah, spreading terrorist incitement about its fight against Israel and, more recently, the US actions in Iraq," said Rubenstein in a statement.
“The channel glorifies suicide bombings and demonises the West. Perhaps even worse, al-Manar's web site provides contact details for donations to Hizb Allah,” he added.
Controversial programme
Rubenstein primarily critised al-Manar’s TV programme al-Shatat, Arabic for Diaspora, currently running on the channel. "The potential for a programme such as this to stir up violent anti-Semitism among those predisposed to believe it to be true is obvious."
But al-Qizzi believes otherwise. "The show presents historical accounts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It has nothing to do with terrorism. Look at all the programmes and channels out there, many incite violence and terror.”
The 26-episode show, which began broadcasting on the channel on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan is based on a document entitled The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The document has been largely discredited as a forgery.
The US State department has contacted the governments of Syria and Lebanon over The Diaspora saying it is "anti-semitic". Al-Manar announced it will continue broadcasting the show in spite of the criticism.
Hate signal puts channel off the air
From http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/14/1068674383597.html
A Lebanese subscription television service suspected of raising money for terrorists and inciting hatred against Jews has been pulled from the air by its Australian provider.
The Australian Broadcasting Authority has launched an inquiry into whether satellite channel Al-Manar breached anti-vilification guidelines and anti-terror laws by raising money for the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which was proscribed by the Australian Government in June.
An ABA spokesman said yesterday the authority had begun the investigation late last month after reviewing translated tapes of Al-Manar broadcasts handed over by the provider, Television & Radio Broadcasting Services Australia (TARBS).
The spokesman said advertisements aired on Al-Manar urged viewers to make donations to help the Palestinian cause via a bank account believed to originate in an Arab country. It was not clear whether the bank account was linked to Hezbollah or terrorists.
The ABA can act against breaches of the Narrowcast Television Code of Practice, including programs that "perpetuate hatred against or gratuitously vilify any person or group". It can also take action against program providers who breach the criminal code, including helping to finance terrorism, which carries a maximum life sentence.
The Al-Manar website contains links to numerous Hezbollah speeches. It also states: "Al-Manar is the first Arab establishment to stage an effective psychological warfare against the Zionist enemy."
A spokesman for TARBS yesterday confirmed the channel had been taken off air because of the investigation. "We did it on the basis that while the inquiry is under way we should suspend transmission of that channel," the spokesman said.
More than 50,000 subscribers pay $62.95 a month for access to 65 foreign language services provided by TARBS, with about 10 Arabic channels offered.
About 200,000 Australians a week watch the service, which requires a satellite dish and a decoder, but TARBS could not say how many tuned specifically to Al-Manar. The TARBS spokesman said there had been few complaints since Al-Manar was taken off the air.
Al-Manar's activities were first detailed in the Australian Jewish News, which claimed it was sponsored by Hezbollah and encouraged violence against Jews.
China launches satellite, plans 10 more by end of 2004
From http://www.goasiapacific.com/news/GoAsiaPacificBNA_989893.htm
China has put a communications satellite into orbit, the first of nearly a dozen orbiters the country plans to launch by the end of next year.
The Xinhua news agency said the Zhongxing 20, the fourth launch since China's first manned space flight last month, blasted off atop a Long March 3A rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
Deputy chief commander of the manned space programme, Zhang Qingwei said China would launch an average of 10 satellites a year from 2006 to 2010.
14/11/03
Tarb's has removed the Al-Manar Hezzabolah Terrorist channel, see news section.
Just a reminder to those using the mailing list it was not set up for businesses to flog their wares through it. Though the ocasional you can buy one from place "X" message is fine. There is a section at Vetruns FTA forums for commercial adverts to be posted and I am sure he encourages adverts offering "special deals" to those using his forum.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Stiwerx
NSS6 - New Channels
Just did a blind scan on Nss6 here in Perth on my new Powtek (thanks Jason from adigitallife for the prompt service) and found a new
transponder not mentioned on Lyngsat.
Check out: 12595 H 21000 3/4
and you will find
TV Moda
ESC
SIC INternational
Video Italia
TV Polonia
ARM 1
TGRT
ATV
(Craigs comment, Same as Tarb's mux that was using Pas 10)
From Steve Hume
Telkom 1 at 108.0°E new frequency
Currently showing colour bars, and flicking to black on occasions.
Service Name: sm.08122881795........
Audio1 PID: 256 Audio2 PID: 257
Audio Mode: Audio1 Stereo
Video PID: 308
PCR: 8190
TTX PID: 0000
Symbol Rate: 5992
Sat Name: Telkom 1
Frequency: 3985
Polarization: H
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From the Dish
Optus C1 156E 12518 H "TVSN" has started, Fta, SR 27800, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256.
Koreasat 2 116E 12701 H New PIDs for FS-TV on : 4294/4295.
Telkom 1 108E 3460 H "MATV" has left .(Was on trial, still available as a FTA on Asiasat 3)
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3905 H "Reuters World News Service" is now Fta.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 4078 H "SpeedCast" has left .
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H "ESC 1 and Al Mehwer TV" have started, Fta, PIDs 2321/2323 and 2817/2818.
NEWS
TV service pulled from air
From http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7864840%255E1702,00.html
A SUBSCRIPTION television service suspected of terrorist links had been pulled from the air by its Australian provider, the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) said today.
The Lebanese station Al Manar is under investigation by the ABA over its connections with the terrorist group Hizbollah.
But the provider, TARBS World TV, said it had pulled the service of its own volition, a spokesman for the ABA said.
Al Manar's activities were first brought to light by an article in the Australian Jewish News on July 11 which alleged the service was sponsored by Hizbollah, the Lebanese guerilla group banned by the Australian Government in June.
Subsequent reports in The Australian newspaper highlighted claims the station was soliciting donations from Australians and inciting violence against Jews.
The ABA spokesman said the authority contacted TARBS (Television and Radio Broadcasting Services) and viewed tapes, prompting an investigation.
"We have been in discussion with (TARBS)," the spokesman said.
Cable broadcaster under investigation
Transcript This is a transcript from The World Today. The program is broadcast around Australia at 12:10pm on ABC Local Radio.
Audio version available at http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200311/r12090_28939.asx
The World Today - Friday, 14 November , 2003 12:18:55
Reporter: Hamish Fitzsimmons
HAMISH ROBERTSON: A local cable television broadcaster is under investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Authority after concerns were raised it was broadcasting a station which is the official mouthpiece of an organisation linked to terrorism.
Until last week, Al-Manar Television was shown as part of a package of Arabic channels through TARBS World TV, a Sydney re-packager of ethnic stations. Al-Manar is also known as Hezbollah TV. Hezbollah, the South Lebanese-based Shia militant group, has been banned by the Federal Government.
The station describes itself as waging a psychological war against the Zionist enemy, but it doesn't understand why it's been banned in Australia.
Hamish Fitzsimmons reports.
HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Click "who we are" on the Al-Manar TV website and the following comes up: "Al-Manar is the first Arab establishment to stage an effective psychological warfare against the Zionist enemy".
On the station, the sounds of protest anthems accompany images portraying Palestinian rock throwers in a heroic struggle against heavily armed Israeli soldiers. Until last week, those broadcasts were relayed into Australia by the Sydney-based ethnic cable company, TARBS World TV.
In a question to Parliament on August the 14th Labor Senator Robert Ray said Al-Manar glorified suicide bombings and vilified the West. He asked for assurances Al-Manar didn't recruit or raise funds for Hezbollah which has been banned by the Federal Government.
Subsequent to this question and articles in Australian Jewish news about Al-Manar, the Australian Broadcasting Authority launched an investigation into the TARBS broadcasting of the station.
Professor David Flint is the Chairman of the ABA.
DAVID FLINT: Well we're looking into whether the terms of the codes of practice, which applies to all of these broadcasts, has in fact been breached. One is whether the local State vilification laws, racial vilification laws, have in any way been compromised. Another relates to collecting money for terrorist organisations.
All of these would involve the breach of an Australian law and broadcast services are not to be used for that purpose and we're in no way saying that there is any evidence that there is such a breach, but we think it important that we conduct an investigation because it will clear the air.
HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: Today TARBS is in damage control, employing a public relations consultant to deflect all media calls, but Al-Manar says it doesn't understand why it has been banned in Australia.
Ibrahim Mousawi is Al-Manar's News Director in Beirut.
IBRAHIM MOUSAWI: Why did they cut off their programs? We broadcast a variety of programs, social programs, health programs, educational programs.
HAMISH FITZSIMMONS: He told Triple J's Justine Kelly, Al-Manar reports and lets the viewers decide.
IBRAHIM MOUSAWI: We have political talk shows that we always air on a daily basis and on a weekly basis. We have got certain programs like Il Habid Ayun (phonetic) in Arabic. In English it means The Terrorists and it displays all the massacres and all the aggressions that are being carried by the Israeli occupation forces.
JUSTINE KELLY: Do you show the other side, the devastation that suicide bombers cause in Israel?
IBRAHIM MOUSAWI: Of course. We actually broadcast live things that are happening and we even broadcast them from Israeli TV. We have nothing against the Jews, not whatsoever. But if we have anything we have it against the Israeli occupation and we have it against the conspiracies and the aggressions that are being carried out on a daily basis by the Israelis and supported by the American Government.
HAMISH ROBERTSON: Ibrahim Mousawi from Al-Manar TV, ending that report by Hamish Fitzsimmons.
Pay TV struggles to convince
From http://www.afr.com/premium/articles/2003/11/13/1068674317760.html
The pay television industry thought that the launch on August 1 of ratings that included pay and free-to-air TV from the same source would boost its advertising revenue. It was wrong.
More than three months later, the new data from the audience measurement system run by OzTAM has not prompted advertisers and media buyers to give more money to pay TV.
The free-to-air networks have done a good job of ridiculing the low number of people watching individual pay TV channels and programs. Media buyers are also concerned about the low penetration of pay TV in Australia and the sluggish growth in pay TV subscriber numbers.
Advertising accounts for less than 10 per cent of the pay TV industry's revenue base. Selling subscriptions is more important than selling ads, but pay TV operators Foxtel and Austar are counting on ad revenue growth to help improve their financial results.
Media strategist Steve Allen said pay TV advertising grew from $74 million in 2002 to $97 million this year. But media buyers say that growth cannot be attributed to the new ratings data: it is being driven by advertisers turning to pay TV because they cannot get time on the free-to-air networks.
The new ratings panel confirmed that pay TV captured about 14 per cent of all TV viewing and about 47 per cent of viewing in homes that have free-to-air and pay TV.
But advertisers are not interested in total viewing numbers. Their primary focus is on prime time, which runs from 6 pm to 10.30 pm and represents most TV viewing.
For pay TV, the prime-time picture is not pretty. Its share of prime-time viewing is less than 10 per cent and its average prime-time audience in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth has declined slightly since August.
Belinda Rowe, managing partner of media-buying firm Optimedia, said that in terms of raw numbers, pay TV would always lose to free-to-air TV.
"But raw numbers are not everything," she said. "Pay TV offers a more flexible, focused advertising vehicle and the pay TV channels work hard to give us value-added packages."
Thanks to last year's content-sharing deal with Optus, Foxtel now has a monopoly in all capital cities and accounts for about 75 per cent of all pay TV subscribers.
Despite a big marketing push and the signing of companies such as Harvey Norman and AAPT to sell pay TV subscriptions this year, the growth in Foxtel's subscriber base has been sluggish.
The number of subscribers inched up from 1.047 million on March 31 to 1.068 million on September 30. A Foxtel spokesman said the growth was in line with its targets.
The household penetration of pay TV has stalled at 23 per cent. Ms Rowe said the main reason was the hoarding of high-profile sporting events by the free-to-air networks under the government's anti-siphoning list.
The present anti-siphoning list expires on December 31, 2005. "Sport is one of the key drivers of pay TV subscriptions," Ms Rowe said. "The pay TV companies need more sport to get more subscribers."
Predictably, the free-to-air networks argue that pay TV has stalled because of the quality of their programming this year, particularly "event" programs such as Australian Idol, The Block and the rugby union and cricket world cups.
"Pay TV's main problem is a lack of engaging, original programming," said John McAlpine, Ten Network's chief executive, television.
"It is dominated by old American and British shows. Why would people pay $70 a month for that?"
Foxtel's chief executive, Kim Williams, has predicted that the introduction of digital technology next year - which will lift the number of pay TV channels from 47 to more than 100 - will boost the industry's penetration to between 35 per cent and 40 per cent by 2008.
"We'll wait and see if he is right, but I'm struggling to believe that figure," Mr McAlpine said.
RUSSIA REPORTEDLY TO LAUNCH SATELLITE FROM INDONESIAS PAPUA
From http://www.antara.co.id/e_berita.asp?id=119439&th=2003
Jayapura - The Russian government wants to launch a satellite from the town of Biak in Indonesia`s Papua province due to its strategic location, Papua Governor Jaap Solossa said here Friday.
The Russian government has already conducted a field study in a location in Biak, Jaap said.
He however did not mention the exact place from where Russia will launch its satellite next year.
13/11/03
New satfacts has turned up in my mail box, Items include "closing the Rolf Chapter" Satworks/Innovia side by side compared. Lband transmitters and various other subjects.
Satfacts section Updated
From my Emails & ICQ
From Mukesh Kotak
Hi Dear
Apstar 2R,076.5E,Freq: 3545, Pol: V, s/r 26663,3/4
5 new channal starting (SS Music,VSL Test,Lashkara,2 Feeds) Free-to-Air
[email protected]
From Various
SBS was screening on B3 Adhoc channel for the Lexus Awards last night
From Steve Hume
PAS 2
FOX Sports Net
4036 H "Basketball feed" Sr 6617 Vpid: 1160Apid1: 1120 Apid2: 1120 PCR PID: 1160
3958 V "Tennis" Sr 6617 3/4
3967 V "Tennis" Sr 6617 3/4
Here is some information from a scan I ran on the Coship.
3771 now has 3 channels - 2 feeds and 1 YTN
Service Name: (Nil information entered - Feed Channel ?)
Audio1 PID: 0038 Audio2 PID: 0000
Audio Mode: Audio1 Stereo
Video PID: 0033
PCR: 0033
TTX PID: 0000
Symbol Rate: 09039
Sat Name: Panamsat2-C
Frequency: 03771 M
Polarization: Horizontal
Service Name: YTN
Audio1 PID: 0052 Audio2 PID: 0000
Audio Mode: Audio1 Stereo
Video PID: 0049
PCR: 0049
TTX PID: 0000
Symbol Rate: 09039
Sat Name: Panamsat2-C
Frequency: 03771 M
Polarization: Horizontal
Service Name: Service 5
Audio1 PID: 0084 Audio2 PID: 0000
Audio Mode: Audio1 Stereo
Video PID: 0081 PCR: 0081
TTX PID: 0000
Symbol Rate: 09039
Sat Name: Panamsat2-C
Frequency: 03771 M
Polarization: Horizontal
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From the Dish
Optus B1 160E 12574 H "Mix 106.3" is back on , Fta, SR 1851, FEC 3/4, APID 1063.
Koreasat 2 116E 12701 H "FS-TV is now Fta.
Koreasat 2 116E 12706 H "Dizzo Human TV" is now Fta.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3864 V "CNR 1" has started on , Fta, APID 80.
Insat 2E 83E 3454 V "Sky Bangla" has left .
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H "RR Sat test card and Nile TV International" have started on ,Fta, PIDs 1537/1538 and 2305/2307.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3671 H Minor updates in the RR Sat mux.
Apstar 2R 76.5E 12613 V "TCT World" has started , Fta, PIDs 1744/1745.(Asian beam)
Insat 3C 74E 3756 H "DD Bharati" has started , Fta, SID 3, PIDs 514/670.
Insat 3C 74E 4170 V The test card has left (PAL).
PAS 10 68.5E 3864 H Occasional feeds on , PIDs 519/720 and 520/730.
NEWS
FIVE MORE HOTELS APOLOGISE FOR PIRATING SKY CHANNEL
From https://www.aapmedianet.com.au/scripts/DisplayRelease.dll?id=362334
Another three hotels in Victoria, one in NSW and one in Queensland, have publicly apologised for illegally using the coverage of Sky Channel, the national racing broadcaster.
The apology follows admissions by:
the Royal Mail Hotel in Warracknabeal, Vic ;
the National Hotel in Stawell, Vic;
the Royal Mail Hotel, Birregurra, Vic;
the Commercial Hotel in Hay, NSW; and
the Palace Hotel, Proserpine, Qld,
that they pirated the racing coverage by screening Sky Channel’s and Austar’s services on a television set in the public bar of their hotel, without authority from either company.
Under settlements negotiated with the hotels, each has made a significant cash payment to Sky Channel.
The Chief Executive of Sky Channel, Geoff Want, said today the latest settlements were among a number of court actions launched in recent months against licensed venues found to be pirating the Sky Channel and Sky Racing signals.
Successful legal action has been taken against other hotels in various parts of Australia where commercial sites had been found to be either using illegal equipment purchased on the black market, or utilising domestic home Pay TV services in commercial premises.
“These cases are another step along the road to stamping out piracy,” Mr Want said.
“In tandem with other Pay TV operators, we have received Federal Court orders to raid hotels in various parts of Australia and seize illegal equipment. In particular we wish to thank Austar for their assistance in many of the cases.
“Our investigators will continue to swoop on venues committing piracy.
“Piracy threatens jobs and also cheats legitimate Sky customers,” Mr Want added. “Sky will remain vigilant in pursuit of pirates.”
For further information or to arrange an interview please contact: Geoff Want, Chief Executive – Sky Channel on 61 2 94510888. For further information or to arrange an interview please contact: Geoff Want Chief Executive Sky Channel on +61 2 9451 0888.
Sky Channel Pty Ltd
79 Frenchs Forest Road, Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
Telephone: +61 2 9451 0888 Facsimile +61 2 9452 2222 www.skychannel.com.au
A Tab Limited Group Company
Ethnic TV finds its viewers' needs vary
From http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/12/1068329627284.html
A major market research program by pay-TV broadcaster TARBS World TV has identified three target markets in the ethnic population, numbering more than 3.5 million people, which it has dubbed "Reluctants", "Hybrids" and "Blendeds".
The people it calls Reluctants are new and first-generation migrants whose English is very basic and who are still finding adjustment to Australian life a challenge.
TARBS says its TV content provides a critical link with their language and culture, and offers emotional support through the continuous adjustment process.
TARBS distributes its programming on a global platform which is based largely on satellite capacity supplied by US provider PanAmSat Corp.
The people that it calls Hybrids are first or second generation migrants with good English skills who have come to Australia seeking a better life but who do not as yet feel completely at home in Australia.
The survey found, however, that if they visit their country of origin, they may also find that they are no longer at home there.
TARBS identified a strong need in Hybrids, as they strive to feel fully part of Australian culture and life, for services that allowed them to stay in touch with their country of origin and culture.
They watched TARBS' multi-cultural and English language channels in tandem, to satisfy their need for cultural identity.
The category seen as Blendeds are those who have completely accepted Australia as their home, are cosmopolitan and feel that their country of origin is part of their heritage.
TARBS World TV is broadcasting 65 channels of international programming to more than 50,000 subscribers in these three categories, and says it is watched by more than 200,000 people each week.
The company has added Movie Network to its suite of multi-lingual channels.
Ms Regina Boulos, chief executive of TARBS World TV, said: "We are very keen to broaden our marketing and programming strategy to entertain and inform all generations of migrants who have embraced Australia, but also want to maintain links with their heritage".
"We are in discussions with a range of other mainstream program providers to offer an even greater array of English language programs," Ms Boulos said.
Multiemedia bags $40m Iraq satellite contract
From http://www.itnews.com.au/storycontent.asp?ID=9&Art_ID=16198
Australian broadband provider Multiemedia -- in conjunction with its UK-based reseller Transcom -- has won a $40 million deal with the US military to rollout two-way satellite services in Iraq.
Charles D’Alberto, national sales manager at Multiemedia, said the deal was brokered at the GITEX 2003 telecommunications trade show last month in Dubai. The company defeated European telecommunications provider Eutelsat to the deal, he said.
Multiemedia leases a satellite from European satellite provider New Skies. The satellite is located over Indonesia. US soldiers in Iraq would be equipped with a 1.2 metre satellite dish for transmitting and receiving data and a server which acts as a gateway. The server has an Ethernet port which soldiers could use to plug in a PC or laptop, he said.
The US military would be charged each month based on the amount of bandwidth that is used by the soldiers. "The need for services in that region is immense," said D’Alberto.
Transcom would be running a network operations centre from the UK which would monitor the satellite service and set up the clients, D’Alberto said.
Initially, the service would be rolled out at 20 locations at a cost of $5 million, but would eventually scale to 200 locations, D’Alberto said.
Multiemedia chief executive, Adrian Ballintine, said the service lets the US military communicate from anywhere in the Middle East.
"There is only one service provider in the region providing any form of satellite service and that is quite old. The US military will now be able to set-up sites across Iraq and simply, by pointing this dish in the right direction, will have Internet and communication service equivalent to anywhere in the world," he said.
The service would eventually be used by the Iraqi community as power, water and communications services in the country come back online.
"The US military will be able to offer broadband services to the local community, to schools and to those helping establish law and order under their local governance provisions as well as enabling its soldiers to email back home and surf the net," he said.
D’Alberto said the deal is the company’s largest satellite contract to date. Other Multiemedia customers in the Middle East include The Central Bank of Iran, The Iranian Embassy and CallSat Telcom.
Asia's SkyLife reaches 1m subscribers mark
From http://www.advanced-television.com/pages/pagesb/newsdaily.html
Korea Digital Satellite Broadcasting operator SkyLife has achieved a one million subscribers milestone with NDS as its technology partner.
SkyLife launched Korea's only digital satellite TV service in March 2002. Since then, it has grown quickly to gain market share of 6.1 per cent of television households. SkyLife research shows that this growth rate far surpasses expansion of satellite broadcasting in America, which reached only 3.4 per cent market share after two years, and only 1.4 per cent market share in Japan in the same timeframe.
Hwang Kyu Hwan, President of SkyLife, commented at the ceremony, "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 and welcoming the harmony of broadcast and communication."
HK Phoenix TV/Results: InfoNews Channel Still In Red
From http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/031112/15/3ftb9.html
HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Ltd. (8002.HK) said Wednesday its first-quarter loss widened due to a fall in advertising income.
The satellite television broadcaster said its net loss for the three months ended Sept. 30 was HK$25.6 million, compared with a loss of HK$20.4 million in the corresponding period a year earlier.
Revenue during the three months fell 8% to HK$152.2 million, from HK$165.7 million.
In a press release, Phoenix Satellite Chairman Liu Changle blamed the SARS outbreak in the second quarter for the decrease in advertising income, which he said was larger than the normal seasonal fluctuation.
"It seemed to be at least in part a delayed effect of the SARS epidemic, which disrupted our advertising sales programs in the mainland," Liu said.
The Phoenix InfoNews Channel, seen as a future profit driver for the broadcaster, remained in the red.
The 24-hour Chinese-language news and information service, which won landing rights in China at the end of 2003, contributed a loss of HK$26.5 million, down from a loss of HK$30.6 million in the previous corresponding period.
Liu said earlier he expects the InfoNews Channel to break even in late 2003 or early 2004.
Satellite auctioner: 'Let's further open up space'
From http://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/11/11/cnna.benson/
(CNN) -- Ever wanted to own a satellite? Not just a satellite dish, but a satellite orbiting the Earth at 17,500 mph? It is as simple as putting in a bid on eBay. Or, to skip the auction, it can be bought immediately for $9.5 million, which includes the launch.
Who would bid on such a thing? James Benson, founder of SpaceDev, a company based in Poway, California, posted the satellite on eBay. Benson spoke with CNN's Miles O'Brien about the sale.
BENSON: Well, Miles, as you may know, we launched our first microsatellite in January of this year. It's an Earth-orbiting NASA science mission. And it's the world's first orbiting note on the Internet, the first satellite that can be operated from a laptop computer anywhere in the world.
SpaceDev is lowering the cost of access to space. So we thought, let's further open up space to the public. Let's offer a satellite for sale over eBay and see what kind of fun we can have and maybe make some money while we're at it.
O'BRIEN: All right, the minimum bid, $250,000. The bidding opened up last night. So far, no takers.
BENSON: We have a minimum bid of $250,000, so that we can screen the serious bidders. If we wanted to have some fun, I guess we could open that up, but we really do want serious bidders. The wife of the guy who has everything, or the guy that wants to buy his wife the first-ever private space mission, or ... [a] university or government agency who would actually like to fly a serious payload.
O'BRIEN: All right, this would be great stuff at a cocktail party. But, besides that, what would be the point of having your own satellite?
BENSON: There are a lot of people, who, like [so-called "space tourist"] Dennis Tito, for example, who wanted to go to space and spend $20 million buying a ticket to go to the space station.
For people who have less money, but perhaps would like to own their own space mission, this is a possibility. And it's less expensive than the rigors of going through six months of training and spending $20 million to actually go to space. But, in a few months, SpaceDev, through its propulsion division, hopes to be sending people toward space on Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne. So we're trying to open space to the public on the propulsion side and on the satellite side.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about SpaceShipOne. You're going to provide the rocket motor for this effort out of Mojave, California. Burt Rutan, who designed the aircraft Voyager, [which] flew around the world on one tank of gas ... will give folks a suborbital ride, if all goes well. And they'll pay, who knows, $100,000 or so. Is there really a business for all of these things, Jim?
BENSON: Miles, I think suborbital space tourism could be a multibillion-dollar project. I'm glad that SpaceShipOne is going to be powered by SpaceDev. I like to think of it as SpaceDev inside.
I made my modest fortune in the computer field, specifically microcomputers. So, when I founded SpaceDev a few years ago, I did it to bring the microcomputer way of thinking to space. I want to revolutionize space the way Apple revolutionized the computer industry. And we're already successful in launching the country's smallest high-performance, low-cost satellite. And we're trying to involve the public, get the youth excited about space again, and offer space missions to the public, whether they're suborbital space rides powered by SpaceDev or satellites built by SpaceDev.
O'BRIEN: All right, Jim Benson with SpaceDev; eBay is the location. Just put in SpaceDev there. You can go to the site and at least take a look. And if you've got a quarter of a million bucks sitting around there, why don't you join in the bidding?
12/11/03
There has been a bit of discussion over Blindsearch units and which ones are original and who is copying who. Either way they all seem to come out of Shenzhen,China, Badged and boxed to the buyers specifications. The main common feature appears to be they are all based on the same chipset CPU STi5518
Flash Memory 1 Mbyte and Graphic DRAM 8 Mbyte. (Except the CoShip unit)
This should mean that they may in fact be software compatible, e.g Innovia/Powtek/Satwork software should in theory be able to work on any of those boxes. Which brings up an interesting idea. How long before we see some user created software similar to the Nokias DVB2000 software that works on any reciever using STi5518 chipset specifications? are there any programmers out there interested in attempting such a project? Not that there is anything wrong with the software that they come with.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Steve Hume
Asiasat 2 REUTERS WNS 3905H SR 4000
Currently not in 4.2.2.
New on PAS 8
CTS TV 4133v sr 3472
VPID 43
APID 44
PCR 43
Looks like encrypted or 4.2.2. Might be worth a watch from time to time.
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From the Dish
PAS 8 166E 3860 HThe test card has left .
Optus C1 156E 12367 V "Star Tracks" has started, Irdeto 2, SID 16, APID 1622.
Optus C1 156E 12518 H All channels have left the Austar/Foxtel mux.
Optus B3 152E 12367 V "Star Tracks" has started, Irdeto 2, SID 16, APID 1622.
NSS 6 95E 11685 V Occasional feeds on , SR 6600, FEC 3/4.
Insat 2E 83E 3432 V A test card has started, fta, PIDs 278/1298.
Insat 3B 74E 4596 H PIDs for MP Satcom on : 1062/1063.
PAS 10 68.5E 3864 H "City Channel" has started testing, Fta, SID 10, PIDs 521/740.
NEWS
Another piracy bust
From https://www.aapmedianet.com.au/view_idx.html
The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association
(ASTRA) said today that the industry is continuing its resolve to
stamp out signal piracy by working with Police to investigate and
prosecute people who are involved in the manufacture and sale of
pirate smart cards.
Police have arrested two men as a result of co-ordinated
investigations with the FOXTEL Fraud & Operational Security Unit,
targeting the manufacture, sale and fraudulent use of unauthorized
pirate smart cards, which allow illegal access to FOXTEL and AUSTAR
subscription television channels.
The men arrested include antennae and satellite television
technicians, alleged to be involved in large-scale subscription
television piracy and fraud in Victoria.
In a two-day operation commencing on Monday 10 November 2003 a 37
year-old man from Edithvale and a 46 year-old man from Morwell were
arrested by Police at Mulgrave.
Police seized exhibits including pirate smart cards, business
records and computer hardware allegedly used to manufacture pirate
smart cards. The men were interviewed by Police and will be
summonsed to appear on fraud and piracy related offences.
Debra Richards, ASTRA's Executive Director, representing AUSTAR,
FOXTEL and OPTUS, said "These arrests are the result of the
subscription television Industry's intensified efforts across
Australia to crack-down on piracy of our television service. Piracy
is a crime. People should not be conned into becoming involved in
piracy activity. If in any doubt, or if pirate activity is
suspected, you are urged to report it to us through our special
piracy hotline on 1800 428 888."
Seven prepares for court
From http://finance.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7844126%255E462,00.html
THE Seven Network's $2billion-plus legal claim against most of its media rivals would be thrashed out in a three-month trial likely to start in February 2005, the Federal Court heard yesterday.
It also emerged the court could become the first in the world to decide the definition of a pay-TV market - which could have global implications.
And in another surprise, the Ten Network and pay-TV group Optus indicated they would be supporting a key part of Seven's argument even though they are among parties being sued by Seven.
Seven launched the action last November after last year's closure of its C7 pay-TV sports channel. Seven alleges pay-TV group Foxtel, its owners (including The Australian's publisher, News Limited) and others forced C7 to close by acting anti-competitively, preventing C7 from securing rights to sports such as the Australian Football League.
Seven alleges those actions lessened competition in the pay-TV market, breaching the Trade Practices Act.
As part of the damages sought, Seven wants the court to restrain the existing AFL rights owners (Foxtel, News, Nine and Ten) from rebidding for the rights. Consequently, Seven's counsel, John Sheehan SC, argued the trial should begin by next October as negotiations on future AFL rights (the current deal expires at the end of 2006) were expected to start soon.
Justice Ron Sackville said the aim would be to start by that time, but it was more likely to be February 2005.
The court also heard the parties would base much of their argument on the definition of a pay-TV market.
Seven supports the belief of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, which has stated pay-TV is a separate market. That belief forced it to disallow a merger between Foxtel and the now defunct pay-TV group Australis Media in 1997.
Counsel for Ten and Optus also said they generally agreed with Seven and the ACCC.
But News, Foxtel's 50 per cent owner Telstra, and the National Rugby League maintained there was a larger "TV entertainment" market that included pay-TV, free-to-air TV and DVD and video rentals.
This debate is crucial as the court must decide if there is a pay-TV market before it can decide if competition within it has been reduced.
Justice Sackville said all reports should be in by June to October next year.
PTV to launch 4 channels from Asia Sat-III from Nov 14
From http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=44713
ISLAMABAD, November 12 (Online): Pakistan Television Corporation Limited (PTV) would enter in a new era on November 14 by launching its four channels from Asia Sat-III.
According to sources, federal minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmad would inaugurate the launching ceremony here on Friday at PTV World's studio.
This development would provide an opportunity to all cable operators and viewers across the world to watch all these channels through one receiver.
Meanwhile, transmission of PTV-I and channel-3 would continue to be telecast from Thaicom satellite.
Galaxy's pay-TV service delayed
From http://www.advanced-television.com/
The much-awaited foray of Hong Kong's Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting, into the pay-TV market has been delayed until January next year.
Galaxy, which is 51 per cent owned by Intelsat and 49 per cent by Television Broadcasts (TVB) said: "Galaxy needs a bit more time to increase the number of homes passed, after SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) caused delays earlier in the year." an official has been quoted as saying.
Media reports added that Galaxy planned to have access to 300,000 homes by start-up, rising to 600,000 after one year and a million after two years.
The other companies in the same business include Hong Kong Cable Television, owned by i-Cable Communications, PCCW, Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN), a subsidiary of the fixed-line operator City Telecom and smaller players such as Yes Television Asia and TV Plus (HK) (formerly Pacific Digital Media (HK) Corp).
Sahara Samay-Mumbai may launch officially in a fortnight
From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k3/nov/nov87.htm
MUMBAI: Sahara Samay-Mumbai, Sahara Group's western India-specific news channel, may formally launch in two weeks time, informs channel head Rajiv K Bajaj.
The channel began its test run on 26 September and has been tweaking itself ever since.
"Precisely," Bajaj says, "we have to settle some distribution problems and technical glitches. Once that is done, we will go on air officially."
Meanwhile, as a part of its programming initiative, Sahara Samay-Mumbai last week launched the RKB Show - Bajaj's trademark programme - which takes the viewers live to various parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa and tackles on-going social issues.
The three-hour-long RKB Show, which according to a company release is considered the channel driver - is telecast at 7.30 pm everyday.
Besides live coverage, the programme, anchored by Bajaj, brings together celebrities and the common man in Western India and hosts interviews at its studios.
Bajaj says, "We usually take up a raging issue, invite about five to six guest to our studio, hold discussions and try to arrive to a practical conclusion. The latest issue we dealt with was the stamp scam case - we even spoke to deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal on the issue."
RKB Show has already featured people like Shekhar Suman, Mallika Sarabhai, Suresh Dada Jain, Kripa Shankar Singh, Ranjit Deshmukh, Dewang Patel, Dr Ronu Mazumdar, Amitabh Dayal, Divya Datta and Pinky Advani among other celebrities.
Bajaj says, he began is 'RKB journey' with his column, RKB's the Good, the Bad, the Ugly in the Daily newspaper. "Then when I joined the channel In Mumbai, I started with the RKB Show and brought it with me to Sahara also."
Other shows in the channel include back-to-back news bulletins beginning with the main Mumbai News Bulletin and special reportage from other centres including Pune, Nagpur and Ahmedabad.
As for the shows Bajaj says, "We are only following the direction of our chairman to provide solutions instead of just focusing on problems."
11/11/03
Live satellite chat tonight 9pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd time onwards in the chatroom
Prime TV here in NZ is ditching overnight home shopping! don't get to excited what we will get instead is Fox News overnight.
Paul T added to userpages
From my Emails & ICQ
From Steve Hume
I 701 180E 12460h s/r 30000 Possibly 3/4, New mux ?
Just looked into the log of hits, and this is what I found. Because I use a Toroidal, it's not up there in the gain.
11975h sr30000
11610h sr30000
12650h sr17800
11581v sr4085
10975h sr30000
11825h sr30000
12460h sr30000
I had to edit one of the other satellites to load 701, and I'm pretty
sure I deleted all existing. Maybe there is a few newies there.
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From The Dish
Optus A3 164E 12340 H "Win TV" still on , Fta, SR 30000, FEC 3/4, PIDs 1536/1537.
Optus B1 160E 12574 H "Mix 106.3" has left .
Optus B3 156E 12658 V "RVI 2 and Glas Hrvatske" radio have started, Fta, SIDs 32 and 33,APIDs 1323 and 1922.
Apstar 1 134E 4180 V The PHTV mux has left (Digicipher 1).
Insat 2E 83E 4005 V "ETV Telugu" has started , Fta, PIDs 1860/1820.
Insat 3B 83E 4608 H "Reseco Distance Learning Channel" has started ,Fta, SR 2222, FEC 3/4, PIDs 1062/1063.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3671 H An RR Sat promo and two VIC-TV have started Fta,PIDs 6177/6195-6209/6195.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 4064 V "ATV Avrupa" is back on , Fta, PIDs 337/338.
Insat 3C 74E 3756 H "DD News has replaced DD Metro" Fta, PIDs 512/650.
Insat 3C 74E DD Karnataka has left 3731 V and 3749 V (PAL).
Insat 3C 74E 3734 V "DD Karnataka and occasional DD Karnataka feeds" have started Fta, SR 6250, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650 and 513/660.
NEWS
Prime TV goes with Fox News
From http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=7511&cid=1&cname=Media
The Kerry Packer-owned Prime Television, available on the UHF band and on Sky Digital, will be showing Rupert Murdoch's high-rating US-based Fox News channel overnight from December 1.
Prime CEO Mr Chris Taylor, announcing the new partnership, said: "Prime is thrilled to have Fox News on board to deliver New Zealanders the best of international news. This partnership also marks a significant step forward for Prime TV as it truly becomes a 24-hour a day free-to-air television network."
Vice president of Fox News Distribution Janet Alshouse says, “It’s great to know that Fox News is now available to New Zealanders via Prime TV. We are the world's fastest growing news channel and Prime is New Zealand’s fastest growing free-to-air network. It’s a nice synergy and a win-win for both broadcasters."
The partnership is a major achievement for Prime as viewers can now access premium international news free-to-air. Viewers will be able to keep up-to-date overnight with worldwide developments as they happen, from a "news provider with the legacy of unbiased news coverage."
While many media commentators would not agree with this latter statement, Fox News will at the least provide a welcome antidote to the relentlessly anti-American bias of BBC World.
(Craigs comment, "Viewers will be able to keep up-to-date overnight with worldwide developments as they happen, from a "news provider with the legacy of unbiased news coverage." hahahhaahha I never read such crap in my life! unbiased my arse!)
Christian net loses Kiwi license
From variety
At least two consortiums vying for channel
AUCKLAND -- A broadcasting license is up for grabs after a channel in the capital city of Wellington, backed by California-based Christian satcaster Trinity Broadcasting Network, was pulled off the air.
Plug was yanked Oct. 31, ending months of fraught talks between local TBN operation Elijah Communications and the Culture and Heritage Ministry.
Ministry was concerned frequencies allocated free for noncommercial use were just rebroadcasting TBN from the satellite, offering mostly fundamental evangelist material.
Officials demanded a more local look. At least two consortiums are trying for the license but the channel is unlikely to restart for a month or more.
TBN Asia-South Pacific director Owen Sunnex said TBN is pleased to take a back seat and only took over to keep the channel on air when previous licensees fell into trouble.
TBN has helped another Christian regional channel, Shine, in New Zealand's South Island.
(Craigs comment, TBN is also on air here in Nelson and begging for donations!)
Overseas interest in local satellite modem
From http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,7826082%5E15400%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html
A TECHNOLOGY developed by the University of South Australia to enhance satellite modems is being tested internationally, following its commercialisation by a US company.
The S-Tec Turbo Technology, which originated in a PhD thesis and was developed by the university's Institute for Telecommunications Research, improves performance in satellite modems, including bandwidth and power savings of up to 50 per cent.
The university's spin-off company, Iterative Connections, has teamed with US modem maker Datum Systems to develop and market the Premier 5 modem, which uses turbo coding.
The two have combined to form a company known as Ultimate Datum, which will take the technology to the $US100 million ($140 million) satellite modem market.
Senior lecturer Adrian Barbulescu said the target market was high-bandwidth applications such as video streaming, including digital satellite news gathering and internet service providers and broadband providers.
"We offer this extra performance at the same cost as the best competitor," Dr Barbulescu said.
"In the second stage, we want to go further and offer not only the satellite modem but a turnkey system to the customer."
Four overseas customers were using the modem on a trial basis, he said.
"We are also looking at a market closer to home, in particular China."
PanAmSat to Reduce Workforce, Teleports
From Sky report
PanAmSat disclosed plans to reduce its workforce by about 45 employees, and said it will take a charge of about $1.5 million in the fourth quarter for employee compensation, benefits and outplacement services.
The workforce reduction was detailed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing made Friday, which also offered details on PanAmSat's plans to realign its teleports.
In January, the company approved a plan to consolidate operations at its teleports in order to improve customer service and reduce operating costs. PanAmSat said it expects its Homestead, Fla., and Spring Creek, N.Y., teleports will close in 2003 and 2004, and its Fillmore, Calif., and Castle Rock, Colo., teleports will provide reduced services.
PanAmSat said its Napa teleport in California will become a West Coast hub for communications, video and data services, and will take on occasional-use and full-time services provided by the Fillmore teleport. Its Ellenwood, Ga., teleport will serve as an East Coast hub, providing similar services that migrate from Homestead and Spring Creek, the company said.
The Teleport realignment required a $2.8 million charge as of Sept. 30, PanAmSat said.
10/11/03
Nothing to say up here today
New Scat Cable and Satellite magazine above.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Various
Feeds seen over the Weekend
B1 12350 V "V8 Feed car cam feed" Sr 6670
B1 12367 V "V8 feed from NZ " Sr 6670, Fec 3/4
B1 12367 V "NBL Basketball" Sr 6626
B1 12367 V 'Aussie Idol" Sr 6666, Fec 3/4
B1 12416 V "W.C Rugby feed" Sr 9343
From Mr Humax
I am receiving Insat 2E 3979 V 5000 3/4 60% SNR high BER but i get pics on 2.3 mesh in Brisbane
This service is on the zone beam
It seems the service has changed from DD metro to "DOORDARSHAN..NEWS"
anybody else getting it?
From the Dish
PAS 8 166E 3860 H New PIDs for CSN on : 450/451. A test card has started on PIDs 440/451, Viaccess 2.
Optus B3 152E 12407 V New APIDs for Australasian Retail Radio Network 1-2 on : 257 and 258.
Optus B3 152E 12525 V "Occasional GlobeCast" feeds on , PIDs 1360/1320.
Superbird C 144E 12613 H TBS Channel, JNN News Bird, JNN News Bird, The Mystery Channel, Keiko to Manabu Channel, QVC Japan and V Paradise have started , PowerVu, SR 21096, FEC 3/4, PIDs 1160/1120-1760/1720.
Koreasat 3 116E 12530 H "XTM" has started, Videoguard, Sky ch 323.
Telkom 1 108E 3580 H "ESPN has replaced The Soundtrack Channel Pacific", Irdeto 2,PIDs 60/61.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 3760 H "FMen" has started, Fta, PIDs 1090/1091.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 3820 V "SpeedCast" has left .
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3757 H "Occasional feeds" on , SR 3617, FEC 3/4.
NSS 6 95E 11633 H A test card and a New Skies promo have started, Fta, SR 26032, PIDs 257/258 and 513/514, Chinese beam. (one for the guys in W.A to look for ?)
NSS 6 95E 12688 V "FMen, Free-XTV, Fashion TV India, NTD TV and the New Skies promo" have left .
Yamal 102 90E 3493 R "TV 36 Chelyabinsk" has left , replaced by a test card.
Insat 3A 93.5E 11630 H "TV 5 Asie has replaced Ten Sports India" on , Conax, PIDs 167/106.
Insat 2E 83E 3979 V "DD News has replaced DD Metro" , Fta, SR 5000, FEC 3/4,PIDs 308/256.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 12438 H "Chic Channel has replaced Fashion TV" on , Irdeto 2, PIDs 520/730.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H "Nile Family and Kids" has started, Fta, PIDs 785/786.New PIDs for Nile Culture: 801/802.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3686 H "Indiavision Music" has started, Fta, SR 3333, FEC 3/4, PIDs 1160/1120.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3695 H "The Sky International info card" is encrypted again.
PAS 10 68.5E 4064 V "ATV Avrupa" has left .
NEWS
Higher costs push Shin Satellite profit down 42%
From http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/08Nov2003_biz64.html
Internet and other units show big gains
Shin Satellite yesterday reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter earnings due to lower revenues from its core transponder leasing business. But earnings from its Internet operations rose 157% from a year earlier and its international non-satellite businesses gained 75.2%.
The company, founded by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, reported net profit for the quarter of 205.3 million baht, down 42.1% from the same period last year, while revenues rose 11.5% to 1.45 billion.
For the nine months to Sept 30, net profit declined 29.3% to 818 million baht, on revenues of 4.32 billion, up 16.4%.
While overall revenues were up, chief executive Dumrong Kasemset said revenues from the transponder business fell 14% year-on-year to 2.48 billion baht in the first nine months.
He said higher operating costs for providing iPSTAR services in many countries, particularly the gateways in Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan added a total of 179 million baht in expenses.
The company also paid 230 million baht in corporate tax at a higher rate of 21.1%, which ate into revenues.
As well, the company's transponder revenues are in US dollars. The baht has gained about 7% against the dollar this year.
But Dr Dumrong expressed optimism that although the company would post a decline in net profit, its overall business outlook was still satisfactory, particularly for its affiliates.
He said the company's Internet access business arm, CS Loxinfo, earned 837 million baht in revenue in the first three quarters, an increase of 157.4% from the same period last year.
The result reflected the success of the merger earlier in the year of Shin Satellite's CS Communications with Loxley Information Service. The merger created the country's largest Internet service provider in revenue, market share and bandwidth usage.
Dr Dumrong also said the company's fixed-line telephone service in Laos posted a 47.5% jump in revenue to 556 million baht in the same period, while revenue from its mobile phone service in Cambodia rose 21.5% to 604 million baht.
Shin Satellite also told the Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday that it had increased its investment in Spacecode LLC, a technology research and development unit for its iPSTAR satellite and ground systems, from 12% to 70%. The company paid for the stake with US$270,000 in cash plus 2.23 million shares held in iPSTAR Co Ltd.
iPSTAR, which is scheduled to be launched next year, is the company's fourth satellite and will offer broadband services. Shin Satellite currently operates three Thaicom satellites and has customers in several countries, with India being one of its main markets.
Shin Satellite shares closed yesterday at 22 baht, down 50 satang, in trade worth 208.1 million baht.
T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 43/2003 9 November 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
GOVERNMENT TO RELAUNCH MEDIA OWNERSHIP BILL
The Australian government on November 5 resubmitted to parliament legislation aimed at loosening media ownership restrictions. The Senate rejected the media ownership legislation for the first time in June after the government stripped out an amendment that would have prohibited media proprietors from owning a television station and a newspaper in a mainland capital city. The government is in a minority in the Senate and needs four extra votes on top of its 35 to pass legislation. The ruling Liberal-National coalition has proposed, among other things, to limit media proprietors to owning just two of either television, newspaper or radio in both metropolitan and regional markets, while abolishing foreign ownership restrictions. Under current rules, newspaper, radio and television companies in the same Australian city are limited to holding 15% stakes in each other. Foreign companies are restricted from controlling more than 15% of an Australian television company, and 25% of a newspaper.
AUSTAR AND FOXTEL TO COMBAT TV PIRACY
Pay-TV players Austar and Foxtel have teamed up to introduce new smartcards to combat satellite TV piracy. According to the industry estimates, the initiative is an effort to claw back as much as $40 million a year that the sector loses to fraudulent activity. Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers recently estimated that up to $300 million a year was being lost by the Australian entertainment industry to piracy. The new smartcards will be rolled out progressively over the next several months across Australia. They will replace the existing smartcard installed in set-top boxes. The new version of the card has been not been compromised by pirates anywhere in the world, according to the two companies. Under the new pay-TV smartcard rollout, which starts this week across Australia, more than 800,000 Foxtel and Austar satellite subscribers will be issued with new Irdeto V4 smartcards, first deployed internationally in May 2003. V4 is an advanced version of the Irdeto V2 smartcard that is still secure after three years in the global pay TV market, despite attempts by hackers to break it. Analysts estimate Australian pay-TV piracy is running at about 10-15% of legitimate subscribers. It mostly occurs in the form of subscribers taking a basic tier package and using an illegal smart card to access premium programming.
CHINA HONG KONG
NEW DIGITAL PAY-TV CHANNEL TO FOCUS ON FASHION
China's first digital pay-TV channel focusing on hair dressing, body building, costume and etiquette is expected to open on 1 January, 2004, in Jiangsu Province, East China. The TV channel, dubbed "Liangzhuang (Beautification)," will include news and information, special reports, interactive programmes, and dramas. It has signed agreements with a dozen domestic and international TV channels such as French "Fashion TV," according to Xu Chengyong, head in charge of preparations for the new TV channel. Since pay-TV is still new to China, the "Liangzhuang" channel is likely to become profitable by the end of 2005, Xu said. The government has encouraged the development of pay TV channels, as part of its effort to reform the country's TV industry. According to the plan, by 2005 digital pay TV channels will be opened in big cities, with a total of 30 million viewers.
SHANGAI TO LAUNCH ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CHANNEL
Shanghai plans to set up an English-language television station, probably late next year. Industry officials said on November 3 that moves towards setting up the station had faced some opposition from state broadcaster China Central Television, which operates the mainland's only nationwide English channel, CCTV9. Shanghai's English station could bring more competition for both advertising revenue and viewers, depending on the geographical scope of its broadcasts. The group aims to beam the English channel nationally and even internationally. Officials in the industry said such a plan would need approval from the central government authorities. Shanghai started its 24-hour satellite channel in 1998. Dragon TV said on its web site that its programming could now be seen domestically as well as in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong, with plans to expand to North America.
CNBC EXTENDS REACH
Business news broadcaster CNBC Asia Pacific is to extend its co-operation with the Shanghai Media Group, the South China Morning Post has reported. It will provide technical support on financial data delivery and fundamental operation, and the parties are looking into further programming opportunities. In April, the two parties announced a strategic partnership on exchanging content and splitting advertising revenue from shared programming. Under the deal, Shanghai Media subsidiary, Shanghai Television Business Channel, broadcasts live news twice each working day for CNBC on business developments on the mainland. CNBC has requested that the China business briefings be increased to six times a day.
DISNEY WANTS LIMITED BROADCAST LICENCE
The Walt Disney Co has applied for a limited licence that would allow the introduction in China of its flagship Disney Channel. According to a Reuters report, the application for the licence, which would make the TV channel available in foreigners' compounds and upscale hotels, would end Disney's absence from a market where rivals Time Warner, News Corp and Viacom are already present. The Disney Channel in China would also be available in Mandarin, China's official language. In September, Viacom, which already broadcasts a Mandarin version of its MTV music channel in China, told Reuters it had applied for a limited licence that would to put a version of its children's Nickelodeon channel in China. Decisions on both the Disney and Nickelodeon licences are likely to come around the end of this year or the beginning of 2004, according to people familiar with the process.
CETV PREPARES FOR RELAUNCH
Tom.com expects Chinese Entertainment Television Broadcast (CETV), which it bought from Time Warner earlier this year, to break even in two to three years after its relaunch next year. Chief executive Sing Wang said CETV might increase in-house production from 10 to 15 per cent of total programming to 40 to 45 per cent after the re-launch next June to take advantage of low production costs in the mainland. CETV - founded by television veteran Robert Chua - is one of only four overseas channels with landing rights in southern China, as well as hotels and other specified venues nationwide. But due to a lack of localised content, the broadcaster has captured less than 2 per cent of the market. Last year's revenue came in at just US$450,000 on the back of a $17 million loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. Tom.com will inject up to US$30 million over 30 months to finance CETV's operations.
ISRAEL
COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER SUPPORTS CHANNEL 10 TV
Communications Minister Ehud Olmert said on November 4 he supports loosening the regulations governing Channel 10 in order to maintain competition in the television advertising market. Speaking at a telecom convention sponsored by the Israel Management Centre, Olmert encouraged one of the three Channel 2 concessionaires to cross over to Channel 10, its only competitor. Olmert's comments come a day after media reports that Keshet, one of the concessionaires, and Channel 10 reached a partnership agreement, which includes debt repayment. The Merhav group, the largest shareholder of Channel 10, is also reportedly negotiating with a group headed by Shlomo Ben-Tzvi and Ron Lauder, who own Tehelet, a cable TV channel with a religious slant. Uzi Peled, CEO of Telad, another Channel 2 concessionaire, said his company would merge with Reshet, the third concessionaire, if Keshet decides to enter a partnership with Channel 10. Olmert also expressed opposition to eliminating the TV fee.
MALAYSIA
ASTRO TO MAKE MALAYSIA REGIONAL CENTRE
Astro All Asia Networks, the country’s sole pay-TV operator, which made its debut on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Main Board, plans to expand its Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese contents and become the regional media hub, its chief executive, Ralph Marshall, said. Astro, which began operations in August 1996, is principally engaged in providing satellite multi-channel subscription television services, radio broadcasting services, production and distribution of film and television programming, publication and distribution of magazines related to its television and radio programmes, and providing of interactive and multimedia services. Marshall said that Astro sees some 20,000 to 30,000 subscribers per month. Besides a Chinese language film library in Hong Kong, he said that Astro’s overseas operations comprised a radio station in India and a pay-TV in Brunei. Marshall said Astro expected its overseas operations to contribute between 20 and 25 per cent of its revenue within five years compared with the Malaysian operation which is expected to contribute 75 per cent. Astro incurred a pre-tax loss of RM320 million in fiscal 2003, but expects a net profit of up to RM10.2 million for the year to January 31 to 2004.
NEW ZEALAND
CANWEST BOOSTS PROFITS
CanWest's New Zealand operations produced revenues of NZ$213m in the 12 months to August 31, up from NZ$188 million a year earlier. Operating profits rose to NZ$39 million from NZ$21 million 12 months before. The company said that higher advertising revenues from terrestrial broadcaster TV3 were the main growth driver. TV3 generated revenues of NZ$166 million, up 23% year-on-on-year, and had profits of NZ$21 million. However, minority interest channel TV4 produced a loss of NZ$7 million. The channel has now been relaunched as music service C4, and the company says it should break even within two years.
PAKISTAN
MULTICHOICE TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST PIRATES
MultiChoice Africa (MCA), a multi-channel television platform providing premium television entertainment to over 860,000 subscribers in about 50 countries on the African continent and adjacent islands through its DStv Bouquet, has signed an agreement with Royal IPR Security Services to protect illegal viewing of its channels in Pakistan. "We have signed a Power of Attorney with Royal IPR Services, authorising it to take legal action against those cable operators who are using our cards illegally, because we have no operations in this region," said Frikkie Jonker, head of Anti-Piracy Division of MCA, at a press briefing organised by Channels Providers’ Association of Pakistan (CPAP). Jonker said that during his stay in Pakistan, he met the officials of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and visited many establishments of cable operators (head-ends) "which are illegally using MCA’s smart cards in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi". "I also visited marketplaces where these cards are easily available (and came to know that) a majority of cable operators, about 800, were using MCA cards," he said. "Since the MCA is not operating in Pakistan, the use of its cards, or display of its channels is illegal. We show some channels, which are not even fit for the Pakistani society," he said. According to Jonker, the main sufferers of this piracy are Pakistani channel providers (content rights holders), who have legal licenses of many prominent TV channels, like Star Channels, HBO, AXN, etc. These content-rights holders are losing millions of rupees due to this type of piracy. "The Pemra officials have assured me that they would warn all the cable operators not to use MCA cards and also take legal action against the violators," he said. Explaining how these cards were smuggled into Pakistan, Jonker said: "Some people from Dubai fly to any country in Africa and buy MCA smart cards from there using fake names and take them to Dubai or Karachi for illegal use." Jonker said his company had successfully contained the illegal use of its cards in the United States due to action taken by Arabian Anti-Piracy Association (AAA), and many establishments had been raided and prosecuted and some of them had been sentenced as well. "A person is in a Dubai jail for over one year because he was using illegal cards," he added. The Royal IPR Services would take legal action against illegal users of the MCA cards, he said and hoped that other companies like the MCA would follow suit. Speaking on the occasion, President CPAP Mahmood Rizvi said members of his association were working in an unhealthy competitive market in Pakistan. Quoting a recent study on Copyright Losses in Pakistan, conducted by the Sidat Hyder Morshed Associated for the AAA, Rizvi said that from every 100 cable TV connections in Pakistan, about 94 per cent were pirated. "The high level of piracy may be ascertained simply by the fact that for an estimated 2.6 million households in Pakistan having a cable TV connection, there are only 791 registered cable operators, most of whom are legally serving under 1,000 cable connections. Hence, one can safely assume that the remaining consumers are served by pirate cable operators," he said.
PRIVATE TV CHANNELS MORE POPULAR
The private TV channels across Pakistan are getting more popularity for providing fresh news, particularly a variety of stories on the current developments in the country and overseas as well as entertainment programmes to their viewers. Beside the state-owned PTV, there are five Pakistani-owned satellite television channels, Indus TV, ARY TV, Geo TV, Uni-TV and KTN. But due to some concerns including issuing of licenses for private channels, they still telecast from overseas with content created in Pakistan.
INDIAN TV CHANNELS BACK ON CABLE
Indian entertainment channels are back on Pakistani cable channels due to high public demand despite a ban and against the risk of raids and heavy fines by the regulatory authorities. “The ban on Indian channels has resulted in huge losses to the cable operators,” Ahsan Ali, general secretary of the Pakistan Cable Operators Association, told Gulf News. “Many operators are flouting the ban despite the risk because they are popular among their clients”, he said. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has been conducting raids and imposing fines on the operators for showing Indian channels which were banned following last year's military standoff between the two South Asian nuclear rivals.
SAUDI ARABIA
AL-ISLAH UNDER PRESSURE FROM GOVERNMENT
Al-Islah Channel started satellite broadcasts on a new frequency. But just a few hours later the transmission was cut off. After the movement checked with the service-supplying company Globecast, the company confessed to pressures that forced it to halt the transmission temporarily till the end of the week and said it would study the case at the beginning of next week.
AL MANAHIJ CHANNEL GOES FTA
World Snickers, a Master Foods product, has joined hands with ART to make Al Manahij educational channel viewable free of charge for the benefit of students throughout the Arab world. It is estimated that Al Manahij education channel will reach more than eight million students across the Arab world. Launched in 1999, Al Manahij Educational Channel is part of Arab Radio & Television (ART) and specializes in curriculums for students at high school level. Techniques include the latest in educational technology such as graphics, drama and educational scenes that accompany applications of the subject matter. Al Manahij offers six core programs covering Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, English Language, Grammar, and Computers. These subjects are supported by other educational programs, entertainment and sports coverage presented as fillers in between the core educational programs.
Internet http://www.addunivers.com
SOUTH KOREA
GOVERNMENT TO INVEST $644 MILLION ON DIGITAL TV
With the objective of to gaining more than 30 per cent of the global digital TV broadcast market, the Korean government has committed to construction of a nationwide digital broadcast network with three major terrestrial broadcasters by 2005; launching data broadcast in 2004, and digital multimedia broadcast (DMB) in 2005; and the start of t-government services in 2007. To accomplish its objectives, the ministry will invest $644 million as a matching fund raised from the public and private sector. The funds would be allocated for building infrastructure, developing new service technologies and future digital TV technologies. The government authorities selected 16 technologies to be developed including: DTT transmission technology, next-generation GHz cable transmission systems, and integrated terminals for terrestrial and satellite digital multimedia broadcast.
TAIWAN
TAIWAN COMPANIES LOOK TO CHINA FOR DIGITAL TV
Digital television industry representatives have expressed their intention to collaborate to tap the massive Greater China market, saying this would create a win-win situation both for the sector and the Chinese audience. "Taiwan can serve as a digital content provider, as programs produced in the nation are popular among many Chinese-language speaking countries," said Nelson Chang, chief executive officer of China Network Systems Co, a local multiple system operator that also runs digital TV, at a forum on November 5. To stay in step with global trends, the Taiwan government pledges to bring digital TV service to 50 per cent of the nation's households by 2006. Currently, there are three major digital TV operators including China Network Systems, Taiwan Broadband Corp and Eastern Multimedia Co. Fundamental to any chance of getting cross-strait cooperation, however, is a unified digital TV system, said Felix Chen, chairman of Sampo Corp, the nation's largest consumer electronics maker. Taiwan's digital TV service providers have decided to adopt Digital Video Broadcasting Project (DVB) system. But their Chinese counterparts have not yet decided on a broadcasting format. Operators are using a number of different formats there including DVB, Conditional Access (CA) and Advanced Digital Television Broadcast-Terrestrial (ADTB-T) a format developed in China itself.
A F R I C A
END OF THE ROAD FOR TV AFRICA
TV Africa closes shop and with it dies the dream of creating a pan-African television network. The much-desired advertisers and consequently advertising revenue had not come, at least, in the quantum required to keep the station going. And so, African Media Group, AMG, the major shareholders in the venture few weeks back decided it was time to put a lid on its losses. But not before the company had accumulated debts of R23 million far in excess of its asset base estimated at about R16 million. The company started out with high hopes. Modelled after the big American television networks like the CBS and ABC, TV Africa was designed to be a television content (programmes) provider.
9/11/03
No update Sunday
8/11/03
Taking a break from the site this weekend, Back Monday. GO ALLBLACKS and GO BLACKCAPS
7/11/03
Not much to say today, Asiasat 4 cband testing with video?
From my Emails & ICQ
From Chris Pickstock
B1, 12348 V, sr 6670
Only just found it in time for the last few minutes of qualifying. Its a feed for "Bigpond" that has run during the last few race meetings.
Also a test card on 12367 V, sr 6669 with the same audio as 12348V.
Chris
From Steve Hume playing with his new Coship
Asiasat 4, 4091 H, 5632, 3/4 "Fortune Test Card" FTA
If anyone is interested. The list below is stuff on Telkom 1 that won't load, looks like data.
Also, a radio one that loaded. (3898h, sr. 2000)
4195v sr 4957
4183v sr 2169
3969v sr 2025
3600v sr 25156
3754v sr 6000
3580h sr 20000
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From the Dish
Asiasat 3 105.5E 4140 V "Zee Cinema Asia" has started , Mediaguard, PIDs 164/96.
Asiasat 3 105.5E 3760 H Sr 26000 "Ftv Men started?"
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3520 H "RVI 2" has started, Fta, APID 7233.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3671 H "Both VIC-TV and one of the RR Sat promos" have left .
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3695 H "Sky International and the Sky International info card" are now FTA at the moment.
NEWS
Telecommunications: Shin brings fat internet to NZ
From http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=7478&cid=3&cname=Technology
Auckland-based telecommunications entrepreneur John Humphrey has a new project on the boil, one that looks like a solid candidate to win a government contract for the delivery of universal, competitively priced satellite-based broadband to the country.
Mr Humphrey is the New Zealand representative for Shin Satellite, a subsidiary of Shin Corporation, Thailand's largest telecoms group. Shin is about to construct a $15 million terrestrial gateway in Auckland to provide spot coverage to its new IPStar satellite, set to launch next year.
Although Shin did not bid for Project Probe's 15th region contract to provide national high speed internet by satellite coverage the only other potential winner of the contract is using older, slower, vastly more expensive technology.
Mr Humphrey said he had been in communication with Probe officials and they had expressed interest in Shin's offer but discussions were still at a preliminary stage.
Part of the difficulty with the contract is that Shin will offer the service on a wholesale rather than retail basis. That meant the government would have to line up retail providers, Mr Humphrey said.
The satellite's connection would provide real broadband speeds of up to one megabit a second (Mbps) and would use a relatively inexpensive ($US1000), small (85cm) satellite dish. In recent trials using the current Shin satellite system, Shin demonstrated real time video conferencing capabilities without difficulty at 386Kbps. The new satellite will provide still more bandwidth and faster speeds to New Zealand.
"There are two cost factors associated with satellite broadband," Mr Humphrey said. "The cost of the service and the cost of the hardware. IPStar is designed to attack both.
"So you get incredibly high bandwidth on the bird [the satellite], which drops the space segment on the satellite dramatically and allows huge volumes of potential users, which justifies the investment necessary to produce cheaper boxes.
"That way you have a satellite service that can start to compete with things like terrestrial wireless on price," he said, but he noted that the final cost was a matter for retail resellers.
Mr Humphrey said the decision to focus spot beams on New Zealand came after the satellite had been completely designed "at an additional cost of many noughts."
Satellite broadband is a curious beast, potentially ubiquitous (except in heavy rain) but often priced out of the reach of those who need it most: farmers and others in remote locations.
Without it, the cost of bringing high speed internet to all of New Zealand's schools and communities a clearly articulated goal of government and the moving force behind Project Probe is prohibitive.
Costs for even basic telephone installations in remote locations can reach many thousands of dollars a line, Telecom has said, and upgrading existing rural lines to enable fast internet is equally cost-ineffective.
Even where the copper is good, the surrounding conditions like kilometres of electrified fencing mean either new technologies or new lines, laid underground or insulated.
Terrestrial wireless solutions will reach most of those beyond the copper circle, but even wireless transmitters have limits -- and many New Zealand households prove the point. Even in densely populated regions like Auckland with many competing providers, wireless is far from universally available.
Nor is wireless cheap. New wireless offers from internet service providers using BCL's network are a case in point. Installation costs for a single home can top $1500, added to which are annual subscription fees that start at more than $1200.
That means satellite coverage -- which can reach anyone, anywhere -- is likely to need a new provider to make that happen at anything like a reasonable cost.
Shin won't be the first or only satellite company delivering services in New Zealand but it will be the first to offer universal coverage at competitive wholesale prices.
Optus began selling satellite internet connections last year but at a startup cost of more than $8000 with annual costs of about $1000, yielding download speeds of only 200kbps (kilobits per second) with an upload speed of 77.6kbps.
The Shin offer will also provide an IP download transmission beam that carries up to 200Mbps of bandwidth perfect for "Japanese language lessons or commercial broadcasting," Mr Humphrey said.
But not even the Shin offer will overcome the primary driver of broadband subscription costs, which is the Southern Cross chokepoint pricing for international transmissions.
Eventually, however, all 18 IPStar gateways will be linked, Mr Humphrey said, which will enable satellite connections between New Zealand, India, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, VietNam, Myanmar and Cambodia, for openers.
IPStar has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Auckland-based wireless hotspot network Reach, using the IPStar gateway located at Reach's teleport in Sydney, capable of providing asymmetrical 4/2Mbps connectivity.
Foxtel: more subscribers, bigger loss
From Afr.com
A sharp jump in subscriber numbers could not stop Foxtel from sinking deeper into the red during the three months to September 30.
News Corp's results for the September quarter reveal that the pay TV operator which is 25 per cent owned by News, 25 per cent by Kerry Packer's Publishing & Broadcasting Limited and 50 per cent by Telstra produced an operating loss of $27 million, up from $24 million in the September 2002 quarter.
Foxtel lost $92 million in 2002-03, compared with an operating loss of $88 million in 2001-02.
The pay TV company's revenue grew 31.9 per cent to $182 million during the September quarter, thanks to the addition of Optus's pay TV subscribers on December 1 last year and a 17 per cent jump in satellite subscriber numbers.
Foxtel had 1.07 million subscribers at September 30, up from 1.06 million at June 30 and 805,000 in September 2002 (before the deal with Optus).
In theory, the higher Australian dollar should be trimming Foxtel's losses, as it reduces the cost of its expensive movie supply deals with the big Hollywood studios, which are in US dollars.
But any gains in that area are being offset by the cost of Optus's licence fees, higher marketing costs to attract new subscribers and News said ``the development of a future digital service".
How much Foxtel has spent so far on moving to digital technology is not clear. Other mysteries include exactly when Foxtel will go digital and the impact of digitisation on its financial results.
In late October, Foxtel hired Commonwealth Bank and ABN Amro to arrange a $550 million syndicated facility to fund its switch to digital.
The timing of the switch is a secret. Earlier this year, Foxtel chief executive Kim Williams hinted that it would happen in late March. Now Foxtel executives are saying some time in the first half of 2004.
Mr Williams denied rumours that the switch to digital, which will increase the number of channels Foxtel offers from 47 to more than 100, has been delayed because of a lack of programming content. Earlier this year, he told The Australian Financial Review that the rumours were ``arrant nonsense and entirely without foundation. There is a large diversity of available content and channels".
News, PBL and Telstra are convinced digital technology will boost the penetration of pay TV which is stalled at 23 per cent of Australian homes and further reduce Foxtel's subscriber churn rate, which has fallen from about 30 per cent in 2001 to less than 20 per cent today.
But the cost of introducing digital technology will push Foxtel further into the red.
PBL executive chairman James Packer told his company's annual general meeting last week : ``While the costs of digitisation will have a negative impact on Foxtel's earnings in the short term, we believe the transition will lead to an improvement in profitability.
``We expect over the next five years Foxtel will become one of Australia's most profitable media businesses." Mr Williams has consistently said Foxtel would be profitable in ``around 2005".
As Foxtel's losses continue to grow, News's Australian newspaper arm turned in a respectable result for the September quarter. The local division of the newspapers lifted its operating income 6 per cent during the September quarter.
Thai Shin Satellite Buys More Spacecode Shrs For THB99.6M
From http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/031107/15/3foc9.html
BANGKOK (Dow Jones)--Thailand's Shin Satellite PCL (SATTEL.TH) Friday said it will invest around 99.6 million baht ($1=THB39.891) to raise its stake in Spacecode LLC to 70% from 13% by the year-end.
The company will purchase Spacecode shares from its parent Codespace Inc. by paying $270,00 in cash and 2.2 million shares, or 1.1%, in its wholly-owned unit, iPSTAR Co.
Spacecode is a research and development company for iPSTAR satellite and ground systems.
iPSTAR is Shin Satellite's new satellite, due to be launched next year.
Private channels go popular in Pakistan
From http://www.pakistanlink.com/headlines/Nov03/07/10.html
ISLAMABAD (NNI): The private television channels across Pakistan are getting more popularity for providing fresh news particularly variety of stories on the current developments in the country and overseas as well as entertainment programs to their viewers.
Beside the state-owned PTV, there are five Pakistani-owned satellite television channels - Indus TV, ARY TV, Geo TV, Uni-TV and KTN. But due to some concerns including issuing of licenses for private channels, they still telecast from overseas with content created in Pakistan.
According to a survey carried out by IRNA in Islamabad, before launching of the private channels, a large number of the viewers in Pakistan were clamoring for the restoration of Indian cable channels, banned last year amid heightened tension between Pakistan and India.
But the trend has reversed, and they have approached to homegrown Pakistani channels those which have stepped in to fill the vacuum. Most of the people interviewed during the survey told IRNA they appreciated the government plan for providing license to the private channels. "This would be foundation of an electronic media revolution in the country," the said.
Television viewers such as Masood Khan, an information-technology expert, said, "Before this we were demanding for lifting ban on international news channels including Indian televisions but now, due to launching of several private channels in the country, we have been satisfied."
Now, we are demanding from their local cable-television operators to turn on for all Pakistani channel those are countering foreign propaganda against our country, he added. Officially, there are some 865 cable-television operators who telecast to about two million subscribers in Pakistan`s urban centres.
But the exact figure is seemingly higher since more than one thousand operators are active in this career, according to unofficial reports. "Provide entertainment," Information Ministry asked cable operators, "but not at the cost of national integrity."
The ministry categorically made it clear that no Indian channels would be permitted to be aired in Pakistan "due to their (Indians`) unabated baseless propaganda campaign against Pakistan".
A journalist namely Mohammad Shazad supports the ban, and believes that there is a distinct slant against Pakistan in the content generated by the private Indian channels. After the attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001, Indian television channels aired contents linking the attack to Pakistan.
Islamabad reacted banning all Indian channels - news and entertainment. Then it replaced them with 49 foreign channels that cable operators have asked to broadcast. English, Arabic, Chinese and Turkish channels failed to appeal majority of Pakistani viewers. According to the IRNA survey, the Urdu channels are most popular among the people.
Some viewers are also complaining about what they called obscene or pornographic content on some channels. In response, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) directed the cable operators to use digital mosaicing to mask out undesirable segments of the programs.
Beyond the politics, there is economics involved as well. Aslam Mehmod, a marketing executive said: The decision to ban Indian channels is not only to stop propaganda but is also a commercial one - to create space for the local private channels in the country."
A PEMRA official said, "As more and more Pakistani advertisers were going to Indian channels to promote their products, that made it impossible for the private Pakistani channels to survive." He supported the ban and was of the view that due to similarity of language between Hindi and Urdu, Indian channels promoting Western culture more easily than Western channels do.
Mohammad Shahid, a cable-television operator, emphasises the huge influence of the language factor, but provides an insider`s view. He said that despite the PEMRA directive, and in response to subscribers` demands, cable-television operators in dense urban areas continue to relay Indian channels, or broadcast Indian films and pirated video compact discs to their subscribers.
Pakistan`s private television channels have taken a quantum leap to popularity with their news and entertainment contents. Political ends, economic gains, and socio-cultural values have boosted their march to success.
6/11/03
Forgot to mention this the last few days, Sikaram Tamil channel on B3 seems to be up and running full time. Watched a bit of it while playing with Innovia, ever seen a Tamil Indian Kung Fu program? well thats what i was watching! A bit quiet today.
Thaicom 3 is still having power problems on both C and ku bands, rumours suggest this satellite is about stuffed! Time for Thaicom 4??
Cricket NZ vs India ODI on later tonight on DD channel Insat 2E
From my Emails & ICQ
From Steve Hume
Chinastar 1 87.5E
Anyone with a wet piece of string hanging out of their STB, take a look
at Chinastar 1. (4090h, s/r5632 3/4, the normal feed time)
It's totally off the scale, even at 5 deg off!! And that's on a 3.9m!
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
North QLD
From the Dish
PAS 8 166E 3829 H "CRI - China Radio International" has started, Fta, SID 4,APID 1422.
Optus B3 152E 12658 V "A GlobeCast Australia mux" has started, Mostly Fta, SR 30000, FEC 2/3, a copy of Optus C1: 12367 V.
Apstar 1A 134E 3737 H "Hunan Life Channel" has left .
Telkom 1 108E 3460 H "Fashion TV" has started, Irdeto 2, PIDs 400/401.
PAS 10 68.5E TV 4064 V "TVModa is back/still "on , Fta, PIDs 257/258.
NEWS
Optus delivers profit turnaround
From http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/06/1068013306605.html
Australia's second biggest telecommunications company Optus has reported a net profit of $190 million for the first half of 2003/04.
This meant a net profit of $90 million for the second quarter, with its first half profit figure a marked turnaround of $266 million compared to the previous corresponding period.
The company said it was on track for a 30 per cent margin target for the full year.
Optus said revenue for the quarter was up 18 per cent to $1.57 billion with operational earnings before interest, tax, amortisation and depreciation (EBITDA) up 43 per cent to $459 million.
This figure excluded the launch of its C1 communications satellite in June.
"Due to strong revenue growth and margin expansion, Optus has increased its guidance for operational EBITDA growth for the year to approximately 30 per cent," SingTel said in a statement.
"Optus has also increased its guidance for free cash flow before interest expense to approximately A$800 million, consistent with its expectations of higher operational EBITDA growth.
"It expects to be significantly net cash positive for the year as a whole."
The SingTel Group's results for the quarter ended 30 September 2003 showed strong growth in underlying earnings, the company said.
The appreciation of the Australian Dollar against the Singapore Dollar also helped performance.
Group revenue increased by 16 per cent to $S2.85 billion, while operational EBITDA rose 13 per cent to $S1.04 billion.
In Singapore, SingTel said it expects to generate free cash flow exceeding $S1.5 billion for the year.
This includes $S135 million of dividends from SingPost in the second quarter, and a further $S90 million special dividend expected from SingPost in the December 2003 quarter.
The SingTel group's overall net profit after tax for the half year rose 14 per cent to $S473 million, while excluding goodwill, net profit rose 10 per cent to $S636 million.
Optus' operational EBITDA margin was 29 per cent, compared to 24 per cent for the same quarter last year, with margins improving across the business, Optus chief executive Chris Anderson said.
Set-Top Box markets on the rebound
From http://www.advanced-television.com/pages/pagesb/newsdaily.html
The worldwide market for digital set-top boxes is poised for growth after a slow 2002, with box shipments expected to reach 74.8 million units by 2008, from an estimated 36.4 million in 2003, according to a new study by IMS Research. Much of the growth will come from the Asia Pacific region, specifically China and India.
Although over 90 per cent of worldwide TV households currently receive analogue TV services, IMS expects that nearly 25 per cent of all TV households will opt for digital services by 2008. All digital TV platforms are expected to gain subscribers throughout the next five years, although DTT will stand out. Successful rollout of free-to-air digital terrestrial services around the globe will drive growth of terrestrial set-top box shipments by about 45 per cent CAGR, to reach over 17 per cent of total worldwide shipments by 2008 says IMS.
DTH set-tops will retain the largest share of worldwide shipments, at 42 per cent by 2008. Digital cable boxes are forecast to account for a 39 per cent share by 2008. As satellite and cable operators in regions such as North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific begin to deploy new services, such as DVR and HD, advanced set-top box shipments are anticipated to grow from only 11 per cent market share in 2003, to nearly 23 per cent by 2008.
Satellite declared lost after it fails to reply
From http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20031101a7.htm
Seven days after losing contact with the environmental research satellite Midori-2, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Friday it will shut down the satellite's operations.
Staff at the agency, which operates under the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry, lost contact with the satellite Saturday morning. The agency said it would be difficult to recover the satellite's functions.
The agency said earlier that there may be a malfunction in the satellite's power supply system, such as a solar battery panel, adding that the satellite will stop functioning if its power system fails.
"We deeply regret that we have destroyed international trust, as it was an international project," remarked technology minister Takeo Kawamura.
The satellite was sent into space in December aboard Japan's fourth HII-A rocket.
It was fitted with high-performance sensors developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan and observation devices provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States and French Space Agency CNES.
Citing images taken by a radar telescope of a German research institute, Kawamura said the malfunction was "apparently not caused by a damaged paddle," as in the breakdown of the Midori-1 satellite in 1997.
The agency was forced to abandon operations of the Midori-1 that year due to the breakdown.
The science and technology ministry said it will be forced to accelerate its plans to launch a new satellite and review global observation plans based on the Midori-2.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Yuriko Koike said her ministry would try to come up with alternate ways to proceed effectively with its environmental observation project.
The Environment Ministry installed a sensor tasked with monitoring the Earth's ozone layer on the Midori-2.
Koike said her ministry will immediately set up a committee on environmental observation and may consider having a nonagency satellite carry the device, including one supplied by an international organization.
The ministry was forced to abort its observation project for the second time as a result of a satellite breakdown, with the Midori-1 having carried a similar device.
TV Stations Reluctant to Join Digital Broadcasting
From Satellite today
Customers may not be able to watch terrestrial television broadcasts with their mobile handsets as the nation’s three major terrestrial broadcasters are reluctant to join SK Telecom’s satellite digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) consortium.
Korea Broadcasting System (KBS), Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. (MBC) and Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), who claim that SK Telecom’s satellite DMB business clashes with the terrestrial DMB business they are pursuing, are taking a cautious approach to deciding whether they will allow re-transmission of their programs by satellite DMB operators.
``The heads of the digital multimedia broadcasting service teams of KBS, MBC and SBS held a meeting Tuesday and decided not to participate in the satellite DMB consortium led by SK Telecom which will be formed by the end of this month,’’ a KBS official said.
``Terrestrial DMB broadcasts and satellite DMB broadcasts are expected to clash head-on in a battle to gain control over the mobile digital broadcasting market, and a breakthrough can’t be found,’’ he added.
The official explained that as terrestrial DMB broadcasters and satellite DMB broadcasters are planning to adopt different transmission standards, any synergistic effect is unlikely even if the two sides work together.
Still, the three leading terrestrial broadcasters have yet to close the door on allowing the re-transmission of their programs.
Regarding SK Telecom’s recent claim at an investor relations session for its satellite DMB consortium that KBS, MBC and SBS had responded positively to providing their programs, the broadcasters decided to file an official complaint if SK repeats the groundless claim.
A recent survey by KT showed that 23 percent of 1,300 respondents said they most wanted to see terrestrial programs via their satellite DMB service enabled mobile devices.
A failure by satellite DMB operators to secure quality terrestrial broadcasting content would deal a severe blow to the business prospects.
5/11/03
Globecast are now on a 2nd B3 Transponder, 12658 V Sr 30000 Fec 2/3. This is the same as their C1 mux, remember they are moving here from C1 in the next month or so. Signal level in NZ is approx the same as their 12524V transponder. Its good to have Fta's all one the one bird. Most here in NZ won't need a dish on C1 now. The Innovia reports 12524 as %53 and 12658v %62
New signal Asiasat 4 122E 3760 H Sr 27711 Fec 7/8 no pat loading.. might be data
New issue of Satmagazine is available at http://www.satmagazine.com
From my Emails & ICQ
From Vk4
RE new Globecast transponder
I've got 12525V a little stronger at the moment 24% while 12658V is
in the teens. 12720V 15000 is the strongest for me at 50%, same as
the Aurora tuning channel on 12407V.
From Steve Hume, NT
Just some dish updates from up here in the north. This is on a 3.8m
mesh, 5m off the ground, and a Topfield TF3000.
INSAT 3A
Gurjari - 3899v, sr3500, 3/4 (Very strong Asian Beam)
DISH TV - 3985v - sr27500, 3/4 (Signal there, no quality)
Someone in W.A. might want to take a look at the Dish TV sig from over there.
ST1 3582H & 3632V come in around 50% quality. The horizontal beam drops
right off to nothing around 1-2am, and back around 1-2pm.
NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume
From the Dish
Optus C1 156E 12527 V "Imparja PTTV has replaced Star Sports Asia", enc., PIDs 1040/1041.
Optus C1 156E 12558 H All channels in the Austar/Foxtel mux are encrypted again.
Gorizont 31 140E Gorizont 31 has arrived at 140 East.
Insat 3A 93.5E 11670 H "DD News has replaced DD Metro", Conax, PIDs 168/96.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H "Radio Vaticana" is back on , Fta, SID 2, APID 516.
PAS 10 68.5E 4034 V "DD News has replaced DD Metro", Fta, PIDs 520/730.
PAS 10 68.5E 4064 V "TV Moda" has left , replaced by a test card.
NEWS
Russian Satellites To Beam Down On India
From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=45498
MUMBAI: Russian Satellite Communications Company, a national space communications operator, is launching four satellites which will be capable of providing communication services to India.
One satellite will have planned downlink coverage to service the Indian zone under the Ku-band. The other three satellites will have steerable beam and will be able to cover the Indian footprint.
The satellites are designed to provide a package of communication services including TV broadcasting, telephony, video-conferencing, data transmission, Internet access and deploy satellite networks by applying VSAT technology.
“We are targeting TV broadcasters and bandwidth consumers. The satellites can also be utilised for offering telemedicine facilities,” said Russian Satellite Communications Company marketing manager Sergey Tsekhmistrov.
The first of the four satellites will be launched in December and will provide communications and uniform coverage in Ku-band. Located in geostationary orbit at 53 degree East, the 24-transponder satellite will have a 12-year life. It will have a steerable beam to India.
The second satellite, to be launched in March 2004, will have 26 transponders in C-band and 4 in Ku-band. The third launch will be in August 2004 and will have a fixed beam to the Indian zone in the Ku-band. The satellite, scheduled for a launch in December 2004, will have a steerable beam in the C and Ku-bands. The company is also planning to launch another satellite, but this will not cover India.
“The cost of the five satellites is $860 million. We are planning to sell 30 per cent of our satellite capacity abroad. Earlier, most of the capacity was consumed within our country. We have started the process of marketing satellite capacity overseas,” said Mr Tsekhmistrov. “We are aware that transponders are very cheap in India. We have taken that into account and will have prices adopted to the local market,” he said.
Two Russian Satellites Readied for Launch
From Satellite today
The refueling of two Russian Yamal-200 telecommunications satellites has been completed at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, according to a report by the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS. This week, final checks will be performed on the Yamal satellites. The two spacecraft are set to be launched on Nov. 20 aboard a Proton-K rocket.
FCC OKs 'broadcast flag' for digital TV
From http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/7182865.htm
WASHINGTON (AP) - The government Tuesday approved an anti-piracy mechanism that will make it harder for computer users to illegally distribute digital TV programs on the Internet. The goal is to speed the transition to higher quality digital broadcasts and ensure such programming remains free.
Broadcasters and the movie industry had urged the Federal Communications Commission to take such action, while consumer groups said it will force some people to purchase new electronics.
Some people already share TV shows and movies online, though the practice is limited by the speed of Internet connections -- it can take many hours to transfer high-quality copies.
But as Internet connections get faster and broadcasters switch to much clearer digital television, the movie and television industries fear consumers will put high-quality copies of shows and films on the Web that others can download for free. This would reduce the broadcasters' ability to sell the shows for syndication or overseas.
The music industry saw CD sales fall as free music sharing proliferated on the Internet. It has started to sue listeners who illegally distribute songs online.
The five-member FCC voted unanimously to allow a ``broadcast flag'' to be added to digital programming to block broader distribution on the Internet, though the two Democrats on the panel expressed some reservations. Republican FCC Chairman Michael Powell called it ``an important step toward preserving the viability of free over-the-air television.''
In its order, the FCC told makers of digital television receivers that by July 1, 2005, their models must recognize the flag, an electronic signal that broadcasters can embed in their programs.
The commission said the order applies only to electronics equipment that can receive digital broadcast signals, not digital VCRs, DVD players and personal computers without digital tuners.
``The FCC scored a big victory for consumers and the preservation of high-value, over-the-air free broadcasting with its decision,'' said Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America.
Viacom, parent company of the CBS television network, called the decision a ``historic step forward for consumers.''
Consumer and advocacy groups reacted just as strongly against the decision.
``Having just given big media companies more control over what consumers can see on their TV sets by lifting media ownership limits, the FCC has now given these same companies more control over what users can do with that content, leaving consumers as two-time losers,'' said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a Washington-based advocacy group on technology and copyright issues.
Congress already has told the TV industry to switch their broadcasts by 2007 to a digital format, which uses computer language, from the current analog format, which uses radio signals sent as waves. After the switch over, consumers who don't subscribe to a cable or satellite service would need digital tuners, either inside a TV or in a set-top box.
FCC officials said the flag would not prevent consumers from using existing or new DVD or VCR machines to make copies of TV programs. But the signal is designed to make it more difficult for consumers to then transfer those copies to the Internet and make them available to potentially millions of others free of charge.
Chris Murray, legislative counsel for Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, said consumers won't be able to use their old VCRs and DVD players to play back programs recorded on newer machines that recognize the broadcast flag.
``Technology always marches on, but that's normally because new devices offer consumers better features and more flexibility to woo buyers in the marketplace, not because government fiat has rendered a particular technology obsolete,'' Murray said.
Under the FCC order, broadcasters will decide whether to add the flag to their programs, including, if they want, news and public affairs shows. Cable and satellite operators must also make sure that their systems transmit the flag or use some other electronic signal to prevent mass copying. The FCC plans to consider whether to allow cable and satellite companies to encrypt all digital programs.
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said the decision did not go far enough to safeguard viewers' privacy.
``Improper use of the technologies could arguably allow such things as tracking personal information,'' Copps said. ``The broadcast flag should be about protecting digital content, not about tracking Americans' viewing habits.''
(Craigs comment, Oh DEAR macrovision anyone??)
4/11/03
Livechat tonight 9 p.m NZ and 8.30p.m Syd time onwards in the chatroom.
Foxtel and Austar are upgrading cards to irdeto V 4 I guess that rules out NDS for their sat service. I wonder if they will marry the card to the box?
Things a bit quiet today.
From my Emails & ICQ
Nothing to report again!
From the Dish
PAS 8 166E 3829 H "CRI - China Radio International" has started , Fta, SID 2, APID 1222.
PAS 8 166E 3860 H "Super TV" is encrypted again.
Optus C1 156E 12558 H All channels in the Austar/Foxtel mux on are now Fta
Optus C1 156E 12689 H All channels have left the Austar/Foxtel mux on , replaced by test cards.
Superbird C 144E 12321 H "DirecPC" has started, SR 18421.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 12471 H New FEC for SpeedCast : 2/3.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3706 H "Henan Information Radio 3" has started , Fta, APID 83.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3817 V It's still Jiangsu Entertainment Radi , Fta, APID 257.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3830 H It's still HeiLongJiang People's Radio, Fta, APID 1213.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3545 V "Care TV" has started regular transmission, Fta, PIDs 305/306.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H New SR for the TARBS World TV mux : 28066.
NEWS
Pay TV declares war on piracy
From http://afr.com/articles/2003/11/03/1067708140473.html
The Australian pay television industry is launching its biggest crackdown on piracy in a bid to claw back as much as $40 million a year that the sector loses to fraudulent activity.
The Packer and Murdoch-backed Foxtel has joined with regional pay-TV operator Austar to spend more than $10 million on a new smartcard technology they claim will end satellite piracy by disabling pirate satellite equipment.
The move is part of an aggressive crackdown on piracy by key players in the global entertainment industry, including pay TV, computer games and music.
Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers recently estimated that up to $300 million a year was being lost by the Australian entertainment industry to piracy.
Under the new pay-TV smartcard rollout, which starts this week Australia-wide, more than 800,000 satellite subscribers to Foxtel and Austar will be issued with new Irdeto V4 smartcards that were first deployed internationally in May 2003.
V4 is an advanced version of the Irdeto V2 smartcard that is still secure after three years in the global pay TV market, despite attempts by hackers to break it.
"Piracy for a business like ours is a scourge and we are determined to stamp it out," Foxtel chief executive Kim Williams told The Australian Financial Review.
"They have no thought to the consequences of their actions for the chain of employment and investment in this industry."
Estimates of the share of pay TV services delivered illegally in Australia range between 10 and 15 per cent, helped by pirates who sell counterfeit smartcards for as much as $250 each on the black market.
The most common form of piracy is "tier-theft" whereby pay TV subscribers legally buy a satellite dish and decoder, which is then loaded with an illegally programmed smartcard, giving them free access to movies, pay-per-view, adult and premium sporting events for which the pay TV companies charge legitimate viewers.
"We have seen penetration of our basic-only customers double over the past 18 months. It's gone from 10 to 20 per cent and we attribute a lot of that to piracy," said Austar chief executive John Porter.
The pay TV industry believes new revenue steams will be created after the crackdown as pirate subscribers become legitimate subscribers to not only the basic package of channels, but to channel tiers as well.
Some analysts estimate up to 25 per cent of viewers who receive pirated pay TV signals at present, could return to the industry as legitimate subscribers by the elimination of the traffic in pirated smartcards.
Mr Williams also called on the federal government to reform the copyright regulations to allow the more effective prosecution of pirates on cable and satellite services.
Digital amendments to the Copyright Act which came into effect in March allowed pay TV operators to start prosecuting people who made and sold pirated smartcards, prompting several successful prosecutions over recent months.
But the companies are still unable to prosecute users of the illegal equipment. "I hope governments develop a real focus on how serious this crime is," Mr Williams said.
Satellite Piracy to be wiped out
From
Austar United Communications (“AUSTAR”) and FOXTEL, Australia’s leading subscription television providers, today announced they would introduce new technology that would end satellite television piracy in Australia.
AUSTAR and FOXTEL will invest simultaneously in an upgrade of their subscriber equipment in an initiative that will eliminate by early next year satellite piracy, the most prevalent form of subscription television piracy.
The key element of the upgrade is the replacement of existing smartcards (the cards that are inserted in set-top-boxes to enable them to receive and read the satellite signal) with a new version that pirates have been unable to compromise anywhere in the world.
AUSTAR’s CEO, John Porter said: “Piracy is a global issue and there is a global push to stamp it out. Companies around the world, including many in the Asia Pacific, are making substantial investments to strengthen the security of their systems to protect legitimate subscribers.”
FOXTEL’s CEO, Kim Williams, said: “The new smartcards that we are deploying use a globally-proven technology that pirates cannot break into. Piracy undermines the sustainability of our businesses and services, and the jobs and investment that we provide. We are deploying fresh technology that will stop satellite piracy.”
AUSTAR said its investment in the smartcard upgrade had contributed to the increased capital expenditure recorded over the past two quarters.
The smartcard swap-out will occur progressively over several months across Australia. AUSTAR and FOXTEL subscribers, when they receive their new smartcards, should install them immediately and call their service provider to have it activated to avoid interruption to their service.
Mr Porter said: “Our message to anyone who may be pirating the service today is: don’t lose your signal! Continue to enjoy the great benefits of your satellite television service by becoming a legitimate subscriber”.
Mr Williams said: “Dealers in pirated equipment are committing a crime and this technology will put them out of business. Would-be purchasers of pirated equipment should not waste their money because very soon they won’t have access to services”.
MURDOCH JNR TO HEAD UK TV GIANT
From http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=72052®ion=3
James Murdoch, the son of Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has been put in charge of major British satellite broadcaster BskyB.
But the move, which had been widely predicted and which was confirmed on Monday, could provoke a backlash from major shareholders.
A statement from the firm said: "James Murdoch was appointed following the unanimous recommendation of a four-member nomination committee of non-executive board members."
The 30-year-old will replace highly successful chief executive Tony Ball, who announced in September he was stepping down.
However, groups representing institutional shareholders have questioned whether the relatively inexperienced younger Murdoch is the right person for the job.
Rupert Murdoch said: "The board and I are pleased that the nomination committee has completed its task and it is unanimous in its conviction that James is the right man for this job."
Rupert Murdoch, 72, is to remain the chairman of the BskyB, the 18th biggest company on the London stock market.
Coke puts prize genie in a bottle
From http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,7758184%5E15321%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html
COCA-COLA has lifted the lid on what is probably the most hi-tech consumer marketing campaign ever seen in Australia.
The locally developed campaign, being used for the Thrill Seeker Rugby World Cup competition, uses global positioning system (GPS) satellites to locate winners and give them prizes on the spot.
According to Coca-Cola Australia promotions manager Richard Plumpton, GPS was adopted to get prizes to winners quicker.
To do that with GPS, the satellite tracking had to be in the bottle, he said.
Putting satellite tracking in a Coke bottle posed serious technical challenges.
GPS only works outdoors, and the units had to be tough enough to survive weeks in fridges and vending machines, while at the same time looking and feeling like a normal bottle of Coke.
To get around these problems, Coke and local marketing agency Momentum Worldwide placed a Benefon GPS mobile phone inside specially designed Coke bottles that unscrews in the middle. Each half of the bottle is filled with Coke-coloured water, with a hollowed-out centre section carrying the Benefon mobile.
Coke says it went to a great deal of trouble to make the bottles look genuine, so consumers would not be able to tell which bottle would be a winner.
After opening the bottle, the winner is instructed to remove the bottle's label (which hides the join) and unscrew the two halves.
They then take the phone outdoors, fold out the GPS antenna and press the emergency alert button, which makes a call to a competition operator at Coke, who begins tracking the winner's position once they have given permission.
Tracking is done with Benefon's Beneprotect software, which, like its Track One phone, is normally used for security and emergency services applications.
The phone-carrying bottles are worth about $1500 and a special 600ml shockproof version has been developed for vending machines.
A GPS fix is made within a minute or two of the button being pushed.
The company says it has contingency plans in the event of the bottles being bought and stored for parties or Christmas functions.
Plumpton says Coke has been looking at how it might use GPS for about five years.
The system developed for the competition has patents pending.
3/11/03
Globecast seems to be back up in power on B3.
Watching cricket at the moment on Sky same old story...Its on Indian channels Pas 10 and Insat 2E for those interested.
For those interested in the Innovia receiver I have put up some screenshots of the menus etc.
http://www.apsattv.com/files/Innovia-IDS3088Sscreenshots.zip
Some other shots of the unit are below
From my Emails & ICQ
Nothing to report
From the Dish
PAS 2 169E 12495 V "KNTV - Korea Now TV" is back on , Fta SR 2206, FEC 5/6, PIDs 308/256.(Asian beam)
PAS 8 166E 3860 H "Super TV" is now Fta.
PAS 8 166E 3940 H "CTS - Christian TV System" has started,, Fta PIDs 2260/2220.
Optus C1 156E 12438 H "W" has replaced FX Australia, enc., PIDs 517/645.
Optus C1 156E 12478 H "Fashion TV" is now encrypted.
Optus C1 156E 12558 H "W" has replaced FX Australia, Fta, PIDs 1091/1092.TV 1, UK TV, Fox Classics, Movie One and Fox 8 are now Fta.
Optus C1 156E 12598 H "Fox Footy Channel" has started, enc., SIDs 5006-5008, PIDs 1061/1062-1081/1082.
Optus B3 152E 12525 V New frequency and SR for the GlobeCast Australia mux on tp 5: and Sr 30000.
Apstar 1A 134E 4080 H "Sichuan TV" has left (PAL)
Apstar 1A 134E 4160 H "CCTV 7" has left (PAL).(Another analog DX target leaves)
Apstar 1A 134E 4160 H "CCTV 3, CCTV 5, CCTV 6, CCTV 8 and CCTV News" have started, enc., SR 27500, FEC 3/4, SIDs 1-5, PIDs 512/650-516/690.
Palapa C2 113E 4080 H New PIDs for Prima Entertainment Channel on : 517/655.A test card has started on PIDs 516/654, Fta.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3827 V "Jiangsu Economic Radio" has replaced Jiangsu Entertainment Radio on , Fta, APID 257.
AsiaSat 2 100.5E 4020 V "Dubai Al-Quran Al-Kareem" has started Fta, PIDs 32/34.
NSS 6 95.5E 11688 V A test card has started , SR 6600, FEC 3/4, PIDs 4194/4195, Middle East beam.
Insat 3A 93.5E All channels in the Zee Telefilms mux on 11547 H are now encrypted.
Insat 3A 93.5E 3800 V "DD Jammu & Kashmir" is back, Fta, SR 3950, FEC 3/4,PIDs 308/256.
Yamal 102 90E 3493 R "TV 36 Chelyabinsk" has started Fta, SR 4285, FEC 3/4, PIDs 307/256.
Insat 2E 83E 3918 V Occasional feeds on , PIDs 514/670.
Insat 2E 83E 4005 V "ETV Telugu" has left , PIDs 1860/1820, replaced by a test card.
Yamal 102 90E 3582 L "TV Chita, Radio Rossii and Radio Mayak" have started, Fta, SR 4275, FEC 3/4, PIDs 308/256, 256 and 257.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H "Samanyolu TV World", Moral FM, Akra FM, Burc FM, Marmara FM, Radyo 15 and Dunya Radyo have started, Fta, PIDs 1027/1028.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H "Show TV" has started, Fta, PIDs 1793/1794.Radio Vaticana has left.
PAS 10 68.5E 3864 H The test card has left .
NEWS
T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 42/2003 2 November 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
PIRACY CAUSES $1.3 BILLION IN LOST REVENUE
Cable and satellite TV piracy in the Asia-Pacific region has caused an estimated $1.29 billion in lost revenues for operators and channel providers in 2003, with those losses increasing at a rate of 10 percent per year. The findings are included in a report by the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) and CLSA Asia Pacific Markets (CLSA), which examined the effects of unlicensed operators and pirated signal subscribers in a variety of markets, including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. Leading the region’s pay-TV piracy problems is India, where under-declaration of subscribers has resulted in 72 per cent of the revenue losses. Twenty-three per cent of the revenue losses, meanwhile, was a result of unlicensed operators and pirated analogue set-top boxes in Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines. And Hong Kong alone contributed $28 million to the lost revenues.
SONY TO LAUNCH ANIME CHANNEL
Sony Pictures Television International is set to take the Japanese anime channel Animax across Asia in January 2004. Animax Asia is set to launch across the region with three dedicated, customized feeds for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Carriage deals have already been secured in several key markets, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Phillipines and Indonesia. Sony Pictures Entertainment has been operating Animax in Japan since 1998 in partnership with four major anime studios: Toei Animation, Sunrise, TMS Entertainment, and Nihon Ad Systems. Animax Japan reaches about 4 million households on SkyPerfecTV! SkyPerfecTV!2, and Cable Television.
HBO, STAR PLUS, DISCOVER AND ESPN-STAR SPORTS MOST POPULAR
HBO, STAR Plus, Discovery and ESPN-STAR Sports are among the most popular pay-TV channels in Asia, while Hallmark has the unenviable tag of being the “least wanted channel”, as per a survey conducted among pay-TV operators, over a dozen Asian countries. According to Asia Pay TV Operators Survey, 2003, instituted by Singapore-based trade publication, Television Asia, in association with Fusion Consulting, HBO, STAR Plus, Discovery and ESPN-STAR Sports were regarded as the best channels in the region in terms of programme quality. In the news and current affairs genre, two Indian channels, Aajtak and STAR News figure among the “best channel” list in Asia that is led by CNN and BBC. Among the other channel genres, STAR Plus leads the charge in the entertainment space, HBO in movies, ESS (sports), MTV (music), Cartoon Network (kids) and Discovery (documentary/travel). Of the 57 million pay-TV viewers in the 15-odd Asian markets surveyed, over 40 million come from India. STAR Plus, HBO and Zee TV figure as the most popular pay channels in India.
ORBIT LAUNCHES NEW SPORTS CHANNEL
As part of its commitment to the highest standard of home entertainment, the Orbit Satellite and Radio Television Network, the leading pay-TV platform in the Middle East and North Africa, announced the official launch of ‘Al Riyadhiya’ a new daily 12-hours sports channel
IQRAA PLANS ENGLISH LANGUAGE ISLAMIC CHANNEL
Iqraa Channel is planning to launch an Islamic channel in English in the next few months to spread the message of Islam. Nabeel Al-Hammad, director general of the channel, told Arab News that the new channel would be directed at Europe and America and some Asian and African countries in the first phase. “The decision to launch the new channel was adopted in order to take the message of Islam to all English-speaking people. We found that such a channel has become necessary to counter the smear campaign against Islam and Muslims after the September 11 , 2001 events,” he said. Al-Hammad said the new channel would try to correct misconceptions about Islam. Addressing a press conference on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Iqraa’s launch, the director general said the channel already presented some programs in English, French and Urdu. “Iqraa has been successful as an Islamic satellite channel,” Al-Hammad said adding that the number of its viewers was growing day by day. “The channel was also successful in attracting advertisements,” he said. “It is the third largest Arab satellite channel in terms of advertising,” the director general said.
AUSTRALIA
FOXTEL TO FUND DIGITAL TV UPGRADE
Jointly owned Australian pay-TV company Foxtel has signed a A$550 million loan to fund its long awaited upgrade to digital broadcasting, according to The Australian newspaper. Foxtel told the newspaper it had secured the funds from a syndicate of banks led by Commonwealth Bank of Australia and investment bank ABN Amro. Foxtel shareholders Telstra Corp., News Corp. and Publishing & Broadcasting have minimized their exposure to the loan with the banks agreeing to a fully non-recourse deal in which the banking syndicate bears all the liability. The upgrade from analog to digital pay-TV services, expected in the first half of next year, means Foxtel can offer interactive services and expand its offering to 120 channels
Australian pay-TV frontrunner Foxtel has failed to negotiate the necessary financing for its planned digital rollout. The Telstra-, News Corp.- and PBL-backed company is talking to banks about a A$600 million loan but they are reported to be concerned about the prospects for a digital service, raising the prospect that current shareholders may have to foot the bill.
CHINA HONG KONG
ANALOGUE BROADCASTS TO BE PHASED OUT
Satellite broadcasting in China is expected to be available on more than 120 digital channels by the year 2005, China Daily reported on October 27. The country plans to shut down analogue television broadcast operations in 33 major cities by the end of 2005, but some insiders are not so optimistic because of the lagging state of digital television’s development. If all goes as planned, residents in China’s major cities will be able to watch digital broadcasts of all 2008 Olympics action. Beijing has already opened three digital cable television channels on a trial basis. At present, China is adopting one of Europe’s digital television transmission standards as a transitional standard, said Bai Weimin, an official with the Ministry of Information Industry. The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television plans to create 30 digital pay-TV channels this year, the newspaper said, citing Zhang Haitao, the administration’s deputy director.
DISCOVERY SIGNS CARRIAGE DEAL
Discovery Networks Asia has expanded its penetration in the region, after a five-channel carriage deal with Hong Kong Cable Television. Adding to Discovery Channel on the HK platform, which has been onboard since 1998, DNA has now secured basic tier carriage for Animal Planet and Discovery Travel & Adventure. They arrive this month. Cable Television’s premium tier will also include three other DNA channels: Discovery Health, Discovery Science and Discovery Home & Leisure. The channels will debut later this year.
NWI AND CHINA AEROSPACE TO OFFER DIGITAL TV
New World Infrastructure (NWI) has formed a joint venture with the Hong Kong-listed company of China state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology to provide digital TV and interactive cable services in China. The venture, owned 51 per cent by the telecom, media and technology arm of New World Development and 49 per cent by listed China Aerospace International Holdings, is aiming for two million subscribers within two years. China Aerospace New World Technology managing director Douglas Chan said the venture was the world’s first provider of technology that offered video-on-demand digital recording with television in one set-top box over a single network. It would enable the company to command 90 per cent more revenue than an ordinary TV service, he said. Other types of interactive services such as distance learning and e-commerce would gradually become available through the set-top box.
HONG KONG SEES GREAT CABSAT POTENTIAL
Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology John Tsang said on October 29 that the cable and satellite broadcasting market potential is massive in the Asia Pacific region, which witnesses both expansion of the market place and the advancement of top-notch technology. He said the cable and satellite TV households in Asia Pacific grew by more than six times, from about 29 million in 1992 to about 188 million in 2002. Tsang said the estimated total pay-TV revenue in the region was about $13 billion in 2002, projected to grow to $31 billion in 2010. He added that however, the penetration rate of cable and satellite TV is still only 32 per cent of the 570 million TV households in the region. The Hong Kong official said that the Chinese mainland, India and Japan are the fastest growing markets in the region. On piracy of pay TV, he said Hong Kong will continue to work with the industry to contain the problem. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government mounted 14 special operations against illegal sale of unauthorized decoders in the past two years and 44 persons were arrested with 12 convicted in court.
CCTV SEEKS FOREIGN PARTNERS FOR PAY-TV CHANNELS
China Central Television, the country’s main state-run broadcaster, will need to buy TV programs from foreign companies in order to fill schedules on its newly launched pay-TV channels, Vice President Zhang Changming told an industry forum on October 30. Zhang said CCTV has, in cooperation with China Film Group and Beijing Media Group, started broadcasting six pay channels in 33 major cities. The new, commercial-free channels were launched on September 1 and currently draw all their programming from the libraries of CCTV and the other partners. CCTV plans to expand its new pay-TV offerings from the current focus on movies and drama to as many as 30 channels by the end of the year, Zhang said, with new channels focusing on themes including automobiles, the stock market, cartoons, fashion, geography, collectibles and home living.
INDIA
DD NEWS TO BECOME MUST-CARRY CHANNEL
Doordarshan’s 24-hour news channel DD News, to be launched on November 3, is to become a must-carry channel for cable television operators along with the National Channel DD One and one regional DD Channel, the Deepika Global agency has reported. The news agency said DD One, the Metro channel DD Two which is being scrapped to make way for DD News, and one regional channel of the relevant state/union territory were the three must-carry channels under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995. The notification will come into effect from November 3. In states where there is no regional language other than Hindi, the cable operators will be required to carry Doordarshan’s niche channel, DD Bharati. DD News will be available as a free-to-air channel through India’s INSAT-2E and PaNamSat-10 satellite, which will make it available in 78 countries across the world.
GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE INVESTMENTS IN DOORDARSHAN
The Indian government will invest Rs20 billion ($442 million) in public broadcaster Doordarshan over the next five years. The government wants to improve the broadcaster's technical infrastructure and program content, as the network loses audience share to commercial channels and pay TV.
ISRAEL
PLAYBOY TV SIGNS UP 70,000 SUBSCRIBERS
After being put back on the air last spring, following a High Court decision to allow the adult entertainment channel on the air, Tel Aviv-based licensee of Playboy TV International (PTVI), relaunched on YES and cable systems Tevel, Matav and Golden channels. Airing nightly from 22:00 to 04:00 to subscribers using a secret code, the channel already has 70,000 subscribers paying NIS 29.90 per month. But there are another 100,000 subscribers opting for the pay-per-night option, viewers who don't want a whole month of Playboy. According to Yair Hasson, president and CEO of Play TV, the Playboy channel's subscriber penetration surpassed all expectations and has nearly reached the original subscriber numbers attained during its first 18 months of operation, before the court case. Play TV expects an average of 100,000 subscribers over the course of 2004, and plans on adding more revenue with its pay-per-night viewers, who spend NIS 17 for their one-time viewing.
JAPAN
DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TO LAUNCH ON DECEMBER 1
Terrestrial digital broadcasting will begin in some areas of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya on December 1. Initially, 12 million households will be able to enjoy the service, which will replace the analogue format. The new service will gradually be expanded, and by the end of 2006, it will be available in all major cities. According to a survey conducted by major ad agency Dentsu Inc., about 40% of TV viewers know nothing about digital terrestrial. The Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry and the broadcasting industry plan to terminate the 50-year-old analogue services in July 2011. But to receive the service, users will have to fork out 200,000 yen for antennas, specialized tuners, or TV sets with built-in tuners. The ministry estimates this new market and related sectors will generate 40 trillion yen in the economy and provide an indirect boost of 212 trillion yen.
NEW ZEALAND
TELECOM AND SKY TV OFFER JOINT SERVICE PACKAGE
Telecom and Sky TV have finally made up and are now selling a package of phone line and digital television services after 18 months of separation. The two launched pay-TV and telephone services in May 2000 but the deal ended about two years later. It has taken 18 months to launch a new deal, which Telecom calls TVLine. Telecom is doing the billing for the home phone line rental and basic Sky digital television package. However, Sky will bill separately for its magazine SkyWatch, for premium sports and movie channels and for pay-per-view channels.
UKTV ARRIVES IN NEW ZEALAND
Australian 'best-of-British' channel UKTV, a joint-venture between Foxtel (60%), BBC Worldwide (20%) and FremantleMedia (20%), has made its first steps outside its home territory. From the beginning of November, the seven-year-old pay channel will launch its New Zealand feed on the News Corp's Sky Digital satellite platform. The schedule of the NZ sister offering will be tweaked to suit the local market, revolving round a diet of Brit series like The Bill, Coronation Street, EastEnders and Ballykissangel. The move will also see the BBC's Holby City and Five's Family Affairs making their New Zealand debuts. Classic series like Porridge, Allo Allo, The Young Ones and Black Adder will also feature in the mix. The Australian channel airs on both Foxtel and Austar satellite platforms. UKTV is unrelated to the UK-based joint-venture between BBC Worldwide and Flextech of the same name.
THAILAND
CREATION OF PUBLIC TV SERVICE URGED
Media reform advocates have proposed the creation of a public broadcasting service (PBS), modelled on Britain's BBC, to broaden the people's freedom of expression. The country now has six free-to-air TV channels. Five are partly or totally owned by the government and the only privately-owned station, iTV, is now in the hands of Shin Corp, which is controlled by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's family. Revenue could come from the collection of a licensing fee on TV sets, government subsidy, public donations, or a combination of these. A full study was now being made of the proposal by media reform advocates, and it could be up and running in 5-10 years, once the NBC was set up.
UBC EXPECTS 440,000 SUBSCRIBERS BY YEAR-END
United Broadcasting Corp (UBC), the country's largest pay-TV operator, has projected the number of its subscribers will reach 440,000 by the end of this year. Ong-ard Prapakamol, the company's marketing and sales director, declined to reveal last year's figure but said growth was coming from an aggressive promotional and marketing strategy. However, early this year chief executive Sompan Charumilinda had projected the number of subscribers would reach 500,000. Ong-ard said next year UBC would add more attractive programmes as part of its plan to draw new subscribers, especially in the provinces. Currently, subscribers in the provinces, a segment with high potential, make up 28% of the subscriber base. He said next year promised more growth because of the recovering economy, more consumer spending and a crackdown on illegal pay-television operations. UBC now has 29 channels, excluding free-to-air channels and educational programmes, offering sports, news and documentaries. The company reported first-half profits of 74.6 million baht, compared with losses of 17.7 million in the same period last year
2/11/03
Sunday no update
1/11/03
Globecast on B3, changed settings many people are reporting much weaker signals. The power appears to have dropped quite a bit. On my Nokia its gone from 80 down to 4A. Just a reminder the new settings are 12524 V Sr 30000 Fec 2/3. Some people have reported Globecast also running on 12720 V Sr 15000 Fec 2/3? But if so it must be on Aus only beam as I can't see any sign of it here.
For those asking yes my Innovia did arrive yesterday, it seems to work fine, I am still getting use to how to use it. The Blindsearch feature works well using it I found B3 12554v sr 6670 fec?? rugby feed in French. I would put up some pictures of the unit but someone forgot to bring home the cable for the digital camera. I will also hook up the laptop and use the video grabber to get some shots of the menus.
2 new Roy Carmen receiver reviews have been added to the Articles section.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Ranime 31/10
2 feeds seen on B1
12385 V 3/4 7000 "Win Stadium" rugby.
12416 V 3/4 9340 rugby....
From Zapara
Jcsat 2A 154deg e
BYU TV still there Tagged as Pac Rim in the clear
3915 vert, 3934 3/4 still there VID 4377 AUD 4385 PCR 4377 SID 3 PMT 257
Also a couple of data chs
3720 vert 26655 7/8 data
4050 vert 26492 7/8 data
From the Dish
Optus B1 160E 12456 H "SBS South, SBS World News Channel, SBS EPG and SBS Radio" have started Fta, SR 12600, FEC 5/6, PIDs 102/103, 161/81-163/85 and 201-202. (Been there for ages, Lyngsat wouldn't list them....)
Optus C1 156E 12527 V "Star Sports Asia" has replaced Imparja PPV , enc, PIDs 1040/1041.(RWC backup video ?)
JCSAT 2A 154E 3915 V "BYU TV" is back on , Fta, SR 3935, FEC 3/4, PIDs 4377/4385-4404.
Optus B3 152E 12407 V "Sport 927, Retail Radio Network and Radio Tab" have started on ,Irdeto 1, APIDs 35, 49 and 57.
Agila 2 146E 12596 V "Occasional CTI TV" feeds, SR 4284, FEC 3/4.
AsiaSat 4 122E 12274 V "SpeedCast" has started on , SR 10000, FEC 3/4.( East Asia Beam but quite a wide one, those in W.A may like to take a look?)
Palapa C2 113E 4080 H New APIDs for RFI and Delta/FeMale Satelit on : 656 and 660.
AsiaSat 3 105.5E 12471 H "SpeedCast" has started on , SR 20000, FEC 3/4.
NSS 6 95.5E 11576 H "Free-XTV" has started, SkyCrypt, SR 2441, FEC 2/3,PIDs 3524/3644, SE Asian beam.
Insat 3A 93.5E 11630 HAll channels in the Zee Telefilms mux are now encrypted.
Insat 3A 93.5E 11670 H All channels are now encrypted.
NEWS
Massive sun storm proves a great light show
From http://www.bordermail.com.au/newsflow/pageitem?page_id=646932
MASSIVE solar flares could continue to disrupt communications for another week, but they are providing a spectacular light show across southern Australia.
Australian space weather experts said the present solar storm was the biggest on record since solar flares in 1989 left a wake of disruption to Australian communications networks.
IPS radio and Space Service director Mr David Cole said his organisation was monitoring the sun storms, which were caused by a build-up in the magnetic fields around the suns poles.
He said the solar flares had already disrupted communications from satellites across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and had forced aircraft to switch frequencies for crucial ground communications.
A Japanese satellite had also been forced to shut down.
Mr Cole said power utilities in the U.S. and Canada had reported induced currents in their power grids, but the damage in Australia was less marked.
“We had another fairly large storm this morning,” Mr Cole said.
“Its a number of events happening in this solar activity region and as a consequence were getting a lot more of these puffs coming towards us.
“Its going to go on until this storm moves to the far side of the sun, which is about a weeks time.”
Mr Cole said damage in Australia was minimal because major organisations had clear warnings about the storms.
He said pilots and air traffic controllers knew to avoid communications problems by using lower frequencies and avoiding frequencies where communications could be affected.
“Some satellites, in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, have been downgraded,” he said.
Satellites in trouble after solar flares
From http://iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=31&art_id=qw1067520422978B215&set_id=1
Tokyo - Two Japanese satellites have been in trouble after geomagnetic storms triggered by recent solar flares, one of them the largest in three decades, the Japanese space agency said on Thursday.
Adeos-2, one of the world's biggest observation satellites, has lost contact with the Earth since last Saturday due to a possible glitch in its electrical system, a spokesperson for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.
The communications satellite Kodama has stopped relaying data after its sensor developed trouble early on Wednesday after the massive flare, Junichi Moriuma added.
Adeos-2, known as Kodama-2 in Japanese, is "in a serious situation as it may never be switched on again", Moriuma said. "We are trying to determine whether the problem has been a simple hitch or something caused by a flare."
'The problem is presumed to have resulted from the massive solar flare'
"Even before the massive flare on Tuesday, there have been activities which are also presumed to be flares in smaller scale," he said.
Adeos, an acronym for advanced earth observation satellite, was launched last December by Japan's state-of-the-art H-2A rocket along with three other satellites including the Australian FedSat which is geared to conduct various experiments.
The spokesperson said that abnormal signals were detected on Wednesday in Kodama's sensor which allows it to keep its position in relation to the earth.
Reacting to the signals, the satellite's computer automatically shifted into a safe mode with Kodama's solar panel oriented to the sun to draw power, not to the earth as in its normal mode, he said.
"The problem is presumed to have resulted from the massive solar flare," he said.
Kodama was put into orbit in September last year, moving into a geo-stationary position over the Indian Ocean. - Sapa-AFP
2nd satellite lost to solar flare
From
TOKYO — Space agency officials, already forced to temporarily shut down one satellite, said Thursday they had lost contact with a second satellite that may have been affected by an electromagnetic storm caused by the largest solar flare observed in decades.
"We have completely lost touch with the Midori 2, and don't know what's going on with it," said Junichi Moriuma, a spokesman for the agency, known as JAXA. He said the agency is trying to restore communications.
"At this point, we don't know if there is a relation between this accident and the solar flare," he said. "We are still in the process of figuring out what caused the problems."
Midori 2 was launched in December 2002 and served as an environmental observation satellite.
Moriuma said communications with the satellite were lost on Saturday, amid the heightened solar flare activity. He said the solar flare is believed to be the second biggest ever observed and happens only once every couple of decades.
He said the agency's main concern is that the particles and radiation emitted in the flare might destroy computer sensors.
The agency said Wednesday that the communications satellite Kodama had malfunctioned and had been switched into a safe mode after being hit by the solar flare.
But officials said the satellite, used as a data relay point, was to be reactivated when the solar activity subsided and added that the outage wasn't causing any major communication disruptions.
The flare was believed to produce a particle cloud 13 times larger than Earth. The resulting geomagnetic storm was expected to be among the most powerful of its kind.
Kodama was launched on Sept 10, 2002, from the southern Japan island of Tanegashima to transmit data between satellites and ground-based research facilities.
It was planned for seven years of operation
Indian satellites safe after solar fury
From http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG3_sub.asp?ccode=ENG3&newscode=28490
All Indian satellites have emerged unscathed from the geo-magnetic storm caused by the recent solar flares, a top official of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said today.
''There has been no effect on any of our satellites because of the solar flares,'' Director of ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) M Y S Prasad told UNI from Hassan.
Top officials of the ISRO were on hand at the MCF on a special watch when the largest solar flares in more than a decade hurtled towards earth in the early hours of Wednesday, he said.
''The health of our satellites is proof of the robust design and fail-safe mechanisms that have been incorporated by the ISRO,'' Mr Prasad said.
Even though the solar flares were now decreasing in intensity, the MCF would continue to monitor the situation round-the-clock, he said.
Two Japanese satellites were reported to have lost contact with earth, with at least one of them being affected due to the intense solar activity.
Communications satellite INSAT-3E was in the final phase of testing, which would be completed in the first week of November, Mr Prasad said.
It would be ready for operational deployment once the requirements of all users, including television channels and cable operators, were aligned, he added
Viewers in India prefer entertainment to movie channels: Surveys
From http://www.agencyfaqs.com/news/stories/2003/10/31/7498.html
The long queues for movie tickets in Indian theatres may be a popularity index for films in the country, but the small screen has another story to tell. In two separate surveys, ‘movies’, as a genre, have lost out to ‘general entertainment channels’ (GEC) in India. While a CyberMedia Research study points out that only 21.3 per cent of the respondents have indicated their preference for movie channels, another pan-Asia survey shows that Indians prefer general entertainment channels to films on TV.
Interestingly, in most other parts of Asia, movie channels are watched the most, according to 2003 Asia Pay Television Operators’ Survey, a joint project of Singapore-based Television Asia and Fusion Consulting.
The CyberMedia Research conducted telephonic interviews with members of 701 house-holds in Delhi, Mumbai and Ambala for its report ‘Television Channel: Leadership Analysis’. Meanwhile, Asia Pay Television Operators’ Survey spoke to 41 pay TV operators (including MSOs, cable operators and satellite operators) in 16 countries from March to May, 2003.
Surprisingly, among the movie channels, the local cable channel is on top, ahead of the other organised channels such as HBO, Star Movies and Zee Cinema, according to CyberMedia Research. But when we are talking categories, general entertainment ranks as number one with 57.3 per cent of the respondents opting for it, followed by news channels with 45.9 per cent.
Movie and music channels are neck and neck with 21.3 per cent and 21.2 per cent of the respondents opting for them, respectively. Sports channels, as a genre, are even lower with 14.5 per cent respondents wanting them. But, popularity of a sport channel varies from time to time, depending on the event/tournament being covered. Adventure channels are ranked even lower with 10.2 per cent watching them.
While 37 per cent of the respondents in Mumbai preferred some movie channel, only 11 per cent in Delhi and 4 per cent in Ambala shared the choice. Giving a breakup, the CyberMedia survey says that 31 per cent in the age group of 35-45 years; 20 per cent in 15-25 years and 25-35 years; and 10 per cent in the 45 plus band preferred movie channels.
Indicating that movie channels are not so hot in India, Asia Pay Television Operators survey ranks HBO (movie genre) as a clear overall winner in the continent, but Star Plus (entertainment genre) scores the highest in India, in the context of programming.
Sarma takes on critics on eve of DD News relaunch
From http://www.indiantelevision.com
NEW DELHI: With a bit of brashness, if one can term it that, and taking a swipe at critics, India's pubcaster Prasar Bharati today formally announced that Doordarshan News will relaunch on Monday.
Quoting Woody Allen's famous lines - "In Beverly Hills they don't throw out their garbage, but turn them into TV programmes" - Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma said, "We'd make garbage out of others," referring to the second inning of DD News.
On cue, Prasar Bharati chairman and veteran journalist MV Kamath justified DD and All India Radio (AIR)'s late reaction to events in the past - (like the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi, which was put out on AIR and DD almost eight hours after the incident had happened) - and said, "Prasar Bharati and DD are responsible organisations. No one needs to tell us or remind us of our responsibilities."
Kamath also criticised the coverage of Gujarat riots by some private satellite channels, stating that sensationalism should not be made more important than protecting the sensibilities of people.
Signifying that Prasar Bharati is doing everything to make its news channel work this time, Sarma said that part of the additional financial assistance of about Rs 200 million, granted by the government, would be used to "poach known faces and talents" from private satellite channels. The government has granted the amount to DD News for the remaining period the current financial year.
Though Sarma side-stepped a query on the exact nature of poaching being done - saying there would be people like Rajat Sharma and Nalini Singh on the channel - TV industry sources indicate that some people from Aaj Tak have already shown interest in joining the channel.
DD News has already got Deepak Chaurasia of Aaj Tak as its consulting editor.
Hammering in the point that DD News' reach would be increased rapidly not only through "good content", but also with the help of technology, Sarma said that 12 more high-powered transmitters would be pressed into service over the next six months to increase the terrestrial coverage of the channel by 50 per cent.
If that was not enough, Sarma demonstrated rare aggressiveness when questioned by a cable operator - who is also editor and publisher of a cable magazine - whether it was correct to thrust DD News down cable operators' throats, with the help of notifications.
"The law has given me the power and why shouldn't I use it?" Sarma retorted, adding that even the notification is not enough.
Quoting a report on BBC 4, the BBC's domestic news and current affairs channel, Sarma said that a news channel is the very essence of an existence of a broadcaster, especially public service broadcaster. "This new venture (DD News) would be a flagship of DD," Sarma said, adding, "We are starting this with some preparation."
The career bureaucrat, who is really enjoying his stint at Prasar Bharati, also pointed out that as per the latest TAM data, news on DD has 37 per cent reach in cable and satellite homes, as against 9.7 per cent of Zee News and NDTV.
Aside from the hype, does Prasar Bharati have a business plan for DD News or will taxpayers' money go up in smoke again, while some experimentation is done?
According to Sarma, the government has agreed to give an assistance of Rs 540 million per year for the news channel and "it would be be DD's endeavour to generate at least 50 per cent of that in revenues for the year 2004-05". He added, "For the year 2005-06, we'd like to raise the amount (Rs 540 million) on our own."
For this, Prasar Bharati's gameplan includes attractive commercial terms for spot buys and sponsorships, good content from the likes of Rajat Sharma, Nalini Singh, Rajiv Mehrotra, Deepak Chaurasia's team and sundry editors of newspapers and aggressive distribution.
Thirty minutes at non-prime time can be had for Rs 5,000, while during prime time the amount would double. For advertisers committing Rs five million on the news channel, various sops will be offered like co-sponsorship of evening news/samachar and two DD in-house produced programmes for three months, among others, Prasar Bharati sources said.
(Craigs comment, DD NEWS will replace DD Metro)
NDTV launches world's 1st MPEG-4 digital satellite news gathering network
From indiantelevision.com
MUMBAI: New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) today announced the launch of the world's first digital satellite news gathering network based entirely on MPEG-4 encoding.
Done using streaming solutions from Envivio Inc, NDTV's new fleet of news gathering vehicles have been equipped with Envivio 4Caster MPEG-4 encoders and are now operational around India, making it the largest DSNG fleet among Indian broadcasters, according to an official release.
The NDTV news gathering network is based around Envivio's 4Caster real-time, full D1 resolution MPEG-4 encoder and 4View real-time MPEG-4 decoder. Envivio's open standard solution offers greatly reduced bandwidths compared to MPEG-2 and can save operators up to 50 per cent on their satellite bandwidth, leading to major savings in costs and improving picture quality.
The Envivio encoding solution is currently being put on trial by other satellite operators and other major broadcasters around the globe, the release says. NDTV systems manager Rahul Deshpande has been quoted as saying, "NDTV is the first broadcaster in the world to have successfully implemented DSNG systems incorporating MPEG-4 over satellite for live links back to the studio."
"The system ….gives us immense freedom to route signals from our 15 satellite trucks and 11 news bureaus to our two broadcast news channels. The network, RF, truck, and related designs and integration were done in-house at NDTV, using other best-in-class components, including Swe-Dish Driveaway Antennae, Paradise Satellite Modems, and CPI HPAs, to cater to the tough environmental conditions prevalent in India. Additionally, the cost savings in terms of satellite bandwidth ensure that we recover capital costs within the first 18 months of deployment."
NDTV has simultaneously launched two news channels in India, NDTV 24*7 and NDTV India, on 14 April this year, and assembly election coverage just round the corner has in all probability inspired the new technical innovation.