25/03/04

Looks like things are about to get interesting with the Adult channel providers. See News section for details. I think some laws are about to be tested and maybe redefined.

Seems to be a bit of activity on Pas2 Ku band the Telstra mux has moved from 12637V to 12673V and the Sr changed to 5000.
Another signal on 12411 h? Sr 5000 Fec 1/2 maybe 12280 V is moving as well? anyone know?

DrDish@TV Repeat

The last DrDish@TV show, which had been shown live via INTELSAT 707, will
be repeated on three consecutive days: 26 + 27 + 28 March 2004, at 12:00 UTC/GMT each day
via THAICOM 3, HOTBIRD 3, INTELSAT 907, and TELSTAR 5

More details see: www.drdish.tv

From my Emails & ICQ

From Spencer

JCTV has started again on B3 12524V Globecast transponder.

From Steve Hume

Some sort of Teleconference for Telkom
Telkom 1
3990H 6000 3/4

NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume

From the Dish

PAS 8 166E 12726 H "CTI TV International and TV Moda" have left , replaced by test cards.

Agila 2 146E 3645 H Occasional feeds on , SR 1171, FEC 7/8.
Agila 2 146E 3671 V Occasional feeds on , SR 1851, FEC 3/4.
Agila 2 146E 3986 H "Kabayan TV" has left.
Agila 2 146E 4092 H "Solar Sports Plus" has started on , Digicipher 2/enc., VC 104.BigBoy Entertainment has replaced IBC 13 on VC 101, enc.
Agila 2 146E 4189 H "NBN World" has left (Digicipher 1).

JCSAT 3 128E 3960 V "ETTV Life" is now encrypted.

Insat 3A 93.5E 4101 V "DD Gujarati" has left (PAL).

Yamal 201 90E 10994 V Telekanal Rossiya Altay and Radio Rossii have started on ,Fta SR 4420, FEC 3/4, PIDs 289/290 and 290.

Insat 2E 83E 3525 V A Tata AGMM test card has started on , Fta, PIDs 257/258.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3551 H "Channel 10 (Greece)" has started on , Fta, PIDs 1793/1794.

(Craigs comment, interesting a FTA Greek? anyone taken a look?)

Apstar 2R 76.5E 12734 V "CTS" has started on , cFta, PIDs 169/116.

LMI 1 75E 12517 V "DTV" has started on , Fta, SR 21500, FEC 7/8, PIDs 308/256, north beam.

PAS 10 68.5E 12668 V "Occasional feeds" on , SR 3900, FEC 2/3.

Intelsat 902 62E 3996 L "SABC 2-3 and E TV" are now encrypted.

NEWS

Hardcore satellite TV skirts legal loopholes

From http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/24/1079939718275.html

Overseas satellite television broadcasters are exploiting apparent loopholes in Australian censorship laws to beam 24-hour pornography channels - including hard-core broadcasts - for subscriptions of $5 a week.

The Herald has confirmed that European and Asian-based broadcasters are buying time on an Australian satellite service, New Skies Satellite, to telecast X-rated pornography on channels with titles such as Free-XTV, Blue Kiss, InXWorld, Sexz TV and Back Room. Enacted scenes of gang rape are included in some programs.

Distributors are advertising the service, which they say is "like pay TV", for a $450 installation cost including a decoder box, and an annual $250 subscription. The promoters claim none of the licensing authorities - the Australian Communications Authority and the Australian Broadcasting Authority - nor the Office of Film and Literature Classification have the jurisdiction to monitor or ban the content.

New Skies is owned by a Dutch firm but has an operating company in Sydney. Its website boasts: "The design of . . . existing in-orbit fleet, as well as future spacecraft, offers current and prospective direct-to-home operators some of the highest . . . transmission power available for the distribution of digital programming packages direct to consumers' homes using ultra-small antennas."

A spokesman confirmed yesterday its frequency was licensed in Australia by the ACA but defended its broadcast policy: "We're just a wholesaler. We have nothing to do with the content."

One Perth-based distributor, The Mod Shop, advertises "permanent access to 24/7 broadcast of hardcore erotic movies covering all genres: straight, fetishism, interracial, lesbo, orgies, hardcore adult entertainment".

When contacted yesterday, a staff member said the service was legal because it was not covered by any Australian laws.

"We are telling our customers that it's the same as watching an X-rated video at home. You can watch it in privacy, provided it is not shown publicly or to minors.

"We have been dealing with the ACA and ABA and the censorship board says it doesn't fall within their jurisdiction."

But others in the industry say the some of the content is very disturbing. "It's pretty confronting stuff. There was even a scene of a pack rape in a field. Somebody should be monitoring these things," one said.

A spokesman for the ABA said the board had discussed the issue last Thursday, had sought legal advice and was about to launch an investigation: "We are aware of these services and have decided to instigate an investigation. We have legal advice that the services, though broadcast from overseas, still fall within the Broadcasting Services Act."

A spokesman for the Office of Film and Literature Classification said that because the services were broadcast rather than on film, they did not fall within its jurisdiction.

A spokesman for the ACA said: "We license the carrier, but not in terms of content."

The office of the Minister for Communications, Daryl Williams, said it was aware of the controversy and was investigating. "Those who provide services that broadcast programs to Australia from another country have the same obligations under the BSA as broadcasters who provide the same service locally," a spokeswoman said.

"The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has been consulting with the ABA to determine the nature and providers of certain satellite services and whether their carriage is subject to and breaches any of the provisions of the act or the relevant code of practice."

ACCC approves pay TV delivery

From http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/25/1079939775130.html

Australia's competition watchdog has decided to accept new access undertakings by both Foxtel and Telstra in relation to pricing on their delivery platform for analogue pay TV services and subsequent digital rollout.

The decision by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) clears the way for third parties to access both Telstra's cable network infrastructure and Foxtel's set-top unit technology.

ACCC commissioner Ed Willett said in a statement the undertakings would govern terms and conditions in the absence of any other commercial agreement.

"Third party content or channel providers will now have an opportunity to provide their own programs on the existing analogue pay TV cable and will also have rights to migrate these channels to digital over time," Mr Willett said.

The timing would be consistent with Foxtel's digital rollout plans, he said.

The acceptance overturns a rejection by the ACCC of undertakings given in 2002 when Foxtel and Optus announced their intention to enter into a content sharing agreement.

The ACCC those undertakings in December last year, largely due to its concerns with the proposed charges for access to Foxtel's STUs, which it considered to be excessive.

It also believed that some of the non-price elements of both access undertakings should be further strengthened to promote more effective and timely terms and conditions of access.

"These (issues) have now been rectified in the new undertakings," Mr Willett said.

"The undertakings reflect a fair balance between the rights of access seekers to use the service on reasonable terms and the legitimate commercial interests of Telstra Multimedia and Foxtel.

Foxtel launched its digital service last week, and with about 23 per cent of Australian households currently subscribing to pay TV, the company believes the industry can achieve 35 to 40 per cent market penetration by 2008.

Foxtel is 50 per cent owned by Telstra, with one-quarter shares held by Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd and News Corp.

At 1522 AEDT, Telstra shares were down five cents at $4.57, while News Corp was down four cents at $11.45. PBL was up three cents at $11.71.

24/03/04

Chatroom was pretty quiet last night.

NDS CAM?

http://www.parabolsenteret.no/webshop/no/dept_153.html

From my Emails & ICQ

Nothing to report.

From the Dish

No Lyngsat but Satcodx has turned up..

SatcoDX Update #22/2004

Latest satellite updates for the period March 14 to March 17, 2004

All channels are MPEG-2 Free-to-Air unless otherwise noted:

0750 LMI 1 (75.0E)

==================

ABS-CBN News Channel on 12.608 (H, 20000, 511, 512, 511): It's clear now

Cinema One on 12.608 (H, 20000, 767, 768, 767): It's clear now

TFC Europe on 12.608 (H, 20000, 1279, 1280, 1079): It's clear now

TFC-ME on 12.608 (H, 20000, 255, 256, 255): It's clear now

PCTV on 12.608 (H, 20000, 1023, 1024, 1023): It's clear now

0765 APSTAR 2R (76.5E)

======================

Uncommon Business News on 12.409 (V, 30000, 528, 529, 528):

Jet TV on 12.409 (V, 30000, 544, 545, 544):

PTV 1 on 12.409 (V, 30000, 560, 561, 560):

USTV 1 on 12.409 (V, 30000, 592, 593, 592):

DISNEY on 12.409 (V, 30000, 624, 625, 624):

Super TV on 12.409 (V, 30000, 640, 641, 640):

SunTV on 12.409 (V, 30000, 656, 657, 656):

PTV 2 on 12.409 (V, 30000, 672, 673, 672):

PTV 3 on 12.409 (V, 30000, 688, 689, 688):

TW STOCK on 12.409 (V, 30000, 1318, 1318):

CY voice on 12.409 (V, 30000, 1318, 1318):

USA-INFO on 12.409 (V, 30000, 1318, 1318):

T Master on 12.409 (V, 30000, 1318, 1318):

Music on 12.409 (V, 30000, 1318, 1318):

ETFM on 12.409 (V, 30000, 610, 610):

NULL ÀW¹D on 12.409 (V, 30000, 562, 562):

NULL ÀW¹D on 12.409 (V, 30000, 578, 578):

NULL ÀW¹D[UB605] on 12.409 (V, 30000, 528):

NULL ÀW¹D[UB606] on 12.409 (V, 30000, 528):

HUMAX DOWNLOAD SRV on 12.409 (V, 30000, 114):

ET-Movie on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1296, 1297, 1296):

ET-Variety on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1312, 1313, 1312):

ET-News S on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1328, 1329, 1328):

ET-Drama on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1344, 1345, 1344):

ET-News on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1360, 1361, 1360):

ET-ForigenMovie on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1376, 1377, 1376):

YO YO TV on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1392, 1393, 1392):

ET-Money on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1408, 1409, 1408):

ETTV Service 9 on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1424, 1425, 1424):

ET-Home Shopping on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1440, 1441, 1440):

ETTV Service 11 on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1456, 1457, 1456):

ETTV Service 12 on 12.530 (V, 30000, 1472, 1473, 1472):

TTV on 12.553 (H, 22425, 2624, 2625, 2624):

TV Maldives on 4.030 (V, 6312, 512, 640, 8190): It has started

VOM on 4.030 (V, 6312, 650, 8190): It has started

0935 INSAT 3A (93.5E)

=====================

Ahimsaa TV on 3.917 (V, 3030, 308, 256, 8190): New NID

DD Sahyadri on 3.960 (V, 6250, 257, 258, 257): New PCR & NID

Mumbai Feeds on 3.960 (V, 6250, 513, 514, 513): New PCR & NID

0950 NSS 6 (95.0E)

==================

Global Christian Network on 12.549 (H, 8970, 640, 641, 640): It has started

MBC on 12.549 (H, 8970, 720, 721, 720): It has started

MKTV Sat on 12.688 (H, 21000, 337, 338, 337): It has replaced Mazzika

TGRT FM on 12.688 (H, 21000, 514, 515): It has started

FreeX TV on 12.729 (V, 27500, 513, 514, 513): Encrypted in Irdeto

Sexz TV Promo on 12.729 (V, 27500, 1281, 1282, 1281): Encrypted in Irdeto

Back Room Promo on 12.729 (V, 27500, 1537, 1538, 1537): Encrypted in Irdeto

BlueKiss on 12.729 (V, 27500, 1539, 1540, 1539): It has started

BlueKiss Express on 12.729 (V, 27500, 1553, 1554, 1553): It has started

1080 TELKOM 1 (108.0E)

======================

Feeds on 3.795 (H, 3000, 308, 256, 8190): It has started

1082 WORLDSAT-1 (108.2E)

========================

Badook on 12.411 (V, 11110, 33, 36, 33): It has started

HBS TV on 12.411 (V, 11110, 4194, 4195, 4193): It has started

Human on 12.411 (V, 11110, 4245, 4246, 4245): It has started

CMC TV on 12.411 (V, 11110, 4370, 4371, 4369): It has started

1460 AGILA 2 (146.0E)

=====================

NBN on 3.892 (H, 4510, 1160, 1120, 1160): It has started

NEWS

NZ set to join space probe

From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3556492&thesection=news&thesubsection=general

A Hamilton telescope built for $15,000 in 1982 is set to take part in an international experiment aimed at probing the earliest years of the universe.

Radio astronomers at Auckland University and at Melbourne's Swinburne University of Technology hope to use Hamilton's tiny 10m dish to extend the range of much bigger radio telescopes such as the 64m dish at Parkes in New South Wales.

Swinburne astrophysicist Dr Steven Tingay said in Auckland last week that linking the Australian telescopes with even a small telescope in New Zealand could provide an extra "fix" on a star or a black hole.

"The resolution of your network is driven by the maximum distance between any two antennas," he said.

Adding New Zealand into the Australian network would boost Australia's bid to host a US$1 billion to $2 billion ($1.5 billion-$3 billion) international project to build about 300 antennas spread over 3000 sq km with a combined collecting area of 1 sq km - 100 to 1000 times more powerful than the biggest existing radio telescope.

The leading candidates for the central site are Western Australia and South Africa. The site is due to be chosen in 2006.

Dr Tingay said the project would probe stars and black holes that are so far away that the radio waves that reach Earth from them must have originated in the epoch of "cosmic renaissance", when the first stars formed out of dark clouds of dust.

Scientists believe that the universe began in a "big bang" about 13.7 billion years ago, but quickly cooled into a "dark age" when matter and energy were scattered uniformly.

It gradually burst into light again when energy and matter became concentrated in the first stars several hundred million years later.

Although some images of this time have been obtained recently from the Hubble space telescope, Dr Tingay said much more detail would become visible through the planned radio telescope network by 2010-2012.

He said Hamilton's 10m dish would be enough to prove the idea of incorporating New Zealand into the network, but in the longer term a dish at least 20m wide would be needed.

A former chief technical officer in Waikato University's physics department, Robin Holdsworth, said Hamilton's dish was "an amazing co-operation between the university, the [Waikato] Polytechnic and the Ministry of Works".

The ministry designed it. The polytechnic found the steel and bent it to shape. Mr Holdsworth talked the Navy into letting him take a Bofors gun mount from the Devonport naval base as a stand for the telescope.

Auckland University physics professor Geoff Austin said he would seek university funding to upgrade the telescope for the initial test with Australia.

Beyond that, the university hopes that it may get access to one of several dishes that have been built in New Zealand for satellite telephone communication.

TelstraClear spokesman Ralph Little said his company had just decommissioned a satellite dish at Auckland's Carlaw Park.

He said the company would prefer to lease the facility and was talking to "several other parties".

Telecom spokesman Phil Love said his company's three dishes at Warkworth were all operating actively, but two other dishes at Wellington and at Rangiora near Christchurch were not as active.

"Telecom is always interested in talking to people who are interested in using these types of operations."

Silicon chips for satellite reception

From http://www.ferret.com.au/articles/9e/0c01ec9e.asp

PHILIPS Electronics has unveiled its TDA8262 and TDA8263 silicon tuner chips for quick and easy implementation of digital satellite reception.

A superior technical solution for digital satellite TV reception, the new silicon tuner chips simplifiy the entire circuit board design as the product is now placed on the main board itself rather than in an independent tuner can.

Key features of the devices include: the direct conversion of the RF signal which replaces all traditional IF filtering and intermediate conversion techniques; a fully integrated wide range oscillator that covers the European, American and Asian satellite bands with low phase noise performance; and programmable baseband filtering for optimum signal handling.

In addition, the TDA8262 is much more compact than any other tuner solution, with a 5mm x 5mm package, and requires less than half the power of other solutions, from a single 3.3V supply.

Furthermore, the level of integration enables the bill of materials to be drastically reduced.

With superior technical performance, small size and low power requirements, the TDA8262 and TDA8263 silicon tuners are not only DVB-S/DSS (Digital Video Broadcast Satellite/Digital Satellite System) compliant, but also fulfil all worldwide standards in use for satellite reception.

Silicon tuners are an essential component for all semiconductor companies supplying to the digital set top box (STB), PC card and digital TV (DTV) market.

Additional to the basic functions of the TDA8263, the TDA8262 adds an RF loop through to drive a second channel in a personal video recorder (PVR), and features extensive power-down management.

Zarlink Targets Fast Growing DTV Market with Highly Integrated Satellite Set-Top Box Front-End Design

From Press Release

Zarlink Semiconductor (NYSE/TSX:ZL) today introduced a production-ready blueprint for a complete front-end subsystem used in digital satellite STBs. Combining a new high- performance satellite tuner with an industry-leading demodulator, the ZLE10532 Reference Design meets the growing need for highly integrated RF (radio frequency) chips in advanced digital TV products.

Zarlink's RF chips for digital satellite TV are used in STBs worldwide, in both 'free-to-air' and subscriber-based digital satellite systems. In China, one of the fastest growing markets for digital satellite STBs, 70% of manufacturers already use Zarlink tuners, according to company research.

To lower their costs and improve time-to-market, consumer electronics manufacturers want a 'fit and forget' front-end tuner and demodulator solution that reduces external component costs and time-consuming in-house design work. Zarlink's ZLE10532 Reference Design combines the new ZL10036 tuner and proven ZL10312 demodulator to provide a complete motherboard-based RF subsystem for tuning, scanning, decoding, and demodulating digital satellite TV signals. Manufacturers are now evaluating the ZLE10532 Reference Design for use in next- generation STBs.

Manufacturers need proven, cost-effective RF front-ends that can be placed on the motherboard and require minimal system integration, said Bob Ferreira, product line director, Consumer Communications, Zarlink Semiconductor. Our production-ready design is simple to implement, and by addressing cost, design and performance issues, makes it easy for manufacturers to design consumer-friendly STBs.

Alignment-free tuner performance

The ZL10036 device is a single-chip wideband direct conversion tuner that supports QPSK (quadrature phase shift keying) modulation schemes. With alignment-free performance, the tuner provides all the necessary RF-to-digital signal conversion required for DSS (Digital Satellite System) and 1-45 Msps (megasymbols per second) DVB-S (Digital Video Broadcast-Satellite) receiver systems.

Competing tuner products add design, bill of material, and assembly costs because they require external coil-based components that must be adjusted during manufacture. The ZL10036 tuner also features a 'power and forget' VCO (voltage controlled oscillator), eliminating the need for time-consuming VCO calibration required by some competitive products.

Complete front-end STB solution

Zarlink's ZLE10532 Reference Design combines the ZL10036 tuner with the ZL10312 device, the industry's fastest-scanning, lowest-power channel demodulator. The reference design can be used in most manufacturing processes, allowing consumer electronics companies to quickly produce compact, easy-to- use satellite STBs.

The ZL10312 demodulator supports QPSK and BPSK (bipolar phase shift keying) modulation schemes, using advanced filters to detect and decode satellite channels without external components. A unique, on-chip hard-wired controller enables the ZL10312 chip to achieve ultra-fast channel scanning capability with little intervention from an external processor, which minimizes software overhead.

Customer-friendly satellite STBs

With Zarlink's ZLE10532 Reference Design, manufacturers can market easy- to-use satellite STBs. On setup, the ZL10312 demodulator automatically scans the complete satellite broadcast band and locks onto TV channels in minutes - the industry's fastest auto-scan performance.

With Zarlink's integrated motherboard-based front-end design replacing discrete tuner devices and external circuitry, manufacturers can produce streamlined STBs that are smaller than a videocassette case.

Low-power performance

Zarlink's two-chip RF subsystem design consumes less than 1.5 W (watts) of power when in full operation, with an integrated sleep pin that reduces power consumption 1000-fold in stand-by mode. As STBs shrink in size, heat- sensitive RF tuner and demodulator chips are packed into smaller areas. By minimizing heat generation, the ZLE10532 Reference Design eliminates design concerns for heat-sensitive components and improves RF performance and field reliability.

Low power consumption also helps electronics manufacturers design STBs that meet US Environmental Protection ENERGY(R) STAR requirements and other international low-power initiatives.

Availability

The ZL10036 satellite tuner chip is now in full production. The ZLE10532 Reference Design, consisting of tuner, RF loop through and QPSK demodulator, is available to qualified customers. For more information, please visit http://products.zarlink.com/profiles/ZL10036.

About Zarlink Semiconductor

For almost 30 years, Zarlink Semiconductor has delivered semiconductor solutions that drive the capabilities of voice, enterprise, broadband and wireless communications. The Company's success is built on its technology strengths, including voice and data networks, consumer and ultra low-power communications, and high-performance analog. For more information, visit http://www.zarlink.com/.

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, among others, the risks discussed in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are encouraged to consider the risks detailed in those filings.

Zarlink, ZL, and the Zarlink Semiconductor logo are trademarks of Zarlink Semiconductor Inc.

Zarlink Semiconductor

Astro nets RM12.3 mil profit

From http://203.115.192.58/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_7a957c67-cb73c03a-8d0b0f00-3415449c

Astro All Asia Networks Plc announced a better-than-forecast net profit of RM12.3 million for the financial year ended Jan 31, 2004 due to strong subscriber growth and improved performance in the fourth quarter.

Announcing its first full-year results on March 23 as a listed company, Astro said the net profit was 20.6% higher than the forecast RM10.2 million it made in its prospectus prior to its listing last October.

Turnover for the satellite pay television operator was RM1.418 billion, which was slightly higher than the forecast RM1.409 billion. Its earnings per share was 0.87 sen.

For the fourth quarter to Jan 31, 2004, Astro reported a net profit of RM38.1 million on a turnover of RM396.4 million.

Astro expects its overall results for the current financial year to perform satisfactorily based on the underlying performance of the group’s principle activities, and the continuing expansion of the Malaysian and regional economies.

Astro said it would continue to build on content infrastructure and skills to further strenghten its cross media position here, and to further develop opportunities to leverage these assets in the region.

“The directors are encouraged by the strong subscriber growth, which underpins the future revenue for the MC-TV (multi-channel TV) segment. The radio segment has also increased market share during the financial year ended Jan 31, 2004,” it said.

In a press statement, Astro chairman Datuk Badri Masri said: “We are pleased that we have exceeded our targets.” He added that Astro had benefited from the strength of the economy and the consequent consumer demand.

The group’s MC-TV operations achieved its highest growth with 298,733 net additions or 45% over that achieved in the previous period. This brings the total residential subscriber base to 1.28 million as of Jan 31, 2004 while the total subscriptions including schools and commercial subscribers were 1.39 million.

“This growth (in subscribers) can be attributed to the more than RM600 million we have invested in developing local content and RM1.12 billion in set-top box subsidies to date,” Badri added.

The largest contributor to the group’s earnings was its MC-TV and related interactive television services segment, which posted a net profit of RM165.8 million while the radio segment contributed RM45.1 million.

Its magazine publishing business, interactive content for mobile phones and film production business contributed RM16.6 million.

Losses were in the ‘celestial’ segment, which is the ownership, aggregation and distribution of Chinese filmed entertainment, and the inter-segment eliminations with RM54.8 million and RM23.8 million respectively.

Astro COO David Butorac attributed the second half subscriber growth to its rebranding exercise in July 2003 and the launch of seven channels.

GlobeCast Asia and Helius Enter Strategic Partnership Agreement; Enterprise Market to be Better Served by Expanded Relationship

From Press Release

LINDON, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2004--Helius, Inc., the worldwide leader in business class data broadcasting solutions, today announced that GlobeCast Asia of Singapore has joined its Strategic Alliance Program. GlobeCast Asia's membership into the program marks an expansion of the two company's relationship in the U.S. As the best-in-class provider of world-class satellite services GlobeCast Asia will now introduce cutting edge IP technologies to the Asian Market.

"This partnership offers customers the opportunity to obtain the best IP technologies available today," said Darby Sanchez, CEO of GlobeCast Asia. "Utilizing our global reach these new solutions will allow us to supply our customers with the innovative solutions they have been asking for."

"This partnership allows us to expand our reach into the Asian market," said Jeff Curtis, senior vice president of sales, Helius Inc. "In our new alliance GlobeCast is uniquely poised to provide leadership of satellite IP services throughout Asia."

In addition to creating numerous new product offerings and customer benefits, this strategic alliance will allow Helius and GlobeCast Asia to create and introduce new solutions able to supply customers with end-to-end connectivity. Creating a one stop integrator of complete IP based services. The companies will also work together to ensure comprehensive customer service, installation and support options provided by GlobeCast Asia.

The Helius Strategic Alliance Program

The Helius Strategic Alliance Program (SAP) fully integrates products and services from satellite technology companies worldwide, providing partners with a complete platform of business solutions to decrease distribution costs and increase service efficiency for end-user enterprise customers.

The two companies will work together to offer comprehensive sales, customer service and support options. As a member of the Helius Strategic Alliance Program, GlobeCast Asia becomes an authorized Helius reseller and will provide customers with the full line of Helius products.

About Helius, Inc.

Helius provides efficient, secure, and reliable delivery of broadband IP over satellites and local area networks. Helius products include satellite IP routers, software and custom engineered solutions that enable efficient, secure and reliable delivery of broadband content over satellites and local area networks.

Helius is a privately held company based in Lindon, Utah. For more information, visit www.helius.com or call 801-764-9020.

About GlobeCast Asia

GlobeCast (www.globecast.com) -- a France Telecom subsidiary -- is the world's leading satellite services company, operating a global network of satellite distribution platforms for broadcast and advanced content delivery. The company is present on five continents, accessible through 15 teleports and technical operation centres in the world's leading media hubs. Based in Singapore, with offices in New Delhi and Tokyo, GlobeCast Asia serves the transmission and production requirements of broadcasters and enterprises throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

For further information, contact: GlobeCast Asia, Phone - +65 6325 4222

Helius is a trademark of Helius, Inc. Other company, product, and service names contained in this release may be registered trademarks or trademarks of the respective owners.

Contacts

Helius, Inc.
Richard Jackman, 801-764-9020
[email protected]
or
GlobeCast Asia
Vinay Sewal, +65 (6325) 4222
[email protected]

KOREA: SKT touts cooperation with KT on mobile broadcasts

From http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=9316

SK Telecom President Kim Shin-bae talked down his company's ongoing feud with the country's leading fixed-line carrier, KT Corp., saying that the two will iron out their differences on policy over satellite-based mobile broadcasts, for which commercial services could start in July

SK Telecom President Kim Shin-bae talked down his company's ongoing feud with the country's leading fixed-line carrier, KT Corp., saying that the two will iron out their differences on policy over satellite-based mobile broadcasts, for which commercial services could start in July.

"Satellite DMB (digital multimedia broadcasting) is the latest example of medium convergence and could realize its potential only by building a solid connection between the wireless sector and the fixed-line sector," Kim said during a news conference in Seoul.

"We have always regarded KT as an ideal partner that could bring us a lot in the fixed-line sector once the satellite DMB starts off. We will be more than willing to cooperate with them in future businesses," he said.

Satellite DMB is an advanced receiver technology designed to provide sound and video to portable handheld devices such as cellular phones and portable computers.

SK Telecom, the country's top wireless service provider, launched the world's first DMB satellite from Florida earlier this month with its Japanese partner, Mobile Broadcasting Corp., and plans to start services in July through joint company TU Media.

However, KT, which had planned to start its satellite broadcast services after 2006, has recently been pushing to beat out SK in winning the rights as a DMB service provider, hinting at the possibility of using the Mugunghwa No. 3 satellite they launched in 1999.

"Satellite DMB is an experiment that could not set off on the right course with multiple service providers fighting from the start. KT has been demanding excessive rights in management on their conditions to work with us on satellite DMB, but he hopes for progress in the future," said Kim.

DD to telecast Indo-Pak Test matches

From http://ww1.mid-day.com/sports/international/2004/march/79355.htm

New Delhi: Doordarshan will telecast live all the three Test matches between India and Pakistan on its national channel, DD1.

The three Test matches to be played at Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi respectively would be telecast live on DD1, a Prasar Bharti press release said today.

The first Test begins on March 28 while the second Test begins April 5. The third and final Test at Rawalpindi is from April 13.

23/03/04

Live satellite chat 9pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd time onwards be aware NZ moved off daylight savings time last weekend so Syd time is maybe 1 hour behind us at the moment.

Sorry about the lack of updates last few days, replacing my pc's hd and had a few problems. All working now. There's a backlog of items to get through so update is a little bigger than it usually is.

Looks like the Foxtel installers strike may be over.

New stuff

Optus B1 160E Skys started "Real good life" on channel 88 seems to be an encrypted radio service? Real good life FM 95.8 according to the EPG. Also there is "New Supremo" Am 936 another encrypted new radio service on channel 89 not sure why Skys adding radios on these numbers. Sky tends to not start any new services until near the end of the month. Some checking reveals these 2 new Radios are associated with the WTV Asian group that broadcast on Skys platform.

Optus C1 156E 12407 V Spirit is new (Radio) Apid 257 Sid 324. Red FM is new Apid 256 Sid 323

Optus B3 152E 12524 V "3ABN radio" is new and FTA on Apid 2121 Sid 5

PAS 2 169E 12412 H??? Sr 5000 Fec 1/2 new feed freq? or data (Noticed on the weekend)

New issue of satmagazine is online at http//www.satmagazine.com

From my Emails & ICQ

From Dave Mitchell

new channel on b3

loading one channel, 12741 V 14296 fec ? v pid 256 a pid 272, sound is terrible, just a tone, don't know what ch it is yet

From Bill Richards

NSS 6

12729v 27500 7/8
Pid changes
Vpid1025 Apid1026 SID4 Sexz TV
Vpid1281 Apid1282 SID5 New Skies Promo

Regards
Bill Richards, Sth Australia

From the Dish

PAS 8 166E 3829 H "Mezhdunarodnoe Radio Kitaya" has left .
PAS 8 166E 3980 H "Discovery Travel & Adventure Australia & New Zealand" has replaced Discovery Channel China on , PowerVu, PIDs 2460/2420.
PAS 8 166E 12326 H "Disney Channel Australia" has started on , MDS, PIDs (Tarbs)
PAS 8 166E 12391 H "Thai TV" Channel has left again.

Optus C1 156E 12527 V "Gumala Radio Network" has started on , Fta, APID 1065.Australasian Retail Radio Network has left.
Optus C1 156E 12438 H "26 radio channels" have started, enc., APIDs 502-792.

Agila 2 146E 3834 H "Prime Channel has replaced Stellar" on , Fta, SR 2612, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650.
Agila 2 146E 3993 H Occasional feeds on , SR 2964, FEC 1/2.

Palapa C2 113E 11132 V "TVBS and MAC TV have replaced CTI TV International and Unique Satellite TV" on , Viaccess, PIDs 64/65 and 72/73. New PIDs for Phoenix InfoNews: 70/71.
Palapa C2 113E 11472 H "Unique Satellite TV International" has replaced MAC TV on , Fta, PIDs 2101/2102.

AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3660 V "Voice of Turkey" has left .

NSS 6 95.5E 11467 V Occasional feeds on , SR 21574, FEC 3/4, NE Asian beam.
NSS 6 95.5E 11687 V "Onnuri TV and Etomato TV" have left .Etomato TV has left 12594 H.
NSS 6 95.5E New PIDs for Sexz TV and New Skies promo 1025/1026 and 1281/1282.

Insat 3A 93.5E 3741 V "DD Punjab" has left (PAL).
Insat 3A 93.5E 3907 V Occasional feeds on , SR 2000, FEC 3/4.

Yamal 201 90E 3989 L "SGU TV and SGU Internet" have left , moved to Express AM 22.

ST 1 88E 12664 H "TTV" has left , replaced by occasional feeds.

Insat 2E 83E 3841 V "DD Punjab and occasional DD Punjab" feeds have started on , Fta, SR 6250, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650 and 513/660, wide beam.
Insat 2E 83E 3850 V "DD Gujarati and occasional DD Gujarati" feeds have started on , Fta, SR 6250, FEC 3/4, PIDs 512/650 and 513/660, wide beam.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3585 V "MV Channel" has started on , Fta, PIDs 513/641.
Thaicom 2 78.5E 4086 H New PIDs for TVT Channel 11 on : 512/650.

Apstar 2R 76.5E 3652 H "TV Lanka" is Fta.

LMI 1 75E 12670 H Reshet Bet, Reshet Aleph, Kol HaMusica, Reshet Dalet and Reshet Gimmel have left (PAL).

Intelsat 906 64E 3642 R "Channel Ten" ?? has started on , Fta, PIDs 769/771, new SR 13330.

NEWS

Foxtel in fight over new films

From http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9045164%255E15316,00.html

WORK resumed on the installation of Foxtel Digital services yesterday only for a further problem to hit the pay-TV group - the nation's video retailers lodging a formal complaint to the competition watchdog.

Communications & Electrical Plumbing Union NSW organiser Shane Murphy said subcontractors returned to work ahead of another meeting on Saturday.

The subcontractors had accepted a new rate offer subject to other conditions being resolved before the meeting.

"If these discussions fall over, there's nothing stopping the subcontractors from reviewing their position," he said.

Meanwhile, the Australian Video Retailers Association has complained to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission alleging false and misleading advertising by Foxtel.

It alleges Foxtel has told prospective customers it provides access to new release movies through the near-video-on-demand service called Foxtel Box Office at the same time as video libraries. Movies are available on FBO six months after being released to video stores, and Foxtel spokesman Mark Furness said: "Foxtel has stated FBO will have movies a maximum of six months after DVD and video release and 18 months before those movies are shown on free-to-air TV."

But according to AVRA executive director Ross Walden, members had called Foxtel's call centres and questioned staff at Foxtel kiosks in shopping malls and were told the movies would be available at "similar times" to the video stores.

Foxtel strikers return to work

From http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,9040017%255E1702,00.html

STRIKING Foxtel subcontractors have returned to work after a week-long stoppage over pay and conditions.

About 800 Foxtel workers walked off the job last Monday over the pay dispute, disrupting the company's switch to digital broadcasting.

Meetings held in capital cities around Australia today had voted on a return to work, said Electrical Trades Union (ETU) Queensland organiser Garry Rogers.

Foxtel had offered to pay subcontractors $400 a week for five weeks, and a 60 per cent increase in rates a unit for replacing old analogue connections with digital.

Mr Rogers said there had been no negotiations yet on rates for new installations but Foxtel had agreed to talks with individual contracting companies.

Foxtel subcontractors would meet again next Monday, he said.

Foxtel pay dispute ends

From http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1071076.htm

A national dispute between Foxtel and electrical subcontractors has ended with striking workers now back on the job.

The dispute over the installation of Foxtel's new digital service has involved 700 Electrical Trades Union (ETU) members.

Gary Rogers from the ETU says workers returned to work at 12:00pm AEST after Foxtel agreed to a small wage increase.

"The big ticket for the subcontractors is Foxtel has agreed to enter into meaningful negotiations with the union and individual contracting companies in regards to a lot of issues which the subcontractors currently have," he said.

"As I say it's not just pay, it's conditions as well."

Pay dispute spreads to Telstra

From http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,9040017%255E1702,00.html

Telstra has been sucked into the centre of the pay dispute between Foxtel and its technicians, with BigPond broadband internet installers also walking off the job.

The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union, which represents both groups of technicians, said installations of Foxtel's Digital Pay TV service and BigPond's $29.95 broadband service were both on hold, adding to the number of consumers waiting to be connected to new services.

The strike will continue at least until today, when technicians are expected to vote on a third pay offer from Foxtel.

The timing could not be worse for Telstra, which is waiting to hear whether it is to be fined $10 million-plus by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over allegations its $29.95 broadband offer is anti-competitive.

Foxtel is also under pressure because it has a backlog of appointments for digital conversions for new and existing customers, following a heavy marketing campaign.

Telstra spokesman Rod Breum said the strike would hit the cable broadband service and that customers were being warned of delays.

"Some of the subcontractors who are used to install cable broadband have gone out in support of their Foxtel counterparts," he said.

But the ADSL broadband service, which uses the existing copper wire phone network, was not affected as Telstra used its own staff for those jobs, Mr Breum said.

The dispute could leave Foxtel and Telstra, a major Foxtel partner, fighting over what everyone agrees is a woefully inadequate pool of qualified technicians.

Mr Breum said that "given the demand for broadband" and the shortage of technicians, it was "not the best time" for Foxtel to have launched its digital service.

Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union official Shane Murphy said the dispute had prompted many technicians to join the union, boosting coverage in NSW from about 30 per cent last week to 95 per cent. Foxtel spokesman Mark Furness said a third offer was made to contractors on Thursday.

Foxtel's offer is believed to be based on the original $1000 digital training allowance, to be paid to each technician over four weeks, plus some revision of pay rates per job, which have been the main sticking point.

The ACCC on Friday asked Telstra to engage in negotiations with its wholesale customers about broadband pricing "as a matter of urgency".

Internet or radio for home punters

From http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/19/1079199431396.html

Off-course punters can watch today's Coolmore Classic meeting at Rosehill via the internet but Channel 31 is off limits, in Sydney at least. Punters without access to the internet can tune their radios to 2KY.

This may upset routines for many but there may be an upside to Sky Channel's nationwide blackout of Sydney racing.

"One of the things to have happened over the years is Sky Channel had everyone believing sending signals around the world was sacred to them," Sydney Turf Club chief executive Michael Kenny said yesterday. "We are now finding out that is not correct."

The STC, which hosts today's meeting, and the Australian Jockey Club no longer have a contract with Sky Channel to broadcast their races following the carrier's parent, TAB Ltd, abruptly terminating bitter negotiations on Thursday.

The Sky Channel blackout has led to the STC booking space on a satellite to transmit race pictures from Rosehill today into Moonee Valley in Melbourne. The STC and Moonee Valley Race Club will split the cost, believed to be around $6500. "It is definitely not a five-figure sum and it is well within our budget," Kenny said.

Late yesterday the STC was still hoping to beam its pictures into each racecourse in Australia with its own TAB meeting via the same set-up, and also to those with unrestricted access to the Optus B1 satellite.

Kenny tried unsuccessfully to have Sky Channel provide patrons at Rosehill today with race broadcasts from interstate along with the meeting at Newcastle.

Kenny said Sky Channel claimed it was unable to contact its person in charge of drawing up contracts and the STC was told he'd be back in the office on Monday.

"I offered to put up a $10,000 bond if they were worried about contracts," Kenny said. "We are trying to do everything we can to service our customers on course at Rosehill but every way we turn we are being stymied by Sky Channel."

Kenny said solicitors from TAB Ltd contacted the STC yesterday in regard to broadcasting Rosehill races over the internet. "We assured them we are aware of our obligations under the international broadcasting agreement we have with them," he said. "We assured them we would be putting in place safeguards that will enable only Australian residents access to this internet service.

"They informed us they will not be lodging a court injunction but they will be keeping a close eye on us. So it is full steam ahead to get our website up and running."

Kenny understands Channel 31 in Melbourne and Brisbane will broadcast all eight races from Rosehill in seven-minute packages. The Sydney version of the community channel was last night fighting with the Australian Broadcasting Authority for its licence, which was due to expire at midnight last night. Sydney's Channel 31 was approached earlier in the week to cover the Rosehill meeting but, after lengthy consultation with its stakeholders, the offer was declined.

So Kenny urged punters without access to the internet to head to Rosehill.

Internet coverage of the meeting should be available at http://www.stc.com.au and http://www.ajc.com.au.

Pact on extending TV, radio broadcast signed with Arabsat

From http://www.timesofoman.com/newsdetails.asp?newsid=53481&pn=local

MUSCAT — Hamad bin Mohammed Al Rashdi, information minister, received at his office yesterday Khalid Balkhiyor, director-general of the Arab Organisation for Satellite Telecommunications (Arabsat), and his accompanying delegation who are currently on a visit to the Sultanate.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged copies of an agreement signed between the ministry and the organisation to extend transmission of the Sultanate of Oman’s Television and Radio to four continents in the world.

Al Rashdi said the agreement was signed at the directives and under the auspices of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to extend transmission to Asia, Africa, North America and South America.

He said transmission of the Sultanate’s Radio and Television would be clear and that production of programmes and news would be enhanced.

He noted that a consultative services agreement would be signed during the coming period to establish the new complex of Oman TV’s well-equipped studios to keep abreast with the latest developments in the fields.

Al Rashdi added another agreement would be signed with international satellites through Arabsat to extend transmission of Oman’s Television and Radio to Australia and New Zealand to enable Arab and Omani students and communities to receive and watch its programmes.

Khalid said the Sultanate was among the founders of the organisation. He added initial tests of extending transmission of Oman’s Television and Radio started two days ago and that official transmission would begin on April 1. The meeting was attended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Shuwain Al Hosni, ministry undersecretary, other ministry officials and the delegation accompanying the guest. — ONA

(Craigs comment, B3 Globecast mux as reported last week possibly cband Asiasat as well)

Malaysian Fined $3,000 For Smuggling Satellite Receivers

From http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/Mar04/230304/nite20.htm

Bandar Seri Begawan - A Malaysian man who imported five units of broadcasting apparatus without a valid license was charged in the Bandar Magistrate's Court yesterday with conveying the said satellite receiver with intent to defraud the Brunei Government of duties.

He was fined $3,000 or 3 months jail in default.

The five 'Metabox' Digital Satellite Receivers, which cost $1,500 were found in his car bearing the registration number BP 8798, when the car was stopped at the Rasau Toll Control Post in Kuala Belait on November 10 last year, said the Prosecuting Officer, Pg Nina Jasmine Pg Hj Bahrin.

She said the defendant, Hong Farn Huah, 30, did not have a valid license for the broadcasting apparatus issued in accordance with section 23 of the Broadcasting Act, Cap 180.

Customs Duty to be paid for the five satellite receivers was $75. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Humble start to Samart legend

From http://nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=6&id=110338&usrsess=1

A small shop repairing electrical items grew into telecom giant Samart Corp Plc under the guidance of Cherdchai Vilailuck, who turns 72 today.

For 40 years now, television viewers have been familiar with Samart antennas and satellite dishes, which the patriarch of the Vilailuck family pioneered here. They formed the foundation of a business that eventually vaulted the Vilailucks into the ranks of major telecom and multimedia content operators.

Therefore it was no surprise when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra lauded him as "the first Thai innovator and individual entrepreneur" during Cherdchai's sixth life-cycle celebrations last week.

"Though he finished school only to the primary level, with his creativity he founded a big telecom empire," the premier said at the event.

Cherdchai started the legend of Samart 40 years ago as a small shop repairing electric products. He was called the "the samart (ability) fixer" by his customers, because he could make everything they handed to him work again.

Later he developed what could be called the first Thai-made TV antenna through self-learning. It quickly became popular, due to its low price compared to the imported models available in the domestic market.

He did not stop there. Ten years later, he built satellite dish receivers, which he said in his book of memoirs "enabled television owners in the North to receive better broadcast signals".

After the stress of working hard all his life, Cherdchai fell seriously ill, so he handed the reins to his business to his offspring, including Charoenrath and Thavatchai, who diversified into telecommunications.

They listed Samart in 1993, making it the second telecom in the stock market after Shin Corp Plc - at that time Shinawatra Computer Co - which was listed three years earlier.

Last year Samart Corp had assets of more than Bt10 billion and revenue of Bt12 billion. It is now expanding its wireless-content business overseas.

Though today he is paralysed and antennas are no longer the company's flagship business, Cherdchai still gives some business advice to his children.

To show gratitude to their father, the Vilailuck children last year initiated the Samart Innovation Award to provide opportunities to young talent to showcase their creative abilities.

This year's contest opens today and the results will be disclosed on October 29.

Govt mulls law to broadcast events of national importance

From http://www.agencyfaqs.com/news/stories/2004/03/20/8621.html

THE clash between the national broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, and Ten Sports has set the Government thinking about a law pertaining to broadcast of events of national importance. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is now looking at regulations around the world before formulating one for India.

Highly-placed officials in the Ministry said, "We will consider a law for events of national importance. In the recent DD-Ten Sports controversy, the Supreme Court has kept the interest of the general public in mind while directing Ten Sports to share its signals with Doordarshan. However, it is essential to have a regulation in place."

Interestingly, the Broadcast Bill, 1997, and the Communications Convergence Bill, 2001, have talked about the live broadcasting of events of national importance. The Broadcast Bill had clearly stated, "No licensee shall carry a live broadcast of any sporting or other event of national or international interest held in India, without the consent of the Authority unless the public service broadcasters have also been given the broadcasting right for carrying the same." The Convergence Bill had said national or international events of general public interest "shall have to be carried on the network of a public service broadcaster as well." However, to provide a level-playing field for bidders for broadcasting rights, or persons interested in receiving broadcasting right for events, the Regulator will determine, well in advance of such event, the principles and terms for the access to the network of the public service broadcaster, it added.

"Since both these Bills have been shelved there was no law to decide on the DD-Ten Sports issue. Therefore, the Court had to intervene," they added.

The Government may also consider asking broadcasters, who do not have a terrestrial network, but hold exclusive rights, to share the events with national broadcaster on terrestrial mode. "If the channel is available only on cable and satellite mode, why should they not part with the terrestrial rights, since it is of no use to them," said sources.

While no time-frame has been fixed for this law, the Government is hoping that it would be in place soon after the elections. "The bids for telecast rights of the BCCI matches will be held shortly and such questions will crop up again. We must be prepared for the future," they added.

Ten Sports episode makes private broadcasters jittery

From http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=36899

With Ten Sports having to share the feed of the India-Pakistan cricket series with Prasar Bharati, private broadcasters are worried over further violations of their exclusive telecast rights.

It wasn’t an empty threat when the government said it would come out with a law making it mandatory for private broadcasters to share the feed of events of national importance with the public service broadcaster. According to officials, work is on at the information and broadcasting ministry to draft a Bill to this effect.

“This will decide the future of the Indian broadcasting industry. It can kill the commercial viability of doing business in India,” said the chief executive of a leading foreign broadcaster, which sees India as one of its main markets.

Although he dismisses the recent fracas as a one-off incident, Ten Sports owner Abdulrahman Bukhatir says channels spend a great deal of money on buying exclusive rights for events like the India-Pakistan series to recoup investments in other areas. “Doordarshan is to be blamed,” he said.

According to broadcasting industry sources, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation is expected to take up the issue with the government. Officials also said Star Group Chief Executive Officer Michelle Guthrie, during her meeting with senior officials, wanted to know the steps the government was planing in this regard.

An executive with another foreign broadcaster pointed out that the channel was working out a strategy so that even if it had to share the feed with Doordarshan, there was sufficient on-screen branding for the channel.

In such a case, the channel would device an in-stadia arrangement, wherein its brand and logo were shown prominently, a trick most international broadcasters use for syndicated programmes.

Broadcasting industry sources point out that this incident will also put a question mark on the business viability of broadcasters bidding for the telecast rights of cricket matches organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which will be up for grabs in June this year. It is expected that because of this uncertainty, the bid amounts can be much lower.

“Imagine a scenario where a private broadcaster gets the contract and the government insists that it should be shared with Doordarshan. All potential bidders are going to factor in this and will be cautious about it,” the source said.

It needs to be seen how Set Max handles the matter during the next cricket World Cup and the ICC Trophy if the government insists on simultaneous broadcasting rights for Doordarshan for all the matches that India play.

DTH launch to be on schedule: Prasar Bharti CEO

From http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blnus/14191701.htm

New Delhi: Prasar Bharti CEO K S Sarma said today the State broadcasters Direct-to-Home telecast will be launched on schedule from April 1.

Asked whether the poor man's DTH was likely to be delayed, Mr Sarma told PTI the DTH service is on schedule. "Transponders are being tested.....we have signed a contract with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)."

But highly placed sources said this service may be delayed since several components such as dishes, receiving equipment and set top boxes are yet to be imported.

The sources said the infrastrutural requirements of DTH were far from fulfilled and that the service was unlikely to begin before June.

DTH telecast needs several equipment such as dishes, set top boxes and other receiving equipment. Most of these are yet to be imported, they said adding that the Government has already said it will provide 10,000 dishes free across eight States for increased community viewing of DTH service.

Asked whether distribution of free dishes would violate the model code of conduct since it will be done just before polls, sources said there was no violation of the code but declined to comment further. - PTI

Star-Tata DTH venture planning Rs 1600 crore investment

From http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=36809

Space TV, the direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting services joint venture between Tata Sons and Rupert Murdoch’s Star group, will invest about Rs 1,600 crore in the project.

According to a presentation made by senior executives from the two companies to senior government officials in Delhi today, the ambitious project will be kicked off around Diwali (October-November) this year.

The Rs 1,600 crore investment will go towards setting up the infrastructure for the project, working out distribution network as well as entering into marketing as well as other tie ups in India.

The set-top boxes (STBs) needed for DTH transmission will be priced under Rs 3,000 by the Star-Tata joint venture, which is also examining the option of offering financing schemes to consumers for purchasing these boxes. As per the company’s projections, the initial cost of the service for a household will be around Rs 5,000.

The company is expected to offer 65 channels to begin with besides niche channels such as lifestyle, cookery and gardening. The monthly billing for the service will range from Rs 160 to Rs 300. It is in talks with various broadcasters to bring them on to the Space TV platform.

Meanwhile, Star Group chief officer (CEO) Michelle Guthrie and Star India CEO Peter Mukherjea met information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shanker Prasad and I&B secretary Pawan Chopra and briefed them about the project.

According to sources, the Star executives also petitioned government for an early clearance of its DTH venture. The company in the first year operation is expecting about one million subscribers and expects the number to go up to about 10 million in seven to eight years.

Space TV also expects that once the number of subscribers picks up, some Indian companies may come forward to manufacture set-top boxes locally.

As per the plans of the company, the services will not only be available in the metros, but also in smaller cities and other state capitals.

At present, Space TV had paid the Rs 10 crore entry fee but still has to furnish Rs 40 crore guarantee before it can get a letter of intent from the government to begin DTH services.

After Zee, Star will be the second private player to enter DTH services. State-owned Prasar Bharati’s DTH service is likely to take off in the next couple of months.

News channel in the offing

From http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=36874

One more news and current affairs channel is in the offing. Moving Pictures Company (India), a company promoted by Ramesh Sharma and Uma Gajapati Raju, has drawn up plans to launch a news channel called ‘Dilli One’.

The channel, which will be up-linked from India, is being set up with an initial investment of Rs 18.30 crore.

The company has sought the government’s permission to start the channel. Moving Pictures Company (MPC) will have an authorised share capital of Rs 10 crore and a paid up equity of Rs 7.65 crore.

The company plans to fund the project through secured loans from banks and working capital facilities from banks. The company has said in its application to the information and broadcasting ministry that existing bankers of the company have sanctioned about Rs 7 crore for the ongoing operations of the project.

As per the equity structure of the company, Indian individuals hold 51 per cent, while around 49 per cent is portfolio investments by Indian individuals, Indian companies and a trust called MPC ESOS Trust.

The company also has a foreign portfolio investment of 0.62 per cent. The government, according sources has indicated to the company that this is not in line with guidelines, subsequent which the company indicated that the foreign portfolio holding would be divested in the next six months.

According to the company’s application, 51.29 per cent equity is held by Ramesh Sharma and his relatives. Source in the I&B ministry said that the government would look into whether the company would meet the single largest share holder clause.

The company has seven directors on its board including Ramesh Sharma, Uma Gajapati Raju, KV Vardarajan, P Murari, PL Kapur, Utsav Parekh and Vinay Jha.

As per the plans of the company, the channel will be up-linked from India through VSNL teleport to Thaicom 3 satellite. Sources also said that the company is working on its plans and it would begin the operations soon after it receives the government permission.

Zee moves application to restructure news uplinking operations

From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k4/mar/mar212.htm

MUMBAI: Zee Telefilms, which had been set a deadline of 26 March by the information & broadcasting ministry to comply with the revised guidelines for news and current affairs issued last year, has filed the necessary application.

The application to restructure its news uplinking operations was submitted to the I&B ministry on 10 March.

The revised guidelines for news channels, announced on 26 March 2003, say that any news channel wishing to uplink from India can attract a total of 26 per cent foreign investment. The operative word is 'TOTAL'.

This means that the law has done away with ambiguities and is saying that including FDI, NRI/OCB/FII investment, the sectoral cap cannot exceed 26 per cent.

While details of how it is going about the restructure process were not provided in the statement issued by the company today, an option before Zee Telefilms (the total foreign holding is 64.06 per cent at the moment) is to form another company and spin of all operations of Zee News there. A structure similar to Star News, which is looked after and managed by Media Content & Communications Services India Pvt. Ltd. (MMCS) that itself is a joint venture between a dominant Indian partner (ABP group holding 74 per cent) and Hong Kong-based Star group, holding the remaining equity.

How could this work? Hypothetically, a joint venture company with dominant (up to 74 per cent equity stake) Indian partner can be formed in which Zee Telefilms can hold up to 26 per cent equity stake, if a foreign partner(s) is not found.

The exact details of the restructure should be known soon enough so stay tuned for that.

Zee Music rocks Mumbai with Sound of India

From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k4/mar/mar210.htm

MUMBAI: "If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of it...." These lines from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night fit to a T the revamped Zee Music and its new VJs.

Zee has pumped in yet another dose of vitamins in its thus far sickly baby Zee Music. Though a repeat performance of the Delhi party; the energy with which the launch was announced had to be seen to be believed.

"In this youth driven music channel market, we have realized the definitive need for a pure music channel and there Zee Music comes in with a format of playing full songs and less bakbak, (chatter), " said Zee Music business head Yogesh Radhakrishnan at the launch.

Although Zee Music's revamped version would be fighting for the same pie as Channel [V] and MTV, the real mêlée seems to be with MTV alone. "We are launching Sound of India and rest assured you will get quality music on our channel. We have rights to 70 per cent music in India. All the other music channels (read MTV) buy it from us. So we obviously have an upper hand. We have real young VJs, unlike the rest who just claim to be young," said Zee sales head Bharat Ranga.

The programming has been revamped and eight new shows have been planned with a deliberate focus on Bollywood numbers. Also a bevy of six new VJs have been added to the Zee Music team. "Our mission is to be the brand ambassador of Indian Music to the world by leveraging Zee Music as The Sound of India," said Radhakrishnan. All six VJ's New Delhiites Roob, Parimal, and Manish and Mumbaiites Vishal, Karan and Adita, were introduced to the press and the invitees by Zee Music programming and brand head Niyati Shah. Though a giggly lot, some did have sparks of talent.

The eight new shows that will set the ball rolling at Zee Music are: a live show Please toh Play, Signs, Suniyore, Imported, www.bakbak.com, Global Gavaiya, Pehla Pyar and Item Bomb. Besides intriguing names, Please toh Play is touted as the first ever live show on a music channel. According to Radhakrishnan, "It will be just like radio. In fact we are planning to make our channel as live and as interactive as possible."

With close to Rs 10.5 million that was planned on being spent on the media blitz for a month, which would cover outdoors, the electronic medium and the radio, it came as no surprise that the Mumbai launch party rocked the elite disco Velocity till the wee hours of the morning.

Among the celebrities that hopped by were Shaadi Ka Ladoo reel pair Mandira Bedi and Sanjay Suri. Also seen were Mandira's husband Raj Kaushal and singer Raageshwari Sachdev.

And the music starts today....

TELE SATELLITE NEWS - Number 12/2004 ­ 21 March 2004 -

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

SEVEN COUNTRIES PREPARE FOR DTT

Over 70 delegates from seven Asean countries - Brunei
Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand,
Myanmar and Vietnam - have just concluded a two day
Digital Broadcasting meeting. The meeting was
co-organized by Radio Television Brunei and MediaCorp
of Singapore, supported by their respective
governments. According to Radio Netherlands, the
meeting focused on Digital Terrestrial Television, and
is part of an ongoing strategy to bring Asean
broadcasters, regulators and manufacturers together to
formulate a proposal on a common minimum technical
specification for Set Top Boxes for the Asean market.
The seven countries agreed in principle to continue a
series of dialogues and meetings, with the next one in
Singapore on June 14.

AUSTRALIA

DIGITAL TV SWITCHED ON

Foxtel on March 14 ushered in the digital television
era, with its promise of 130 channels, interactive
sports and movies on demand. But the rollout of the
service, offering better quality pictures and sound,
has been hit by the ongoing strike of pay-TV
installers. Foxtel has already signed up more than
100,000 customers for its digital service, including
85,000 existing customers wanting an upgrade to
digital.

SKY CHANNEL TO CEASE SYDNEY RACE COVERAGE

Sky Channel has resolved to cease TV coverage of
Sydney racetracks, after calling off negotiations with
the Sydney racing clubs. Sky's agreement to broadcast
thoroughbred races at Royal Randwick, Rosehill
Gardens, Canterbury and Warwick Farm racecourses
expired two weeks ago. Warren Wilson, managing
director of Sky's owner Tab Ltd, said Sky had failed
to reach a new broadcasting agreement with the
Australian Jockey Club (AJC) and Sydney Turf Club
(STC). The STC and AJC have previously said that -
with the help of Racing Victoria - they would set up
their own racing channel to televise Sydney races if
no agreement could be reached. The STC and AJC wanted
to sign a 14-month broadcasting rights deal with Sky,
which would bring them into line with the contract of
their Victorian counterparts. But Sky wanted a longer
deal in order to avoid the collective bargaining power
of the Victorian and Sydney clubs.

NO PUBLIC INQUIRY FOR DIGITAL TV

Communications Minister Daryl Williams has failed to
guarantee a public inquiry process will be followed
for the numerous statutory reviews of digital
free-to-air TV required before December. The
Government's digital TV legislation includes the
reviews to enable changes if the existing regulatory
structure is not working. About 250,000 of a possible
7 million Australian homes have converted to
free-to-air digital TV despite the TV networks
spending millions to upgrade to digital. Williams said
the reviews ­ canvassing issues such as whether the
Seven, Nine and Ten networks can offer subscription
services and the conditions applying to their TV
licences after 2007 ­ were due. The reviews will also
cover issues such as how datacasting licences can be
converted to TV stations in 2007 and if the simulcast
requirements that now apply to the digital TV signals
should remain. Australia's first datacast service
launched last week, providing the first new non-TV
content on the digital TV signal since the technology
began in 2001. Broadcast Australia, the TV and radio
transmission group owned by Macquarie Communications
Infrastructure Group, is conducting the three-year
datacast trial in Sydney. The service, called Digital
Forty Four, is on Channel 44 on the digital TV band
and includes text-based news and weather from the ABC,
sports betting information from the NSW TAB and NSW
state government information.

CHINA-HONG KONG

TVB PROFITS DOWN BY 25%

Hong Kong’s Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) said
on March 17 that its profit has plunged 25 per cent to
US$56.6 million for 2003, compared to US$75.7 million
in 2002. Operating profit at TVB's Hong Kong business
dived to US$23.6 million from US$62.6 million.
Terrestrial broadcasting revenues, which include
advertising revenues from TVB's core domestic
free-to-air TV business, fell to US$222 million from
US$228.5 million.

INDIA

CABLE TV REGULATIONS LIKELY SOON

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will
come out with a regulatory framework for the cable TV
industry in the next two to three months, the
authority’s chairman, Pradip Baijal, has said. The
Business Standard said Baijal made the remarks at
Ficci Frames 2004, India’s annual entertainment
industry convention. “We will come out with the final
draft of the consultative paper on cable TV in about a
week’s time and then the regulation for the cable TV
industry will be framed in two to three months’ time,”
he said.

THE PHILIPPINES

ABS-CBN TO EXPAND GLOBALLY

According to The Philippine Star, media giant ABS-CBN
Broadcasting Corp. is looking at further expanding its
operations in Australia and Canada. ABS-CBN chief
financial officer Randy Estrellado said the company is
keen on widening its presence in Australia and Canada
given the high concentration of Filipinos in those two
areas. Estrellado, however, said the firm's top
priority is Europe, where ABS-CBN had just set up a
cable and direct-to-home (DTH) satellite in December.
North America though, remains ABS-CBN's major cable
market with at least 130,000 subscribers. Through The
Filipino Channel (TFC), the first and only 24-hour
cable and satellite service that offers all-Filipino
programming, Filipinos in Milan, Italy can now view
ABS-CBN's entertainment and news programs. ABS-CBN is
currently negotiating with a Canadian cable company to
offer a similar 24-hour all-Filipino cable services in
Canada. The broadcast network also intends to expand
its cable services in Asia, particularly in Hong Kong,
Singapore and Taiwan. TFC is seen by almost a million
overseas Filipinos in North America, Japan, Indonesia,
New Caledonia, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf
States, Papua New Guinea and Europe. International
unit ABS-CBN Global Ltd. registered net sales of P2.37
billion last year, up by 24 per cent from the previous
year's P1.92 billion. The amount accounted for 65 per
cent of ABS-CBN's total net sales and services. Bulk
of ABS-CBN Global's revenues came from subscription
revenues of its cable and DTH service with an
estimated viewership base of 1.3 million by end-2003.
ABS-CBN, which started its global expansion in 1998,
is exporting its locally-produced programs like soap
operas, game shows and youth programs in the
international market through its international sales
and distribution.

ABS-CBN OPTS FOR MEDIAGUARD

Philippine-based broadcasting network ABS-CBN Global
has selected Nagravision's smart card technology for
its European operation. With worldwide subscribers
numbering close to a million and spanning the Asia
Pacific, Middle East and North America, ABS-CBN Global
is currently in the process of creating satellite
networks across Europe to deliver programming services
to the many Filipino expatriates in these areas. To
help achieve this, Nagravision recently integrated its
technology in the Europe operations of ABS-CBN Global,
a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, the
largest network in the Philippines with a leading 42
per cent market share.

SINGAPORE

STARHUB TO GO-AHEAD WITH IPO

Singapore’s biggest pay-TV and broadband operator
StarHub has given the go-ahead to an initial public
offering (IPO) valuing the group at up to S$3 billion.
StarHub, which is also Singapore’s third largest
mobile operator, has awarded the mandate for the
listing to Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and UBS
AG. The IPO would allow StarHub shareholder, Britain’s
BT Group, to sell its 11.87% stake for around S$360
million as early as July.

SOUTH KOREA

SK TELECOM TO OFFER SATELLITE TV ON MOBILE PHONES

SK Telecom Co., South Korea's biggest cell phone
carrier, is hustling to introduce a new service that
will allow subscribers to view television broadcasts
on their handsets following the launch of the world's
first satellite for the mobile TV aspirations. The
1,760-kilogram satellite, jointly owned by SK Telecom
and its Japanese partner Mobile Broadcasting Corp.,
successfully launched on March 13. The satellite,
which will operate from a geostationary orbit, is
designed to beam TV programming to mobile phones,
handheld devices or those installed in cars. SK
Telecom invested 94.5bn won, or 34.66 per cent, into
the MBSat satellite, while the remainder was funded by
Mobile Broadcasting, in which Japanese electronics
giant Toshiba Corp. owns the single largest stake.
Although mobile broadcasting via satellite has a long
way to go before becoming a success, the satellite
launch was seen as the first visible step for SK
Telecom, which has more than 18 million wireless
subscribers, to expand its reach into the realm of
broadcasting. For its mobile TV ambitions, SK Telecom
created a new business venture called TU Media Corp.,
initially capitalized at 32.5bn won, along with
200-odd partners, including Samsung Electronics Co.
and LG Electronics Inc., the world's third-and
sixth-largest handset makers, respectively. SK Telecom
plans to start satellite-based mobile broadcasting
commercial operations by the end of July with the aim
of offering personalized TV programming. TU Media
spokesman Huh Jae-young said his company will first
begin providing satellite broadcasting services via 11
video and 25 audio channels across the nation. To
watch mobile broadcasting programmes, consumers must
buy new handsets capable of receiving the satellite
signals. Currently, such a handset costs about 700,000
won, while a monthly subscription fee will be set at
between 32,000 won and 34,000 won, he added. Although
it remains to be seen how many will sign up for mobile
broadcasting services, TU Media expects to break even
by 2006 with 2.2 million paying customers and to gain
6 million users by 2008. Under Korean broadcasting
law, SK Telecom has been banned from beaming
terrestrial TV programmes on its mobile broadcasting
network.

22/03/04

DUE to Hard drive problems there is no update today, Hopefully Back running on Tuesday once i run Ghost and backup to the new HD.

21/03/04

Sunday no update

20/03/04

Saturday no updates this weekend sorry

19/03/04

MTV replaced MCM on Tarbs

DD Cricket Analog Insat 3? might be 3a or 3C ? supposedly also on AJKTV Thaicom 3 Asia beam??

Advert seen on NZ Trademe website.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/structure/auction_detail.asp?id=9687246

Dog kennel

Nice and dry inside. Be the envy of the canine neighbourhood with
a fitted satellite dish and grandad's old sheep crook out front. No sheep gets away in this dog's dreams.

Outside measurements: 1230 mm wide, 1220 mm high (not including dish) & 1090 mm deep.

Iron roof needs a lick of paint, but is still solid. Good floor.

Buyer to pick up from Henderson. Will not be freighted (too big).

(Craigs comment, if they will throw in 3 boards and some nails I will buy it for a dog I know...)

From my Emails & ICQ

From Andrew Rajcher

Hi Craig....

These are pics that I took at the beginning of this month at the new Asiasat Operations Centre which is
in Tai Po in the New Territories on Hong Kong. The Centre started operations in two months ago.

The pics are pretty self-explanatory - check the name of each pic.

The 7 dishes range from 5 metres to 9 metres diameter - with possibly another four to be constructed over the next few months. I believe one of the new ones will be an 11 metre baby!! Finally, you can put my ugly countenance on your website....I'm standing next to one of the dishes in one of these pics.

These pics are copyright Andrew Rajcher, so please no useing them on other sites.

From the Dish

Intelsat 701 180E 3769 R It's still only feeds on PIDs 2160/2120.(Not Cnn)

PAS 8 166E 12360 V "Videoland WMovie Channel" has started on , Fta, PIDs 141/142.(Asian beam)
PAS 8 166E 12391 H "Thai TV Channel" is back on Fta, SR 5000, FEC 3/4, PIDs 4194/4195.

ST 1 88E 3632 V "FTV Entertainment" is now encrypted.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3551 H New PIDs for Daystar TV on : 5153/5154.

Apstar 2R 76.5E 3652 H "TV Lanka" is now encrypted.

NEWS

Foxtel revises installers' offer

From http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9006823%255E15317,00.html

ABOUT 200 pay-TV installers camped outside the Sydney offices of Foxtel yesterday as the strike which is damaging the roll-out of Foxtel's $600 million digital service looked set to drag on into next week.

Members of the Communications and Electrical Plumbing Union (CEPU) from around Australia voted yesterday morning to continue the strike until Monday.

But later yesterday Foxtel put a revised offer to the contracting companies which employ the installers. The offer comprises a $1000 digital training allowance plus a revised pay rate structure.

"Foxtel will continue to act constructively to seek an economically workable solution for each of Foxtel, the installation companies that Foxtel employs and their sub-contractors," a Foxtel spokesman said.

CEPU NSW organiser Shane Murphy had not seen the offer late yesterday but said once it was received a meeting would be called for today.

"The union is keen to get these guys back to work, so the minute we get the offer we will put in place the mechanisms to have the meeting as soon as possible," he said.

The CEPU blames the strike on poor pay rates, training and occupational health issues.

Mr Murphy said 200 pay-TV installers yesterday camped outside Foxtel's Sydney headquarters for four hours to highlight their concerns.

He said they arrived in a convoy from Chester Hill, and that a similar move was planned for Melbourne today if the strike was not resolved.

Prasar Bharati, ISRO sign MoU for poor man's DTH'

From http://www.hindu.com/2004/03/19/stories/2004031901480900.htm

NEW DELHI, MARCH 18. Prasar Bharati today took yet another step towards launching Doordarshan's Direct-to-Home (DTH) service in June by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for supply of Ku Band transponders.

According to the MoU, ISRO will initially make available four leased transponders on NSS-6 (Netherland's New Skies Satellite) which will later be replaced by ISRO's satellites on INSAT 4A/4B when they become operational in 2005. Prasar Bharati will pay Rs. 20 crores annually to ISRO as transponder-hiring charges.

Billed as the "poor man's DTH," Doordarshan's Ku Band is being launched to reach those areas which are not covered by the public broadcaster's terrestrial transmitters. As of now, Doordarshan's flagship channel covers 90.3 per cent of the population and 78.6 per cent of the area.

Since it will cost another Rs. 3,500 crores to increase the number of transmitters to achieve full coverage, Prasar Bharati has opted for the Ku Band technology as the terrestrial transmitters will only take DD-1 to hitherto virgin areas while the "poor man's DTH" can carry as many as 30 channels for Rs. 164 crores.

Prasar Bharati to invest Rs 164 crore in DTH station

From http://www.business-standard.com/today/story.asp?Menu=2&story=36722

Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati will invest around Rs 164 crore in the setting up of an earth station to uplink a bouquet of 30 channels.

A Prasar Bharati statement said this investment would be a part its direct-to-home (DTH) television services.

The state broadcaster will offer 30 free-to-air channels — 15 each to Doordarshan and private television channels — besides the radio channels of All India Radio, which are likely to be operational by June 2004.

Prasar Bharati signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the supply of Ku-band transponders for its DTH service.

According to the understanding between the two, the space research body will initially supply four leased Ku-band transponders to Prasar Bharati on NSS-6 satellite, which will be later replaced by ISRO's satellites Insat 4a and 4b when these become operational in a year’s time.

Prasar Bharati will pay Rs 20 crore per annum towards transponder charges.

Channels clueless on losses from Indo-Pak series telecast

From http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/03/19/stories/2004031902310500.htm

A DAY after the Supreme Court (SC) directed Ten Sports to share its signals of the on-going Indo-Pak cricket series with Doordarshan, Ten Sports, Cable Distribution Network (CDN) and Prasar Bharati have been assessing the losses that they will have to suffer due to conflicting business interests.

They are hoping that the Court would eventually enable each of them to make some money from the event.

And even before the calculations of the losses are done, questions are being asked on the heads under which the damage would be assessed.

Prasar Bharati officials are questioning the Rs 208-crore damage that CDN has claimed before the Court. "How did they arrive at this number when the total cable connectivity is still very low?"

Meanwhile, sources close to Taj TV, which owns Ten Sports, are questioning the issue of carriage fee that Prasar Bharati has been planning to charge from Ten Sports. "When Ten Sports did not ask them for a platform how can they charge carriage fee?"

Though there have been talks of an out-of-court settlement between the parties, no discussions took place on Thursday. The next SC hearing has been scheduled for April 15.

* Reception reports for 10975 H:
Good signal, 40-45%.
(G Giannis with 100 cm in Chios, Greece)

85%.
(Naporex with 180 cm in SE Poland)

The signal is strong, no problems.
(U Maurer with 120 cm in Germany)

Strong reception, 75%.
(L Klontzas with 240 cm in Crete, Greece)

49% signal quality, strong signal.
(D Leadbeater with 100 cm in UK)

Signal is strong enough to lock the mux, but picture is breaking up.
Max signal strengh is approximately 5.1 dB.
(DX-Ampy with 120 cm in western Germany)

* Reception reports for 10975 H:

Very good, 60% signal strength.
(L Nystrom with 180 cm in Skurup, Sweden)

90% signal quality, strong.
(E Gillin with 200 cm in Rome, Italy)

Signal level 63%, stable and good.
(E Strand with 120 cm in Knislinge, Sweden)