30/12/09
Just a small update! last update for the year will be the Annual Predictions posted at midnight tomorrow night.
From my Email & ICQ
..
From the Dish
NSS 11 108.2E 12571 V "ETTV Asia, ETTV Asia News and ETTV Drama" have left .
NSS 11 108.2E 12584 V "SET News, ERA News and Unique Business News" have started on , Fta,SR 5600, FEC 5/6.
NSS 6 95E 12595 V "Rupashi Bangla" has started on , Mediaguard.
Insat 4B 93.5E 3850 H "DD North-East" has started on , Fta, SR 6250, FEC 3/4.
Insat 4B 93.5E 4045 H "Ushe TV" has started on , MPEG-4, Irdeto.
Paksat 1 38E 11455 V "Dawn News" has started on , BISS, SR 2850, FEC 3/4.
From asiatvro site
东经88度轨道位置的中新1号卫星Ku频段，华视、华视休闲、华视教育（台湾）频道消失，设置12695 H 5142参数无效接收。[12-30]
东经115.5度轨道位置的中星6B号卫星C频段，CCTV-1（高清）频道解密，设置4100 V 27500参数免费接收。[12-30]
东经93.5度轨道位置的印星4B号卫星C频段，Ushe TV（MPEG-4）频道新增，设置4045 H 28000参数有条件接收。[12-29]
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星Ku频段，TV 3、TVK（柬埔寨）等9个频道新增，设置12272 H 30000参数个别免费接收。[12-29]
东经76.5度轨道位置的亚太2R号卫星Ku频段，东森综合替换东森财经新闻（MPEG-4）频道，设置12405 V 30000参数免费接收。[12-29]
东经76.5度轨道位置的亚太2R号卫星Ku频段，超视替换三立国际（华人卫视）频道，设置12491 V 22425参数免费接收。[12-29]
NEWS
Optus TV dumps monthly magazine
From http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/12/optus-tv-dumps-monthly-magazine.html
Optus TV subscribers could be in for a rude awakening with confirmation that the Pay TV supplier will stop publication of its monthly magazine after February.
Optus says the majority of its subscribers no longer take delivery of the magazine, having switched to its inline guides and the on-screen EPG. It claims it is no longer financially viable to continue publishing the magazine.
Subscribers who currently receive the magazine will no longer be charged from March.
TV Tonight is a firm believer that as necessary as online and EPGs are, they are never a replacement for a traditional print Guide, particularly for such a vast landscape as Pay Television where viewers are overwhelmed by content. There is nothing that can replace being able to browse through detailed information, circling highlights, being attracted to shows from photographs, and reading interviews and stories. EPGs and online guides are complementary to print, not a replacement….
In 2009 Optus Television stopped offering its service to new subscribers, with service still available to existing subscribers.
Optus TV advises customers to call 1300 760 019 for enquiries.
TV3, 8TV, NTV7 & TV9 to go off Astro
From http://news.brunei.fm/2009/12/30/tv3-8tv-ntv7-tv9-to-go-off-astro/
SUBSCRIBERS of Kristal Astro will be in for a shock come New Year as it will cease broadcast of TV3, 8TV, NTV7 and TV9 channels from midnight Dec 31, 2009.
Kristal Astro Sdn Bhd yesterday said in a press statement it regretted to inform its customers that due to unforeseen circumstances, it will cease to broadcast TV3, 8TV, NTV7 and TV9 with effect from 23:59:59 hrs Thursday, December 31, 2009.
Kristal Astro said it will use its best endeavour to resolve this matter with the relevant parties and apologised for any inconvenience caused.
KT to start satellite broadcast service in Philippines
From http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/12/30/200912300069.asp
Korea's KT Corp., which operates the satellite Mugunghwa-5, said Wednesday that it has signed a deal with Philippine Multi-Media System Inc. to start satellite broadcast service in the Southeast Asian country, Yonhap News reported.
Under the deal, KT will rent equipment for satellite broadcasting starting next year, the company said in a statement.
The service marks the first overseas satellite broadcast service via the Korean satellite since it was placed into orbit in August, 2006.
Named after the national flower, the Rose of Sharon, Mugunghwa helps relay high-definition digital images.
KT, also the country's dominant fixed-line operator and second-largest mobile carrier, added that it will continue to expand its satellite broadcast service overseas.
Satellite upgrade may leave 'black box' owners in dark
From http://www.globaltimes.cn/www/english/sci-edu/china/2009-12/495296.html
Chinasat 9, the nation's first direct-broadcast TV satellite, will update its software to improve satellite TV transmission after the New Year holiday, eventually blacking out all unauthorized satellite receivers.
Users of legal set-top boxes received a notice of the automatic update Sunday. The upgrade process takes about 3 - 10 minutes. Users of illegal "black boxes" cannot get the upgrade because the set-tops do not have legal serial numbers.
Users of private satellite receivers will be able to view only 12 channels after the holiday period, and will eventually lose access to all programs completely.
The upgrade is intended to ensure that legitimate set-top box users receive regular TV programs, but also to crack down on the use of underground boxes.
The entire upgrade process is expected to take about 20 days. Certain private boxes will fail to receive programs during each upgrade.
Many Shanghai vendors are still selling illegal satellite receivers for Chinasat 9.
"You can receive 48 channels of nationwide programming on satellite TV now for just 130 yuan ($19)," a vendor bragged. "Although they say Chinasat 9 will upgrade, it's still working now."
The Regulations on Satellite Television Broadcasting stipulate that only the State can grant licenses for the production, import, sale, installation and use of satellite ground receiving installations. No individuals are allowed to install or use the satellite dishes without authorization.
More than 30 million users in the underground satellite TV market are concerned that the software upgrade could leave them in the dark.
"I just bought my receiver from a vendor a few months ago and he told me I can receive dozens of channels and it is quite cheap. My son told me I may not be able to watch TV after the New Year. What can I do then?" asked Chen Aiping, a 70 -year-old lady, who lives in the Jimenli residential neighborhood in Beijing.
"I'm not worried as my pirate set-top box always gets the upgrade notice. Some professionals will crack the code and we can reach the programs again," another pirated satellite dish owner, surnamed Zheng, told the Global Times.
The number of cable TV customers has dropped 20-30 percent due to the rampant growth of underground TV satellite receivers, according to statistics from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
Kingdom’s Islamic TV channels fulfill world demand
From http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=130431&d=30&m=12&y=2009&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has launched two satellite TV channels to spread the messages of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah (life and teachings) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) throughout the world.
Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja said Tuesday that the two channels could be viewed by people in Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, North Americas and Hawaii.
The channels were officially launched Dec. 18 covering the Arab region while their programs were telecast on most international satellites on Dec. 24. The coverage of the remaining areas will be completed on Jan. 21.
Khoja said the two channels were established by the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, adding that they were a gift from the king to the Islamic world. “King Abdullah wanted the two channels to reach all Muslims in the world,” he added.
Prince Turki bin Sultan, assistant minister of culture and information, said the launch of the two channels reflected the Kingdom’s efforts in the service of Islam and Muslims.
Referring to the ministry’s plan to launch an economic channel, Prince Turki said the new channel would highlight the Kingdom’s position as the world’s 19th largest economy.
Saudi Arabia is the largest economy in the Middle East with the biggest stock market.
There will be a fourth channel for culture and dialogue, he said. “King Abdullah considers dialogue a human, cultural and religious necessity in this world where all barriers have been broken down and the interests of people and countries are intertwined,” he added.
The ministry will also launch five FM radio stations shortly. It has already short-listed 15 companies to operate the stations.
PAKISTAN Country’s 1st Catholic satellite TV service launched
KARACHI (UCAN) -- Karachi archdiocese has launched the first Catholic satellite television channel in the country.
Archbishop Evarist Pinto launched the Good News TV channel with a click of the mouse to applause from the crowd of 350. The event was held just before Christmas.
“Good News TV will place a special emphasis on values and will show programs which cannot be seen on other TV channels,” said Vicar General Father Arthur Charles, chief executive of the enterprise.
Program hosts and guests will include members of the clergy, prominent laypeople, members of secular society and media personalities. The channel will broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In addition to presenting programs on the Mass, scripture readings, the lives of the saints and rosary recitations, the channel will also cover current events, politics, music, entertainment, arts and sports.
As a satellite channel, Good News TV is expected to reach more people than existing Catholic television services in the country.
The archdiocese of Lahore broadcasts a TV channel on a cable network but it can only be viewed within a 10-kilometer radius of St. Francis parish in the city.
"It was no easy task to get our own satellite TV channel,” said Father Charles, adding that the project could not have been realized without the support of Archbishop Pinto and priests.
The archbishop hailed the launch of the satellite service as "a massive step forward” for Church broadcasting in the country.
In his speech at the inauguration of the office-cum-production house of Good News TV, he urged media workers in society to promote family values, human dignity and the common good.
PTV's wastage of satellite bookings
From http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/30-Dec-2009/PTVs-wastage-of--satellite-bookings
ISLAMABAD – While the country is under a financial stress, almost 50 percent of PTV’s bookings for satellite coverage to cover the VIP events, chiefly for bigwigs, go waste and cause millions of rupees loss to national exchequer per annum.
Lack of coordination on receiving and feeding ends, up-linking of equipment with satellite hours before and after the timings of event, and other such things are main causes of this wastage of money, sources revealed TheNation on Tuesday. Interestingly, all the bookings for satellite coverage to cover the VIP events are made in foreign currency. The booking is made on hourly basis, while sometimes only a few minutes coverage of an event is required and all this causes heavy loss to national kitty.
This practice has been going on since the start of Pakistan Television (PTV) and has not been corrected so far due to certain problems, the sources informed. “It is in normal practice that up-linking with the feeder is made around one to two hours before the start of the event,” informed the sources, adding that most of the time it remained linked with hours after the event and thus causes wastage of money.
It is also relevant to note here that around millions of dollars were spent on satellite booking in the year 2006-07. Millions were spent when the decision to launch a PTV News Channel was made, while later on the transmission was started without launching a separate channel, informed the sources.
PTV has also now started digital archives, the sources informed, as earlier there was no inventory of equipment available in the IT department and record has never been computerised.
When contacted Controller Public Relation Ali Akbar Abbas also admitted that in PTV’s booking for satellite coverage, almost 10 percent go in waste. “Half an hour time normally goes in waste in VIP events,” he added.
To a question about the graphics that are being done from the market, he said that earlier this was in practice but now for the last eight months it has been done within the PTV.
When asked about missing of IT equipment of worth Rs 8 million, he said that the equipment has been recovered after four months.
29/12/09
Live chat at the usual time in the chatroom if anyone is around.
From my Email & ICQ
..
From the Dish
Agila 2 146E 12501 H "FTV News" is Fta.
Agila 2 146E 12621 V "Minor updates in the 146 Sky-Net mux"
Express AM3 140E 11665 V "Zee TV Russia" is Fta.
Sinosat 3 125E 3760 H "Beijing TV and Hunan TV have replaced Guangdong Satellite TV and Shenzhen Satellite TV" on , MPEG-2, HD, Mediaguard.
Sinosat 3 125E 3880 H "Heilongjiang TV has replaced Hunan TV" on , MPEG-2, HD, Mediaguard, SR 13400, FEC 7/8.
Sinosat 3 125E 4040 H "Guangdong Satellite TV and Shenzhen Satellite TV have replaced Beijing TV and Heilongjiang TV" on , MPEG-2, HD, Mediaguard.
ST 1 88E "Videoland Sports" on 3550 V and 3632 V are now encrypted.
ST 1 88E "China Home Theater" has left 3679 H.
ST 1 88E "PTS and Hakka TV" are still on 12642 H and 12645 V.
Insat 2E 83E 3512 V "Shakti TV, Channel Divya, Shopping Zone TV (MPEG-4) and Josh TV" have started on , Fta, SR 6923, FEC 3/4.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3448 V "LNTV 1 has replaced LNTV 3" on , Fta.
Intelsat 7 68.5E 3661 V "Madani Channel" has started on , Fta.
Intelsat 10 68.5E 3808 V "CCTV 9 has replaced Zone Reality India & Asia" on , Fta
From asiatvro site
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，Evrokino、Telenyanya（俄罗斯）等频道加密，设置12548 V 22000参数有条件接收。[12-29]
东经88度轨道位置的中新1号卫星C频段，MTV、EF运通（中华电信）等频道解密，设置3595 H 30000参数免费接收。[12-29]
东经68.5度轨道位置的国际10号卫星C频段，CCTV-9替换Zone Reality（汉语）频道，设置3808 V 10340参数免费接收。[12-29]
东经68.5度轨道位置的国际7号卫星C频段，Madani Channel（乌尔都语）频道新增，设置3661 V 14070参数免费接收。[12-29]
东经88度轨道位置的中新1号卫星C频段，中华财经、恒生财经（中华电信）等频道解密，设置3469 V 30000参数免费接收。[12-29]
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，Detskiy、Telenyanya（俄罗斯）等全组频道解密，设置12548 V 22000参数免费接收。[12-28]
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，Perviy Igrovoy（俄罗斯）频道消失，设置12732 V 22000参数无效接收。[12-28]
东经93.5度轨道位置的印星4B号卫星C频段，DD Guwahati替换DD North-east（印度）频道，设置3850 H 6250参数免费接收。[12-28]
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，Voprosy i otvery（俄罗斯）频道加密，设置12579 V 22000参数有条件接收。[12-28]
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，Dom Kino（俄罗斯）频道改频率，设置12732 V 22000参数免费接收。[12-28]
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，Radugainfo、Game Play（俄罗斯）频道新增，设置12640 V 22000参数免费接收。[12-28]
NEWS
All eyes on Murdoch in 2010
With a global empire stretching across four continents, with assets in television, newspapers, the internet, films and books, Rupert Murdoch always is watched closely.
Murdoch watchers are expected to be even busier in 2010 as the media mogul tries to engineer the biggest structural change in the industry over the past 30 years.
If he succeeds, the media landscape, even the internet itself, could change forever.
"The global financial crisis is a cyclical thing, which passes and moves on, but this one is about structural change," independent media commentator Peter Cox says.
"I've been doing this for over 30 years, and this is by far the biggest structural change that has occurred."
In a revolutionary move, driven in part by the global financial crisis and the resulting steep decline in advertising revenue, Mr Murdoch wants to change the way people consume news online: instead of allowing free access to News Ltd coverage online - "giving away" the company's content - and relying on advertising dollars for revenue, Mr Murdoch wants to lock News's content behind wall that users must pay to breach.
This would create a new revenue model, hitherto attempted only sporadically around the industry.
If you want to read stories, watch videos and view photos from News Corp's newspaper websites, you would have to pay, in doing so providing a new revenue stream for those mastheads.
The chief executive and chairman of News Corporation unveiled his plans in August, saying good journalism "comes at a price", the aim being to begin charging online readers from June 2010.
By November, however, Mr Murdoch appeared to be less confident that his target would be met. It was "a work in progress", he said.
"We are working all very, very hard at it, but I wouldn't promise that we are going to meet that date," he said.
Mr Cox says News Corporation is on the right track, given that the shift of classifieds from newsprint to online websites has eroded newspaper profits locally and overseas.
"For me, Murdoch is absolutely correct in what he is saying and the direction (in) which the industry needs to go if the industry is going to survive," Mr Cox says.
"I think the mechanics is what is holding them back at the moment.
"Whether it is subscription or whether it is a micropayment, it needs to be able to happen seamlessly and easily, like we do with our mobile phones."
The move away from offering free content from News Corp's newspapers such as The Australian, Melbourne's Herald Sun and Sydney's Daily Telegraph, could extend also to removing links to those stories on search engines such as Google.
And while other newspaper publishers say they are considering following Mr Murdoch's lead, few have spoken with the same conviction as the News Corp chief.
Fat Prophets senior analyst Greg Fraser says most are waiting to see how Mr Murdoch fares.
"The entire industry is once again allowing Mr Murdoch to do all the fighting while they sit back and wait for the results," Mr Fraser says.
"If he is successful, like he was against the print unions in Wapping all those years ago, then the rest of the industry will simply follow him."
In 2009, media groups had to confront not only the drift online but also a savage downturn in the advertising market.
Fairfax Media chief executive Brian McCarthy said the speed of decline in advertising revenue was the "fastest experienced in my more than 30 years in the media", as the company's Sydney and Melbourne mastheads suffered an 18.7 per cent drop in revenue in 2008/09.
But things were looking up by the end of 2009, as cautious optimism about the advertising market sits in stark contrast to the dog days of March, when the share prices of Australia's media companies dipped to multi-year lows.
Fairfax Media, which replaced its chairman in 2009 after a boardroom revolt, and after replacing its chief executive officer and managing director at the end of 2008, dropped to 79.5 cents on March 10, but reached its 2009 high of $1.805 on October 23.
West Australian Newspapers, which dropped to $3.62 on March 6, posted its year-to-date high of $8.48 on November 10.
Despite its diversified media assets, News Corporation was not immune, dipping to $8.93 on March 10 but more than doubling to its 2009 high of $18.18 on December 22.
Ten Network Holdings executive chairman Nick Falloon said in December that the free-to-air television network was seeing "very healthy signs of a return in the advertising market".
But Mr Cox says the total advertising market is "not growing" as a percentage of national gross domestic product, or output.
"As a percentage of GDP, if anything it is declining," he says.
"If all these people think, out in the future, advertising is going to pay for everything, it cannot and it will not.
"The advertising model is not broken yet, but it is a limited model."
Away from the newsprint, Australia's television proprietors also were busy in 2009.
In terms of the on-air product, the free-to-air networks launched a range of new digital channels, such as Channel 10's all sport offering, ONE, and general entertainment channels from the Seven Network (7TWO) and Channel Nine (GO!).
ABC and SBS also launched new digital channels.
There also was plenty of colour and movement in board rooms, most of it generated by Seven Network Ltd's executive chairman, Kerry Stokes, who returned to his quest to capture a bigger slice of Australia's pay television industry.
Instead of the courts, however, Mr Stokes went to the market, lifting Seven's stake in Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (ConsMedia), which owns a quarter of Foxtel and half of Fox Sports, from four per cent to almost 20 per cent.
The raids prompted an immediate response from ConsMedia's largest shareholder, James Packer's Consolidated Press Holdings Ltd, who lifted his stake in ConsMedia above 40 per cent.
On September 10, the parties called a truce. Seven was given two seats on the ConsMedia board and entered into a standstill agreement to not purchase any more ConsMedia shares for 12 months.
Mr Cox says Mr Stokes's actions after the standstill agreement expires are likely to depend on the stock market at the time.
"If the stock market is going to be up and it is going to be ahead, I would expect Stokes would want to go to his normal line of practice, which is to use the creeping provisions," Mr Cox says.
"That would be to buy the three per cent every six months that he is entitled to."
Elsewhere, Canadian media giant CanWest sold its half stake in Ten, leaving the local TV network with a diversified shareholder base.
Radio also made headlines late in 2009, when Lachlan Murdoch sold a large parcel of his News Corporation shares to buy a half stake in DMC Radio, which owns the Vega and Nova networks.
Macquarie Radio Network Ltd made its first tentative steps in establishing a presence in the Melbourne market when it formed a joint venture with Pacific Star Network Ltd, the owner of all-sport station SEN1116 and music station 3MP.
Satellites track sharks along WA coast
From http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/satellites-track-sharks-along-wa-coast-20091229-lilt.html
Real-time technology is about to catch up with the great white shark out west.
If a tagged great white, also known as the white pointer, swims off Perth's popular beaches, authorities will be alerted by an email or SMS to their mobile phone.
In a world first, the West Australian government will use satellite receivers along the WA coast to allow "real-time" tracking of arguably the most feared creature in the ocean.
About 100 sharks will be tagged in a two-year study to measure the movements and migration patterns of white pointers along the metropolitan coast.
WA Department of Fisheries senior research scientist Dr Rory McAuley told reporters on Tuesday, he hoped the data collected would improve understanding of shark movements and how they relate to attacks.
He said when a tagged shark was within 500m of a receiver, the information would be sent to a satellite in space.
Within a couple of minutes, an email or SMS would then be sent to the relevant authorities, including government departments and surf lifesavers.
In the past, the receiver would have to be taken onshore for the tracking information to be downloaded.
Dr McAuley stopped short of calling the technology lifesaving, but said while it was primarily a research project, the data would be useful for shark detection and to send warnings to swimmers.
"I think the public's fear of sharks stems largely from a fear of the unknown," Dr McAuley said.
"Any information we can find out about the real risk of people encountering sharks at the beach will hopefully alleviate people's concerns to some degree."
Dr McAuley said more than 70 sharks had already been tagged, with the majority from South Australia, due to the reliability of sharks off the coast.
He said most sharks were tagged with a spear while they were feeding on whale carcasses.
About 20 satellite receivers, due to be in place by February, would be set up from Ocean Reef in the north, to Garden Island in the south and out to Strickland Bay at Rottnest Island.
Bolivia Expects to Launch Its First Satellite in March
Russia launches Proton rocket with U.S. telecoms satellite
MOSCOW, December 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has made this year's last launch from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, launching a Proton-M carrier rocket with the U.S. telecommunications satellite DirecTV-12, the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos said Tuesday.
"The launch was carried out without incidents, the spacecraft is expected to be orbited at 12:32 Moscow time [09:32 GMT]," a Roscosmos spokesman said.
The DirecTV satellite operator had a contract with Russian-U.S. joint venture International Launch Services (ILS) to launch the DirecTV-12 on board a Proton-M carrier rocket to expand its existing satellite grouping.
The Boeing-made DirecTV-12 satellite, weighing around 6 metric tons, will become part of DirecTV satellite grouping and provide high-definition TV, Internet and communications services to subscribers in the United States.
All Proton rockets are made by Russia's Khrunichev Space and Research Center.
3D HD Television Channel Coming Next Year On DirecTV
From http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/12/3d-hd-television-channel-coming-next-year-on-directv/
HD Guru is reporting that DirecTV is going to launch the first 3D HDTV channel in the US next year. Great! Now all we need are 3D displays, content and a goofy pair of glasses.
The 3D HD channel will apparently be officially announced next week at CES, and will come compliments of a DirecTV satellite that’s scheduled to launch today. The report says that the channel will offer a line-up of movies, sports and other programs all in 3D, but at this point it’s hard to see where that much content will be coming from. Some sports events are getting the 3D treatment next year, and there are certainly more and more big-name movies taking advantage of the technology, but there’s not nearly enough out there to fill a whole schedule.
Existing DirecTV HDTV users will get a firmware upgrade that will allow them to receive the special programming, provided they have an appropriate display. That should be less of a concern than content availability, with both LG and Sony, among others, making a big push for 3D LCD televisions over the next few years.
A dedicated 3D HD channel will be a big step forward, but a lot more pieces need to fall into place before I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with Joy Behar during my daily dose of The View. [HD Guru]
Dish TV on the doorstep
From http://www.kuenselonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=14344
But, with several details to be worked, it may still be some ways from the living room
29 December, 2009 - A stumbling block to introducing direct to home (DTH) TV in Bhutan has been removed with the Indian government agreeing to facilitate the use of Indian satellites and downlinking Bhutan Broadcasting Services corporation (BBSC), the country’s only TV channel, in the DTH-TV package.
The secretary of information and communication ministry, Dasho Kinley Dorji, said the condition was that DTH could come in only if there is BBSC.
“BBSC is a prime channel and for that a licensed operator would have to pay in India to downlink (uplink) BBS, which the Indian government will facilitate,” he said.
Using DTH sets are still considered illegal, although the government had regularised it since November 2008. “The technology has changed and it’s inevitable, but what the government wants to do is license DTH operators,” said Dasho Kinley Dorji.
A Bhutaninfo-com and media authority (BICMA) official, Wangyel Dorji, said that they are still waiting for individuals to come forward and get the license. “Regularising DTH doesn’t mean that every individual is now allowed to use a dish set, but we instead want to license a Bhutanese DTH service provider,” he said.
At least two Bhutanese companies are known to be interested in DTH services with Indian partners - Reliance and Bharti Airtel, according to sources in the government. “There are several details to be worked out. For instances, how do we avoid satellite dishes sticking out of every window, so that it doesn’t affect the aesthetic beauty of the place,” he said.
Downlinking would take place in Delhi and costs about Nu 200,000 annually, excluding various other fees the licensed DTH operator might have to pay.
BBSC at present pays Nu 6.3mn annually for satellite space. With the nationwide expansion on satellite in 2006, BBSC TV’s footprint covers 40 other Asian countries. The Indian government had funded Nu 18mn for the use of satellite in 2008.
DTH TV is completely digital with high picture and stereo sound quality, and has gained popularity in the urban centres and in parts of Bhutan where there are no cable providers.
Cable operators, after the government regularised DTH in principle, requested BICMA to develop a proper system, which will balance the services of the cable as well as DTH TV systems. Information and communication minister, Lyonpo Nanda Lal Rai, said that the government is looking for a platform where both cable and DTH operators can survive.
Meanwhile, cable operators say that BICMA has recently restricted airing of about 20 channels, including sports, news, movie and music channels. A corporate employee, Tenzin, said that Bhutan is now a democracy where viewers should have a say in what they want to watch. “The public should be consulted before a group of people decide what can be aired. Some of the good sports channels are out now,” he said.
A BICMA official said that if there is going to be a restriction on the content of cable television, there would also be restrictions on DTH television services. “The issue of content will be there even with DTH,” he said.
Dasho Kinley Dorji also said that content is important and that it should be at least regulated, not banned or controlled. “Content must not be restricted at random, it should be studied to see what is good and bad content,” he said.
How long would it take to launch DTH TV service by a licensed operator is however another story.
CWG clean-up: No overhead cable in Delhi
From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/dec/dec271.php
NEW DELHI: No overhead cable in Delhi. That is what the government is working towards ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation, under pressure to beautify the city for the Commonwealth Games, has asked the cable operators to remove their cables/wires from electricity poles.
An undated notice issued by the Advertising Department of the Corporation says "cable operators functioning in the territorial limits of the Corporation, while operating their networks, unauthorisedly and illegally tie the cables with street light poles as well as hanging over-head" and this not only "looks very shabby but is dangerous to life and spoil the aesthetic beauty of the city."
The Corporation has, thus, requested cable operators to "remove/make alternate arrangement of their cables from the street light poles as well as those hanging overhead within one month."
The Corporation has threatened that if this is not done, suitable action will be taken by MCD including removal of such cables at the risk and expenses of the cable operators.
Interestingly, the Delhi High Court had way back in 1997 directed the city authorities to find a way to give ‘right of way’ to cable operators.
The electricity authorities had also considered charging cable operators for right of way by taking monthly fee, but no agreement could be reached.
Later in July 2007, the Secretary in the Power Ministry had convened a meeting which had discussed the issue with cable operators. An inter-ministerial committee was set up on 5 March 2008 for rationalising the charges for right of way for the operators and held its first and so far only meeting on 11 June 2008.
Members comprise representatives of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the Ministries of Urban Development, Rural Development, Communication and Information Technology, state governments, and MSO Alliance.
"Cable operators are removing the overhead cable and going underground. The government has been cooperative and this is a project undertaken for the betterment of the city," says Cable Operators Federation of India president Roop Sharma.
UTV, Sun in talks for Tamil movie channel
From http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/utv-sun-in-talks-for-tamil-movie-channel/381050/
Ronnie Screwvala-promoted UTV is close to partnering with Sun TV Network for a Tamil movie channel. Sources say the two will form a joint venture under which UTV will dub movies from Hindi, English and other languages.
UTV will leverage on its existing movie titles it owns. However, the company will have to acquire dubbing rights.
Sources say the two companies haven’t yet signed on the dotted line. When contacted, UTV Broadcasting CEO M K Anand said: “As a company, we are in talks with various companies for alliances. We are open to partnering with companies.” He, however, declined to comment on talks with Sun TV Network.
Sun Network is a leading entertainment company in the southern region with presence in television broadcasting, radio and direct-to-home (DTH) services. In the Tamil language, it already has entertainment channels Sun TV, K TV, Sun News, Sun Music, Chutti TV and Adithya.
The new movie channel will help Sun TV strengthen its bouquet further, say experts.
In the Tamil movies genre, currently there are just two channels — KTV and Raj Digital Plus. While KTV dominates with over 97 per cent channel share, the remaining is held by Raj Digital Plus.
The proposed alliance between UTV and Sun Network doesn’t come as a surprise as the market for Tamil movie channel has not yet been explored fully. Experts believe that with Bollywood and Hollywood movies being dubbed into Tamil, this will open the market further.
According to a recent report by consultancy firm Ernst & Young, the aggregate market size of the total South Indian film industry is estimated to be Rs 1,730 crore. In terms of overall revenues, the Telugu and Tamil segments account for approximately 45 per cent each.
On the other hand, revenues from cable and satellite television rights account for almost 17 per cent of the industry revenues. Medium and small-budget South Indian films depend significantly on the sale of cable and satellite television rights and can make the difference of a profit or loss situation for the film. “This is potential for UTV and Sun TV to earn a significant portion of revenue from Tamil movie channel,” said an industry expert.
UTV Broadcasting, the television wing of UTV, presently has four channels under its fold — a Hindi movie channel UTV Movies, world movie channel UTV World Movies, UTV Bindass Movies and business news channel UTV Bloomberg.
UTV has also been looking at consolidating its presence in the television space. UTV Bindass will soon be pulled off air and on the same frequency an action movie channel ‘UTV Action’ will be launched. The channel will air action movies from Hollywood as well as Bollywood. The company plans to acquire a few more titles.
“In the next 12 to 15 months, all UTV channels will break even. UTV Movies already has broken even. By March 2010, the company will be cash-neutral,” said a company source.
UTV Movies ranks fourth in the Hindi and subtitle movies genre with a channel share between 9 and 10 per cent. UTV Bindass Movies is sixth with a share of almost 4 per cent. UTV World Movies has a channel share between 6 and 7 per cent and ranks sixth out of the seven English movie channels. In the English business news space, UTV Bloomberg comes third after CNBC TV18 and NDTV Profit with a share of around 11 per cent.
28/12/09
Getting to the end of year, things are pretty quiet. I'm working on the annual predictions. Email me if you have some ideas!
Register a FREE account at the MFC link above if you wish to support apsattv.
R.I.P Worldspace India Radio service !
From my Email & ICQ
From Gazebox
BVN Website changes
BVN have upgraded their website. It detected my NZ internet address and
gave their programme start times in NZ time. A big improvement.
http://www.bvn.nl
From the Dish
Express AM3 140E 3467 R "Perviy kanal and Telenyanya" are Fta.
JCSAT 3A 128E FTV News has left 4120 V, moved to 4000 V.
Palapa C2 Palapa C2 has arrived at 150.5 East. (Footprint shift? might be interesting the ku North/South beams? along with Cband CHECK!)
NSS 11 108.2E 12431 H "Global News Network has replaced NBN" on , Fta.
AsiaSat 3S 105.5E 3780 V "Fox Asia" has started on , Videoguard.
NSS 6 95E 12647 V "MAC TV" has left .
Insat 4B 93.5E 3885 H "Chutti TV" is now Fta. Navvulu TV is now encrypted.
Insat 4A 83E 3725 H "Pivatar TV" has started on Fta.
Express MD1 80E 3875 R "7 TV" has started on , Fta.
Thaicom 2 78.5E 3987 H "MOI Channel" has started on , Fta, SR 2025, FEC 3/4.
Apstar 2R 76.5E 3760 H "RIK Sat" is now encrypted.
ABS 1 75E 3659 H "Outdoor Channel SD" has left .
Intelsat 10 68.5E Omega Channel has left 12562 H, moved to 12682 H.
Intelsat 10 68.5E 12682 H "Madani Channel" has started on , Fta.
Intelsat 7 68.5E Omega Channel has started on 3661 V, clear.
From asiatvro site
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星C频段，Miracle、Pop Channel（泰国）频道消失，设置3545 V 30000参数无效接收。[12-28]
东经83度轨道位置的印星4A号卫星C频段，Shakti TV（印度）频道新增，设置4134 H 10600参数免费接收。[12-28]
东经68.5度轨道位置的国际7号卫星C频段，Omega Channel（英语）频道新增，设置3661 V 14070参数免费接收。[12-28]
东经93.5度轨道位置的印星4B号卫星C频段，Chutti TV（印度）频道解密，设置3885 H 28000参数免费接收。[12-28]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，年代新闻、三立新闻、非凡新闻（台湾）频道新增，设置12584 V 5600参数免费接收。[12-26]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，东森亚洲新闻（台亚卫星）等全组频道消失，设置12571 V 30000参数无效接收。[12-26]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，年代新闻、三立新闻、非凡新闻（台湾）频道新增，设置12584 V 5600参数免费接收。[12-26]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，东森亚洲新闻（台亚卫星）等全组频道消失，设置12571 V 30000参数无效接收。[12-26]
东经140度轨道位置的快车AM3号卫星Ku频段，Zee TV（俄罗斯）频道解密，设置11665 V 39500参数免费接收。[12-26]
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，Mat i Ditya（俄罗斯）频道解密，设置12670 V 22000参数免费接收。[12-25]
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，NSTV、24 Techno（俄罗斯）频道解密，设置12548 V 22000参数免费接收。[12-25]
东经146度轨道位置的马布海2号卫星Ku频段，东森幼幼、东森综合（华人卫视）频道解密，设置12621 V 30000参数免费接收。[12-24]
东经146度轨道位置的马布海2号卫星Ku频段，民视新闻（华人卫视）频道解密，设置12501 H 30000参数免费接收。[12-24]
东经138度轨道位置的亚太5号卫星Ku频段，凤凰中文、超视（数码天空）频道重现，设置12430 V 22425参数有条件接收。[12-24]
东经138度轨道位置的亚太5号卫星Ku频段，国兴卫视（数码天空）频道重现，设置12646 V 22425参数有条件接收。[12-24]
东经128度轨道位置的日本通信3号卫星C频段，民视（台亚卫星）频道消失，设置4120 V 30000参数无效接收。[12-24]
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星2号卫星C频段，Moi Channel（泰国）频道新增，设置3987 H 2025参数免费接收。[12-23]
东经80度轨道位置的快车MD1号卫星C频段，7 TV（体育）频道新增，设置3875 R 32000参数免费接收。[12-23]
东经93.5度轨道位置的印星3A号卫星C频段，kolkata（印度）频道新增，设置3732 V 6250参数免费接收。[12-23]
NEWS
Sony Cutting Content Deals In OZ
From http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Content_And_Downloads/Industry/V9L9T3V2
Sony Computer Entertainment is believed to have held discussions with various content providers in Australia as well as Telstra's BigPond with a view to carrying their content on their new PS3 content network, which users will also be able to access via a Sony Bravia TV with Internet connectivity.
Sony insiders have also told SmartHouse that the Company has held talks with IceTV, with a view to delivering a brand new electronic program guide that will also allow metadata on movies and music to be delivered to a PS3 console.
Sony has also held talks with Foxtel with a view to delivering a subscription service on their content network.
Globally Sony is banking on their new content network appealing to consumers with several new services set to be launched in conjunction with the launch of a major Soccer World Cup marketing campaign in June 2010.
In Hong Kong last week PCCW said that they plan to distribute its pay-television service via Sony PlayStation 3 video game consoles.
PCCW may start offering its Now TV service to users of PS3 consoles in the first quarter, the carrier said. The service will be enabled by an application that can be downloaded from PlayStation's Web site, it said.
Currently Sony is diversifying its PlayStation video-game division into other entertainment services to lure users against competition from rival game consoles including Nintendo Co.'s Wii and the Xbox 360. They will also face a content war with Samsung and fellow Japanese competitor Panasonic.
China To Launch Chang'e-2 Satellite In 2010
From http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=464725
BEIJING, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- China planned to launch the Chang'e-2, the country's second lunar probe, at the end of 2010, the State Administration of Science Technology and Industry for National Defence said Monday.
The Chang'e-2 was to test key soft landing technologies for the Chang'e-3 and provide high-resolution photo images of the landing area, Xinhua news agency cited the administration as saying here.
China has made progress on six key technologies of Chang'e-2, including the lunar capture, orbit control and the research on high-resolution stereo camera, it said.
Quoting Ye Peijian, chief designer of Chang'e-1, the country's first moon probe, Xinhua reported that earlier that China's three-stage moon mission could be defined as "orbiting", "landing" and "returning".
Chang'e-2 and Chang'e-3 are part of the second phase of the country's lunar exploration programme.
The Chang'e-1 lunar probe was launched in October 2007 as the first step of China's three-stage moon mission.
"Chang'e" is named after a legendary Chinese moon goddess
National Internet TV station launched today
PCCW to Offer Pay-Television Service on PlayStation 3
From http://www.businessweek.com/news/2009-12-24/pccw-to-offer-pay-television-service-on-playstation-3-update1-.html
Dec. 24 (Bloomberg) -- PCCW Ltd., Hong Kong’s biggest phone company, said it plans to distribute its pay-television service via Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 video game consoles, as competition with rival I-Cable Communications Ltd. intensifies.
PCCW may start offering its Now TV service to users of PS3 consoles in the first quarter, the carrier said in a faxed statement today. The service will be enabled by an application that can be downloaded from PlayStation’s Web site, it said.
The Hong Kong carrier, controlled by billionaire Richard Li, aims to bolster pay-TV revenue after losing the rights to broadcast English Premier League soccer matches to I-Cable from next year. Sony is diversifying its PlayStation video-game division into other entertainment services to lure users against competition from rival game consoles including Nintendo Co.’s Wii and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360.
Pay-TV revenue at PCCW may decline 11 percent in 2011 because of the loss of the English Premier League rights, Macquarie Group Ltd. analyst Lisa Soh wrote in a Nov. 26 report. I-Cable shares rose 21 percent in Hong Kong trading on Nov. 17, after the pay-TV operator said it won exclusive rights for the soccer series for three seasons starting 2010.
The agreement with PCCW comes after Sony partnered with South Korea’s KT Group to offer the MegaTV video-on-demand service on PS3 from November 2007, according to the Tokyo-based company’s Web site.
PCCW has 992,000 subscribers for its Now TV service, which is mainly distributed through set-top boxes connected to the company’s broadband Internet network, it said today. I-Cable had 947,000 pay-TV users at the end of June, it reported in August.
New TV5 bares big plans for 2010
TV5, NOW under the management of Manny Pangilinan’s MediaQuest, has big plans for the coming year, said Bobby Barreiro, executive vice president and chief operating officer.
During the Ad Congress held in Subic Bay recently, Barreiro told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the new management was looking into improving the fledgling network’s signal.
It bought and installed a 120K transmitter from Italy, which now serves the Metro Manila area, said Barreiro. “We are looking into improving our transmission nationwide. The people of MediaQuest know the importance of a good infrastructure.”
Apart from strengthening its signal, TV5 is also upgrading its production equipment, especially for news-gathering. There are rumors that former news executives from rival stations will beef up the station’s news and public affairs team next year.
First to join TV5 – as head of News and Public Affairs – is Luchi Cruz-Valdes, former ABS-CBN Current Affairs head.
“I don’t mind working with professionals like Valdes who’s an industry stalwart,” said Barreiro.
He added that the new management may build a new studio that’s more accessible than its present site in Novaliches. “We want to improve the work flow,” he said. “Our goal is to have a completely tape-less digital system in place.”
‘The best and brightest’
For her part, Valdes said: “We are really expanding our news organization. We are looking for the best and the brightest.”
Pangilinan, in a pre-taped audio-visual presentation, told the AdCongress delegates that his involvement in TV5 is a “long-term investment.”
(After only a year, TV5’s (then ABC 5) previous block-time partner, MPB Primedia, left the network, as did former owner Tonyboy Cojuangco.)
‘Big vision’
Pangilinan said his “big vision” has TV5 playing a “crucial” role in the media landscape. The new team’s battlecry: “Provide the best content for everyone, everywhere, anytime.”
“We want to be gadget-neutral,” said Barreiro. “We will air our programs on all platforms. MediaQuest, through its partners, can offer the Internet (PLDT Watchpad), mobile phones (Smart’s Sandbox), digital direct-to-home satellite service (Cignal), and mobile TV (MyTV).”
New TV shows will be launched next year, said Barreiro.
Pangilinan also announced at the AdCongress that TV5 would go into movie production, promising to churn out next year more films than ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema and GMA Films combined.
Barreiro said the planned film arm was “a multi-million peso investment,’ and the target would be “at least 17 movies a year.”
TV row reaches Pangasinan
From http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2009/december/28/news5.isx&d=/2009/december/28
THE battle between GMA Network Inc. and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. Group shifted to Pangasinan after the operator of GMA Channel 7 opposed the plan of PLDT subsidiary Mediascape Inc. to operate a broadcasting system in Dagupan City.
Mediascape, a wholly owned subsidiary of MediaQuest Holdings Inc. which in turn is under the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund, the PLDT Group’s retirement fund, had no legal personality to operate in Dagupan, GMA Network said in an opposition paper filed with industry regulator National Telecommunications Commission.
Mediascape, which owns the subscription-based direct-to-home satellite service Cignal Digital TV, wants to build and operate a 10-kilowatt, very high frequency television station in Dagupan and has applied for a license with the commission.
GMA Network said MediaQuest failed to prove that Congress approved its acquisition of then GV Broadcasting Systems Inc., now renamed Mediascape, as required by Republic Act 8591.
The network said Mediascape’s plan for Dagupan was not feasible as all TV channels received in that area were originating from transmitter sites in Santo Tomas, Benguet, and that those had already been assigned to ABS-CBN Channel 3, IBC Channel 6, NBN Channel 8, GMA Channel 10, and RPN Channel 12.
Mediascape’s entry in Dagupan would only result in “co-channel or adjacent channel interference,” GMA Network said.
Felipe Gozon, GMA Network’s chairman, president and chief executive, earlier sniffed at the idea that Associated Broadcasting Co.’s Channel 5, a recent acquisition of MediaQuest, could challenge the “duopoly” of GMA-7 and ABS-CBN Channel 2.
“TV5 only competes with QTV 11,” and the TV network recently acquired by PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan was only no. 3 in market share and way behind in advertising revenue, Gozon said.
Still, GMA Network was ready for another competitor because “whether we welcome it or not, it is already part [of the game],” Gozon said. “It is something we have to meet.”
UK’s Inmarsat to start cell satellite ops in Russia 2010
From http://www.prime-tass.com/news/show.asp?topicid=65&id=470666
Interview with Inmarsat Chief Operating Officer Perry Melton
U.K.-based mobile satellite operator Inmarsat plans to start providing mobile satellite services in Russia in 2010, the company’s Chief Operating Officer Perry Melton said in an interview with PRIME-TASS.
“In mid-2010, we will start sales of dual mode cell phones supporting both satellite communications (standard) and mobile communications standard GSM-900. We regard the Russian market as quite ready for such an offer; besides, we are reducing prices for mobile voice services, which allows offering them to quite a wide audience,” Melton said.
Another key task of Inmarsat on the Russian market is the development of broadband services, according to Melton. “Promotion of our broadband services in land, sea, and air segments in Russia is certainly a very important task,” he said, adding that Inmarsat has ambitious plans in this field. “We expect, in particular, to introduce jointly with (Russian flag carrier) Aeroflot Russian Airlines broadband service on aircraft during flights,” Melton said.
Melton also said he expected that Inmarsat’s business in Russia would demonstrate a faster growth in some segments than the company’s average growth.
When asked about Inmarsat’s possible competition in the future with Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), which is currently used by Inmarsat in some solutions, Melton said he doubted that GLONASS would be a rival of Inmarsat’s own systems, as GLONASS was a navigation system, while Inmarsat focused primarily on communications services.
Among Russian customers of Inmarsat, Melton named state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom, state-owned railroad monopoly Russian Railways, the Russian Navy, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR), and Russian shipping companies.
In total, Inmarsat has about 60,000 customers globally, 33,000 of them being subscribers to Inmarsat’s broadband services, Melton said.
End
Worldspace To Go Silent On December 31
From http://satwaves.com/blog/2009/12/26/worldspace-to-go-silent-on-december-31/
Worldspace (PINK:WRSPQ) is announcing on its website that as of December 31, 2009, it will cease operations of its service in India. This is a surprising turn of events, in that Worldspace had sought to keep its India operations out of its current bankruptcy proceedings. India accounts for 95% of Worldspace’s total subscriber base. Worldspace states: “The potential buyer of much of WorldSpace’s global assets has decided not to buy the WorldSpace assets relating to and supporting WorldSpace’s subscription business in India. As a consequence, WorldSpace Inc. must discontinue its subscriber business in India.”
This news has left many Satellite Radio followers scratching their heads, as speculative Internet bloggers rush to delete “news” articles that promoted the potential global Satellite Radio domination of Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) and Liberty Media (NASDAQ:LMDIA). These actions may be a bit premature however, as Worldspace India was not part of the original bankruptcy filing which means that the assets of Worldspace are still in “judicial limbo.”
The Worldspace statement is certainly suggestive that Liberty Media has declined to purchase its India assets, naming only “the potential buyer.” There is already a very good chance that Liberty Media would have gained those assets as part of the original bankruptcy. Yet with less than 170,000 subscribers in all of India, it would be foolish for Liberty Media to seek to support such a cash draining operation through the current infrastructure.
This seems to conflict not only with the actions of Liberty Media, but also suggestions from Sirius XM Radio CEO Mel Karmazin, whom recently stated that Sirius would likely be a content provider to Liberty’s global Satellite Radio venture. Clearly, Liberty Media has a specific plan in mind, which becomes more intriguing as the story unfolds.
Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak to Media Analyst, Brett Harriss of Gabelli & Company about the events that were unfolding. Harriss suggested a scenario in which Liberty could retain the licensing rights, rent space on non-Worldspace satellites and broadcast content in that manner. Some now suggest that Liberty Media will redirect the Worldspace assets towards Western Europe, which boasts over 300 million vehicles on the road. This seems to be the most likely scenario for the future of Liberty Satellite Radio, based on the information available at this time.
A very speculative scenario which I can envision, is that Liberty could use the assets of Worldspace to target South America, specifically Brazil. Western Europe poses some issues in my mind — including the need for multi-lingual content. The fact is that Worldspace failed to grab a significant foothold in Europe and there are other European Satellite Radio providers in a much better position, such as Ondas Media. Content licensing arrangements again make more sense here than maintaining a satellite infrastructure.
From a content perspective, Sirius XM Radio already offers Spanish language programming, and the addition of only Portuguese language broadcasting would need to be added. There is a complete lack of competition in South America in the Satellite Radio space, which could mean exponential growth for any company seeking to establish itself there — especially in Brazil, where the economy is expected to grow as it continues to become a financial superpower.
WorldSpace won't make music in India anymore
From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/media/entertainment-/entertainment/WorldSpace-wont-make-music-in-India-anymore/articleshow/5379418.cms
ISRO to launch geo-stationary experimental satellite
VARANASI: "The understanding of basic sciences is essential to excel in application sciences, whether it is electronics or photonics," said Prof SK
Kak, vice-chancellor, Choudhary Charan Singh Meerut University during the valedictory function of the three-day international conference on emerging trends in electronics and photonic devices and systems (Electro-2009) that concluded at Banaras Hindu University on Thursday.
As a chief guest of the function, Prof Kak stressed on the need for collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach in physical and basic sciences. While emphasising on stem cell revolution and use of nano technology, he said: "A number of emerging fields in science demand connectivity and integration of system, development biology and synergy of various streams of science can do wonders in this direction."
Focussing on the fundamentals of basic sciences, scientist Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI) Pilani (Rajasthan) Dr SN Joshi said the future of electronic and photonic devices lie in synergy of semi conductors and vacuum technology that demand strong knowledge of basic sciences.
On the occasion, coordinator of the programme Prof P Chakrabarti of department of Electronics Engineering Institute of Technology (IT), BHU said the department along with other departments of life sciences has started collaborative research to enrich knowledge in the university.
Director Development Education and Communication Unit Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Dr KS Dasgupta streamlined the importance of information and communication technology (ICT). He too focussed on the need for innovation through cross connectivity in application sciences.
Later, talking to reporters Dasgupta said ISRO was all set to launch a new geo-stationary experimental satellite in the first quarter of next year. It would be a communication and propagation based experimental satellite that would use KA band frequency.
A number of experts in electronics and photonics from different parts of the country and abroad were present on the occasion.