19/01/09

A few Weekend feeds

Sunday

D1 12430V 6670 "TCN QPSK 9Mhz"Cricket Aus vs SAf
D1 12654V 6670 "Beach Cricket"
D1 12681V 7200 "SAS trailer SNG" Cancer council Classic Adelaide. 7 news

Asiasat 4 12609 V Sr 6620 3/4 "Hyundai A-league"


From my Email & ICQ


From Vetrun.com post (Western Australia)

IS5 report

Not such a great change for us in Perth and others in the West. Reduction in signal level is huge.

Just above threshold on a 2.4m solid now on 3760H and 4160H. No lock on 4160V


From the Dish


Intelsat 2 169E 12401 V "Arirang World" has left .

Agila 2 146E 3846 H "White Springs TV" has started on , Fta, SR 6110, FEC 3/4.(Classic movies, FTA)

Palapa C2 113E 3758 H "SCTV" has started on , Fta, SR 4470, FEC 3/4.

AsiaSat 3S 105.5E 3780 V "Fox Sports Middle East" has left .

ST 1 88E 3469 V "Buddha Compassion TV Station" has left .

Insat 2E 83E 3794 V "UTVi TV" has started on , Irdeto, SR 3500, FEC 3/4.

Thaicom 5 78.5E 3545 V "Bang TV" has started on , Fta.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3920 V "Dhoom TV" has left , moved to Paksat 1.

Thaicom 5 78.5E 12355 H "Cartoon Club Channel" is now encrypted.

ABS 1 75E 3652 V "MSNBC" has started on , Fta.(Live coverage on this of Obama's inauguration)

Intelsat 10 68.5E 3744 V "M-Net Holiday" has left .

Intelsat 904 60E 4022 L "TVBN, TVB Entertainment News, TVB Classic and TVB Classic" have left .


NEWS


Telkom Near New Satellite Deal With Russian Firm


From http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/article/6633.html

The country’s largest telecommunication company, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk, is close to signing a deal with a Russian firm on a third satellite project, called Telkom 3, a company director said on Sunday.

Indra M. Utoyo, Telkom’s IT director, said the Russian company Information Satellite Systems, or Reshetnev, had won the tender to build and launch the Telkom 3 satellite in mid-2011, at an undisclosed cost of less than $200 million.

“We’re still discussing the final terms of the contract, but we hope we can sign it soon,” Indra told the Jakarta Globe. “They’ve won the contract, beating Orbital in the final round of the electronic auction bid.”

The US-based firm Orbital Sciences Corp. had submitted a final bid of slightly over $200 million, he said, claiming that the tender was done through a first-ever electronic auction.

“We’ve done the first e-auction in the world for any satellite tender,” Indra said.

The new satellite, which will have 18 transponders, will replace the Telkom 2 satellite and be used for the TelkomVision pay TV service, data and Internet transmissions, and applications for earth observation. Telkom hopes the new satellite will contribute around 5 percent to the company’s annual revenues.

'After considering the track records and the technical value, and when combined with the price, we chose the Russian firm'

Indra M. Utoyo, Telkom

News of the tender was first reported over the weekend by the BBC, quoting Russian press service reports.

“The project entails developing and placing into orbit the Telkom 3 satellite, making the ground control system and also providing training and technical support for its operation,” the BBC said, quoting the Interfax-AVN news agency.

Interfax-AVN reported that the tender results were announced in December, but Telkom had remained silent until now.

Indra said Reshetnev was chosen over Orbital because the Russian firm offered advanced technology to any country.

“Technically, they’re about the same, but after considering the track records and the technical value,” Indra said, “and when combined with the price, we chose the Russian firm.”

The final value of the contract excludes insurance premiums, which Indra said were between 11 percent to 16 percent of the satellite’s value, “depending on the world’s satellite situation when the insurance contract is signed.”

Telkom had previously estimated that the satellite would cost between $150 million and $200 million, so the contract should be well within its original target.

Rinaldi Firmansyah, Telkom’s president director, said recently that around 40 percent of the satellite’s cost would be financed internally, with the rest from external sources, which he did not name.

According to the Russian Federal Space Agency, the satellite will be based on the new medium-class Ekspress-1000N platform and have 32 C-band transponders and 10 Ku-band transponders. It will weigh 1,600 kilograms, have an output of 5.6 kilowatts, a service life of 15 years, and should be manufactured and placed into orbit by 2011.

Indra said that the satellite would be launched within 29 months after the contract is signed.


Witnesses reveal role of commissioner


From http://old.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20090117.D07&irec=6

It was Muhammad Iqbal, a suspect in a bribery case connected to the alleged monopoly on English Premier League (EPL) broadcasting rights, who proposed the inclusion of a "dictum" in a ruling handed down by the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) that favored PT Direct Vision, the Corruption Court heard Friday.

Last August, the KPPU ruled that Astro All Asia Multimedia Networks violated the antimonopoly law when broadcasting last season's English Premier League (EPL) matches in Indonesia.

Surprisingly, the KPPU added a stipulation to its decision requiring Astro to continue supplying content to Direct Vision -- a company controlled by the Lippo Group.

In her testimony at the court, KPPU member Anna Maria Tri Anggraini said the stipulation was proposed by Iqbal, who is also a member of the Indonesian antimonopoly agency."During a meeting on Aug. 24, 2008 Iqbal proposed the inclusion of an instruction for Astro to continue its cooperation with Direct Vision until a legally binding decision on their disputes was issued," Anna said in the suspect's dossier read out by prosecutor Sarjono Turin at the Corruption Court.

Anna was at the time a commissioner overseeing a panel on which Iqbal and Benny Pasaribu were members dealing with monopoly cases.

In September 2007, three cable providers - PT MNC Sky Vision (Indovision), PT Indosat Mega Media (IM2) and PT Indonusa Telemedia (Telkomvision)reported Astro to the KPPU alleging they held a monopoly on EPL broadcast rights. The providers also accused Astro of having received broadcast rights from ESPN Star Sport (ESS) without a tender, thereby creating unfair competition.

When asked by Sarjono whether Iqbal's proposal was the basis for the KPPU ruling, Anna said,because the decision should have been based on a agreement by all panel members", she said.

"The main consideration was the interest of (Direct Vision consumers)."

Iqbal later revealed he had received a letter from Astro's director Grant Ferguson which stated the company would no longer provide any programs to Direct Vision. "Did you ask him where he got the letter from?," asked Sarjono.

Anna replied that Iqbal merely said it was from a friend of his but declined to elaborate.

The KPPU ruling turned controversial when the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested both Iqbal and former top Lippo Group executive Billy Sindoro at a hotel in Jakarta and confiscated a bag in their possession containing Rp 500 million (US$44,770).


‘Srilakvahini’ commences local transmission


From http://www.sundaytimes.lk/090118/Magazine/sundaytimestvtimes_02.html

‘Srilakvahini’ Satellite Television Channel commenced local transmission recently under the theme of ‘New Sri Lanka to the world’.

This channel telecasts programmes 12 hours per day using Protosat (98.5 East) satellite. ‘Srilakvahini’ allocates live telecast programmes four days a week.

Details of Srilakvahini Satellite Television Channel could be obtained by browsing www.srilakvahini.net website or by contacting telephone number 2821336.

Meanwhile Srilakvahini in collaboration with TV Lanka have introduced hi-tech equipment to view Television channels via satellite.

It enables the public to view a considerable number of channels, seven local and more than 40 international channels from any part of the island.


Single rocket to carry 6 'private' satellites


From http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20090119TDY02301.htm

OSAKA--An H-2A rocket carrying six small satellites developed by universities and private-sector companies will be launched Wednesday from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. This will be the largest number of "private" satellites to be carried by a Japanese rocket.

The SOHLA-1 exploratory satellite, which is also known as Maido Ichigo, was developed by a team of small and midsize companies in Higashi-Osaka, Osaka Prefecture.

"In this serious business slump, I hope SOHLA-1 will provide some encouragement," said Hideyuki Tanahashi, 48, senior executive director of Astro Technology SOHLA, a team set up in Higashi-Osaka to produce the satellite in 2001. SOHLA stands for the Space Oriented Higashi-Osaka Leading Association.

Local manufacturers of aircraft parts and electronic control devices established the team, while students at Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka University and Ryukoku University provided technological support.

"I would be nice if this project would make more young people aware of the value of the manufacturing industry," Tanahashi said.

Another satellite, named Kukai after the famous priest and calligrapher, is actually a double unit built by Kagawa University. The priest is believed to have been born in what is now Kagawa Prefecture.

The two units are tethered to each other with strands of synthetic fiber, and a camera built into the smaller unit is designed to photograph the other unit in space. The satellite will explore the possibility of using the technique to examine the outer walls of space stations.

Another satellite, Kagayaki, which was developed by the Tokyo-based information system company Sorun Corp., will observe aurora in space.

The smallest satellite among the six was developed by Tokyo Metropolitan College of Industrial Technology. The satellite is cube-shaped with sides measuring 15 centimeters. It will be propelled by gunpowder.

About 40 students built the satellite in their free time after school and on weekends. More than 20 small and midsize companies in Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, contributed to its manufacture.

The remaining two satellites were built by Tokyo and Tohoku universities. The Tokyo University satellite will photograph the ground through an extended telescope, while the Tohoku University satellite will observe luminous phenomena in lightning from space.


Thales Alenia Space to Deliver Two Russian Satellites


From http://www.satellitetoday.com/st/headlines/29649.html

[Satellite Today 01-19-09] Gazprom Space Systems selected Thales Alenia Space to deliver two Yamal 400 communication satellites, Gazprom announced Jan. 16.
    The satellites will be built based on the Spacebus 4000 and will have a guaranteed lifetime of 15 years. Launch of the two satellites is scheduled for 2011.
    Gazprom Space Systems has also placed an order with Russian manufacturer ISS Reshetnev to produce the Yamal 300 satellite, based on a new medium sized Express1000 bus. Yamal 300 expected to be launched in 2010.
    Financial details of the two transactions were not disclosed.


China "Beidou" Satellite Navigation System to cover whole globe by 2015


From http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90781/6576845.html

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation announced that Beidou II satellites, independently developed by China, will enter the height of the network formation period this year. Beidou is expected to develop into a satellite navigation system with global coverage by 2015, according to a report by China Central Television (CCTV).

The company will launch about ten navigation satellites throughout this and the next year. It plans to complete the construction of a global navigation and positioning system by 2015. The system will be composed by more than 30 satellites, said Zhao Xiaojin, head of the Astronautics department under the company.

Satellite navigation and positioning systems are important infrastructure facilities in outer space.

They combine the advantages of traditional celestial navigation and positioning with ground radio navigation and positioning, and are the equivalent of a radio navigation station installed in outer space.

At present, all types of navigation positioning equipment that China uses to carry out navigation positioning services rely on US GPS systems.

With the establishment of China's Beidou system, the country will be free from dependence on foreign navigation satellite systems and will boost many high-tech industries, thus helping the country's economic growth.


Media of Medias setting a cautious 10% growth target for 2009


From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/01/19/business/business_30093544.php

Television content provider Media of Medias has set a conservative revenue growth target of 10 per cent this year, CEO Charlotte Dhonavanik said.

The company's revenue stood at Bt900 million in 2007 and grew by 10 per cent last year, Charlotte said.

"We have set a conservative target for 2009 as there are many uncertain factors, including new programs to be offered to free-to-air TV channels this year, and our new satellite TV business," Charlotte said.

"However, we still believe there is great potential in the home entertainment industry, including cable TV. Our expansion into the cable TV business is on the right track."

Medium-sized companies such as Media of Medias still have growth potential despite the current economic difficulties and political instability, Charlotte said.

"Executives must be able to constantly adjust their business [to suit the conditions]," she said.

Media of Medias launched its own 24-hour satellite TV station, Media Channel, in October, airing reruns of soap operas from Channel 7. Media Channel is carried by cable TV networks upcountry, and is expected to generate about Bt100 million in sales by the end of this year.

"We plan to launch another entertainment and information channel this year," Charlotte said, adding that Media of Medias also plans to operate as a wholesaler, supplying programs to provincial cable TV operators under a membership system.

Additionally, the company will produce two new programs to be supplied to free-to-air channels in the first quarter of this year.

The company currently provides seven programs to free-to-air channels.

Media of Medias will continue investing this year, Charlotte said, backed by its strong shareholders and healthy cash supply.

The company invested nearly Bt100 million last year in its studio and equipment, she said.


BBC Arabic extends its multimedia operation with the launch of 24/7 TV


From http://www.ameinfo.com/181475.html

On Monday 19 January, the BBC will enhance its multimedia service in Arabic by extending the BBC Arabic television broadcasts to 24 hours a day and introducing five new television presenters from across the Arab world.

The launch of round-the-clock TV broadcasting means BBC Arabic becomes a truly 24/7 multimedia service bringing Arabic-speaking audiences, from across the world, news and analysis via radio, online, television and mobile.

Head of BBC Arabic, Hosam El Sokkari, says:

'Our TV operation has gone from strength to strength since its launch as a 12-hours-a-day operation in March 2008, and our 24/7 television service will offer a non-stop news service for Arabic-speakers whenever, and wherever, they want it. We have reinforced our presenter team with five new talents who will, no doubt, enrich our programming with new dynamics and style.'

The launch of the 24/7 TV operation builds on the success of the BBC Arabic multimedia news service. The website, bbcarabic.com, continues to grow. A strong area of growth is delivered via its mobile WAP site. In the last three weeks it has received more than five times as much weekly traffic as during an average week in 2008.

This follows new linking agreements with mobile phone operators in the region, including Vodafone Live in Egypt, Orange in Jordan and Zain in Bahrain. In another recent development, BBC Arabic is now offering One Minute video news bulletins in Saudi Arabia via operators, STC and Mobily.

BBC Arabic continues to expand its global distribution network beyond the North Africa and Middle East region. Following an agreement with International Media Distribution (IMD), a division of ART - Arab Radio and Television, BBC Arabic television is broadcast for one hour every day, at 21.00 GMT, in the USA on the ART America Channel on the EchoStar platform. ART America will also join BBC Arabic television from 16.00 GMT on 20 January for six hours of special coverage of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama.

As BBC's publicly funded international television service, BBC Arabic television is freely available to everyone with a satellite or cable connection in the region. It is distributed free to air by Arabsat, Eutelsat and Nilesat satellite systems.


GlobeCast Helping BBC with Persian TV


From http://www.satellitetoday.com/st/topnews/29650.html

[Satellite Today 01-19-09] GlobeCast signed a distribution deal with BBC World Service for the launch of a Persian TV channel, the company announced Jan. 16.
    GlobeCast will be the BBC’s distribution partner for the launch of its Farsi-language BBC Persian TV the Telstar 12 and HotBird 6 satellites.  Persian TV will be available to IPTV, DTH and cable operators across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. 
    GlobeCast receives the BBC Persian TV signal direct from the BBC World Service at Bush House in Central London before sending the signal via its international fibre network to two different locations for broadcast.
    For broadcast across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, GlobeCast uses capacity on the Telstar 12 satellite at 15 degrees West. The signal is sent by fibre to New York where leading satellite service company Globecomm picks it up and sends it to its Long Island teleport for uplink.


Humax Portable Satellite TV System launched in KSA


From http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20090117092614/Humax Portable Satellite TV System launched in KSA

Jeddah: In an amazing new 'portable TV' concept, Humax - the global leader in satellite television reception industry - has introduced yet another revolutionary new product: The Humax Portable Satellite TV System that viewers can carry with them wherever they go. The system was launched in KSA by Samir Photographic Supplies (SPS), the exclusive distributor for Humax products in the Kingdom.

Speaking at the launch, Omar Hindi, Marketing Director of SPS said: "The new Humax Portable Satellite TV System is likely to change how we watch TV in the Kingdom. Imagine, taking your TV with you on a vacation, to a picnic, or simply to your front lawn to enjoy crystal clear, digital quality TV wherever you please."

The SATBox - as the product is called - has a 17-inch LCD monitor and an integrated Humax satellite receiver with a compact and portable flat antenna to receive channels and recharge-able laptop-style batteries, all packed together in an easy to carry, briefcase-like design. The SATBox can also be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket, available in all cars for recharging. The whole pack weighs 12 kilos.

The subscription to satellite TV works like in a normal receiver and viewers can subscribe to any of their favorite satellite TV services such as Nile sat. The SATBox comes with a built-in compass, to help position the antenna towards available satellites in the area, for easy installation, tuning and connection. This mobility allows viewers to take their TV to virtually any place and watch their favorite channels.

The Humax SATBox is now available at all SPS showrooms and at other leading electronics retailers across the KSA.

-Ends-

About SPS
Samir Photographic Supplies, established in 1953, markets and distributes a wide range of products across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With more than 550 employees all over the Kingdom, SPS is the exclusive distributor for Kodak since 1958.

Product lines include Digital IT and Consumer Electronics Products, Photographic Products / Digital and Conventional, Radiology and Clinical Laboratory Products, Printing Imaging Products, High Volume Printers and Scanners, Large Format Printers and Scanners, Turn-key Projects for Conference Rooms, Audio Visual Products, Security Video Wall and Signage Products.

For more information please visit www.samirgroup.com or toll free 8002444100 or www.olympus.co.jp

For more information please contact:
Amal Issa
Account Executive
Raee Public Relations
Phone: 02661 7565
Fax: 02661 7566
Mobile: 0598953585
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.raeepr.com


DTH eyes cable market


From http://www.itexaminer.com/dth-eyes-cable-market.aspx

The fight for the market between cable networks and DTH (direct to home) providers is poised to take a bitter turn with major DTH providers in India cutting down their monthly subscription rates. The current DTH subscription rate is at par with the monthly cable charges. By dropping their monthly subscription prices to amounts ranging from Rs 182 to 249 ($3.7-5.1), DTH operators are directly targeting existing cable users.

Leading DTH operator, Dish TV, is now offering 125 channels for a subscription value as low as Rs 100 ($2) per month. The idea is clear - manipulate satellite TV viewers to shift from cable networks to DTH. These desperate measures indicate that in spite of spectacular growth, the DTH sector is weighed down by pressing problems. One of the problems is very low ARPU (average revenue per user).

DTH was launched with lots of promises four years back. The sound and picture quality would be far superior, it was claimed. Additional services such as video on demand, music on demand, and multiple viewing options were also promised. The most important was that DTH subscribers would be saved from being victims to the eternal squabbles between channel owners and cable operators. Pay channel owners would hike the channel rate every six or eight months on the pretext that cable operators were under declaring their subscription figures. Cable operators on the other hand, alleged that pay channel owners were including unpopular channels in their channel bouquet depriving viewers of prime content.

As a result, when DTH arrived it was seen as a boon for television viewers. However, DTH is at the cross roads today. Although DTH registered a compound annual growth rate of over 30 per cent, the growth has been primarily in new areas. In other words, it did not make much of a dent in the cable sector considering the fact that a large section of DTH subscribers came from areas where there was no cable network, in first place.

Four years after DTH began operations, cable networks remained the dominant mode of satellite TV distribution. Of the 120 million homes watching private satellite television, 75 million are cable TV subscribers. The fact that only one million subscribers receive digital cable service indicates that the bulk of cable TV subscribers use the traditional analog mode.

DTH has its own drawbacks. The Ku-band through which it functions experiences problems during heavy rainfalls and storms. The add-on services also failed to reach the hyped up expectations. One of the biggest myths exploded was the initial belief that DTH would be cheaper. In the initial phases, the monthly subscription rates of DTH service packages that offered all pay channels were as high as that of cable if not more. The fact that an amount of about Rs 3000 ($62) would have to be invested for the set top boxes deterred cable TV subscribers from moving over to DTH.

Cable networks also had a peculiar advantage. Most big networks ran their own TV channel (ground channel) providing hundred percent local content, especially news. The local flavour added to the popularity of the cable networks. Today, as DTH service providers are embroiled in a price war, cable networks have to device a clear cut strategy to stave off the DTH threat. Former director of Siliguri based Cable Combine Communication, the largest cable network in northern region of West Bengal, Goutam Basu feels that the significant cut in DTH subscription rates would have an impact on the cable industry as well.

“It is a bitter situation and one with the better strategy and surviving skills would remain”, said Basu. “If cable networks have to survive in the long run, digitalisation is a must”, he added.

Analysts estimate that DTH, which is out and out digital, will have around 20 million subscribers by 2013. At the present rate of digitalisation, digital cable is estimated to have around 5 million subscribers in the same year.

Going digital is clearly the only way out for cable networks to retain their dominant position in the long run. As for DTH, the digital factor is its greatest advantage.


Bharti Airtel to launch IPTV services


From http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/006200901190308.htm

New Delhi (PTI): Soon after launching DTH cable operations, India's largest private telecom firm Bharti Airtel is all set to start IPTV (Internet Protocol on Television) services or popularly known as triple play (voice, data and video) in the country.

According to sources close to the development, Airtel may announce launch of services in next one or two days.

IPTV refers to TV delivered through broadband. Besides Airtel, other telecom operators like MTNL, RCom and HFCL have already started IPTV services in various parts of the country.

Airtel has already tested IPTV services through its soft launch in some of the cities, sources said, adding this would cater to a different set of customers from DTH users.

The company has close to three million broadband and fixed line subscribers and it would be looking to cater to these customers as well as new users, who are looking for three services together from a single operator.

Asked about the detailed plans, including pricing, sources declined to comment, saying the company would announce all details in the next few days.




18/01/09

Sunday, no update




17/01/09

Saturday, no update




16/01/09

3760H, 4160 V and H. Have started on Intelsat 5 (169E)

B4u and B4u Movies have left Intelsat 10 (Moved to mpg4 Asiasat3S)


From my Email & ICQ


From BBC World

Dear All

Re. IS-5 migration & 16:9 Aspect Ratio change

As you know, the satellite currently used to distribute BBC World News
in Asia Pacific (PAL) has now reached the end of it's operational life.
The replacement satellite, IS-5, has now been tested and configured and
BBC World News will be transmitted on this new satellite from 16th
January 2009 at 01:00 GMT.

We will continue to transmit on the old IS-2 satellite for at least one
month (dual illumination), however, as the operational performance of
IS-2 is now diminishing, we recommend that you retune to the new IS-5
satellite parameters as soon as possible to prevent disruption to your
service. For most of you, this will just entail the re-programming of
your satellite receiver. It will not be necessary to reposition your
receive antenna as IS-5 will be located in the same orbital position as
the old satellite. For the period of dual illumination, if you are using
a PowerVu satellite receiver, ensure that it is set to 'Non PowerVu' or
'Open' mode.

In addition, BBC World News will also switch to 16:9 widescreen on 19th
January 2009. You may need to reconfigure your satellite receivers to
continue presenting our channel to your network in the format you
desire.

Schedule:

16.01.09 at 01:00 GMT

BBC World News goes 'live' on IS-9 (channel will remain on IS-2 for 1 month only)

19.01.09 at 17:00 GMT

BBC World News switched to 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio (IS-5 and IS-2)

Please let us know once you have migrated over to IS-5 and let us know
if you have any problems. [email protected]


From Eddie Olsen (Auckland, NZ)

IS5 signal report

3760H 28940 4 Channels labelled

MCPC Ch.1
MCPC Ch.2
MCPC Ch.3
MCPC Ch.4

All have vertical color bars with INTELSAT NAPA PAL written across screen.

Transponder labelled IS5-3c MCPC Strength 89% Quality 90%

4160V 26470 8 channels labelled
Channel 1
Channel 2
Channel 3
Channel 4
Channel 5
Channel 6
MetroMux Channel 7
MetroMux Channel 8

All are PowerVu

Transponder labelled PowerVu Plus N Strength 87 % Quality 82%

4160H 26480 6 Channels labelled
Adhoc I -VC2
BBC
Adhoc II -VC 4
IQRAA
Australian Broadcast

Also 1 radio station

Radio Australia ABC

Transponder labelled Paumalu_IS5 Strength 84 % Quality 82%

As Received in Auckland using a Fortec Star Lifetime Ultra and a 3 metre
Mesh Dish


From Jsat.tv (Thailand)

RE: IS5

3901 & 4160 are running concurrently and the difference in signal up
here In Thailand is 6%

3901 / BBC = 83% (IS2)
4160 / BBC = 89% (IS5)

DM7020 receiver and 3.2m dish


From Tony Dunnett (Auckland, NZ)

Subject: IS5 active

IS5 on a 1.2m offset dish Setanta promo and Globecast romping
in , I mean romping in. Carriers larger than AMC23 Data.

Also on a 90cm with 17 degree lnbf lashed to it. It is 42% on Setanta and Globecast
1to4 globecast A encrypted


From A. Lewin (Waikato , Upper North Island, NZ)

IS5 active

3760H, 4160 V & H all 65% on 2.4m solid in Waikato on
Maxplus.
65% is huge signal on this receiver. e.g NASA tv is 52%

Never really been able to get IS2, and never Aus Network or
BBC so this is great.


From Greg N (Auckland , NZ)

IS 5, 3989 Globecast IS2 & 2 97%, 4160 80%.
Previously
IS 2, 3989 Globecast IS2 & 2 64%, 3901 58%

Auckland, 2.4 solid, 4653x


From Dick Thomas (Nelson, Top of South Island, NZ)

93% strength here in Nelson on my 3mtr mesh, 4160 H


From Len (Dunedin, NZ)

IS5 active

IS5 channels received in Dunedin using a 2.4M solid dish. Atom
receiver indicates a whopping 89%.
Len


From the Dish


Insat 2E 83E 4042 V "Tristit TV India" has replaced DJ TV on , Fta.

ABS 1 75E 12670 V 'Mat i Ditya' is now encrypted.

Intelsat 7 68.5E 3661 V "ART Australia" has started on , Irdeto.

Intelsat 10 68.5E 3863 V "Fashion TV and The History Channel South Africa"are encrypted again.


NEWS


Australia Chips In A Spare Quarter For Boeing Wideband Global SATCOM Bird


From http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Australia_Chips_In_A_Spare_Quarter_For_Boeing_Wideband_Global_SATCOM_Bird_999.html

That's 344 million in aussie dollars...

Boeing has announced that the U.S. Air Force has authorized the Commonwealth of Australia's provision of US$234 million for Boeing to complete production of the sixth Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite.

With this authorization, Boeing is now fully funded for the production of all three WGS Block II satellites, and is on track to deliver the first in this new series in 2011. The first of three WGS Block I satellites went into service in April, and the second is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2009.

Australia is providing funding for WGS-6 as part of a cooperative agreement between the U.S. and Australian governments. A memorandum of understanding signed by both governments in November 2007 gives the Australian Defence Force access to WGS services worldwide in exchange for funding the constellation's sixth satellite. Boeing received long-lead materials funding for WGS-6 in December 2007.

"The arrangement between the U.S. government and the Commonwealth of Australia will benefit both nations, and Boeing is very proud to be providing this vital communications service to the U.S. armed forces and our allies," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems.

"This sixth satellite will substantially expand the constellation's overall communications capacity and operational flexibility."

The WGS Block I and II contracts, together valued at US$1.8 billion, include six satellites, associated ground-based payload command and control systems, mission-unique software and databases, satellite simulators, logistics support and operator training.

Boeing also performs final satellite processing and preparations for launch, as well as initial orbital operations and on-orbit testing.

One difference between the Block II and Block I satellites is that the Block II satellites include a radio frequency bypass capability designed to support airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms requiring additional bandwidth.


UDD launches new TV station


From http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=135879

Core leaders of United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) launched its satellite-based television service, entitled Democracy Television or DTV, on Thursday.

Executive of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai, Adisorn Piangket, has been appointed as executive president of the station.

"The station is aimed at educating public on democracy," he said.

The station is scheduled to go air via C band satellite on Monday.

Key members of the defunct Thai Rak Thai including Veera Musikapong, Jatuporn Prompan Nattawut Saikua and ex-foreign minister Noppadon Pattama attended the launch.


NEW SATELLITE TV: Thaksin supporters launch DTV


From http://nationmultimedia.com/2009/01/16/politics/politics_30093386.php

Founders deny deposed prime minister gave financial support

Politicians linked to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will on Monday launch the DTV satellite television station, with the goal of advancing democracy and opposing coups.

Banned Thai Rak Thai Party executive Adisorn Piangket yesterday said the station would be managed by D Station, with himself as chairman.

It is being co-founded by anti-coup activists linked to the pro-Thaksin camp, he told a press conference.

Thaksin was not involved in establishing or financing the station, but rather the founders raised funds from friends and family to start the venture.

"Thaksin is floating in the ocean right now. He has almost nothing left, not even land to live on. We don't dare bother him," he said.

Key supporters of the station are Jatuporn Prompan, Veera Musigapong, Natthawut Saikua, Noppadon Pattama, Sunai Jullapongsathorn and Wichit Plangsrisakul.

Programming is varied but with a theme of promoting democracy; for example, the "Truth Today" talk show by Veera, Natthawut and Jatuporn, "Talk to Adisorn" hosted by Adisorn and "Democracy Station" with former government spokesman Suparat Nakbunnam.

"Senior Lawyer" will be hosted by Thana Benjathikul, "World View" by a former PM's Office minister and "House Number 111" by Wichit.

Phra Phayom Kallayano, the popular abbot of Suan Kaew Temple, will air his daily morning dharma talk on the station.

Even though Thaksin was not involved in opening the station, he is welcome to phone in to any of these programmes whenever he wants and if he has something to explain to the public, Natthawut said.

A special one-hour programme will be aired each Sunday to comment on issues discussed by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in his weekly talk show on NBT.

The group had planned to go on air on March 1 but moved the launch forward because of the changing political situation, Adisorn said.

Viewers who can receive ASTV, cable-television operators and community radio stations can tune in to DTV for free, Natthawut said.

The founders raised funds to run the station by selling energy drinks, bottled water, fruit juice and other products, such as eggs, under the brand "Truth Today", he said.

PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey said the new station was free to broadcast, although it must abide by laws governing its content.

Satit dismissed concerns about possible government intervention, saying there was no plans to tamper with media freedom.

Even if the deposed premier were to call in from abroad during broadcasts, Satit anticipates no problems, since Thaksin has a right to do so.

But he reminded media outlets to exercise professional judgement when reporting news that seemed to sow divisiveness.


RRsat + Yamal-201 Combo Deliver In Russian


From  http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=50563592

Global Communications Network Ltd. has been selected to distribute two additional Russian-speaking channels, Smile of Child and Bridge TV, over Russia via Gascom's Yamal-201 Satellite at 90 degrees East.

RRsat has already started to distribute the channels from its teleport in Israel via Gascom's Yamal-201 Satellite, which will broadcast these channels over all of the CIS. Smile of Child is an international, Russian-speaking channel broadcasting 24-7, targeting 4-12 year olds, which is currently viewed in 160 countries and is retransmitted by over 450 cable networks in Russia alone. Bridge TV is a Russian satellite music channel presenting a modern and positive view on life and music. The channel targets young and active individuals. These two channels join three additional Russian-speaking channels, CNL Siberia, CNL Europe and TBN, which are already distributed by RRsat via the Yamal-201 satellite.


Russian Yamal-201 satellite starts transmission of Turkmen Ovazy TV channel



From http://www.turkmenistan.ru/?page_id=3&lang_id=en&elem_id=14277&type=event&sort=date_desc

Transmission of programmes of the new Turkmen TV channel, Turkmen Ovazy (Turkmen Melodies), has started via the Russian Yamal-201 satellite, a source in the press service of Gazprom Kosmicheskiye Sistemy (GKS) said. Yamal-201 satellite's orbital position is 90 degree of eastern longitude.

"The transmission is under way in round-the-clock regime and in line with the set schedule". This is the fifth Turkmen TV channel being transmitted via the Yamal-201 satellite," the GKS noted. The source also said round-the-clock transmission of Turkmenistan international TV channel in six languages as well as of other three TV channels - Altyn Asyr (Golden Age), Yaslyk (Youth) and Miras (Heritage) is under way."

Turkmen Ovazy was launched on 1 January 2009. Under the decree of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the channel was designed "to popularize music art and culture of Turkmen people and familiarize the world community with Turkmenistan's successes, and further enhance the efficiency of the information system.


Hawaii makes an early switch to all-digital TV


From http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hawaii16-2009jan16,0,2955891.story
For the sake of an endangered bird, the islands turn off analog signals more than a month before the rest of the country.
Honolulu -- At noon sharp Thursday in Hawaii, a message appeared on analog TV sets across the islands: "All full-power Hawaii TV stations are now digital."

The state shut down old-fashioned broadcast signals more than a month before the rest of the country is set to make the now-contentious switch.

Even before the change, residents lighted up TV help-center phone lines set up by the Federal Communication Commission. More than 300 calls came in Wednesday, and 10 lines were lighting up Thursday.

On home screens, the shutdown message flashed for about a minute in white text on a blue background. Then a seven-minute announcement video began a broadcast loop that will continue for several weeks on major island stations.

Technicians are calling it the "analog night light."

Officials at the call center made last-minute checks with about 20 TV stations around the islands, with all reporting they were ready.

"The calls we're getting now are from those people who are waking up and saying, 'Oh my God, what do I do?' " said Lyle Ishida, the FCC's Hawaii digital TV project manager, just before the switch.

Experts taking the calls quickly screened out anyone with cable or satellite service, because they are unaffected by the switch. But some confusion had been expected.

"No matter how many commercials we run, there will always be a certain part of the population that doesn't get the message," said Chris Leonard, president of the Hawaii Assn. of Broadcasters, who was helping out at the call center.

One glitch cropped up before the switch, with the PBS station on the Big Island reporting it hadn't yet received equipment to send its digital signal to South Point, an area of the island that is the southernmost point in the nation. PBS has been the only station serving the rural area. The problem was expected to last several days.

With analog signals turned off, residents with older TVs were finding out whether they were missing any channels or had any service at all.

Government officials and broadcasters estimate that about 20,000 households in Hawaii still get their TV signals over the air, meaning they'd have to buy new TVs with digital tuners or digital converter boxes for their old TVs.

"It's really amazing how many people wait until the last minute," said June Gonzales, a member of the FCC team.

Hawaii was moving to all-digital TV before the Feb. 17 date set for the rest of the nation because of an endangered bird, the Hawaiian dark-rumped petrel. Broadcasters and park rangers want to take down analog transmission towers on the slopes of Maui's Haleakala volcano before the bird's nesting season.


New Dawn For Intelsat At Orbital


From http://www.spacemart.com/reports/New_Dawn_For_Intelsat_At_Orbital_999.html

Intelsat Joint Venture with Convergence Partners to Use Orbitals STAR Geosynchronous Satellite to Serve African Market

Orbital Sciences has been selected to design, manufacture and test a new commercial communications spacecraft known as New Dawn. In late 2008, Orbital was authorized to proceed on the New Dawn program by Intelsat, Ltd. which formed a joint venture with Convergence Partners to own and operate the satellite.

The New Dawn satellite will address the growing needs for fixed satellite services such as voice communications, wireless backhaul, Internet connectivity and broadcast media applications across the continent of Africa.

"Orbital's commercial satellite business ended 2008 on a high note, with our selection for the New Dawn satellite, which was the second order we received during the year from Intelsat," said Mr. Michael Larkin, Orbital's Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Space Systems Group.

"We are very appreciative of Intelsat's repeat orders for our STAR satellites and the close working relationship that has developed between our two companies over the past several years."

Mr. Larkin added, "The New Dawn order also represented the fourth order of the year for our communications satellites from all customers, making 2008 another very solid period for our commercial satellite business. Our design, engineering and production staff is now working on a total of 10 GEO satellites and is eager to begin new satellite projects in 2009."

The New Dawn spacecraft will be based on Orbital's proven STAR-2 platform. It will generate approximately 4.8 kilowatts of electrical power to support 16 Ku- and 14 C-band active transponders covering Africa with two deployable antennas.

Following the launch and completion of its in-orbit testing process, New Dawn will be located at 32.9 degrees East Longitude. The New Dawn satellite is scheduled to be placed in service in early 2011.

In addition to the New Dawn satellite, Intelsat also ordered the IS-18 communications spacecraft from Orbital in 2008.

The company's two other GEO satellite orders in 2008 were the AMC-1R satellite for SES Americom and the Koreasat 6 satellite, for which Orbital is teamed with Thales Alenia Space, for KT Corporation of the Republic of Korea.


New satellite, largely funded from SA, will boost Africa’s telecoms




From http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/new-satellite-largely-funded-from-sa-will-boost-africas-telecoms-2009-01-16

A $250-million telecommunications satellite dedicated to supplying telecommunications services to Africa is to be built over the next two years and launched in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Over half of the capacity of the new satellite has already been sold, in firm contracts worth more than $350-million, to major clients, including Gateway Communications, Gilat Satcom, Vodacom and Zain Nigeria.

Named New Dawn, this satellite will be operated by global telecommunications satellite company Intelsat in a joint venture with a consortium of African investors, led by South Africa's Convergence Partners and Altirah Telecoms. The JV will be held 75% by Intelsat and 25% by the African investor group, and more than 90% of the financing for the project comes from African sources, including Nedbank and South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation.

This will be Intelsat's first satellite which will provide telecommunications coverage solely for Africa - the company currently has 25 satellites that can provide coverage for part or all of the continent, but they also supply services to other regions, such as Europe. New Dawn will be equipped with 52 equivalent 36 MHz transponder units, divided into 28 C-Band and 24 Ku-Band units. It will support wireless networks, corporate networks, broadband, media, direct-to-home services, and assist in improving telecommunications connectivity in rural areas.

"We approached Intelsat with the idea for New Dawn," reports Convergence Partners' Chairman Andile Ngcaba. "I love satellites! I've had this ambition to provide telecommunications anywhere and everywhere on the African continent and satellites are the best way of doing this."

"We've had discussions about this for several years, leading to the project, which took two years to develop," says Intelsat Vice-President: Business Development Ed Berger. "This is what we call a Smart Investment. We take a long hard look at possible partners, before we link up with them. Convergence has the right approach to technology and is very capable."

Telecommunications satellites are particularly suitable for Africa, argues Ngcaba, because of the continent's combination of large land area and small population density.
Africa is larger in area than the US, China, India, Argentina, and Western Europe combined. And, while Europe has a population density of more than 118 people per square kilometre, for Africa the figure is less than 50/km2.

The African telecommunications market is expected to grow strongly over the coming years. The continent now has 339-million cellular phone subscribers. At present, internet penetration on the continent amounts to only 5% (50-million users) while broadband penentration is currently less than 1% (4,4-million users in 2007). On the other hand, there were only 1,2-million African broadband users in 2005. So the market jumped 266% from 2005 to 2007. And researchers expect it to continue to expand rapidly in the medium to long term. "This is a long term investment," highlights Ngcaba. "This is a 15 to 20 year project." Thus, the current financial and economic crisis sweeping the world will have little impact on the JV (New Dawn will start operating in early 2011).

The JV is for the New Dawn satellite in particular, so will run over the lifespan of this satellite. "But we're open to follow-up agreements about follow-up satellites," assures Berger. "We could also talk with Convergence about another satellite, in another location, before New Dawn ends its life." The satellite will have a design life of 15 years, but Intelsat satellites often last 20 years and the company has just retired one that was 30 years old. Intelsat currently has 53 satellites in operation, serving some 1 800 customers in 200 countries. "We have a 99,9991% reliability on our satellites," highlights Berger.

Africa's first dedicated telecommunications satellite, the Chinese-built and launched, and Nigerian owned and operated, NigComSat-1, failed last November (2008) after only 22 months in orbit. It should have had a life of 15 years. Egypt owns and operates at least two telecommunications satellites, but these cover North Africa and the Middle East, not Africa as a whole.


Big TV claims 500,000 subscriber additions in South


From http://www.telecomtiger.com/DTH_fullstory.aspx?storyid=5141&section=S218

Reliance Communication’s DTH services subsidiary, Big TV claimed that it has achieved 500,000 subscriber within a span of five months in the southern part of the country thereby making it the fast growing DTH player in the region.

“It’s heartening to note that we’re scoring impressively in The South which has diverse content needs. Reaching the magic figure of 5-lakh customer milestone in the four Southern States was a great New Year gift to us. It is indeed a testimony to the superior product and the best proposition offered by BIG TV and its success in accelerating the growth momentum of DTH sector in India,” said Mr. Mahesh Prasad, President – Reliance Communications.

Big TV attributed the success to its unique blending of programme offering to the subscribers in the region offering them regional content along with popular channels as well as pricing it competitively.

Karnataka including Bangalore emerged as the most promising state for the company with 150,000 subscribers.




15/01/09

A big thanks to all those clicking on the site sponsor. Quite a simple process, just click the link above, then click on the referral link and register a user name and password at the MFC site then have a look around their site or just close it, if its not your thing!. They don't spam or email anything back so don't concerned about that happening.

Foxtel / Austar

Optus C1 12606 V SR27800 FEC3/4 VPID 4111 APID 4112 "A-Pac" channel has started

Feed seen

D1 12661 v SR 7200 "Tennis AANI Classic Kooyong"


From my Email & ICQ


From Dave Creek

sctv10 up and running..........the usual D1 12,635 v sr 5100



From the Dish


Thaicom 1A 120E 3769 V "MOE Channel 1" has left .

Insat 2E 83E 3974 V "TV 9 Mumbai and Lehren TV" have started on, Fta.

Insat 4A 83E 3892 H "Vanitha TV" has started on , Fta, SR 3300, FEC 3/4.
Insat 4A 83E 3958 H "Mahuaa News" has started on , Fta.


NEWS


Italian software to revolutionise IPTV?


From http://www.advanced-television.com/2009/jan12_jan16.htm#h1

Naples-based company Eco Controllo claims it has developed a new Codec technology for High Definition digital TV with a compression which is up to four times superior to that currently available, including the latest generation H264 and MPEG-4.

Successful trials of the ‘Castelli Codec’ have been conducted by the Regional Competence Center for ICT Technologies (CERICT) of Italy’s Campania Region, the National Research Council, the Pascale Foundation and the Intercollegiate Consortium for Computer Science. According to CERICT president, Claudio Cappelli, the new lossless format permits the multiplication of digital TV and interactive TV channels, as well as the improvement of quality of video for mobile phones. The more efficient use of bandwith on which digital TV travels is achieved by the optimisation of the organisation of data. Thanks to the new system, a 20 minute video which is 3.1 GB can be contained on an old floppy disk of 1.44 MB.

Costing E5 million to develop, and 60 per cent financed by Italy’s Ministry for Economic Development, the Codec Castelli was built in one year and a half by 12 programmers.


DTV to launch Jan 19, seen as a new mouthpiece for pro-Thaksin camp


From http://nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/30093316/DTV-to-launch-Jan-19,-seen-as-a-new-mouthpiece-for-pro-Thaksin-camp

DTV will on Monday launch its satellite broadcast tailored to advance democracy and oppose the coup, barred Thai Rak Thai executive Adisorn Piengket said on Thursday.

The station is under management by D Station Co. Ltd, which Adisorn is the chairman, and supported by anti-coup activists linked to the pro-Thaksin camp.

Key supporters of the station are Jaturporn Prompan, Veera Musigapong, Natthawut Saikua, Noppadon Patama, Sunai Jullapongsathorn and Wichit Plangsrisakul.

Reacting to the planned inauguration of DTV, PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtaey said the new station is free to broadcast although it is obligated to abide by the law regulating its programming.


THAILAND: PM plans to make NBT a fair, open TV channel


From http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=103366

Prime Minister Abhisit to push for legislation to prevent political and business groups from intimidating the media

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva plans to revamp state-run NBT as part of his government's media reform policy.

The prime minister has stressed the crucial role played by the media in returning the country to normal and said the state-owned media should not be used as a political tool.

Speaking at the Thai Journalists Association, Mr Abhisit said he initially wanted the former Channel 11 to be a public station, but TV Thai (formerly Thai PBS) already exists so the government will have to work out another suitable format for NBT.

Channel 11 was renamed NBT by the government led by then premier Samak Sundaravej.

Mr Abhisit said the government needed airtime from the state-run broadcaster to explain itself and connect directly with the public about its policies and progress.

It would not be used as a government mouthpiece against its rivals, he added.

Mr Abhisit said politicians from the opposition bloc should also be given airtime to voice their views and offer their suggestions to the government.

The prime minister's weekly programme to meet the people will debut on NBT on Sunday.

One of his priorities will be to push for legislation to establish the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) to regulate radio and television broadcasting and telecommunications affairs.

Mr Abhisit said radio and TV broadcasting and telecommunications have increasingly become inextricable.

The prime minister said he had assigned PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey, who is in charge of the state media, to make sure the selection of NBTC commissioners is quick, smooth and transparent.

He said the media had a significant role in leading the country out of its political conflict.

"I respect the way members of the media do their job. But in the current climate of conflict, we need to work together to improve the situation and to avoid distorting the truth," Mr Abhisit said.

He said as long as media members took sides, it would be difficult to restore national unity.

He said he would seek ways to ensure media freedom so media members could reflect public opinion.

"Media reform must focus on structural changes. If structural problems are not addressed, media staff will find it difficult to do their job."

The prime minister said state power and powerful business groups had always intimidated the media.

He said he would try to push for legislation to make sure the media were free of intimidation and political interference.

He had considered the Information Act as a problem and said the law needed to be amended to contribute more to media freedom.

Mr Abhisit said a bill seeking to reform the media should go before the House by the end of this year.


Eutelsat and SpeedCast Team With FURUNO for Satellite-Based Communications at Sea in Ku-Band


From http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-14-2009/0004954736&EDATE=

HONG KONG and PARIS, January 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

- FURUNO, World Leader in Maritime Navigation and Communication Systems, has Entered the MVSAT Airtime Broadband Market in Ku-Band With its new "SafeComNet" Service Using the Innovative Seamless Auto Beam Switching (ABS) Ku-Band Service Provided by its Partners Eutelsat and SpeedCast

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) and SpeedCast announce a major commercial agreement with FURUNO, one of the leading companies in the maritime equipment and service sectors. According to the agreement, Eutelsat and SpeedCast will provide their innovative seamless Auto Beam Switching (ABS) Ku-band broadband maritime service, satellite capacity and teleport services to support FURUNO's new "SafeComNet" service which provides maritime fleets with seamless communications across all major shipping lanes and regions covered by Ku-band satellites.

FURUNO's SafeComNet service is principally targeting operators of merchant shipping and fishing fleets who want to integrate enhanced on-board applications in order to optimise productivity and improve crew welfare. The satellite-based broadband service will enable secure offshore Virtual Private Networks to be established with land-based offices so that a ship in effect becomes a mobile office fully integrated into an overall network. Additional services to crew, including Internet access, email, GSM connectivity, Video-on-Demand and IPTV services could be carried through the same satellite broadband connection.

With the launch of SafeComNet, FURUNO is entering the MVSAT airtime business to complement its core products and services with a unique proposition. Using SpeedCast and Eutelsat's Ku-band maritime broadband network, FURUNO will be able to offer the maritime industry innovative Auto Beam Switching technology in Ku-band, which offers a seamless service with no manual intervention for crew as vessels pass from one satellite coverage to another.

The new service will serve key shipping routes using Ku-band capacity, principally on Eutelsat and AsiaSat satellites. In addition to a fixed fee per ship, irrespective of usage, the use of small one-metre stabilised satellite antennas marks a major innovation. Compared with 2.4 metre C-band systems, Ku-band antennas will reduce equipment costs by more than 50% and space occupied on deck by more than 60%.

Commenting on the agreement with FURUNO, Arduino Patacchini, Eutelsat's Director of Multimedia said: "We are very excited to build with FURUNO a highly-targeted broadband access solution for the shipping industry. The development of this service underscores Eutelsat's objective to expand and diversify our range of mobile satellite broadband products into transport markets at sea and in flight."

Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO of SpeedCast in Hong Kong added: "We are delighted to sign a partnership agreement with such a recognised company in the maritime industry as FURUNO. Our service required an established maritime partner with sales and maintenance capabilities, and this is definitely what FURUNO brings to the table. With this partnership, FURUNO will now be able to offer its customers a true "one-stop-shop" solution which includes equipment, bandwidth, servicing and applications. This opens the promise of a seamless and cost-effective broadband telecommunications service for the maritime industry."

"In response to the constantly growing demand for reliable and efficient maritime communications solutions offering increased bandwidths at affordable rates, FURUNO decided to team with two of the world-leading satellite service providers, Eutelsat and SpeedCast, to launch SafeComNet. Our partnership allows us to combine hardware offered by FURUNO with satellite airtime services for our "One Stop Shop Solution" of all-inclusive satellite-based broadband communications services. Our co-operation with Eutelsat and SpeedCast will help improve the connectivity at sea required by an increasing number of ship-owners worldwide." said Freddie Hansen, Managing Director of FURUNO Denmark.

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 26 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 30 September 2008, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,180 television channels and 1,100 radio stations. Almost 1,100 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates services through its teleport in Italy that serves enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 538 commercial, technical and operational experts from 27 countries.

http://www.eutelsat.com/

About SpeedCast

Founded in September of 1999, SpeedCast is a leading satellite communications service provider in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Fully owned by Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) SpeedCast is specialized in delivering communications solutions ranging from Broadband Internet to managed bandwidth to triple play networks. It is also a pioneer in the delivery of digital media content and turnkey video platforms to Service Providers and Media Broadcasters, including 3G TV and DVB-H solutions. Operating on many different satellites in both C-band and Ku-band, and partnering with Tier 1 carriers for fibre requirements, SpeedCast and its 80 partners worldwide provide first-class services and 24/7 technical support.

For further information Press: Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, [email protected] . Frederique Gautier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, [email protected] . Investors: Gilles Janvier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-30, [email protected] . For more information please contact Caroline Paul, Tel: +852-2805-7427, Email: [email protected] .


Secret inspection satellites boost space intelligence ops


From http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0901/14dsp23/

In a top secret operation, the U.S. Defense Dept. is conducting the first deep space inspection of a crippled U.S. military spacecraft. To do this, it is using sensors on two covert inspection satellites that have been prowling geosynchronous orbit for nearly three years.

The failed satellite being examined is the $400 million U.S. Air Force/Northrop Grumman Defense Support Program DSP 23 missile warning satellite. It died in 2008 after being launched successfully from Cape Canaveral in November 2007 on the first operational Delta 4-Heavy booster.

Since the U.S. is now demonstrating the ability to do such up close rendezvous and inspection of American spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit, it means USAF now has at least a "call up capability" to do the same to non-U.S. spacecraft like those from Russia and China.

The operation, at nearly 25,000 miles altitude, reveals a major new U.S. military space capability, says John Pike who heads GlobalSecurity.Org, a military think tank.

"There is not much we do in space any more that is really new, but this is really new," Pike tells Spaceflightnow.com.

Although being used in this operation to obtain data on a failed U.S. spacecraft, such inspections of especially potential enemy spacecraft, is something the Pentagon has wanted to do since the start of the space age, Pike says.

The Orbital Sciences and Lockheed Martin "Mitex" inspection spacecraft involved are part of a classified Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) technology development program. When initially launched on a Delta 2 from Cape Canaveral in 2006, the project involved maneuvering around and inspecting each other at geosynchronous altitude.

But there is no unclassified data to indicate whether the two spacecraft may have secretly paid visits to one or more non-U.S. spacecraft in the geosynchronous arc that circles the Earth at about 22,300 miles altitude, much like the Capital Beltway circles Washington, D.C.

A U.S. Defense Dept. analyst speaking on deep background says although a visit to a non-U.S. satellite is doubtful, the demonstration will cause concern, especially among Chinese government military analysts in Beijing. He said they will see the capability as a new U.S. intelligence tool that could theoretically also enable a sneak anti-satellite attack in geosynchronous orbit. 

One key feature aiding the Mitex spacecraft to fly undetected is they are unusually small -- only about 500 pounds each. Virtually all modern geosynchronous orbit spacecraft are far larger.

"The Chinese will complain to the international community in Geneva, Switzerland" says Greg Kulacki, Chinese program manager for the Union of Concerned Scientist's Global Security Program.

They will be concerned about whether a covert U.S. ASAT development could stem from the Mitex system, but also "about how the U.S. is always complaining about the need for transparency in Chinese space operations, but then is itself conducting secret operations like this," Kulacki says.

At the same time, Chinese engineers will be glad to see the U.S. doing it. This is because it will also "give Chinese space planners an opening to develop their own similar system" to achieve parity with the U.S., Kulacki says.

At nearly 25,000 miles high, objects in geosynchronous orbit are too small to be easily seen optically or by radar. This gives the Defense Dept. concern that China could someday conduct ASAT tests there to follow up on its low altitude ASAT capability demonstrated earlier.

In fact, DSP 23 itself carried a White House-mandated sensor package designed to detect whether rogue nuclear powers like Iran or North Korea were conducting secret nuclear tests in deep space. That capability, however, has now been lost with the loss of DSP 23.

But when DSP 23 malfunctioned, it gave the two Mitex satellites a U.S. target to examine that could provide information on why the 2.5-ton satellite failed. Imaging of the satellite could possibly show damage from a micrometeorite hit or perhaps a bent antenna.

Radio data obtained up close could also perhaps detect a malfunctioning circuit or computer. And the exercise of coordinating the Mitex visits to the DSP in itself is valuable to DARPA.

In addition the Delta 2 that launched the Mitex spacecraft from the Cape here was a unique four-stage version that used a new, solar array-equipped upper stage developed at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) near Washington, D.C. This new NRL upper stage is itself an important new military space element, that in the future could allow the delivery of small covert spacecraft to geosynchronous orbit.

DSP 23, the last of a highly successful series flown since 1970, is only the second one to fail in orbit. But the DSP is now a ghost ship moving 69 miles per week east along the geosynchronous arc where many other spacecraft are parked.

The USAF is contacting operators who may need to move their spacecraft out of the way of the 5,000-pound hulk. If it were to collide with a Russian, Chinese or even European satellite, the crash would cause an international incident in space. It can not be shot down as was the failed USA 193 reconnaissance satellite, because the debris would stay in the geosynchronous arc.

Details emerging on how the inspection exercise is playing out indicate that the DSP most likely failed around Oct. 8, when it was supposed to maneuver to tweak its orbital position but did not complete that command.

The spacecraft was, at the time, parked at 8.5 deg. East longitude over the equator south of Nigeria, where its infrared telescope could scan Russia and China for missile tests and threats.

But when the satellite became uncontrollable from its ground control center, orbital mechanics started moving it east at about 69 miles, or 1 degree, per week.

The two Mitex satellites then became possibly the first "first responders" in space when they were dispatched on emergency runs toward the DSP from their own parking spots on opposite sides of the planet. 

The initial Mitex was parked west of DSP 23 over the mid-Atlantic when, during the second week of December, it was commanded to begin to move east around the planet toward the 33-foot DSP, which by this time was crossing south of Eurasia.

It is not known how close this initial Mitex got to DSP 23, but their signatures essentially merged starting about Dec. 23. This could possibly mean the initial Mitex moved in close to DSP 23 to image it or perform other diagnostic work and could still be keeping watch there.

The second Mitex started its trip from a position much further east of DSP 23. It maneuvered west along the geosynchronous arc and flew past the DSP on New Years Day. It is possible this spacecraft was being prepared to then move back east toward the failed satellite.

Failed or depleted spacecraft like DSP 23 are normally maneuvered higher into a graveyard orbit so they will not be a hazard to other spacecraft holding their positions in the geosynchronous belt.

In a few years, DSP 23 will reach a position on the equator north of Australia where orbital mechanics will start to maneuver the spacecraft back west, where it will travel until reversing the process south of Europe years from now. It could continue this motion back and forth for thousands of years.

DSP 23 was supposed to bridge the space based U.S. missile warning capability to the lagging Space Based Infrared SBIRS program. But the USAF is now beginning an emergency procurement for a gap filler spacecraft.

The two Mitex spacecraft have relatively little maneuvering propellant remaining and will likely fly themselves into graveyard orbits in the next few years.

But the inspection of geosynchronous spacecraft remains a high military space priority. The USAF could theoretically go for an operational direct inspection system like the Mitex satellites for extremely high priority targets.

But it is also procuring the Space Based Surveillance Satellite System now in development by Boeing and Ball Aerospace and set for first launch in April from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The SBSS satellites are to be a low altitude system to optically characterize spacecraft maneuvers from a great distance away. It will have nowhere near the imaging capability of Mitex type spacecraft operating near the target satellite, however.


NDS gets nod from shareholders to go private


From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/jan/jan90.php

MUMBAI: The shareholders of NDS have approved plans to take the pay-TV solutions company private for $63 per share.

All of the issued and outstanding NDS A ordinary shares would be cancelled, and approximately 67 per cent of the issued and outstanding NDS B ordinary shares (held by News Corporation) would be cancelled, in each case, for per share consideration of $63.00 in cash.

Additional NDS B ordinary shares will then be issued to two newly incorporated subsidiaries of funds advised by Permira Advisers. If the proposed transaction is consummated, News Corp and Permira would own approximately 49 and 51 per cent of NDS respectively.

In each case this would be subject to dilution by shares to be subscribed for by members of management and shares to be issued as part of the option scheme to be established by NDS following the proposed scheme of arrangement becoming effective.

Completion of the transaction remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the scheme document, including the sanction of the scheme of arrangement by the Court.

The Court Hearing to sanction the scheme of arrangement is expected to take place on 27 January, 2009. The Court Hearing to confirm related reductions of capital is expected to take place on 4 February, 2009. The scheme is expected to become effective shortly thereafter.

As previously announced by NDS, all other regulatory approvals required for the completion of the transaction have been received.


ESPN says interested in English soccer rights


From http://uk.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUKTRE50D1SH20090114

LONDON (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's ESPN TV network is interested in acquiring further sporting rights if it fits with its business, including for the English Premier League, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

However, the spokesman declined to comment further on its immediate plans, following a report by the Bloomberg news agency that said ESPN planned to bid for some of the live rights.

Bloomberg said the most watched U.S. sports channel was considering bids for one or two of the six packages on offer, citing a person familiar with the plans, who declined to be identified because the bidding process had not started yet.

The FA Premier League sent out invitations last month to tender for the rights for 2010 to 2013.

"We are interested in all rights, including the Premier League, as long as they fit our business," the ESPN spokesman said. "But we don't have any comment on the Premier League despite press speculation about it."

Pay-TV firm BSkyB currently holds the broadcast rights to two thirds of the English Premier League matches and sports broadcaster Setanta holds the remainder.

The bids are due by early February


Russia Today satelltie channel adds U.K Freeview slot


From http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/digitaltv/a142537/russia-today-adds-freeview-slot.html

Russia Today is to broadcast on Freeview for a limited number of hours per day, it has emerged.

The English language news channel from Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti is already carried in the UK on satellite and is listed in the electronic programme guides of Sky and Freesat.

Today, it was revealed that the channel has secured a licence from Ofcom to broadcast on digital terrestrial. According to a report on the Digital Spy forums, the channel's hours on Freeview will be "quite restricted".


Kids Media India launches Spacetoon channel in India


From http://www.televisionpoint.com/news2009/newsfullstory.php?id=1232022068

Spacetoon Media Group, a Dubai based entertainment company, has launched its kids channel, Spacetoon, in India, through its company Kids Media India (KMI). The channel will be free to air and is the ninth entrant in this genre.

Rajiv Sangari, managing director and chief executive officer, KMI, says, "Our channel will be offering edutainment programming and value viewing to family and kids. Our positioning is to educate and entertain, while providing meaningful entertainment, moreover, our packaging is the key differentiator."

Around 90 per cent of Spacetoon's content will be outsource internationally and only 10 per cent produced locally. With an eye on the metros and smaller towns, Spacetoon aims to capture 40 million homes and a 10 per cent market share by 2010.

"With this launch, we expect a revenue of around Rs 25 crore by March 2010. Though we are the ninth entrant in the market, we are confident that the channel will be well accepted by the audiences." Sangari says.

The group plans to first penetrate into 'A'and 'B' class cities and after achieving a deep penetration in 'C' class cities, will launch programmes in regional languages as well.

Elaborating on the marketing initiative, Sangari said, "The channel would be supported by a lot of on-ground activities. This is an absolute effective way to reach out to kids. The process of reaching kids has been already commenced. We are targeting 3,000 schools where we will go and educate kids about the channel."

According to TAM Media Research, the share of the children's entertainment genre in the overall television space was 5.1 per cent in 2008, down from 5.4 per cent in 2007.

The existing channels in this genre are Cartoon Network, Pogo, Disney, Hungama, Jetix, Animax, Nick and Chutti TV. New broadcasters, such as Big Broadcasting, also plan to foray into this genre.

The Spacetoon Media Group has an active presence in the licensing and merchandising business via KMI. With Kids Animation India, the company is foraying into the publishing business.

KMI has licensing deals with brands such as Zapak, Bombay Dyeing, Lilliput and Portico. The group owns one of the largest animated content libraries and has acquired a library of 4,200 episodes from various producers in Europe, Asia and North America.




14/01/09

The Mid month service swapover from Intelsat 2 to Intelsat 5 is underway

Keep scanning and sending in those reports.

A Reminder, Intelsat2/Panamsat2 Australia Network service changeover to Intelsat 5 (still 169E)

Australia Network (MCPC platform)
IS-2 Current Platform Parameters
• SATELLITE: INTELSAT 4102/169.00 DEG E.
• TRANSPONDER : PR8C/PR8C
• Downlink Polarization: H (Horizontal)
• Downlink Central Frequency: 3901.0 MHz
• Symbol Rate : 30.8 Msps
• Bit Rate: 42.58 Mbps, QPSK, ¾ FEC, RS ( 188/204) DVB-S

IS-5 New Platform Parameters
• SATELLITE: INTELSAT 4105/169.00 DEG E.
• TRANSPONDER : PR23C/PR23C
• Downlink Polarization: H (Horizontal)
• Downlink Central Frequency: 4160.0 MHz
• Symbol Rate : 26.479 Msps
• Bit Rate: 36.605 Mbps, QPSK, ¾ FEC, RS ( 188/204) DVB-S
• Note: Dual illumination will be provided for one month to facilitate the transition.


From my Email & ICQ


From Jsat.tv (Thailand)

RE: Intelsat2 to Intelsat 5

The Globecast feed on 3989-H-3500 must have also swapped over to IS5 as it is now a massive 95% signal here.

TVNZ's 1 News feed is up by 9% to 89% here in Thailand


From M Fahey

The online edition of Satdirectory is now out of beta and free for all..

We are building a high quality video directory of FTA satellite channels received in Australia & New Zealand.
At our launch today we have over 10 hours of video up, and more is added each week.

Come and check it out at www.satdirectory.com
Or direct to the video player at www.satdirectory.tv

Problems? Navigate to our help page at www.satdirectory.tv for details of browser and bandwidth requirements.


From the Dish


Agila 2 146E 3896 H "IBC 13" is now encrypted.

Agila 2 146E "BenSports TV 3" has moved from 12225 H to 12233 H, Nagravision.
Agila 2 146E 12233 H "Word for the World" has started on , Fta.
Agila 2 146E 12656 V "SET News, ERA News and CTI TV News" have started on ,Fta, SR 30000, FEC 3/4.

NSS 11 108.2E 12431 H "GPC has replaced PBO" on , Conax.

AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3960 H "Trace TV" is encrypted again.

NSS 6 95E 11037 H "UTV Movies and Bindass Movies" have started on , Conax.(India beam)

Insat 4B 93.5E 11490 V "DD India" has left .

Insat 2E 83E 3815 V "PTC News" has started on , MPEG-4, Fta, new SR: 6000.
Insat 2E 83E 4042 V "DJ TV" has started on , Fta.

Telstar 10 76.5E Almost all channels in UBI World TV are now encrypted.

Insat 4CR 74E An Airtel package has started on 11470 H, 11470 V, 11501 V (SR 14400), 11550 H, 11550 V, 11630 H and 11630 V, DVB-S2, MPEG-4, Videoguard, SR 28800, FEC 5/6.(Beam over India may spill elsewhere..)


NEWS


TV more popular than ever


From http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/2442029

New Zealanders are watching television in record numbers and on average watching it for longer.

Figures from the Television Broadcasters Council show last year was a record year for TV viewing, with the average person watching three hours and eight minutes every day.

That's an 8.6% increase on 2007, which is around 15 minutes a day more on the previous year.

On an average night during the peak viewing period of 6pm to 10.30pm, more than one in three New Zealanders watched TV.

However the extra time that people are spending in front of the box is concerning those who want people to get up and get active.

"Quite sad when we've been encouraging people to increase their physical activity level and it would seem that we probably need to do more work in that area," says Leigh Sturgiss of the Obesity Action Coalition.

And it appears that more people than ever are switching on with 100,000 more watching TV last year, the Olympics proving to be the big draw card.

On Super Saturday when the Evers Swindells took gold 1.3 million New Zealanders tuned in.

"We've had data back from 40 different markets internationally and New Zealand had the highest ratings for the Olympic games out of any of the 40 countries that were surveyed," says Jeff Latch, TVNZ Head of Television.

Another factor contributing to the higher consumption is the recession as more people are choosing to save money and stay at home.

"It's been tougher economic times over this past year and so home entertainment becomes an inexpensive option," says Irene Gardiner, media commentator.


RRsat Schedules Fourth Quarter 2008 Results Release for Thursday, January 29, 2009


From http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-13-2009/0004953738&EDATE=

Conference Call Scheduled for January 29, 2009 at 9:00am ET

OMER, Israel, January 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. (NASDAQ: RRST), a rapidly growing provider of comprehensive content management and global distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industries, announced today that it will be releasing its fourth quarter 2008 results on Thursday, January 29, 2009 before US markets open.

The Company will also be hosting a conference call on the same day, at 9:00 am ET. On the call, Mr. David Rivel, Founder & CEO and Mr. Gil Efron, CFO will review and discuss the results and will be available to answer investor questions.

To participate, please call one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin placing your calls at least 10 minutes before the conference call commences. If you are unable to connect using the toll-free numbers, please try the international dial-in number.

US Dial-in Number: 1-866-345-5855 UK Dial-in Number: 0-800-404-8418 Israel Dial-in Number: 03-918-0609 International Dial-in Number: +972-3-918-0609 at: 9:00 am Eastern Time; 6:00 am Pacific Time; 2:00 pm UK Time; 4:00 pm Israel Time

A replay of the call will be available from the day after the call. A link to the replay will be accessible from RRsat's website at: http://www.rrsat.com/. In addition, a telephone replay will be available for two days following the call. To access the telephone replay dial one of the following numbers: 1-888-782-4291 (US) and +972-3-925-5925 (International).

About RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd.

RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. (NASDAQ: RRST) provides global, comprehensive, content management and distribution services to the rapidly expanding television and radio broadcasting industries. Through its proprietary "RRsat Global Network," composed of satellite and terrestrial fiber optic transmission capacity and the public Internet, RRsat is able to offer high-quality and flexible global distribution services for content providers. RRsat's comprehensive content management services include producing and playing out TV content as well as providing satellite newsgathering services (SNG). RRsat concurrently provide these services to more than 425 television and radio channels, covering more than 150 countries. Visit the company's website http://www.rrsat.com/ for more information.

Company Contact Information: Gil Efron, CFO Tel: +972-8-861-0000 Email: [email protected] External Investor Relations Contacts: Ehud Helft / Fiona Darmon Tel: +1-646-797-2868

Arab TV channels join hands to launch pro-Gaza telethon


From http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Middle_East/10274837.html

Cairo: More than 30 Arab television stations will participate on Friday in a telethon to show solidarity with the people of Gaza, according to media officials.

"Some 35 Arab satellite and terrestrial TV channels will join in the telethon to raise money and encourage blood donation for people in Gaza through the Arab Crescent societies," said Ebrahim Abu Zekri, the chairman of the Cairo-based Arab Producers' Union.

The telethon, due to start from Cairo, will run for 12 hours and will include television stations from several Arab countries, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq and Jordan, added Abu Zekri. "Arab TV personalities have volunteered to present the programme, which will tackle humanitarian topics away from emotionalism or recriminations."

Television stations promoting certain political agendas such as Al Manar of Lebanon's Hezbollah and Al Aqsa TV of Hamas have been asked to join in the telethon, to be launched in co-ordination with the Arab League.

Abu Zekri is, however, not worried about the different leanings of the participants. "The broadcasting will be transmitted through a master station set up for this purpose in the Egyptian Media City," he explained.

Leading Arab actors and entertainers have confirmed their participation in the telethon, according to the official. They include Nour Al Sherif, Hussain Fahmi, Hani Chaker and Mohammad Fouad. "Muslim and Christian clerics will join too," said Abu Zekri. "We want to tell the people of Gaza that we all are with them in their ordeal."

Israel's deadly attacks on Gaza have triggered angry protests across the Arab world since they commenced on December 27.


BBC launches Persian television channel


From http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/de365bfc-e1db-11dd-afa0-0000779fd2ac.html

The BBC World Service is to launch a Persian-language television channel today, having dismissed fears from Iranian officials that it could become a mouthpiece for critics of the Islamic regime.

The British publicly funded broadcaster has an annual budget for the channel of £15m ($21.8m, €16.5m) provided by the foreign office and hired most of the 100 editorial staff in Iran, but was denied permission to open a bureau in Tehran.

Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Iranian minister of intelligence, had raised tensions when he said: "Some espionage services might use journalistic channels for their activities, which will increase ahead of election [for president in June]."

But Behrouz Afagh, head of BBC World Service's Asia and Pacific region, which includes Iran, told the FT the channel would be "no tribune for or against anyone" and that Iranian officials were welcome to express their views. He admitted, however, that it would be "difficult" to cover Iranian news from London.

The channel will mainly broadcast news for eight hours every day. It will also cover youth, music, arts and culture, science and technology and sport.

The Iranian constitution restricts ownership of radio and television broadcasters to the state to ensure programmes fall in line with Islamic and revolutionary values. This has encouraged millions of families to set up satellite dishes at home to access hundreds of channels from across the globe, including dozens of Persian-language programmes broadcast from abroad, many of which originate in Los Angeles. Voice of America also has a Persian-language TV service.

Tehran does not appear particularly concerned about programmes made by expatriates and sometimes even shows clips that oppose the government, but news channels funded by western governments cause concern.

"The regime is horrified at the idea that the public may shift from national channels to overseas TVs," said Mashallah Shamsolvaezin of the Iranian association for press freedom.


London Supporters of NTDTV Look to European Parliament


From http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/10278/

For over four months, they have been protesting outside the offices of the satellite company that shut off the only uncensored TV signal into China. Now supporters of NTDTV hope that the petition signatures they have collected on the streets of London will help nudge the European Parliament into action to restore the broadcast into China.

“It’s quite simple, NTDTV is the only uncensored Chinese TV station by the Chinese Communist Party," said GeLi Cheng, one of the regular protesters outside the satellite company office in the capital. "So it’s very  important to Chinese people and is directly related to global media freedom."

NTDTV's signal was carried into China on Eutelsat's W5 satellite until it was abruptly cut just weeks before the Olympics. Eutelsat's initial claim that it was due to a technical fault was later refuted by press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders, who said they had evidence that the signal was cut by Eutelsat's CEO to curry favour with the communist regime in Beijing.

The petition of almost 7,000 signatures collected in London will be handed in to the European Parliament this week during their plenary session in Strasbourg. So far 315 MEPs have signed a European Parliament written declaration regarding the cessation of NTD's signal, which initiated in October 2008. This week, supporters of NTDTV and human rights in China are hoping more MEPs can sign the declaration.
Ms. Chang, from Taiwan, spends a lot of time talking to people and collecting signatures in London.  “I am very thankful to the support we’ve received from the European Parliament so far," she said. "I think that it is every country's, and everyone’s responsibility to protect the freedom of media and protect basic human rights. Ordinary people’s support is important, and Members of European Parliament could be even more powerful.”

“Without the freedom of media and broadcast, it is very difficult to let the Chinese people in mainland China know what’s really going on in the outside world.” said Sean McArdle, the co-ordinator of the protest outside Eutelsat's London office, who goes there five days a week to talk to people and collecting signatures. He is motivated by his knowledge of the effect of the Chinese Communist’s propaganda, explaining how it stops the Chinese people from knowing many truth about the world and it’s own government. He says that many people had responded very positively to their protest, offering support and sympathy.

Sean is grateful to those MEPs (Members of Parliament) who have signed the written declaration “Their heart is at the right place.” he said, adding that he sincerely hopes that the rest of the Members of the European Parliament will also consider signing the declaration.


Graveyard orbit impractical: Expert


From http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Graveyard+orbit+for+space+debris+impractical:+Expert&artid=Ft/AJcMyQ6E=&SectionID=lMx/b5mt1kU=&MainSectionID=lMx/b5mt1kU=&SEO=graveyard+orbit;+dead+satellites;+space+debris;+Fr&SectionName=tm2kh5uDhixGlQvAG42A/07OVZOOEmts

The idea of a graveyard orbit for dead satellites so as to limit space debris may not be very practical now, according to French space policy expert Isabelle Soubes Verger. She was in the city last weekend to participate in a conference at the VSSC, Thumba that was organised by the Alliance Francaise in collaboration with the Embassy of France in India.  

``To shift a dying spacecraft to a graveyard orbit, we need lots of fuel,’’ said Isabelle, who is currently a senior researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris. The transfer to graveyard orbit requires the same amount of fuel that a satellite needs for approximately three months of station-keeping.  ``And no country is now willing to spend so much of money on a satellite-funeral. But in order to lower the probability of collisions with operational spacecraft and to prevent additional space debris, this setting apart of money for the funeral may become obligatory,’’ she added.  Recent research has also shown that satellites in a graveyard orbit may slowly break apart as micrometeorites hit them, and the smaller fragments might filter back down to lower altitudes.

``This would eventually endanger operational satellites. Another option would be a change in technology to explode the rockets in space, which is being worked out by different nations’’ Isabelle said.  Isabelle has done a thesis on the geography of outer space, especially on the occupation of earth orbits and the corresponding national space policies.  While Isabelle has published more than 80 articles on the strategic and political aspects of space activities, a global space policy may also be on the ‘not-feasible’ list, she said. ``Even though it may be perceived as a common entity, you should remember that nations have different definitions, applications and priorities as far as space is concerned. If for India, space is for development, for US and Russia it is for military reasons and for Europe it is telecommunication. The application levels may also be different,’’ Isabelle pointed out.  But we might soon have a guideline on space utilisation and reducing space debris, said Isabelle, who took to space science after graduating in Ancient Greek History.

``We also had to do geography as part of the course. And when the French Government invited applications from social science graduates to study space technology, my teacher Fernand Verges, an expert in remote-sensing, asked me to join,’’ she recollected.  Many years later, this teacher of hers became her husband too. And together they have published a book, the ‘Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space’.  Isabelle has delivered more than 60 invited talks in international conferences devoted to space policies and international security issues.  Thiruvananthapuram was just one of her many stops in India. Isabelle would now go to Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore for talks, before returning to Paris. ``It’s a very busy schedule, but I hope to see at least a little bit of your country,’’ Isabelle Soubes Verger said.


EchoStar's SlingLoadedTM 922 HD DVR Wins CNET'S 'Best of CES' Award for Hottest Home Video


From http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=73124&Itemid=65

EchoStar Technologies L.L.C. and Sling Media, Inc., wholly owned subsidiaries of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today announced that the companies won a "Best of CES" award from the editors of CNET (http://www.cnet.com/) for the EchoStar SlingLoaded™ 922 HD DVR, the world's first high definition digital video recorder that incorporates Sling Media's patented placeshifting technology.

Produced and judged by editors from CNET (http://www.cnet.com/), the winners of the "Best of CES" awards were announced Saturday, Jan. 10, at the 2009 International CES in Las Vegas. CNET editors received and reviewed hundreds of entries.

The EchoStar 922 is an entertainment centerpiece combining the best of video and IP technologies into a capacitive-touch set-top box. By integrating Sling Media's Slingbox technology, the EchoStar 922 lets TV aficionados watch and control their favorite TV shows and sporting events from anywhere in the world via a broadband Internet connection on their laptop or mobile phone. Accessing multiple video sources, viewers will never run out of shows to watch. The EchoStar 922 features a massive 1 terabyte hard drive for up to 1,000 hours of storage and supports external hard drives.

The EchoStar 922 is a revolutionary departure from the traditional cable or satellite set-top box. Its touchpad remote control, which eliminates half the buttons of a standard remote control, gives users cursor-like navigation on their TV screen. With a slide of the thumb, viewers experience scroll-over activation of widget-like tiles and pop-up menus, all selectable by an underside index finger trigger.

The new user interface goes beyond traditional text-based user interfaces by using movie poster graphics, tiles or widget-based menus, and cursor-type navigation for a powerful yet simplified user experience that is highly adaptable to future applications.

"We're pleased to receive the coveted 'Best of CES' Award from CNET, one of the most respected sources for news and reviews of consumer electronics," said Mark Jackson, president of EchoStar Technologies. "Our engineers have created one of the most powerful set-top boxes ever made, with the ability to watch television and other media anywhere in the home or anyplace in the world."

EchoStar will deliver the EchoStar 922 to its first operator, DISH Network, in spring 2009 as the HD DuoDVR™ SlingLoaded™ ViP® 922, furnishing satellite TV customers with a break-through TV experience.

Selected by CNET's unbiased expert editors, winners are recognized as having the hottest products in their respective technology categories for their unmatched innovation and creativity, and their ability to excite consumers and help them explore a world gone digital. CNET editors reviewed hundreds of entries, as well as scoured the 2009 International CES show floor for products to consider for the prestigious award.

"Each year at the show, CNET editors scour the show floor to determine the top technologies that will set the trends for the coming year," said Scott Ard, vice president of content at CNET. "Chosen from hundreds of products at the 2009 International CES, EchoStar demonstrates the innovation and creativity to be awarded our 'Best of CES' award within the home video industry."

The ten categories include car tech; cell phones and smart phones; computers and hardware; digital photo and video; gaming; GPS; home audio; home video; MP3 and portable video players; and televisions. A video of the winners and finalists showcasing their technologies can be found at http://www.cnet.com/ces.

About EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.

EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), spans 25 years of delivering innovations in TV entertainment, advanced set-top boxes, and end-to-end video delivery systems. EchoStar designs and engineers products for satellite, IPTV, cable, terrestrial, and consumer electronics markets worldwide by combining engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and service into one company. With more than 2,000 professional employees worldwide, EchoStar provides customers with competitive business strategies, practices, and reduced product and operational costs. Visit http://www.echostar.com/.

About Sling Media

Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is a leading digital lifestyle company offering consumer services and products that are a natural extension of today's digital way of life. Sling Media's product family includes the internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox™ that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using PCs, Macs, PDAs and smartphones and the revolutionary new SlingCatcher™, a universal media player that seamlessly delivers broadcast TV, Internet video and personal content to the TV. Sling Media is also the company behind the video entertainment web site, Sling.com, offering consumers a wide variety of popular TV shows, movies and other entertainment free for viewing online or on the TV using SlingCatcher. For more information on Sling Media, the Slingbox or the SlingCatcher, visit http://www.slingmedia.com/. To watch your favorite TV shows and movies, check out http://www.sling.com/.

For images of the 922 and its award winning remote control and user interface, please visit: http://www.slingmedia.com/go/press-downloads.


CNNI Sets U.K Freeview Launch


From http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=cnni01139.htm

CNN International will more than double its British distribution when it rolls out on the DTT network Freeview this week.

The global news network is set to reach more than 13.8 million additional households with its Freeview launch on January 15. The channel will now be available to more than 20 million households in the U.K. via Sky, Virgin Media, Tiscali and Freeview. "We're delighted to be doubling our U.K. distribution," said Tony Maddox, the executive VP and managing director of CNN International. "U.K. viewers will be able to enjoy not only our signature global news and feature programming but also a new slate of new programs we're developing for Europe prime time."




13/01/09

Live satellite chat 9.pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd time onwards. During/After the 2020 Cricket

Intelsat 8 166E 12326 H 28800 3/4 "Ovation" is FTA (Australia beam)


From my Email & ICQ


...


From the Dish


Lyngsat on a break


NEWS


ALL SPORTS NETWORK HD TO BE ADDED IN MEASAT-3 HIGH DEFINITION LINE-UP


From Press Release

KUALA LUMPUR, 12 January 2009 – MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. (MEASAT) announced
today that an agreement had been signed to distribute the All Sports Network HD (ASN HD) channel
via the MEASAT-3 satellite.

ASN HD is a 24-hour Pan Asian sports channel featuring exclusive coverage of some of America’s
biggest sports and other action events from around the world including the U.S. National Football
League, the National Hockey League and National Collegiate Amateur Association (NCAA) college
basketball and football, March Madness, Motor-sports (Formula Drift, Touring Car, GT racing),
Extreme Sports and Pro Bull Riding.

“We are delighted to be distributing the ASN HD channel,” said Terry Bleakley, Vice President,
Commercial Operations, MEASAT. “In joining the MEASAT-3 HD neighborhood, ASN HD brings to
four the number of high defini tion channels distributed in the region.”

About MEASAT

MEASAT is a premium supplier of satellite communication services to Asia’s leading broadcasters,
DTH platforms and telecom operators. With the recent commissioning of AFRICASAT-1, the MEASAT
fleet is able to provide satellite capacity over 145 countries representing 80% of the world’s population
across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Europe and Australia.

The fleet will be further enhanced with the launch of MEASAT-3a, providing additional capacity and inorbit
redundancy at the Company’s key 91.5E orbital video slot.
Leveraging facilities at the MEASAT Teleport and Broadcast Centre, and working with a select group
of world-class partners, MEASAT also provides a complete range of broadcast and
telecommunications services including high definition and standard definition video playout, video
turnaround, collocation, uplinking and IP termination services.

For more information, please visit www.measat.com

Contact:
Chan Ming Yang
MEASAT
+60 (3) 8213 2154
[email protected]


(Craig's comment, this channel was also Testing on Asiasat2 4113V sr 3256 Fec 3/4)


Vinasat-1 business faces challenges


From http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2009/01/823493/

VietNamNet Bridge – Operators of Vinasat-1 are facing many difficulties in doing business on Vietnam’s first telecom satellite both at home and abroad, according to a workshop of the telecom sector on Saturday in Hanoi.

Vietnam could not seek foreign clients because of the global economic downturn, the fierce competition from foreign rivals, who are more experienced and own many more satellites than Vietnam. 

It is also hard to seek customers at home because potential customers have not completed their telecom projects yet. However, some clients are changing their services from using regional satellites to Vietnam’s Vinasat-1.

Over six months after the satellite was put into operation, around 30% of its capacity is now used for commercial purposes and service tests. Some large local customers like the Vietnam Television (VTV), HCM City Television (HTV), the Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV), Thaicom and MODEC have signed contracts to use Vinasat-1 services.

The satellite operators are negotiating with other partners like the digital television station VTC, Viettel, Binh Duong Province Television, SingTel, Baycom, ABTV and some others.

It is expected that 2009 will be a good year for Vinasat business and around 50-60% of the satellite capacity will be in used


Broadcast firm says it is not into direct home service


From http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4447:broadcast-firm-says-it-is-not-into-direct-home-service&catid=24:companies&Itemid=59

DESPITE complaints from a satellite TV provider, Global Broadcasting and Multimedia Inc. (GBMI) denied it was already operating a direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television service but was merely conducting tests on satellite signals and a new dealership program.

            GBMI urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to lift the cease-and-desist order (CDO), which stemmed from the complaint filed by the Philippine Multi-Media System Inc. (PMSI), the operator of Dream TV.

            “The complaint stated no cause of action, and that [GBMI] did not commit any violation or circumvention of the law. The feasibility test carried out is not the transaction that requires authority from the NTC, nor does the same violate any law, rule or memorandum circular governing the operation of a DTH service,” said GBMI in a filing with the NTC.

            Dream TV said in its complaint that GBMI is not authorized to offer DTH service since it has no license. This, it said, constitute a violation of the NTC’s Memorandum Circular 04-03-99, otherwise known as the Implementing Guidelines on International Satellite Communications and ruinous competition under Section 15 of the Public Service Act.

            Dream TV submitted proof that GBMI is engaged in DTH service and that Global Destiny Cable TV was assisting GBMI in marketing the product. It also said the firm attempted to purchase an integrated receiver decoder (IRD) and an antenna dish, which will be used to receive satellite signals from the Pacific Inter-Asia Satellite Network Corp., GBMI’s authorized dealer.

            Upon further inquiry, Dream TV said a sales clerk from Global had affirmed that GBMI’s DTH IRD box is readily available.

            But GBMI said it has not authorized any prospective dealer to market or sell any satellite receivers to the public. If samples of the item fell into the hands of prospective dealers, GBMI said, the same were intended solely for testing or dealership orientation purposes.

“Certainly, a feasibility test is not violative of any law or pertinent rule, nor does it amount to the service imputed to GBMI. The feasibility test was not conducted in pursuit of any general business. It was not offered to the public for compensation,” it said.

The results of the feasibility study will determine if GBMI will proceed or not with the project. “If an activity or project is seen to be feasible from the results of the study, the next logical step is to proceed with it, but prior thereto, the project remains to be an experiment of its viability and the company’s capability to undertake the same,” added GBMI.

Aside from Dream TV, Lopez-led SkyCable Corp. also filed a similar complaint against GBMI. They both argued that GBMI’s illegal entry into the industry would result in the unnecessary duplication of an existing service.

GBMI said Dream TV failed to show how the feasibility study caused damage to the latter’s business operation. “Apart from the fact that GBMI is not engaged in the imputed activity, it is rudimentary that a venture, in emerging in any business, assumes the risks of loss and cannot implicate the same to any or all other entities merely to recover the same or to put a prospective competitor out of business.”

Aside from PMSI, the other DTH firms legally operating in the country are GV Broadcasting Systems Inc., Altimax Broadcasting Co. Inc. and Pacific Cable Inc.

Records from the Securities and Exchange Commission showed that GBMI directors include Philippine Cable Television Association president Allan Dungao and director Jose Lobregat; Destiny Cable Inc. president and chief executive officer Philip Chien; Solid Group president David Lim; and Solar Entertainment Corp. president Wilson Tieng, among others.

Records also has it that GBMI is a registered Philippine corp. organized primarily “to engage in DTH service, radio, TV broadcastings, data transmission, all wire and wireless transmission by all forms of high technology, production of entertainment program contents and distribution.”


Russia prepares for launch of U.S. telecoms satellite


From http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090112/119437446.html

MOSCOW, January 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has delivered a U.S. Telstar telecom satellite to the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan in preparation for a scheduled launch, Russia's space agency Roscosmos said on Monday.

A Zenith-3SLB carrier rocket equipped with a DM-SLB booster with the Telstar 11N satellite on board is scheduled to lift off from Baikonur on February 26.

"Following the necessary customs procedures, the satellite and the auxiliary equipment will be transported to launch pad No. 31 at the space center, where the spacecraft will undergo the remaining launch preparations," Roscosmos said in a statement.

The Telstar 11N, built by Space Systems/Loral for Loral Skynet telecoms company, will provide services from 39 high-power Ku-band transponders spread across four different geographic beams in each of North and Central America, Europe, Africa and the maritime Atlantic Ocean Region.

The Zenit-3SLB is a modernized three-stage version of the Zenit-3SL, which was previously used at Sea Launch's floating platform in the Pacific Ocean.

Russia is planning to set a world record by conducting a total of 39 space launches in 2009 despite the current global financial crisis.

The country carried out 27 space launches in 2008 and 26 launches in 2007, becoming the world's leader in this sphere.


GlobeCast Asia elevates Darby Sanchez to CEO


From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/jan/jan70.php

NEW DELHI: GlobeCast, a subsidiary of France Telecom, has promoted Darby Sanchez as CEO GlobeCast Asia.

Prior to the promotion, Sanchez was senior vice president Sales GlobeCast Europe as well as VP -Sales Latin American.

Based in Singapore, Sanchez will be responsible for all of the GlobeCast Group's activities in Asia, including the recent acquisition of facilities in Hong Kong.

Sanchez replaces David Justin, who has moved to corporate headquarters in Paris to work with CEO Christian Pinon on GlobeCast's worldwide strategy.


Discovery to Launch Animal Planet HD Internationally


From http://www.tvnext.in/news/144/ARTICLE/1817/2009-01-13.html

Discovery Communications has announced that it is expanding its international portfolio of HD networks with the launch of Animal Planet HD. The new standalone high-definition service will roll out on the Canal Digital platform in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland on February 3.

“The launch of Animal Planet HD reinforces the strong appeal of the Animal Planet brand and further extends Discovery’s global leadership in the HD arena,” said Greg Ricca, President and CEO, Discovery Networks International. “We are committed to investing in new programming and services that serve the needs of affiliates around the world and enhance the viewing experience for consumers.”

Offering a standalone schedule and 100 percent 1080i HD content, Animal Planet HD will build on the strength of the brand by showcasing high quality wildlife and natural history entertainment in premium high-definition. Animal Planet HD will bring viewers even closer to the animal world with immersive programs such as IN TOO DEEP, which offers a breathtaking look some of the planet’s harshest climates; PANDAMONIUM, profiling the battle to save one of the world’s most loved animals; and GROOMER HAS IT, a tongue-in-cheek look at the primping and preening of man’s best friend.

Animal Planet HD joins Discovery HD, which offers a standalone schedule and premium 1080i HD content from Discovery's extensive library of thousands of hours of high-definition programming. Launched internationally in 2005, Discovery HD rolled out on Canal Digital’s first HD tier in the Nordic region in October 2006.

Discovery HD is available in 23 international markets including South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Germany, Austria, the UK, Ireland, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Russia.

Discovery Communications was the first global broadcaster to launch a 24/7 high-definition network with Discovery HD Theater, which launched in the United States in 2002. In addition to HD Theater, the company offers HD simulcast services in the United States for Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, Science Channel and Planet Green. Discovery launched its first international HD simulcast service for Discovery Channel in Japan in October 2008.


IPTV Americas partners with SES NewSkies on IPTV satellite distribution platform


From http://www.iptv-news.com/content/view/2679/64/

January 12, 2009 - US firm IPTV Americas has partnered with SES NewSkies, a subsidiary of SES offering satellite communications services, to deliver an end-to-end satellite-delivered IPTV distribution solution to telecoms and cable operators in Latin America and the Caribbean.

IPTV Americas' content will be distributed to the entire Americas via NSS-806, one of the most used video satellites in the region, and will uplink the services from the SES NewSkies Washington Mediaport, located in the Washington DC area. The new initiative expands IPTV Americas' previously-launched fibre-delivery service, intended to equip small and medium-sized telecoms operators with 80 channels of basic TV programming and the technology required to implement the service.

The expanded end-to-end satellite delivery service brings together IPTV headend and transport services to small and remote operators in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as equipment such as H.264 set-top boxes for support of standard- and high-definition content streams.

"This alliance with SES NewSkies will allow us to reach the remote operators in Latin America, where delivery via fibre is not financially or physically feasible, to implement our per-subscriber based business plan and expand the pay television market into the less affluent socio-economic groups," said Alvaro Gazzolo, President and CEO of IPTV Americas. "With a small investment, the operators will gain access to a system with content in a digital format (MPEG-4) with Conditional Access (CAS), Electronic Program Guide (EPG), Video on Demand (VOD) and an interactive system."

SES AMERICOM, another subsidiary of SES, recently revealed that it plans to close down its own IPTV transport service 'IP-PRIME' by mid-2009, quoting "slow adoption" of IPTV by small and medium-sized operators in the Americas, and a "difficult market outlook" for the service.


Sling Media Licenses SRS WOW HD Technology


From http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock News/2121792/

SRS Labs announced that Sling Media, a digital lifestyle products company, has licensed the SRS WOW HD for use in their SlingPlayer for Windows software.

In conjunction with the Slingbox, SlingPlayer allows consumers to watch and control their home TV or DVR on their Windows computer.

SRS said that its WOW HD is a patented audio solution that makes a improvement in the sound quality of any digital media. By detecting and restoring audio cues buried in the original audio source material, SRS WOW HD makes a demonstrable difference in the overall entertainment experience -- content sounds more natural, with renewed depth and clarity. SRS WOW HD provides an immersive 3D audio experience with ultra-clear high-frequency definition and deep, rich bass, breathing new life into any TV show, movie, or video.

Sling Media produces a wide range of networked media products, including hardware, software, mobile software, backend web services and the recently announced Sling.com website. The Emmy award-winning Slingbox is a small piece of hardware, which when connected in their home, allows a customer to watch and control their TV and/or DVR, through a home network or over the Internet, from any of the SlingPlayer software applications. The SlingPlayer for Windows software, now utilizing SRS WOW HD, works hand-in-hand with the Slingbox hardware back at home, making the entire living room TV viewing experience available on the laptop or desktop computer -- anywhere. Users can view their favorite live sporting events and recorded programs when they are away from home, with full control of multiple entertainment devices, including DVRs, cable or satellite set-top boxes, and even DVD players.

"As new convergence products and product categories are created, the demand for audio performance and optimization becomes even greater," said Allen Gharapetian, Vice President of Marketing for SRS Labs. "The broad range of SRS technologies provides solutions for any digital audio application, especially those associated with the rapid growth of television viewing on computers over the internet. Working with an industry leader like Sling Media is a natural partnership, and we are pleased to help them deliver a premium audio experience to the consumers in this growing and popular new market."

"With a goal of delivering the best possible picture and sound quality to Slingbox owners, making the decision to integrate advanced audio technologies from SRS was an easy one," said Ted Malone, Vice President of Product Marketing and Product Management for Sling Media. "SRS is the recognized authority in the audio processing space, with a strong track record in both the television and broadcast fields. We are very excited to partner with them in order to deliver improved sound quality to our customers."


DTH industry in India


From http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=155841

Despite the global financial meltdown, the future of DTH industry in India has numerous opportunities. A 20 per cent annual growth is being witnessed in the DTH sector and there is still scope for more.
IN THE current context of the global financial meltdown, the Direct to Home (DTH) industry in India is in the throes of multifarious challenges and opportunities.

The ‘big game’ is all about shaping up grandiose plans to master the winning rules to garner as much portion of the Indian DTH pie as possible by a handful of players.

Since the DTH space denotes ‘big value’, akin to the space occupied by television and telephony, inter-firm rivalries have thrown up price wars, discount schemes, procurement of transponders, ambitious targets for improving the subscription base, popular bouquet of channels, set top boxes with superior quality of videos, improving content, etc as a desperate means to entice the Indian viewer.

A neat 20 per cent annual growth is being witnessed in the DTH sector in India with over 8.5 million households having digital pay-TV.

According to Harsh Bijoor, a brand consultant, “Since Dish TV, the biggest market player on the Indian soil, has not scraped even five per cent of the pie, there is plenty left for other players to eat.”

In the early 2008, five major players, Zee’s Dish TV, Tata Sky, Reliance ADAG, Sun Direct and Bharti Telemedia formed an umbrella body – DTH Operators Association of India (DOAI).

The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of India in its ‘2008 Pay TV Piracy Survey’ have predicted that the Grey TV market of around USD 1.1billion will gradually be taken over by the legal DTH industry.

Marcel Fenez, chairman CASBAA, said, “Despite the global sinking of economies, the Asia Pacific market is healthy and the decline in growth will not derail the industry. With 1.7 million digital cable subscriptions, the digital pay-TV market is finally taking off and this degree of penetration represents a tipping point for our industry in Asia.”

Starting with a million strong subscriber base in August 2006, Tata Sky, a DTH joint-venture Company between Star (owned by Rupert Murdoch) and the Tata Group, now has more than 2.7 million connections and the forecast for 2012 is that it will further increase to eight million.

The Indian DTH growth scenario bodes well for the advertising industry as well with over Rs 30-40 crores being earmarked by these companies annually for advertising revenues.

While Tata Sky has roped in Bollywood actors Amir Khan and Gul Panag for its promotion, Shahrukh Khan endorses for the Dish TV.

MD and CEO of Tata Sky, Vikram Kaushik, recently confirmed in an interview that the company estimates were standing at Rs 40 billion for its final funding requirement as ‘competitive entries’, ‘explosive growth in volume’ and customer acquisition have jacked up the costs.

Tata Sky recently launched the NDS-developed XTV personal video recorder (PVR) that enables the customers to watch a particular TV show while recording another. It is being hailed a ‘major introduction’ in the Indian DTH market.

Within a few days of its launch 2, 500 PVRs, priced at Rs 8, 999, were sold as claimed by the Tata Sky MD, Kaushik.

This places Tata Sky among the top 19 ‘pay-TV operators’ around the world with NDS solutions being a unique introduction to facilitate flexibility of PVR to their subscribers.

A deal along similar lines was announced by Bharti Airtel, in the provision of DTH services, dependent on NDS for its conditional access.

N Arjun, executive director Bharti Telemedia, expressed enthusiasm about the company’s expansion plans by disclosing that his company looked forward to providing the best of home entertainment services via Airtel digital TV in terms of latest technology and exciting content. “Since DTH is the future of home entertainment, with the support of our technology partner NDS, we will render superior, state-of-the-art services to our DTH service customers”, he said.

Sun Direct, which entered the DTH sector as a discounted brand in opposition to Tata Sky, notched at a 30 per cent premium and supposedly mopped up over a million subscribers within a short time span.

Tata Sky, though placed at a launch-premium of Rs 1,000, is open to segmentations.

A demand of a tax holiday of five years from the government has been mooted by the DOAI that should incentivise the DTH industry as its market has reportedly surpassed the Japanese one in the last five years.

The Indian DTH industry players look forward to a seven times multiplication of its market, about 40 million subscribers by 2015, from a total of 165 million pay TV households.

Analysis

Since 1959, when Indian television was first launched and the state owned Doordarshan aired just two channels in black and white as recently as 1991; the world of entertainment has made rapid and unusual strides.

The turning points were the 1982 Asian Games when colour television was introduced and the 1991 liberalisation and deregulation that ushered in the era of foreign investments and foreign channels that egged the domestic players to jump into the foray.

From large metros, satellite TV moved to smaller towns that spurred the sale of TV sets and brought about an upgradation from black and white television viewing to the colour one. With time, more and more changes took place and finally the DTH services arrived.

DTH operations in India could be enhanced if the dearth of satellite capacity is removed by increasing the number of available Ku-band transponders that at present is 12 on Insat 4A, which in turn would mean more channels for viewing.

Tax burdens on DTH are another area of complaint for operators.

Around 40 per cent of revenues are siphoned off to pay taxes and license fee and another 12 per cent for services imposed by the Central government. Apart from this, there are entertainment taxes that differ from state to state.

Cable TV operators also give a stiff level of competition to the DTH sector by suppressing their prices artificially by way of under-declarations.

This has pressurised the DTH operators to cut their profits to the extent of making them unviable.

“At present, there are 80 million TV households in India, of which over seven million are DTH ones. Since the penetration is just under nine per cent, there is much room for a massive growth rate”, according to the Bharti Airtel’s head of brand and media, Chandrashekhar Balakrishnan.

“This is what the company is focusing on, to enhance its subscription base to 20 per cent,” he added.  

Industry analyst Siva Sundaram said that India will be the leading power in Asia by 2010 in the field of cable market and by 2015; it will be the most profitable in the area of pay TV market.

Interestingly, the rural rich were the first to positively respond to the advent of DTH industry and those in the remote areas with no or unreliable access to the cable services will be tapped in by the DTH players.

The ‘Indian Readership Survey 2008 R2’ findings have shown that the Dish TV is the largest player with over 3.1 million subscribers, followed by DD Direct, Tata Sky and Sun Direct, which has a predominance in the southern zone.

The zone wise analysis puts the western zone with 2.24 million topping the subscriber base charts and the North, South and East following the lead.

While the ‘big game’ hots up between the DTH service providers, the regular big Indian couch potatoes may keep surfing the channels and choosing from the burgeoning options.




12/01/09

Still pretty quiet

UBI has changed to Irdeto 2 on Telstar 10. Piracy what Piracy?

Intelsat 10 3662V sr 14070 ART Australia is new here (Encrypted)

3 meter solid dish for sale (Auckland, NZ)
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Electronics-photography/TVs/Satellite-receivers/auction-196316654.htm

A Couple of feeds seen on the weekend

Saturday/Sunday
Beach Cricket feed
D2 12643 V sr 6670

D2 12662V 6670 (4:2:2 feed) A-League - Perth Glory v Melbourne Victory


From my Email & ICQ


From Jsat.tv (Thailand)

Is2/Is5 169E 3989 H sr 3500 Setanta sports is new ! FTA


From the Dish


Lyngsat is on his first Holiday of the year...


NEWS


Freeview 'digital mutton dressed as lamb': experts


From http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/freeview-digital-mutton-dressed-as-lamb-experts/2009/01/10/1231004355103.html

Snooze buttons the 15 free-to-air digital channels. Critics say there is little new programming and it is a marketing ploy to slow the drift to pay television.

IT'S being touted as the dawn of a new era in Australian home entertainment but media experts have derided it as "lipstick on a TV pig".

Freeview is the umbrella term for the free-to-air networks' new channels. The 15 free digital channels are made up of the existing five networks, their high definition (HD) versions and their new standard definition (SD) offshoots.

But only the SD channels are new. The five free-to-air channels have been around for decades and the first HD channel was launched on January 1, 2007.

Rather than offering viewers greater choice, Freeview is a marketing ploy designed to encourage viewers to switch from analog television to digital and slow the flow of viewers to pay television, some television experts say.

"We are a bit pessimistic about it," said media analyst Steve Allen of Fusion Strategy. "It is little more than a marketing tool designed to staunch the onward march of pay TV and encourage people to switch to digital."

Digital television has existed in Australia since 2001 but the take-up has been low. About 40percent of Australian households have made the switch.

The Federal Government announced recently it would cut off the analog TV signal in 2013, requiring all Australian viewers to have a digital tuner or set-top box to receive a signal.

"That will entail some expense for everybody and that's what the Federal Government and the networks are worried about," said media commentator David Knox, of tvtonight.com.au.

"So they are making Freeview sound like this wonderful new service when in fact it's not offering anything particularly different."

Of the SD channels, only ABC2 is well established, with new programming as well as time-shifted programs from ABC1.

The proposed World channel from SBS is dependent on government funding. Of the commercial networks, only Channel Ten has announced plans for its new SD channel. Called One, the 24-hour sports channel will begin broadcasting between April and June this year.

Mr Knox said: "Ten is fairly well advanced with its plans [but] I find it staggering that Seven and Nine, who have known for a long time that as of January 1, 2009, they would have all these extra channels, are yet to announce what they are doing. I think it's a case of each one waiting to see what the other guy is doing."

The commercial networks are also wary of further fracturing their audiences, which have been in slow decline over the past decade due to the advent of pay television and the internet.

Mr Allen said: "Content is the biggest problem for anyone launching a new channel. Are we to believe there are all these hidden gems out there in the world that we haven't seen? I don't think so."

Mr Knox is also sceptical. "I can't see the networks making loads of new programs for these channels. And I can't see them cannibalising the main channels to provide extra entertainment on the new ones. It's just mutton dressed up as lamb."

Foxtel also questioned the 15-channel claim, saying only three of them - One and the yet to be announced channels from Nine and Seven - were new.

But Freeview chairman Kim Dalton said: "[Freeview] means more channels and that means more content and greater choice."

"The digital service also offers better picture quality and better sound quality."

But he admitted: "The reality for the commercial channels will be that new local content will be limited because of the cost of producing new programs."


China to hand over satellite "Simon Bolivar" to Venezuela


From http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/10/content_10634739.htm
CARACAS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan officials said on Friday China will on Saturday formally hand over the "Simon Bolivar" satellite as part of a joint project between the two countries.

    A handover ceremony will be held at one of the satellite's mainland stations in the town of El Sombrero, 300 km south of Caracas, Telecommunications and Information Minister Socorro Hernandez said.

    The Chinese-built satellite will promote telecommunication services in Venezuela. The whole project costs 406 million U.S. dollars and includes the building of technological bases, manufacturing and launch of the satellite and training of Venezuelan professionals.

    It is China's first contract for satellite manufacturing and launch service for a Latin American country.

    The "Simon Bolivar," with a designed service life of 15 years, will be used for broadcasting, distance learning, medical services, among others. The satellite is designed to operate at an orbit 36,000 km high from the earth surface.

    Millions of Venezuelans watched its launch on Oct. 29, 2008 in southwest China's Sichuan province on television.

    Chavez watched the broadcast of the launch at Luepa Station in southern Venezuela's Bolivar state.

    During the first year of its operation, "Simon Bolivar" will focus on domestic needs, Hernandez said.

    In the first quarter of 2009, 108 towns with problems in getting access to telephone services will benefit from the satellite.

    A total of 1,200 satellite land antennas have been set up and another 3,500 will be gradually installed by the end of this year,Science and Technology Minister Nuris Orihuela told Venezolana de Television.

    Orihuela said "Simon Bolivar" will be able to cover all the Latin American and Caribbean countries.

    The "Simon Bolivar," which is named after a South American independence leader in the 1800s, makes Venezuela the fourth country in Latin America to have a satellite, after Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.


Hot Bird 10 Delivered For Multi-Payload Ariane 5 February Liftoff


From http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Hot_Bird_10_Delivered_For_Multi_Payload_Ariane_5_February_Liftoff_999.html

The Hot Bird 10 satellite for Arianespace's initial Ariane 5 mission of 2009 was delivered to French Guiana (January 8), arriving aboard a chartered cargo jetliner that completed its transatlantic trip from Europe.

This spacecraft will be orbited as part of a multi-passenger payload on the February 12 flight, which will mark the start of another busy year of operations for Arianespace's workhorse heavy-lift launch vehicle.

Hot Bird 10 will be utilized by the Paris-based Eutelsat telecommunications operator, and is to be located at the company's 13 deg. East orbital location for video broadcast services.

The spacecraft is based on EADS Astrium's Eurostar 3000 spacecraft bus design, and is identical to the Hot Bird 9 relay platform successfully orbited by Arianespace's year-ending 2008 mission with Ariane 5 on December 20.

For the upcoming Ariane 5 mission, Hot Bird 10 will be joined by SES Newskies' NSS-9 telecommunications satellite and two Spirale auxiliary passengers, which are demonstrators for a French defense spaceborne optical early warning system.

Arianespace is targeting six to eight Ariane 5 missions in 2009, continuing the sustained flight rate for this launcher of choice in the commercial launch services industry.


MHI Receives Order for Launch Services of Korea Multipurpose Satellite-3; First Satellite Launch Order Placed by Overseas Customer


From http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=20893

Tokyo, Jan 12, 2009 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has received an order from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to launch the Korea Multipurpose Satellite-3 (KOMPSAT-3). The transaction, which Mr. Hideaki Omiya, President of MHI, signed the agreement in Korea on January 12, represents the first satellite launch services order placed to MHI by an overseas customer. The launch is slated to take place in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012.

The KOMPSAT-3 mission objective is to provide satellite earth observation continuing from the KOMPSAT-1 and KOMPSAT-2 systems. KOMPSAT-3 is capable of higher image resolution than KOMPSAT-1 and -2 and can provide high-resolution electro-optical (EO) images required for geographical information systems (GIS) and other environmental, agricultural and oceanographic monitoring applications. It will operate from a sun-synchronous orbit.

KOMPSAT-3, which measures 2 meters in diameter and 3.5 meters in height, will be transported by ship from Korea to Tanegashima in Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture for launching by MHI's H-IIA launch vehicle at the Tanegashima Space Center of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Simultaneously launched by the same launch vehicle will be JAXA's GCOM-W (Global Change Observation Mission - Water), which is to undertake water-related observation from the sun-synchronous orbit.

Based on the KARI's request in 2007, MHI has proposed a launch services for KOMPSAT-3 by the H-IIA, and in October 2008, MHI has been selected by KARI as the Successful Bidder for the launch services provider (LSP). Through subsequent detailed negotiations, KARI and MHI agreed to finalize the contract.

The H-IIA launch vehicle is Japan's key launch vehicle, having already successfully concluded 13 of 14 launches. Since the seventh launch in February 2005, the H-IIA launch vehicle has recorded eight consecutive successful launches, a success rate equal to those of LSPs in Europe and the U.S. MHI plans to launch the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) by H-IIA No.15 in January 2009.

Starting from the launch of the N-1 launch vehicle in 1975, development of Japan's satellite launch vehicle - carried out largely by the National Aerospace Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), JAXA's predecessor - progressed to the N-II, H-I, H-II and H-IIA. MHI, which has played an important role in the development of each of these launch vehicles, was responsible for developing and manufacturing the H-IIA, a large-scale launch vehicle, as system integrator. Since April 2007, the company has been engaged in all activities relating to satellite launch services using the H-IIA, from manufacture through launch, being transferred the business from JAXA. MHI believes that its proven track record and the high reliability of the H-IIA launch vehicle contributed strongly to the order placement by KARI.

Boosted by this first overseas satellite launch services order, MHI now plans to further enhance its marketing activities in both domestic and overseas satellite launch services, in a quest to advance the future development of Japan's space industry.

For more information about MHI's H-IIA, please visit http://www.mhi.co.jp/en/products/detail/h-2a.html

About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TSE: 7011, 'MHI'), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading heavy machinery manufacturers, with consolidated sales of 3,068 billion yen in fiscal 2006 (year ended March 31, 2007). MHI's diverse lineup of products and services encompasses shipbuilding, power plants, chemical plants, environmental equipment, steel structures, industrial and general machinery, aircraft, space rocketry and air-conditioning systems. For more information, please visit the MHI website at http://www.mhi.co.jp

Contact:

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hideo Ikuno Daiya PR (for MHI) [email protected] +81-3-6716-5277


DWTC launches Satellite MENA show


From http://www.ameinfo.com/180757.html

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has become one of the most dynamic emerging markets for satellite and broadcast use.

Nearly 100% of satellite transponders in the region are being used, according to a recent study by Euroconsult and The London Satellite Exchange, reflecting the demand for capacity in the MENA region by media, telecom, and military users.

According to Euroconsult estimates, transponder demand throughout MENA has risen 12% per year for the last five years. Commercial satellite-lease revenues have grown by 17% per year on average since 2003, reaching $752m in 2007.

The report states that 42% of Ku-band satellite usage within the MENA region was from television and radio broadcasts, while the remainder was made up from voice and data traffic.

Highlighting the growth of satellite demand, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Cabsat MENA - the third largest digital media event globally- is launching a new dedicated trade event, Satellite MENA.

Satellite MENA will deliver a networking platform to explore business opportunities, formulate strategies and create partnerships for video, voice, data and IP communications over satellite.

Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre, said:

'The launch of Satellite MENA provides a dedicated business forum for those interested in the Satellite sectors, and we are delighted to have the support from some of the market's leading associations.'

'Holding Cabsat MENA and Satellite MENA side by side allows us to be more targeted in our approach while still providing a detailed reflection of the overall cable and satellite market,' he added.

Satellite MENA will run alongside Cabsat MENA which has been refocused to serve the digital broadcast sector. Together, these two events are expected to attract nearly 10,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries during the three-day exhibition welcoming 650 exhibiting companies from 50 countries.

'As the satellite sector has significantly grown, we are delighted that this exhibition, Satellite MENA, has been launched,' said Martin Jarrold, Chief International Programme Development, GVF, one of the leading industry associations supporting Satellite MENA.

'Such a dedicated event will help satellite professionals exchange ideas and visions, and gain more industry insight in a very specific atmosphere. GVF is proud to be an associate and welcomes this strategic development of the event,' he added.

Satellite MENA is also supported by Asia Pacific Satellite Communications Council (APSCC), Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) and World Trade Association (WTA).

Focusing solely on the media and broadcast sectors, Cabsat MENA is also supported by Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), International Association for Broadcasting Manufacturers (IABM) and Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU). This event will showcase the latest products and services from the entire spectrum of the digital media industry, from content creation management to delivery.

Both exhibitions will have dedicated networking and knowledge exchange opportunities with registrations for the conferences including the GVF Menasat Summit at Satellite MENA.

Cabsat MENA and Satellite MENA will welcome trade visitors between 11am - 7pm from 3-5 March 2009. Admission is restricted to trade and business professionals only. Visitors under the age of 18 will not be permitted entry. University students will be permitted entry on 5 March only and must be accompanied by a faculty member.


Israel targets Press TV station in Gaza


From  http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=81375&sectionid=351021701

Israeli forces have targeted the office of Press TV and the Iranian Arab-language satellite channel al-Alam in the Gaza Strip.

There were two people wounded in the Israeli attack, a Press TV correspondent said Friday, adding that Press TV's sister channel, Al-Alam, which was also based in the building has been affected by the attack.

According to our correspondent Hamoudi Gharib, the building was targeted even though the staff had kept light projectors working on the roof of the building 24 hours a day to mark the building.

The journalists working in the building had been given safety assurances that the building would not be targeted by mistake, after its coordinates were handed to organizations responsible for the journalist safety, including the UN.

The Press TV team said they received no warnings ahead of the Israeli strike, which only targeted journalists and news crew who were in the building.

The team's equipment, including satellite transmission devices installed on the roof, have been damaged.

Press TV has been one of the few news networks which has provided extensive coverage of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has claimed the lives of some 783 Palestinians.


France bans Hamas' al-Aqsa TV


From http://europenews.dk/en/node/18141

The European Foundation for Democracy (EFD) applauds the French broadcasting authority Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) for issuing a broadcast ban of al-Aqsa TV, the satellite television of the EU-listed terrorist organisation Hamas.

According to the order, al-Aqsa TV “violates article 15 of the French media law of 30 September 1986 which prohibits all forms of incitement to hatred or violence on the ground of race, religion or nationality”. Al-Aqsa TV has been broadcast into Europe by Atlantic Bird 4, owned by the French satellite provider Eutelsat.

“We commend the French broadcasting authority for implementing European audiovisual law and standing up against inflammatory broadcasts that incite terrorism,” said Roberta Bonazzi, Executive Director of the European Foundation for Democracy. “Incitement to violence is not protected by free speech and terrorists should not be permitted to hide behind the facade of media and abuse European democracy to promote terrorism. We are confident that Eutelsat will take all necessary measures to comply with the ban,” Bonazzi continued.

Al-Aqsa TV and Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV, after which al-Aqsa is modeled, promote Jihadism and violent ideologies, indoctrinate their audiences with hate, incite terrorism and glorify suicide bombers. They spread viciously anti-Semitic propaganda, and call for attacks against the West.

Al-Aqsa TV continues to be available in Europe via Arabsat, whose largest shareholder is Saudi Arabia. “European governments and citizens should demand that Arabsat drop al-Aqsa TV from its offering,” says Alexander Ritzmann, EFD’s Senior Terrorism Analyst. “Hamas’ al-Aqsa TV and Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV are radicalizing Muslims in Europe. Their broadcasts of children dressed as suicide bombers practicing attacks - instructing them that they will be rewarded for these attacks - will raise a generation who view terrorism as legitimate behaviour.”

In a recent typical broadcast, a radical cleric used al-Aqsa TV to promote jihad in Europe. He proclaimed in a May 2008 unedited broadcast without opposing views that “Spain – Andalusia – is also the land of Islam. Islamic lands that were occupied by the enemies will once again become Islamic. We will reach beyond these countries. We proclaim that we will conquer Rome, like Constantinople was conquered once, and as it will be conquered again. We will rule the world, as has been said by the Prophet Muhammad. We will face a battlefront that is broader and stronger. Its beginnings were in Palestine, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in Chechnya. What has begun will be completed. It will not stop.”

Al-Aqsa TV and al-Manar TV offer live internet streaming of their programmes and are distributed by other internet services, making them available around the world. New EU-wide legislation on combating terrorism, adopted on 28 November, prohibits the “distribution, or otherwise making available, of a message to the public, with the intent to incite terrorism.” This particularly applies to the internet. EFD calls on all European internet service providers to cease their relationships with all terrorist media, including al-Aqsa TV and al-Manar TV.

Al-Manar TV was removed from all European satellites in 2004 and 2005. It is still available in Europe via Arabsat and the Egyptian satellite provider Nilesat. In November 2008, the German Ministry of the Interior outlawed al-Manar TV and declared it to be in violation of the German constitution because its content incites hatred and terrorism. The order prohibits broadcasting al-Manar TV in public such as in mosques and makes it illegal to cooperate with al-Manar TV. Al-Manar TV is already outlawed in France, Spain and the Netherlands.

EFD, a founding member of the Coalition Against Terrorist Media (CATM), has worked with its coalition members, including the American Jewish Committee, to raise awareness of the threats posed by terrorist-controlled and funded media and to ban it in Europe and the Middle East. The Coalition consists of Muslim, Christian, Jewish and secular organizations in Europe, and from around the world who are committed to working with government and the private sector on issues relating to terrorist media.


AJC Praises French Broadcasting Authority's Ban of Hamas TV Station


From http://sev.prnewswire.com/television/20090109/DC5747309012009-1.html

NEW YORK, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC praised the French broadcasting authority for its decision to bar Al-Aqsa TV, the Hamas television channel, from the Eutelsat satellite system. This action will sharply limit the reach into Europe of the terrorist organization's broadcasts.

"By moving against Al-Aqsa TV - a propaganda arm of Hamas that has carried the terrorists' call to violence and hatred into homes across Europe - the French authorities defended French and European values," said AJC Executive Director David A. Harris. "This was an important step against incitement to terror."

The action by the French broadcasting agency Conseil Superieur de l'Audiovisuel, or CSA, requires the removal of Al-Aqsa TV from the Eurobird 2, Eurobird 9 and Atlantic Bird 4 satellites, all of which reach parts of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. The satellites are under the authority of the Paris-based Eutelsat Communications.

AJC, working with the Coalition Against Terrorist Media, had urged CSA to remove Al-Aqsa from French satellite programming, on the grounds that the channel's broadcasts violate European standards on incitement of bigotry and violence. AJC France conducted high-level meetings on the matter with the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.

The Hamas channel broadcasts harangues by Hamas leaders, along with programs that promote suicide bombing and indoctrinate viewers with hatred for Israel, the West and moderate Palestinians. Regularly scheduled children's shows celebrate a culture of hatred and violence with cartoon characters and puppets glorifying jihadists and preparing young viewers to become suicide bombers.

Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV is modeled after Hezbollah's TV station, Al-Manar, which France and other countries have acted to block from satellite transmission. AJC and its coalition partners successfully advocated that the U.S. Treasury Department designate Al-Manar - an incendiary promoter of anti-Western, anti-Israel and anti-Jewish propaganda - as a terrorist entity, and worked with governments around the world to gain its removal from broadcast satellites.

Website: http://www.trafficresults.com/click-rabbit.php?acctid=1Zt/0zjJz20=&docid=DC5747309012009-1&redirect=1&url=http://www.ajc.org/




11/01/09

Sunday no update




10/01/09

Saturday no update




9/01/09

Those of you who were having trouble with VTV4 on Globecast Optus D2 try reloading it as they have made some modifications to try and fix an issue some receivers were having with this channel.

Intelsat5 has reached 169E, keep checking for test signals.

Arirang has left IS2/pas2 KU Australasia beam

Hope TV has now left Intelsat2/Panamsat2

As mentioned last year on Apsattv The Hope Channel International is now available

from the GE-23 (172E) satellite

The new parameters are:

Satellite: GE-23 @ 172 degrees East

D/L (Downlink Frequency): 3915.75 MHz (most receivers will simply need 3915)

Polarization: Horizontal
SR (Symbol Rate): 3.333 MSps
FEC (Forward Error Correction): 3/4
Video PAL


From my Email & ICQ


...


From the Dish


Intelsat 2 169E "Hope Channel International" has left 4022 H, moved to GE 23.

Intelsat 5 has arrived at 169 East.

Agila 2 146E 12243 V "Word for the World" has started on , Fta, SR 7500, FEC 5/6.
Agila 2 146E 12544 V "Flip TV" is Fta.

Telkom 1 108E 3620 H "Ten Sports International" has started on , Irdeto.

Express AM33 96.5E 10961 H "AS Baikal TV" is not back on .

Yamal 201 90E 3623 L "Turkmen Owazy" has started on , Fta, SR 4285, FEC 3/4.

Intelsat 10 68.5E 4124 V "The Geo TV Network" mux has left , moved to AsiaSat 3S.


NEWS


TV5Monde To Launch Second Feed


From http://www.asiamediajournal.com/pressrelease.php?id=734

At the last board of directors of TV5MONDE held in Paris last month, Chairman of the Board Alain de Pouzilhac and representatives from our Belgian, Canadian, Quebec and Swiss shareholders voted the launch of a second feed for East Asia in the first half of 2009.

Distributed in Asia since 1996, TV5MONDE today covers this part of the world with only one channel, TV5MONDE Asie, reaching 16 million households on a 24/7 basis via cable, satellite and IPTV, and accounting for the 3rd-largest pool of distribution for TV5MONDE after Europe (113 million HH 24/7) and Maghreb/Middle East (29 million). TV5MONDE Asie covers half the globe population, diverse cultures such as India, China, Japan, Australia and Korea, and spanning over 6 to 7 time zones (GMT+5h30 to GMT+12).

With a second channel in 2009, TV5MONDE will be able to better cater to local lifestyles, media consumption habits and cultural sensitivities through better suited subtitle languages and broadcasting rights.

This new signal will cover time zones from GMT+8 to GMT+12 (mainly Korea, Japan and Australasia), with countries “where economic development and advanced technological environments require a specific channel with a dedicated programming and a targeted marketing approach to our operators and subscribers, all the more for a general-entertainment channel like us” says Alexandre MULLER, MD for Asia.

Like the existing channel, the new signal will be carried via optical fibre from Paris to Hong Kong, but in MPEG4 which is a standard better suited to new means of distribution (especially mobile) than the current MPEG2 format chosen in 1995 for the current channel.


(Craig's comment, first it was Dwelle and now a new feed of Tv5, via mpg4? likely to be in the current Asiasat3S mux)


Vietnam and France Ready For Another Sat


From  http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=1828365357

Vietnam’s first satellite, VINASAT-1, was launched last April and all was successful. Now their Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung announced that France would be the provider of technology and official development assistance (ODA) for the natural resources, environment and disaster monitoring of small satellite (VNREADSat-1), Vietnam’s second satellite after Vinasat-1. Photo of VINASAT-1 Source: VNE/TN

The prime minister assigned the Institute for Science and Technology of Vietnam to develop this project, which aims to serve the strategy on research and application of space technology to 2020. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is responsible for formalities related to French ODA for this project.

VNREDSat-1 is a small-sized earth observation satellite, a proposed 150 kilograms in weight with a five-year life expectancy. The satellite is scheduled to be operational in 2012 and will be used to help Vietnam map its natural resources and provide information about the environment and disasters. 

National Space Science and Technology Research Program Chairman Nguyen Khoa Son said the project would cost an estimated US$100 million and help free Vietnam from reliance on satellite images provided by other countries. The VNREDSat-1 project was initiated five years ago when Vietnam cooperated with a UK-owned space organization to study the country’s capacity to launch a small earth observation satellite, the paper said. Photo of Nguyen Khoa Son

Vietnam’s first satellite, VINASAT-1, was launched in April to improve telecommunications services, Internet and TV broadcasts to the country’s most remote areas. The $200 million satellite’s footprint extends over southeast and east Asia, India and Hawaii


Japan Leads in HDTV, China Lags


From http://www.cable360.net/technology/news/33420.html

Of the 50 million total TV households in Japan, almost 17 million have HDTV, according to an analyst at IMS Research. In contrast, there are 400 million total TV households in China, but HDTV is only just beginning to be rolled out.

Of course, there are major political and historical factors causing such sharp contrast between the two countries. While Japan has been quick to adopt new technologies for decades, China's adoption of TV technologies is gaining momentum.

Japan's uptake of HDTV has been driven by Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK), the country's sole public broadcaster. NHK has introduced HD via free satellite, thus creating a demand for the programming, said Shane Walker, an analyst at IMS Research. But NHK also delivers digital terrestrial with additional HD programming as a pay service.

One big driver of HD in Japan is an abundance of HD programming.

"Broadcasters are on top of things in terms of content, but consumers also purchase the necessary equipment," Walker said.

China's uptake of HDTV may be driven more by cable.

The country's primary video provider is China Central TV (CCTV), the state-owned broadcaster, which is slowly transitioning from analog to digital terrestrial. There is no direct broadcast satellite (DBS) operator in the country.

At the March 2008 China Content Broadcasting Networking Exhibition, Dr. Du Baichuan presented some goals of China's State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (SARFT). Du's list included launching DBS and starting HD terrestrial broadcast (both near-term goals) and switching off analog by 2015.

The IMS report noted that according to the latest figures from SARFT, the goals are behind schedule.

While CCTV and SARFT move at a bureaucratic pace, much of the potential for HDTV rests with cable. According to a source familiar with a proprietary Screen Digest report, the top five Chinese cable operators are: (1) Hebei; (2) Oriental Cable Network; (3) GuangXi; (4) Shaanxi Cable; and (5) Henan Cable TV Network.

The cable segment in China is expected to be the dominant digital platform for HD programming in the country by the end of 2009, stated the IMS Research report.

According to a March 2008 Communications Technology story, China has an estimated 160-190 million cable subscribers. Many of these subs signed up in anticipation of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

IMS Research reported that digital cable is expected to pass 69 million Chinese households by year-end 2009 and forecast that 3.2 million digital cable households will have the capability of viewing HDTV programming by the end of 2013.


Turbulence and Asian media meltdown


From http://www.indiantelevision.com/special/y2k9/Vivek_yearender.php

The economic crisis may reshape Asian media, says Media Partners Asia (MPA) Executive Director Vivek Couto. Companies will focus on cost savings, improved business models and, potentially, new acquisitions as asset prices fall.

The fragility of an American economy means it is getting harder to predict when Asia's media economies will return to better health following this year's downturn. As a result, these remain volatile times. Globally, the cost of capital has become high while economic growth continues to fall. At the same time, investors remain risk averse and credit continues to tighten. This is leading to further erosion in public market valuations for Asia media and limited funding options for both private and publicly-held media concerns.

Capitalising on the crisis through M&A could be a course for some, as the recent $1.1 billion transaction between Sina and Focus Media in China perfectly illustrates. Expect more crisis-driven deals to occur over the next 12-18 months though visibility on almost everything remains an issue.

The latest MPA research suggests advertising in Asia will grow by 1.5 per cent in 2009 versus its earlier expectations of 2.5 per cent, while growth in 2008 finished up at 5 per cent versus an earlier forecast of 5.6 per cent. Lower visibility and higher volatility also mean that recent ad growth estimates don't carry an upside potential anymore.

MPA's latest advertising forecasts have been downgraded due to volatility in Korea, Japan and India. A region-wide rebound of 5.8 per cent is expected in 2010. Excluding Australia and Japan, Asian ad growth will slow from 12.1 per cent in 2008 to 6.4 per cent next year, before a rebound to 9.4 per cent in 2010.

While MPA expects China and India to grow at trend levels of 10-13 per cent over the next three years, ad growth this year could be lower than forecast in both these markets.

In India, for instance, the economy is expected to grow by 6 per cent next year in real terms but could decelerate as low as 5 per cent, according to consensus. Meanwhile, the Indian ad market is expected to grow by 10.8 per cent next year but forward budgets for the next quarter indicate that dominant TV and print sectors face a tough time with growth, potentially coming in far lower than forecast. Elections in Q2 may boost spending but trend growth could come below MPA's 10-11 per cent forecast.

All of this means that the importance of monetising content through consumer transactions will grow as opposed to an over-reliance on brand spend, especially in places like India.The market share of digital in places like China will continue along an upward trajectory.

At the same time, new ad drivers will become even more important for traditional players: local as opposed to national ad markets in Indonesia, for instance, and regional markets in India as the recent advances by Star and Zee have shown.

Overall, MPA analysis indicates digital and out-of-home media will have a combined market share of close to 30 per cent by 2010 in China and Korea; more than 20 per cent in Japan, Australia and Taiwan; and more than 10 per cent in India. TV and print will continue to hold more than 40 per cent share in India, while TV will retain 60-70 per cent market share in Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. Print will remain dominant in Malaysia, with more than 55 per cent share.

Potential buying opportunity

Media M&A talk has arisen because of the collapse of equity markets, risks around maturing debt and weak balance sheets. Publicly-traded market capitalisation for media companies fell by an average of 30-80 per cent last year in China, Japan, Korea, Australia, India, and Indonesia.

To be sure, equity market capitulation does not necessarily mean that media assets will actually sell at bargain-basement prices. After all, most have an intrinsic value far higher than what the fearful public and risk-averse institutional investors are currently prepared to pay.

Potential sellers today and in the future may include: Korean cable broadcaster On*Media (045710.KS); Indonesian terrestrial TV network Surya Citra Media (SCMA.JK); Indian broadcaster IBN-18 (IBN.BO); Chinese CAS supplier CDTV (STV.N) and media wannabe Xinhua Finance Media (XFML.OQ); Japanese satellite broadcaster WOWOW (4839.T); Chinese media giant TVB (0511.HK); and Australia's APN (APN.AX).

Debt issues, focus on Australia and Thailand

Asian companies with heavy debt leverage include: Australian publisher Fairfax (FXJ.AX), PBL Media and Thailand's True Corp (TRUE.BK). At least one of these is likely to sell parts of its troubled franchise in the months to come. True in particular faces a big credit crunch, having notched up around $180 million in liabilities, while its overall debt ratios will likely breach the covenants in its bank loan facility.

There was at least some good news for PBL Media at the end of last year with majority shareholder CVC Asia announcing that it would inject a further $230 million equity in PBL. Like many of its counterparts, PBL Media is struggling with one of Australia's worst ad downturns in a long time with the ad market expected to decline by more than 6 per cent this year.

Australia's Ten Network (TEN.AX) is also suffering – it saw TV revenues decline by 12 per cent in its latest quarter while overall group EBITDA fell 25 per cent. Canadian media major CanWest has steadfastly refused to consider selling its 57 per cent stake in Ten. Current economic hardships may force a rethink. CanWest has consolidated debt of close to $3 billion versus a market cap of only $60 million, and is increasingly exposed to Canada's worsening economy.

Pay-TV platforms

Opportunities in the private market include various pay-TV platforms needing funds for further expansion and digital deployment. Indonesia's Indovision, one of the fastest growing operators in Southeast Asia with over 500,000 pay-TV subscribers, potentially needs more funds to grow beyond its end-2009 target of 1.2 million customers. Meanwhile, numerous operators in India need new capital, as the cost of subscriber acquisition escalates and average revenue per user (ARPU) growth remains modest. Candidates include WWIL, Tata Sky, Dish TV (DTV.BO), DEN and Hathway, though only the latter has a positive EBITDA level at present.

Various next-generation broadcast satellite licences in Japan are also coming up for grabs in 2009 with J:COM, NBC and Time Warner's Turner slated to feature in potential acquiring consortiums. Future M&A in Korea is also worth highlighting, with new regulations allowing cable MSOs to increase market share coverage with more MSO acquisitions. In the near term however, Korean MSOs, weighed down by a combination of debt and IPTV competition, may look to pursue bargain acquisitions and alliances in the content space instead.

Global media and India

Gauging how M&A in Asia media may play out also depends on what happens in global media. The severity of the US downturn, as well as various debt issues, have hit global media companies, including most notably Viacom and NBC. Both own assets in key markets such as India, and supply quality programming and brands to various networks across Asia. NBC is scaling back the pace and extent of its investment across Asia ex-India while Viacom has scaled back operations again in Asia ex-India, this time even scaling back in profitable territories such as Japan.

How these companies manage the crisis is important: whether they choose to sell certain assets in Asia, or sell big assets, or merge with a competitor such as Time Warner and News Corp., could have a decisive impact on future trends.

India's IBN18, which has a highly-rated but costly GE channel JV (Colors) with Viacom, recently raised $25 million through a qualified institutional placement (AIP) to five institutional investors: T Rowe Price, Reliance Capital, Franklin Templeton, JM Financial and HSBC. IBN has also issued 15 million warrants to news media company TV18 (TVET.BO), convertible at Rs 102 per share, implying an infusion of about Rs 1.53 billion, which puts a lot of pressure on the TV18 balance sheet and limits its flexibility going forward. Future funding for IBN and Colors next year will need bigger players and more cash, which could lead to a better strategic result for the company.


Obama asks for delay in digital TV switch


From http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Obama-asks-delay-digital-TV/story.aspx?guid=%7B335EBF8F-A0C6-420D-BCE3-C4BC8006D3E3%7D

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The incoming Obama administration on Thursday asked Congress to postpone the nationwide switch to digital television, saying too many Americans would lose their TV signals if the change takes place as planned in mid-February.
John Podesta, co-chairman of Obama's transition team, sent a letter to top lawmakers in the House and Senate requesting the delay until later in 2009. He said the government has not provided enough financial support and consumer information to make the planned switch.
"We have discovered major difficulties in the preparation for the February 17 conversion," Podesta wrote.
On Feb. 17, U.S. broadcasters are slated to switch from decades-old analog signals to digital transmission. Customers without satellite or cable hookups would lose the ability to receive over-the-air channels unless they connected a converter box to their TVs. The boxes convert digital signals to analog on older TV sets.
The federal government allotted about $1.5 billion for coupons to subsidize the purchase of converter boxes, but it's already run out of the $40 vouchers. More customers requested the coupons than the government expected and consumers have not been put on a waiting list. See here for more information.
Converter boxes sell for $50 or more in retail stores. Prices are eventually expected to fall but it could take awhile.
Critics also say the Bush administration has mishandled the transition, leaving millions of consumers in the dark about the planned switch. On Wednesday, the nonprofit group Consumers Union urged lawmakers to postpone the digital transition.
The decision by the president-elect's team to weigh in suggests a delay is increasingly likely. Leading lawmakers in the ruling Democratic Party such as Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., have already indicated a willingness to push back the digital switchover.
One alternative is to inject more money into the coupon program, but Consumers Union said there's not enough time ahead of the Feb. 17 date.
Some Republicans immediately voice objections. "Ditching the deadline and slathering on more millions of taxpayer dollars, however, is just panic," said Joe Barton, R-Texas
Digital broadcasts deliver a superior picture compared to analog and are ideally suited for high-definition televisions. Millions of consumers have purchased HDTVs over the past five years.
Cable and satellite boxes also convert analog signals to digital, so most cable and satellite customers do not need a converter box.


The Real Cost of Delaying Digital TV


From http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2009/tc2009018_712771.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_technology

Mobile-phone service providers and TV networks may suffer the most from a prolonged delay in the planned transition to digital television signals

The transition team for President-elect Barack Obama wants Congress to push back a planned changeover to digital television. The delay, Obama's team argues, would give consumers more time to get ready for the switch, now scheduled for Feb. 17.

But analysts say a prolonged delay could also be bad news for the wireless service providers who plan to use the airwaves that will be freed up as a result of the change. It may also put a damper on plans by broadcasters to air popular programming once TV signals have gone digital and viewers have done away with outmoded TVs that only pick up analog signals.

Concern over a delay gathered steam on Jan. 8 when John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama transition team, sent a letter to Congress saying the government's funding of the switch from analog to digital TV broadcasts was "woefully inadequate," and urging Congress to delay the transition to ensure consumers can receive new digital broadcasts.

Waiting List for Converter-Box Coupons

Mobile-phone service providers have a lot riding on the transition. Industry leaders including AT&T (T) and Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications (VZ) and Vodafone Group (VOD) have spent billions of dollars on the airwaves that will be freed up when the transition happens and intend to use that spectrum to provide advanced services, including Web surfing and mobile video. While the services aren't scheduled to go live immediately after the transition, an extended delay could prove problematic. "Every day they can't roll out the system affects when they can bring [new products] to market," says Tim Bajarin, president of industry researcher Creative Strategies

As the nation prepares to switch entirely to digital TV broadcasts, consumers with older, analog TV sets will need to buy special converter boxes that can turn the new digital signals into analog ones their sets can pick up. The boxes cost $40 to $80, and Congress had allocated $1.34 billion in government funding to supply consumers who don't have cable or satellite television service, or newer digital TVs, with $40 coupons to buy the converter boxes in stores.

That money has run out, though, and more than 1 million consumers are on a waiting list for the coupons, Podesta wrote in his letter to congressional Commerce Committee leaders. By February, the number could reach 5 million. "During the transition, we have discovered major difficulties in the preparation" for the switchover, Podesta said. "These weaknesses mean major problems for consumers."

Nielsen: 6.8% of TV Households Aren't Ready

The Obama Administration argues that many Americans, particularly in low-income and rural households, won't be ready for the conversion until Congress allocates more money for new coupons. Consumers Union, publisher of the nonprofit Consumer Reports, has also asked the government to push back the deadline. As of December, 6.8% of U.S. households with TVs weren't ready for the transition, according to market researcher Nielsen.

TV broadcasters could also suffer as a result of the delay, analysts say. Networks have pushed back the broadcasts and promotions of certain shows, such as new episodes of popular series, to March, to take advantage of the excitement around the digital switch, says Nielsen Senior Vice-President Patricia McDonough. "That cycle has already been changed, and can't be changed back," she says.

Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst at Leichtman Research Group, which advises companies on digital television markets, estimates that the demise of analog TV could be postponed by two to four months as a result of Podesta's letter. That, he says, wouldn't be devastating for many companies.

However long the delay, if it comes, Congress will have to pick a new changeover date that will cause the least disruption for viewers—for example, after the NCAA basketball tournament, which airs in March. The government also needs to do a better job educating consumers about the converter-box coupons and the changeover in general, analysts say. Many consumers are unaware of the boxes, and believe they need to buy a new TV. "There's still a lot of confusion," says Creative Strategies' Bajarin. "The real solution for this is for the government to be much more aggressive in getting the message out."


CES 2009: Ergen Unveils Dish’s ‘SlingLoaded’ Devices


From http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6627850.html?industryid=47199

New $9.99, 150-Channel Offer Targets New Subscribers

Las Vegas—Charlie Ergen, chief of sister companies Dish Network and EchoStar, touted his new “SlingLoaded” products and a new $9.99 package of more than 150 channels—for new subscribers—Thursday at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.

EchoStar, Ergen’s set-top and technology company, unveiled two new products that incorporate SlingBox’s place-shifting technology, at a CES press conference.

They are a Sling-enabled HD DVR, the ViP 922, which permits users to “sling” content from their TV sets to devices such as computers and smart phones; as well as SlingGuide, which enables users to browse and control their DVRs from anywhere using a PC, Macintosh or iPhone.

Using such Sling-enabled products, like the 922, Ergen told reporters, “you can watch that same TV on your cell phone. You can watch that same TV on your personal player, and you can watch TV on a wireless basis. It’s a pretty incredible technology for somebody who wants to watch TV in someplace other than their living room. And most people do. It’s something that I want personally, because I travel a lot.”

Ergen was clad in his trademark sweater and loafers, and his annual CES appearance—one of his few public jaunts to answer press queries—is always packed with reporters.

At the press conference Ergen, seemingly addressing his remarks to content providers, said that EchoStar’s Sling-enabled products will protect the copyright of place-shifted programming by marrying a customer’s account and their payment.

“If you don’t do it the way we’re doing it…nobody is going to get paid on it,” Ergen said.

EchoStar will also look to sell its Sling-enabled products, like its new HD DVR, to Dish’s rivals, namely cable operators and DirecTV, according to Ergen.

Also on Thursday Ergen’s satellite service, Dish Network, announced its plans to freeze prices on some of its lower-cost packages—such as Dish Family and Dish Mexico—and to also offer a promotional $9.99 package to new customers starting Feb. 1—on the eve of the Feb. 17 digital transition.

“It’s an incredible, incredible deal for new customer,” Dish chief marketing officer Jessica Insalaco said.

That offer, good for six months, will include about 150 channels, with more than 100 of them in standard definition and more than 50 in HDTV, according to Insalaco.

Asked about the offer, Ergen joked, “I hate giving away TV, but that’s all our marketing could come up with, I guess,” sparking laughter at the jammed press conference.

“From an economy perspective why are we doing it? One, it’s the digital transition…If you want our top 100 channels it’s $9.99,” Ergen said. “So it’s kind of perfect storm as to why you would do it. And secondarily, from an economic point of view, the reality of the marketplace is people are looking to save money.”

Ergen was also asked about the looming all-digital transition next month.

“The digital transition is kind of a great unknown,” he said. “Is it going to be Y2K, where we’re going to talk about it for two years, and when it happens, it was a big yawn? Or are people’s TVs going to go dark Feb. 17, or around that time, and suddenly millions of people are without TV and don’t know what to do? We don’t actually know where it’s going to be. My guess would be somewhere in the middle.”

Ergen added that he doesn’t expect Feb. 17 to translate into a financial boon for Dish Network.

“We don’t see any money in it for us,” he said. “We see it as a kind of public obligation that we’re in the video business and, certainly from a reputation point of view, we want to be involved in the digital transition.”

Ergen split his fiefdom into two companies, Dish Network and EchoStar, about a year ago. EchoStar acquired Sling Media for $380 million in September 2007.


Monsoon Multimedia Unveils SociableTV


From http://tech.einnews.com/article.php?nid=50920

Watch Live TV With Your Friends

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- [CES] -- Monsoon Multimedia, an innovative digital video solutions provider, today announced SociableTV, a social web service that allows viewers to watch live TV from HAVAs all over the globe while communicating with friends.

SociableTV is a social web portal site that lets HAVA owners share their live TV viewing experience (e.g. sporting events) with multiple friends. Monsoon's technology enables friends to watch and experience live television as if they are sitting on the sofa next to each other -- without having to download anything.

"Today's consumer is now viewing content wherever they want, the next step is to enable them to do it together and create a 'living room' social environment," said William Loesch, CEO of Monsoon Multimedia. "Monsoon's SociableTV supports the social web movement because consumers not only want their content wherever they go, but they also want the ability to watch the Super Bowl or a rugby game with their friends, regardless of their location."

SociableTV combines the existing HAVA family of products, software and Internet browser technology, with a worldwide network of HAVA owners to bring viewers programs that they cannot find on their local cable and satellite TV system, including sports and news from around the world.

Pricing and Availability

SociableTV will be available at no cost from Monsoon Multimedia at SociableTV.com in Q2 of 2009. The HAVA product line is available nationwide through Best Buy, direct from Monsoon at http://www.myhava.com/ and through select etailers and retailers nationwide.

About Monsoon Multimedia

Monsoon Multimedia provides advanced, standards-based multimedia products and technologies for the PC and Consumer Electronics industries. Monsoon licenses highly optimized multimedia solutions comprised of applications, drivers, frameworks, middleware and reference designs. Our customers and partners are retailers, semiconductor companies, PC manufacturers, software suppliers and consumer electronics companies. Founded by the founders of Dazzle and Emuzed, the company has offices in California, India and Russia. For more information, please visit http://www.monsoonmultimedia.com/.

Media Contact: Anders Steele FortyThree, Inc. 831.239.0960 [email protected]


BBC to launch Persian-language TV channel


From http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5johg5guOgQEfj8_NAfkxQVtPauYAD95J2A281

LONDON (AP) — The BBC said Thursday it will launch a Persian-language TV channel next week that can be seen in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and elsewhere, despite Iranian claims that it will be used to recruit spies.

BBC Persian TV, to start up on Wednesday, will broadcast news and programs on arts and sports available via cable, satellite and internet providers.

Iran's official news agency IRNA accused the British broadcaster a month ago of trying to recruit Iranians for "espionage and psychological warfare."

BBC spokesman Mike Gardner said the British Broadcasting Corp.'s only goal is to report on world events in an impartial and editorially independent manner.

But he conceded that his company has a complex relationship with the Iranian authorities.

"We request permission to have accreditation for our BBC Persian correspondents. Sometimes we get it, sometimes we don't. We continue to seek interviews with officials at all levels of government. Sometimes we get it, sometimes we don't," Gardner said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

BBC Persian TV will be the broadcaster's second foreign-language TV channel. It launched BBC Arabic last year.

But the company has run a Persian-language radio service since 1940, and it operates a Persian-language news site online.

Gardner said the BBC had been refused permission to broadcast on Iran's main networks, and that its online service is partially blocked within the country.

The broadcaster has a bureau in Tehran for its English-language service but has not been allowed to open a bureau for its Persian-language service.

BBC Persian TV will be broadcast from London every day, from 1330 to 2130 GMT.

In addition to Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, it will be received Britain, Dubai and most other countries in the Persian Gulf through Hotbird and Telstar satellite and cable services.


£15m a year to give Iran a BBC channel it doesn't even want


From http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1109502/15m-year-Iran-BBC-channel-doesnt-want.html

The BBC's new TV channel in Iran will be largely inaccessible to people living in Britain

The BBC is to spend £15million a year of taxpayers' money on a TV channel aimed at Iranians.

The corporation launches Persian TV next Wednesday, hoping it will compete with tightly-controlled state media in the Islamic republic.

But the broadcaster has already come under fire for wasting public money on the channel, which will be largely inaccessible to British TV viewers.

There are also fears that the BBC's attempts to force its way into the Iranian media market will cause further diplomatic rows.

Iranian officials have claimed the TV service, aired in the Farsi language, will be used by British intelligence for 'espionage and psychological warfare'.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's regime, which already blocks the BBC Persian website to large sections of its population, has described Persian TV as ' suspicious and illegal' and 'working against the interests of the Islamic republic'.

The BBC says viewers must decide for themselves if it is safe for them to use the channel, which has already been refused permission to have a correspondent based in Tehran.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps is also said to have told citizens to avoid contact with the 'lie-spreading' network.


Freesat now in 200,000 UK homes


From http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/08/freesat-box-sales

Freesat, the free digital satellite joint venture between the BBC and ITV, was in more than 200,000 households by the end of 2008.

In the final three months of last year around 100,000 Freesat set-top boxes and TV sets were sold, doubling the service's user base compared to the first five months after its launch last May.

Freesat said that it believed its service had proved to be a winner with consumers, despite bleak times on the high street, because it is subscription-free and is viewed as a cost-conscious option.

The lure of high definition TV from ITV and the BBC – which included the broadcast of shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death and Champions League and England football internationals – had also proved important in attracting customers. Freesat said that 61% of its customer panel identified HD services as the main reason for purchasing a set top box.

"We saw consumers increasingly drawn to Freesat at the end of 2008 and into this year," said Emma Scott, managing director of Freesat. "The quality and choice of channels and services available and the added benefits offered by [personal video recorder] Freesat+ have really struck a chord."

BBC shows including Lark Rise to Candleford, Hustle, Anne Frank and the Six Nations rugby union tournament will be made available on HD early this year, while ITV will air the FA Cup and Champions League matches in HD. "We're thrilled that both the BBC and ITV are investing more in HD programming in 2009," said Scott.

The next stage in the development of Freesat will be to offer video on-demand content from the BBC iPlayer and the ITV Player via the service.

Freesat aims to make these on-demand video catch-up services, currently part of a venture dubbed Project Canvas, available later this year.


Keep frame steady, broadcasters told


From http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1220005

The government has asked television broadcasters not to request for frequent change of satellite, channel name and logo, language and category of channels, teleport and its location.

In a recent advisory to channels, the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry said companies must finalise their details for use of satellite, channel name or logo etc on a long-term basis. They should "approach the ministry only when such a necessity is unavoidable," the ministry said.

The objective behind issuing the advisory is to "avoid unnecessary multiplication of work", according to the ministry.

To curb the practice of seeking frequent changes in the channel nomenclature, satellite and teleport, the government has decided to impose an additional processing fee of Rs 25,000 for any such request within one year of the earlier approval.

This is over and above the processing fee of Rs 10,000 and permission fee of Rs 5 lakh per teleport at the time of seeking the first approval.

As per the uplinking guidelines, permissions are granted to companies for setting up hubs/teleports and uplinking of news and non-news channels from the country.
Companies can uplink either in C or Ku band, the guidelines state. And, use of Indian satellites will be accorded preferential treatment.

Uplinking in Ku band would be permitted through Indian satellite only. Also, the satellite to be used must be coordinated with the Insat system.

The uplinking guidelines also state that use of satellite news gathering (SNG) or digital satellite news gathering (DSNG) would be permitted to news and current affairs channels uplinked from India for live news/footage collection and point-to-point transmission.




8/01/09

Very quiet today

Various Phillipines channel reported FTA on IS8 check between 3710-3720V

Satmagazine.com latest issue is online


From my Email & ICQ


...


From the Dish


Koreasat 3 116E 11862 L "The History Channel Korea" has left .

Intelsat 10 68.5E 3863 V "Fashion TV and The History Channel South Africa" Fta.


NEWS


Japan Set To Launch Greenhouse Gas-Monitoring Satellite


From http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1619174/japan_set_to_launch_greenhouse_gasmonitoring_satellite/

Japan is set to launch its Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) this month in an effort to monitor the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane around the world.

Slated to launch using the H-2A rocket on January 21, GOSAT is also known as Ibuki, which is Japanese for “breath” because the satellite will track how the Earth exhales greenhouse gases in 56,000 locations around the world. It will orbit at an altitude of 666 kilometers above the Earth.

There were only 282 land-based observation points as of October, according to Takashi Hamazaki, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The agency said the $372.9 million satellite will orbit Earth once every three days with two sensors that will gauge the density of greenhouse gases based on observed infrared rays. The denser the gases, the more infrared rays of light are absorbed.

One sensor will be used to determine the presence of clouds. When clouds are present, it is difficult to provide an accurate analysis. Therefore, the satellite will only take readings in clear weather.

Data will be collected each month, with the first set of data expected by April or May. Researchers with the Japanese Environment Ministry and the Japanese National Institute for Environmental Studies will be the first to analyze the satellite’s data before sharing the information with scientists worldwide. GOSAT is set to be in orbit for five years.

Hamazaki said the project is important because certain regions, such as developing countries, are lacking proper monitoring of greenhouse gases.

"To fight climate change, we need to monitor the density of greenhouse gases in all regions around the world and how their levels change," Hamazaki said. “But at the moment, there are very few observation sites on land and they are concentrated in certain areas."

"By comparison, GOSAT will have 56,000 observation points and will be able to acquire data covering the entire globe every three days. We think this will improve the accuracy of global warming predictions."

The project’s launch comes as Japan continues its attempts to meet its 2008-2012 Kyoto Protocol target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.


France to supply satellite tech


From http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/SE+Asia/Story/STIStory_323495.html

HANOI - VIETNAM has chosen France to supply the technology for its second satellite, state media reported on Thursday.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said France will also provide aid for the VNREDSat-1 project, which would be worth an estimated US$100 million (S$148 million), according the English-language Vietnam News daily.

Vietnam last April celebrated the launch of its first satellite, the US$300 million Vinasat-1, which was made by US company Lockheed Martin to transmit telecommunication, Internet, radio and TV signals.

The report did not specify which companies would build or launch the satellite.

VNREDSat-1 is scheduled to be operational around 2012 and would help Vietnam map its natural resources and provide information about the environment and natural disasters, the newspaper said.

The project would help free Vietnam from relying on images provided by other countries, National Space Science and Technology Programme chairman Nguyen Khoa Son was quoted as saying by the daily. -- AFP


Boeing ordered to pay ICO $631M in damages


From http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/01/07/ap5889595.html

Boeing Co. has been ordered to pay former customer ICO Global Communications Ltd. $631 million in damages after a California court approved a jury verdict against the Chicago-based aerospace company.

The Los Angeles Superior Court backed a jury's decision in October to award $371 million in compensatory damages, and $236 million punitive damages, plus prejudgement interest, ICO (nasdaq: ICOC - news - people ) said Tuesday.

Boeing (nyse: BA - news - people ) will also be required to pay ICO 10 percent interest on the full judgment starting Jan. 2, the company said.

Boeing did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday morning.

The lawsuit filed by ICO stems from the company's decade-old plan to launch a fleet of satellites that would broadcast video and other services to mobile device users around the world. ICO filed a lawsuit in 2004 seeking $2 billion in damages against Boeing for breach of contract and fraud.

ICO had been under contract with El Segundo, Calif.-based Hughes Electronics Corp. in the mid-1990s to build and launch 12 satellites. Boeing later acquired Hughes in 2000 and inherited the ICO contract, but only finished two satellites.

Shares of Boeing fell $1.08, or 2.3 percent, to $45.23 in morning trading Wednesday.


New Dish Network DVR has Slingbox technology


From http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37337420090108

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Satellite TV provider Dish Network Corp will unveil a new digital video recorder on Thursday that will allow people watch their favorite television shows on any Internet-enabled device.

Dish Network, the third-largest U.S. pay-TV provider, will reveal the high-definition DVR embedded with Slingbox technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The Slingbox, owned by EchoStar Corp's division Sling Media, is a device that lets people watch cable and satellite programming from a computer or mobile phone with a broadband Internet connection.

Integrating the Slingbox technology into Dish Network's DVR increases the options that subscribers have to control and watch programming, Dish Network Chief Executive Charlie Ergen said in a statement.

In addition to TV sets, people can watch their recorded TV programs and sports events on their desktops at home, their laptops on the road, their smartphones, iPhones, Blackberry, and more, Ergen said.

The Vip 922 box has been developed by an EchoStar Corp subsidiary for Dish, the company said in a statement.

Dish, formerly known as EchoStar Communications Corp, spun off its technology assets in 2007, including its set-top box division, to create EchoStar Holding Corp.


DISH NETWORK® INTRODUCES WORLD'S FIRST "SLINGLOADED" HD DVR AT 2009 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW


From http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/01/08/dish-networks-vip-922-and-slingguide-unveiled-first-slingload/

New 1 Terabyte High Definition DVR with Integrated Slingbox, Touchpad Remote Control and Tile-based User Interface

Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 8, 2009 – DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), the nation's third largest pay-TV provider and the digital transition leader, today unveiled the world's first
SlingLoaded™ HD DuoDVR™, the award-winning ViP® 922. The ViP® 922 is the first high definition digital video recorder that incorporates placeshifting technology.

The ViP® 922 was built by EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., a wholly-owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), and developed for DISH Network as an entertainment centerpiece that – combined with the only 1080p Video on Demand and 100 percent, all-HD suite of programming packages available today – will revolutionize the way consumers watch and enjoy their favorite programming. DISH Network will offer the ViP® 922 to customers in Spring 2009.

"DISH Network is pleased to add another award-winning product to our suite of MPEG-4 HD DVR ViP receivers: a groundbreaking set top box that offers consumers the true experience of TV everywhere," said DISH Network Chairman, CEO and President Charlie Ergen. "By integrating Sling Media's Slingbox technology into our industry-leading HD DVR, DISH Network is providing even more ways for our subscribers to view their TV programming – through their television sets, their desktops at home, their laptops on the road, and their smartphones including Blackberrys, iPhones and more."

The ViP® 922 allows TV enthusiasts to watch and control their favorite TV shows and sporting events from anywhere in the world via a broadband Internet connection on their laptop or mobile phone. With five video sources, including satellite, broadband and optional over-the-air tuners, viewers will never run out of shows to watch. The ViP® 922 also features a multi-tuner DVR with up to 1,000 hours of recording time and supports connecting external hard drives for even more storage capacity.

An innovative touchpad remote control accompanies the ViP® 922, which eliminates half the buttons of a standard remote control and provides cursor-like navigation on a TV screen. With a slide of the thumb, viewers experience scroll-over activation of the new user interface: on-screen widget-like tiles and pop-up menus. All features are selectable by an underside index finger trigger selection on the radio frequency-controlled remote, which offers two-way learning of codes from other AV equipment remote controls.

The ViP® 922 can also be controlled using SlingGuide™, a new way for consumers to control their TV viewing experience over the Internet. SlingGuide features a powerful search engine for the TV along with the ability to schedule the ViP® 922 DVR timers remotely.

Other ViP® 922 features include:
∑ News feeds located on the home screen, giving viewers instant access to national news, weather, sports, and stock quotes.
∑ Ability to organize channels by channel name or number.
∑ 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480i and 480p support.
∑ Internet-delivered DISH On Demand including 1080p content.
∑ Ability to move one day in the guide while browsing full screen EPG or partial EPG.
∑ Connections to home networks via Ethernet, HomePlug Turbo (the next generation of HomePlug that allows for faster in-home transfer of content using home power lines), or WiFi (with optional WiFi adapter).
∑ Powerful search capability across all available video sources, including IP, VOD, satellite or DVR.
∑ Intuitive timer creation and DVR management, allowing users to categorize programming by groups (video source, title, genres) or by content description (date, length, ratings and more).
∑ Ability to load photos, MP3s and selected Internet content.
∑ Future upgrades such as photo sharing, movie ticket purchases, family calendars, instant messaging, streaming audio, and the ability to transfer content within a home network.

EchoStar's new user interface and remote control for the ViP® 922 were selected as CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award honorees. Demonstrations of the ViP® 922 will be available at DISH Network's Booth No. 14438, located in the Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Jan. 8-11. For more information about DISH Network, visit www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).

Sling Media introduces SlingGuide: Redefining Search and Discovery for Satellite, Cable and Terrestrial Broadcast Programming

With powerful browse and search to add recordings, smart DVR space management and complete recording priority control, SlingGuide unlocks the power of your DVR from anywhere – on your PC, Mac or iPhone.

Las Vegas - International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) - January 8, 2008 - Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today introduced SlingGuide, a new web-based way to easily find, watch and record your favorite television programming from anywhere. SlingGuide allows consumers to browse, search and record programs on their DVR from any PC, Macintosh or compatible mobile phone. In addition, if the DVR is SlingLoaded™ or has a Slingbox™ connected to it, consumers can also watch live or recorded programs off their DVR through a web-based version of the SlingPlayer software that is integrated into SlingGuide. SlingGuide will be available first to DISH Network subscribers when it launches in spring of 2009. For more information, go to www.slingmedia.com/go/slingguide.

"SlingGuide revolutionizes the way we search and discover traditional TV programming from satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcasts," said Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media. "As avid couch potatoes, we were frustrated with the existing methods for finding what to watch and record from our satellite and cable TV sources. Meanwhile, for the much larger universe of Internet-based content, we were able to enjoy amazingly quick, easy and precise search tools. 'What regional sports station is that ball game on? Why does it take me so many steps to set a recording for a show on next week?' In other words, why can't I simply 'Google' my TV? SlingGuide, our answer to this frustration, makes it easy for you to find, watch and record the programming that matters most – from anywhere."

For DISH Network customers with select DVRs, SlingGuide will provide a personal, integrated and centralized view of everything you want to watch or record on DISH Network including programming from hundreds of channels, thousands of programming choices, and even internet video from Sling.com.

The following is a list of DISH Network DVRS that are expected to be compatible with SlingGuide at launch.*

HD DuoDVRTM SlingLoadedTM ViP® 922 (Just Announced)
DuoDVR™ ViP® 722k
DuoDVR™ ViP® 722
DuoDVR™ ViP® 622

*Receivers require a broadband network connection to use SlingGuide.

Beyond the Grid
Current program guides on your TV can limit a consumer's view of what is really available to watch at present and in the future. For that reason, consumers watch only a handful of channels or programs at most. SlingGuide's powerful search technology makes it easy to watch and discover new programming you may never have known existed using the power of your PC, Mac or mobile phone. With SlingGuide you can search for shows by title, genre, network, keyword or actor.

A Better Remote Control
Using the web browser on an iPhone or iPod Touch, DISH Network customers can put the power of SlingGuide in the palm of their hand. Sitting in front of the TV, SlingGuide turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into an intelligent remote control capable of quickly browsing and searching the program guide, scheduling and managing DVR recordings, and more. SlingGuide on the iPhone or iPod Touch works with the DISH Network DVR to do this all in the background without disturbing the television picture displayed on the TV.

SlingLoaded or Slingbox-Enabled
While a Slingbox is not required to enjoy SlingGuide, those customers who have a Slingbox connected to one of the supported DISH Network DVRs or are lucky enough to be one of the first to enjoy the DISH Network HD DuoDVRTM SlingLoadedTM ViP® 922, SlingGuide also gives you the ability to watch live TV or DVR recordings on your PC, Mac or compatible mobile phone, around the home or around the world.

SlingGuide Features at a Glance
∑ Personalized, integrated view of everything you want to watch or record in a simple visual interface on your PC, Mac or iPhone/iPod Touch
∑ All the features of your DVR's remote control plus the seamless ability to browse, record or watch from anywhere.
∑ Watch your shows anywhere (with a SlingLoaded DVR or Slingbox attached)
∑ Discover new programming you never knew you had
∑ Easy, comprehensive search instead of your old remote control
∑ One click to record
∑ Search and record shows from your iPhone or iPod Touch
∑ Integration with Sling.com for clips, trailers, etc. of your favorite shows

Pricing and Availability
SlingGuide will be free to DISH Network subscribers who have a network-connected, compatible DVR. Sling Media will make SlingGuide available to DISH Network customers in spring of 2009. A limited beta of SlingGuide is already under way. For an opportunity to participate in the beta program, go to www.slingmedia.com/slingguide.

About Sling Media
Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is a leading digital lifestyle company offering consumer services and products that are a natural extension of today's digital way of life. Sling Media's product family includes the internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox™ that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using PCs, Macs, PDAs and smartphones and the revolutionary new SlingCatcher™, a universal media player that seamlessly delivers broadcast TV, Internet video and personal content to the TV. Sling Media is also the company behind the video entertainment web site, Sling.com, offering consumers a wide variety of popular TV shows, movies and other entertainment free for viewing online or on the TV using SlingCatcher. For more information on Sling Media, the Slingbox or the SlingCatcher, visit www.slingmedia.com. To watch your favorite TV shows and movies, check out www.sling.com.


Zee mulls golf, home shopping channels


From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/jan/jan41.php

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) is considering the launch of a slate of niche channels and is also open to acquisitions, says a source in the company.

The channels under evaluation are in the genre of golf, home shopping, food and extreme sports. "We are exploring options to launch channels in these genres but haven't finalised on them as yet. We are also looking at acquisition opportunities," the source adds.

Rival network Star is also planning to launch a home shopping and a wedding channel as part of its strategy to expand the bouquet and particularly tap the digital platforms.

Zeel, the source says, expects a revenue growth of 25 per cent this fiscal. Though certain sectors like auto and BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) have seen a severe slowdown, telecom, DTH and FMCG companies are increasing their ad spends.

Zee has not yet started cutting costs on programming but has decided to reduce focus on non-performing shows, the source adds.




7/01/09

132E 11008 H Sr 28800 Fec 3/4 new DTH mux Vietnam DTH( Mpg4 , DVB S2 I think) Asian Ku beam


From my Email & ICQ


From A.Lewin

Brisbane Tennis Feed

On D2.12662v  6670sr


From the Dish


Intelsat 2 169E 12281 V "ABC 1 NT and Win TV" have left.

JCSAT 3A 128E 4120 V SET Taiwan, SET Metro, SET News, SET International, FTV Entertainment and FTV News are still on , SR 30000, new FEC: 7/8.

Koreasat 5 116E 12530 HSilver TV, CBS (South Korea), JCBN and ATV (South Korea) have started on
, Fta
Koreasat 5 116E 12619 H "Hao TV" has left .

NSS 6 95E 11635 H "TNN 24" has started on , Fta.


NEWS


Australia begins switch to digital television


From http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24878877-5003422,00.html

TELEVISION has come a long way since Elvis first thrust his pelvis about and sang about hound dogs.

In 1956, immaculately dressed and wearing a bow tie, Bruce Gyngell welcomed Australian viewers to television in the manner your aunt Bessie would welcome the local vicar to afternoon tea.

But the end of that era is looming. Analogue television has taken us so far, from washed-out wobbly black-and-white coverage of a man walking on the moon to the super-slick telecast that captured the colour and glamour of last year's Olympic Games.

But after more than 50 years, the Federal Government has ordered the shut-down of the analogue TV broadcast system.

The great Australian analogue TV shutdown will start in regional Victoria in 2010 and will hit regional Queensland in the second half of 2011.

It will spread to Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast in the first half of 2013, followed by Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, remote western, central and eastern Australia in the last half of that year.

Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy Minister Senator Stephen Conroy has confirmed the timetable, saying: "The digital TV revolution is in full swing and Australians now know when they will need to be digital-ready.

"The digital TV switchover is a challenge on the scale of the 1966 decimal currency change. The Government's region-by-region approach will ensure Australia is best placed to meet the December 31, 2013 deadline for analogue switch-off."

Conroy, working on advice from the community and the Digital Switch-Over Taskforce comprising broadcasters, retailers and antenna installers, has decided the Mildura and Sunraysia region will be the first district in Australia to have analogue TV turned off.

This region was chosen because it has the highest uptake of digital TV in Australia. Seventy per cent of homes are already able to receive digital broadcasts.

Under the minister's timetable, analogue broadcasts in this area will cease between January 1 and June 30, 2010.

Conroy will set the final date within the switch-off window after consultation with the community and after reviewing what he describes as "local conditions".

After the analogue switch-off, the free broadcast spectrum will be used for what the Government calls "the delivery of new and improved broadcasting and communications services". A spokesman for Conroy says this means the analogue spectrum may one day be used for 3G mobile networking, wireless broadband and even new digital TV broadcasters.

With sales of digital LCD and plasma TVs and digital set-top boxes surging and a take-up of digital TV said to be about 70 per cent in some metropolitan areas, many viewers won't even notice when analogue broadcasts end.

But viewers still using older cathode ray tube TVs and early model LCD and plasma sets without a digital TV tuner are at risk of tuning out completely and can employ several methods to keep their televisions working.

Add a set-top box

Australia's digital TV channels are broadcast in standard-definition and high-definition video. The highest resolution broadcast is 1920x1080 pixels.

A standard-definition set-top box cannot receive high-definition programs, but an HD set-top box receives SD and HD signals.

Standard-definition set-top boxes start at $39, but are getting harder to find because most people are buying HD models, which cost between $89 and $190.

The biggest incentive to buy an HD set-top box is to receive content broadcast only on HD channels such as Ten's new HD sports channel.

Tube TVs will display HD programs, but to get the best picture HD offers you will need to buy a widescreen LCD or plasma TV with a resolution of at least 1366x720 pixels. The best HD sets have a 1920x1080 resolution.

Set-top boxes are also available with hard drives that can record, store and play back programs.

Additional services

Pay-TV service Foxtel delivers standard and high-definition television through its set-top boxes. The latter is available through Foxtel's IQ2 set-top box/recorder which, for a fee, gives viewers access to five HD channels in addition to those from commercial broadcasters, with more planned for a future launch.

Channel 7's TiVo HD set-top box also delivers access to free-to-air HD channels. However, the major FTA channels will launch a new service called Freeview this year that will feature three channels from each of the five FTA broadcasters and an electronic program guide.

Viewers will need a high-definition TV tuner, either in a set-top box or integrated into their television, to receive the Freeview channels.

Good reception

Viewers migrating from analogue to digital TV are unlikely to require a new antenna providing their existing one is fairly new, in good condition and wired with a quality coaxial cable.

Some viewers with old antennas may experience problems. In this case they should get a new antenna and good quality cable. The cable should be at least RG6 quad-shield cable, which has four shields to protect the digital signal from interference from power wiring.

Get connected

Most tube TVs bought in the past 15 years have a composite audio-video input connection consisting of white (audio left), red (audio right) and yellow (video) plugs that can accept a signal from a set-top box .

Set-top boxes can be linked to tube TVs with only a coaxial aerial connection if you still have a VCR.


Pay TV manager resigns


From http://fijidailypost.com/news.php?section=1&fijidailynews=21247

FIJI Television yesterday announced that it has accepted the resignation of Sanjay Maharaj as manager Sky Pay TV.

Maharaj has been with Fiji TV for the 12 years - three and half years of which he served as Manager Sky Pay TV.

“We thank Sanjay for his valuable years of service to the company and wish him well,” said group chief executive Tarun Patel. Acting in the position of Manger SKY Pay TV is Tamarisi Digitaki. Digitaki has been in the company for the past three years and previously served in the position of Head of Corporate Affairs Services.

Patel said the position of manager Sky Pay TV will be advertised soon.


Deutsche Welle Expands In Asia


From http://www.asiamediajournal.com/pressrelease.php?id=730

Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international broadcaster, is expanding its television services in Asia. Beginning March 2, 2009, DW-TV ASIA+ will offer a perfect mix of European lifestyle, culture and the arts as well as in–depth reports from business and politics. The new channel will feature 18 hours of English programming dedicated to serving a wider viewer base.

DW-TV ASIA+ will showcase current hot favorites like “euromaxx”, a daily lifestyle magazine showing the sparkling facets of European living and glamour and “Drive it!” that keeps viewers in touch with the latest auto news from Germany and the rest of Europe. In addition, “Global 3000” investigates the risks and opportunities of globalization and “In Focus” offers documentaries covering a wide range of interesting topics. DW-TV ASIA+ will focus on core programming strands like lifestyle, culture, health and wellness and the arts - all to bring more of the European experience to Asia. The new grid will boast 71 percent lifestyle/ infotainment/ health and wellness and 29 percent news. All content will be drawn from Deutsche Welle’s library.

“Viewers in Asia have a high demand for more intimate knowledge and insights into Europe and European culture, making it an important media market for Deutsche Welle. Following the success and continued growth of DW-TV ASIA, I am proud to start the New Year with the launch of DW-TV ASIA+, the destination channel for all seeking a more in-depth experience on Europe,” says Petra Schneider, Director of Sales and Service at Deutsche Welle. “I am confident that positioning DW-TV ASIA+ as the “living channel”, delivering the most compelling content on European lifestyle, culture, health and wellness, and the arts will further cement the dialogue with millions of viewers from our target audience and enriching their lives in the process.”

Christopher Lanz, Director of Television at Deutsche Welle says: “DW-TV ASIA, with the existing 16 hours of German language and eight hours of English will continue to serve the German-speaking audience to complete Deutsche Welle’s dual strategy for the marketplace. This will help us to better cater to the varying needs of our viewers while reaching our core target audience both current and new.”

The existing DW-TV ASIA channel is available on more than 1,200 cable and direct-to-home platforms across Asia and received by more than 210 million TV households worldwide. Both channels are broadcast via AsiaSat 3S.


(Craig's comment, FTA I hope..)


HDTV channels hit nation’s airwaves


From http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2009/01/822567/

VietNamNet Bridge – The Viet Nam Multimedia Corporation (VTC) yesterday officially launched the second generation digital television receiver and high fidelity TV channels to satisfy the first-ever standard of High Definition Television (HDTV) in Viet Nam.

All channels are broadcast through the national satellite VINASAT-1, which was launched successfully last April.

The new product services, which were researched and produced by VTC, will serve the demands of Vietnamese people nationwide with 40 special digital television channels, including 8-HDTV channels and 32- Standard Definition Television (SDTV) channels.

All channels are broadcast through the national satellite VINASAT-1, which was launched successfully last April by the Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) at a cost of more than US$200 million.

The satellite's footprint is expected to cover Viet Nam, Laos, East Asia, India and Australia, as well as help extend communications services to rural and remote areas where ground infrastructure, which often requires prohibitively expensive investment, is not adequate.

According to VTC, most channels on LCD and Plasma televisions only receive SDTV signals, with a limitation of 400,000 picture points leading to low quality signals, while HDTV channels can collect approximately two million picture points to provide better quality images and sound.

HDTV receivers and spare parts are now sold on the domestic market for over VND3.5 million (US$205.8) each.

Customers who still use traditional televisions can buy VTC's satellite television receivers, with SDTV receivers worth more than VND2 million ($117.6).



(Craig's comment, on KU 132E 11008H and 10968 H sr 28800 Fec 3/4 DVB S2. Asia beam.)


Nation has first high-definition TV channels


From http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2009/01/822505/

Viet Nam Digital Television from the Multi-Media Corporation (VTC) on January 6 officially broadcast eight Full High-Definition (Full HD) TV channels through Viet Nam’s first satellite, Vinasat-1.

Three of the eight channels are reserved for programmes in Vietnamese and the five remaining HDTV channels are in foreign languages including ESPN HD sports, National Geographic HD, China Central TV CCTV-HD, Fashion TV HD and Luxe TVHD.

The company has announced that as from January 6, the set-top-box HDTV receivers will be on sale nationwide at 3.53 million VND each.


Celestial beams down to Russia


From http://varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/7790/1/

HONG KONG – Shaw Brothers' library of classic kung fu films will soon be coming to TV sets in Russia and other former Soviet countries, according to rights holder Celestial Pictures.

          In a deal announced Tuesday, Celestial will provide content to London-based Viasat Broadcasting, for broadcast on the satcaster's Action East pay-TV channel in 15 territories, including Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine. Celestial already has an existing deal with Viasat for Shaw Brothers content in Slovenia.

"Kung fu has always been a popular genre amongst global audiences," said Terry Mak, executive VP, distribution and TV networks of Celestial Pictures. "The distribution in Eurasia is a landmark deal for Celestial’s Shaw Brothers martial arts movies."


Cairo Hosts the Afro-Asian Conference & the Launch of TAG-IPR.TV


From http://www.ag-ip-news.com/GetArticle.asp?Art_ID=6657&lang=en

CAIRO - Under the patronage of Dr. Ahmad Nazif, Prime Minister of the Republic of Egypt, the “Towards an Afro-Asian Knowledge-Based Society Initiative” Founders’ Conference will be held in Cairo, January 11-12, 2009.

The event is organized by the Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organization (AAPSO) and the Arab Knowledge and Management Society (AKMS) in cooperation with the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org), with the participation of high ranking official delegates and experts in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) from both Africa and Asia.

The conference will discuss the mechanism of building a knowledge-based society and developing an Afro-Asian coordination council to achieve a knowledge economy.

In addition, one of the topics to be tackled is the creation of an Afro-Asian network for knowledge-based societies to exchange information and be updated with the latest developments in the field.

Moreover, participants will address the establishment of a network to provide electronic solutions and another network for consultancy services linked with international societies on education, economy, finance and trade.

Some representatives of delegations will shed light on their countries’ experiences in enhancing ICT; in addition, the Four Asian Tigers experience will be highlighted. TAG-Org’s role in founding a knowledge-based society will be referred to as an example for Asia and Africa.

In conjunction with the conference, TAG-Org will be holding its Annual Meeting January 9-10, 2009 with the participation and attendance of executive and regional managers from TAG-Org’s 71 offices.

The opening ceremony will take place at the Smart Village Conference Hall, October 6 city on the occasion of the official inauguration of TAG-Org’s new state-of-the-art premises at the Village.

The opening ceremony will also witness the launch of the IPR World Satellite (TAG-IPR.TV), a pioneering channel that will run specialized programs related to Intellectual Property (IP) issues in both Arabic and English to raise awareness on the importance of protecting IP in the Arab region and the world at large.


Kuwait: Defunct satellite station to be scrapped




From http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20090107050430/Kuwait's defunct satellite station to be scrapped

KUWAIT: Minister of Communications Abdulrahman Al-Ghunaim recently addressed the Ministry of Finance and asked them to prepare the procedures necessary in order to sell the remains of a defunct satellite communications station in the remote area of Um Al-Aish.

The station was heavily damaged by Iraqi forces during the invasion of 1990/91. Al-Ghunaim said his ministry decided to sell the remaining satellite dishes, wires, and damaged communication sets as scrap items in order to clean up the area the facility is located in.

He said the Communication Ministry also hoped to receive some financial profits from the sale of items from the destroyed station, Al-Qabas reported. The two ministries will form a committee of engineers and technicians, as well as a financial team, to assess the worth of the items to be sold.


DTH market: Big names homing in


From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Brand_Equity_/DTH_market_Big_names_homing_in/articleshow/3944872.cms

It’s the kind of skirmish that brings back memories of the heydays of the cola wars. Airtel Digital launches a teaser campaign on TV; virtually
overnight Reliance BIG hijacks the creative concept and counters Airtel with a TV campaign of its own. Tata Sky lines up plans to announce its intention of offering its platform for ad sales; Dish TV quickly puts together a press conference and makes public its ad sales pitch. And in a throwback to the fierce telecom battles, everyone’s already started playing an aggressive price war — even though most players will say that direct-to-home (DTH) is a growing pie and there’s plenty of room for everyone.

The DTH market in India stands at roughly seven million subscribers, which is less than 10% of the 85 million C&S homes in the country. However , industry estimates predict DTH to touch 25 million subscribers by 2012, and that’s the number that every DTH brand has set its sights on. So apart from Tata Sky, Dish TV, Airtel Digital and Reliance BIG, southern heavyweight Sun TV has entered the fray with Direct, while Videocon is planning to enter the market in early 2009. The mad scramble for eyeballs has already resulted in some high decibel advertising and a promotional blitzkrieg. Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman, McCann Erickson India, the agency handling the Sun Direct account, acknowledges the competition in the DTH arena. “It’s a cut throat business as it’s an emerging category and all players want top-of-mind recall,” he says.

One way of ensuring top-of-mind is through the competitive pricing of packages. For instance, Sun Direct, the 80:20 JV between the Maran family and the Astro Group of Malaysia, has a campaign on air that clearly demonstrates the brand’s decision to go price first. Playing the price card is a good first-past-the-door tactic early in the game, especially in a category like DTH, where it’s always harder to get subscribers to switch between brands. Unlike in, say, mobile telephony , where subscribers are at liberty to shuffle between two or even three service operators by switching SIM cards, in DTH, the onus of having to change set-top boxes and get refunds works as a deterrent against brand promiscuity.

While pricing may be a good opening gambit, the key to long-term sustainability will be strong product and package differentiation. This becomes even more imperative because DTH as a business operates on long gestation periods and demands deep pockets. Ruling out the possibility of making money in the first year or two, Tony D’Silva , COO, Sun Direct DTH Services , says: “In the long run DTH players will make money on the number of channels their customers subscribe to. Customers may start with a basic package, but they’ll always want more.” There may be a kernel of truth in that, given the subscriber segmentation strategy that Tata Sky has adopted with the launch of Tata Sky+. “The top end of the market was looking for the best functionality and service , and to tap that segment we launched Tata Sky+, ” explains Vikram Kaushik, CEO, Tata Sky. “The middle market was targeted through a greater array of choice and value-added services , while the bottom end was addressed with affordable pricing.”

The competition to accumulate subscribers and capture market share is intense. BIG TV, which launched last August, claims to have gained half a million customers within the first two months of launch. Says Sanjay Behl, group head – brand & marketing , Reliance Communications: “We are targeting a 35% share among the players who are entering the market with us, and looking at the initial numbers, that looks possible.” Airtel DTH, on the other hand, is focusing on geographical reach; in the first phase it has targeted 62 cities, which is set to go up to 257 towns within six months of launch. “We expect to gain 20% market share of net new additions to the category in year one,” says Atul Bindal, president, telemedia services, Bharti Airtel.

Distribution will be extremely critical for all players, particularly in the post-sales period. Many potential subscribers, particularly in rural areas , are wary of subscribing to DTH, given the poor post-sales record of some of the existing players — in the absence of a good after-sales network, subscribers in rural parts are known to use the services and goodwill of local cable operators to fix niggling problems with their DTH dishes and set-top boxes. “It is easy to reach firsttime buyers through a network of 30,000 to 40,000 retailers, but when it comes to recharge coupons for DTH, it becomes difficult for consumers . BIG will look at being present at places where anybody can get us, be it the grocer or paanwala,” says a senior official at BIG TV. In a bid to tap rural markets, BIG claims it will look for potential partnerships with echaupals , post offices and even fertiliser companies. Sun Direct is also looking at non-conventional channels for distribution, which includes retail outlets, rural self-help groups and people in homogenous businesses . Says D’Silva , “We are creating a set of trained professionals in DTH hardware servicing to support our distribution , post-sales services, installation and activation teams. We promote Sun Direct in all heavy footfall areas, where we demonstrate the product and explain add-on packages.”

While round one of the DTH war is about aggregation of captive eyeballs (and that’s pivotal for round two), round two will have to be about aggregation of content. Or rather, unique content. For the success of one DTH brand over another will be determined by the speed with which it moves from being just a platform for TV content to being an easily-customisable , contentled medium. Already, the ‘showcase’ strategies of players like Tata Sky and Dish TV — which, for instance, recently aired Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! on a pay-to-view model with great success — points to how things will shape up in the future.




6/01/09

Live satellite realted chat 9.pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd time onwards in the chatroom

Tennis Feed seen on D2 12680 6670 V


From my Email & ICQ


..


From the Dish


Agila 2 146E 12233 H "DW-TV Asia" has started on , Fta, SR 7500, FEC 5/6.

Express AM3 140E 10981 V "Eurosport 2" is encrypted again.
Express AM3 140E 10961 H "AS Baikal TV" is back on , Fta.

Telkom 1 108E 3640 V "The MGM Channel Asia and Nat Geo Adventure Asia" have started, Irdeto. TelkomVision 4 has left.

ProtoStar 1 98.5E 12710 V "NVF" has started on , Fta.

Insat 4B 93.5E 4005 H "R TV" has started on , Fta.

Insat 2E 83E 4042 V "Feyz TV" has left .

Insat 4A 83E "IBN Lokmat" has moved from 4082 H to 4078 H, Fta, SR 3250, FEC 3/4.

Express AM2 80E 11606 V "Lubimoe Kino" has started on , Irdeto.

Thaicom 2 78.5E 4016 H "Ten TV" has started on , Fta, SR 2300, FEC 7/8.

Thaicom 5 78.5E 3640 H "TCT World" is back on, Fta.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3991 V "Divya TV" has started on , Fta.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3960 V "News Time TV" has left .

ABS 1 75E Desh TV has left 3595 H.

ABS 1 75E 12579 V "FootSchool TV" has left .

Intelsat 906 64.2E 3654 R "TPA 1" is back on , Fta.

NSS 703 57E 3808 R "BFBS 1-2" have started on , DVB-S2, Cryptoworks, SR 14000, FEC 1/2.(W.H beam)


NEWS


Sky Perfect JSAT Announces Share Buyback


From http://www.satellitetoday.com/st/headlines/29491.html

Sky Perfect JSAT has acquired a number of its own shares, the company announced Jan. 5.
The company acquired more than 13,500 shares in December at a cost of 568.8 million Japanese yen ($6.2 million).
The acquisitions were part of a plan approved by the board Dec. 3 that authorized 1.6 billion yen ($17.2 million) to repurchase up to 40,000 shares, or 1.2 percent, of the company’s outstanding stock.


HDTV in China Gaining Momentum, Says IMS Research


From http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20090106/163625/

A recent study from IMS Research has revealed that 46 million homes in 25 Chinese cities have converted from analog to digital cable. While the satellite platform is expected to serve the majority of HDTV households in the Asia-Pacific region, the cable segment in China is expected to be the dominant digital platform for the country by the end of 2009, passing 69 million households at that time.

The research firm forecasts that 3.2 million of these digital cable households will have the capability of viewing HDTV programming by the end of 2013.

Shane Walker, research analyst and author of the study, states, "The main driver behind adoption of HD programming and HDTV products in the Asia-Pacific region has been Japan's strategy of introducing HD via satellite and then following with digital terrestrial. At the end of 2007, Japan accounted for over 12 million HDTV households, 90% of total HD households in the region. However, many operators and broadcasters in China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan have either launched HDTV service or have a launch planned during the next year".

Two principle factors holding back many Asia-Pacific operators from offering new HD services at this time are the lack of localized HD programming and the prohibitively high cost of consumer equipment.

Due to slow digital terrestrial uptake, China's growth potential for HDTV viewership rests heavily upon the cable TV market due to its size. China's State Administration for Radio, Film & Television (SARFT) has been strongly promoting the concept of a national digital cable network, striving to digitize all cable networks by 2015. According to the latest figures from SARFT, the transition is behind schedule by two years. Formerly a strictly analog cable pay-TV market, the government push has helped to speed cable digitization.


Shenzhou-7 Monitor Satellite Finishes Mission After 100 Days In Space


From http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Shenzhou_7_Monitor_Satellite_Finishes_Mission_After_100_Days_In_Space_999.html

The accompanying satellite of Shenzhou-7 orbital module has accomplished its preset mission after 100 days in space, the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) said on Sunday.

This achievement marks China's "preliminary mastery of satellite monitor technology," the center said. Since there are still some extra fuel left, the satellite will continue its flight for more scientific experiments.

After being released on Sept. 26, one day after China's third manned spacecraft was launched, the accompanying satellite was adjusted 13 times through engine ignitions so that it could focus on the orbital module of Shenzhou-7.

The center said the accompanying satellite has being flying around the orbital module in an elliptical circle, with the farthest distance of 7.6 kilometers and the nearest of 3.8 kilometers.

The satellite has sent back thousands of high-quality pictures of the orbital module, which were captured by its two cameras.

According to the center, the three Taikonauts aboard Shenzhou-7-- Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng - have ended their tours across the country, and they will continue their regular training course to prepare for the establishment of China's first space station.

China successfully launched the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft on Sept.25 last year, making it the third country in the world to conduct extravehicular activity (EVA) in space following the former Soviet Union and the United States.

Ship back from mission of tracking Shenzhou VII space flight
The Yuanwang V ship returned to a China port after a 117-day mission of remotely tracking the Shenzhou VII space flight which blast off in late September.

The return signaled the completion of the tracking mission by five ships for support of China's first space walk.

The ships, Yuanwang I,II, III, V and VI, set sail Aug. 18 last year and traversed nearly 100,000 sea miles in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

China successfully launched the Shenzhou VII manned spacecraft on Sept. 25. During the 68-hour flight, taikonaut Zhai Zhigang, wearing a domestically made Feitian space suit, conducted a 20-minute space walk. China became the third nation to conduct a space walk, after Russia and the United States.

The ships monitored the entire space walk and also kept tabs on the depressurization of the orbital module when the taikonaut left and re-entered the spaceship.

They also controlled the shuttle's solar panels, its orbit maneuvers and maintenance.

"In previous missions, including the Shenzhou V and Shenzhou VImissions, only four tracking ships were deployed," said Jian Shilong, director with the China Maritime Tracking and Control Department. "We added one more to the Shenzhou VII mission to monitor the taikonaut's extra-vehicular activities."

In all, China boasts a fleet of six Yuanwang space tracking ships which have carried out some 70 expeditions and traveled more than 1.5 million sea miles in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

The tracking ships constitute China's space telemetry network together with some 20 terrestrial surveying station.


The year of DTH


From http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/?p=12426

Although the Christmas and New Year period is usually a quiet time for news stories, the one just passed proved to be something of an exception.

There was, in particular, considerable activity to report on in the Russian DTH sector. Long regarded as a one-player market served by the long-established NTV-Plus, it has in the last few years seen the emergence of several new platforms. Tricolor TV, in particular, is proving to be a star performer, seeing its subscriber total rise to an impressive 4.35 million at the end of last year.

The service known as Platforma HD, hitherto only one of two dedicated HD platforms in CEE, has meanwhile decided to introduce a comprehensive SD offer. Perhaps this is an acknowledgement that the market in Russia, dynamic though it is, is not quite yet ready for a successful HD-only service.

However, with the DTH sector also served by Orion Express and another platform, known as Raduga TV, in the offing, the prospects for digital satellite broadcasting in Russia have never looked so promising.

While it may be an exaggeration to say the same holds true elsewhere in the region, things certainly look good in a number of countries. In Poland, for instance, Cyfra+ saw a significant rise in subscriber numbers late last year, thanks in no so part to an intensive marketing campaign that is still on going.

Indeed, it is very likely that the total number of DTH homes in Poland will, for the first time ever, equal if not exceed those receiving cable services by the end of this year.
Meanwhile in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Skylink pre-pay platform ended 2008 with a combined total of 500,000 customers. There is a good chance its success will be maintained in 2009.

Hungary, too, now that it is served by no fewer than four platforms, should see significant growth in DTH take-up this year.

While no one can doubt the seriousness of the economic crisis we currently find ourselves in, the outlook for satellite broadcasting in CEE is better than many would have us believe.


Nigeria: Daarsat Set to Hit Air Waves


From http://allafrica.com/stories/200901051238.html

DAARSAT, the new satellite Direct-To-Home (DTH) Pay TV platform, is set to hit the airwaves soon as it intends to excite Nigerians with bouquet of broadcast content.

DAARSAT comes with a deep afrocentric orientation which aligns with the traditions of DAAR Communications Plc, owners of DAARSAT.DAARSAT will be the first satellite Pay TV platform offering service in Nigeria and operating wholly from Nigeria. This is based on their belief in the development of the technological manpower in Nigeria to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

With a strong focus on exceptional customer service management, DAARSAT is conceptualised with a programme bouquet to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians. It is one platform that takes cognizance of the interests of the viewers. The new pay TV comes with superior quality and programme depth that is second to none.

DAARSAT will commence operations with 40 channels that span entertainment, sports, movies, lifestyle, news, fashion and music. A major feature of the new pay TVs is the deliberate choice of the channels to align with the expectation of the Nigerian viewing public.

DAARSAT will introduce the latest compression technology - MPEG4 which gives it the capability to introduce real High Definition programming to Nigeria as it will air Nigeria's first high definition broadcast content as part of its programme offering. In a bid to accelerate the transfer of technology, DAARSAT will, in its first year of operation, commence the manufacture of its decoders in Nigeria.

In DAAR Communications Plc's traditional pioneering role, DAARSAT is set to introduce to Nigeria, the world's first Integrated Decoder and LCD Television which receives both digital, terrestrial and satellite television signals.

The Executive Chairman, DAAR Communication, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, said DAARSAT has a focus to Nigerianise the pay TV industry in Nigeria. The vision is predicated on the need to make every Nigerian have a sense of belonging in the new pay TV. It is an attempt at creating a voice for Nigerians.

Dokpesi also said the company has engaged expatriate engineers who will develop the competence of its manpower in engineering and technical areas to accelerate the transfer of technological skill sets required in this new industry.


Zee's three channels up on Prasar Bharati's DTH


From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/jan/jan15.php

NEW DELHI: The three Zee channels are up on DD Direct Plus, the DTH platform of Prasar Bharati, but the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal will hear the case again on 9 February.

Complying with the Tdsat directive, Prasar Bharati restored the signals of Zee Smile, Zee Jagran and ETC Music - and also that of a regional broadcaster Enter10 TV - on DD Direct Plus.\

Tdsat had pulled up Prasar Bharati for not complying with its direction regarding carriage of three Zee channels on its DTH platform DD Direct Plus.
 
According to Tdsat's direction, each channel has to cough out Rs 6 million as carriage fee to the state-owned DTH service provider.


ISRO to launch four foreign satellites this year


From http://www.ptinews.com/pti\ptisite.nsf/0/5F98DD9D1D88081F6525753600285967?OpenDocument

Ramnath Shenoy Bangalore, Jan 6 (PTI) Indian Space Research Organisation will launch four foreign satellites this year as it seeks to make further inroads into the international satellite-building and launch services market in 2009.
Two weeks ago, communication satellite, W2M, built by ISRO on a commercial basis in partnership with EADS-Astrium of Europe, was successfully launched by the European Ariane-5 launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou in French Guiana.

Managing Director of Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm of Bangalore-headquartered ISRO, K R Sridhara Murthy, said the Indian space agency is gearing up to launch four satellites of Singapore, the Netherlands, Italy and Algeria. (These contracts were bagged by ISRO independently and not in partnership with EADS-Astrium).

"We have four commitments for Singapore, the Netherlands, Italy and Algeria. We want to complete it in 2009," he told PTI in an interview. "It (the four spacecraft) is a mix of nano and small satellites".

Contractual obligations bar ISRO from talking about specific launch price but Sridhara Murthy said that the space agency's charge per kg of satellite (to be launched) is around Euro 20,000 per kg, quite cheaper than prevailing International prices.

But, he stressed that the launch price is guided by competition, market conditions and demand-supply scenario. PTI




5/01/09

The Telstra mux on 12281V Sr 27500 Fec 2/3 has left Intelsat2/Pas2 KU (Now on Asiasat 4). Arirang is still on 12401V


From my Email & ICQ


From Horst

Asiasat-2 100.5 deg e
14.30 pm aussy time for the last 2 hrs
bombing live transmission>gaza live<
on 3706-h-4167 UP-4
fs 75 / 55
fortec star auto search
2.2 m dish-chinese lnbf
no other reports ?
arabs and russian channels reporting this also live.....
in addtion are press tv 3662-h-27500 and Nile news service

all on asiasat 2 100.5*e


From the Dish


Intelsat 8 166E 3940 H "Fox Business Network" has left again.

JCSAT 2A 154E Agonsyu has left 12310 H.

Express AM3 140E 10961 H "AS Baikal TV" has left .
Express AM3 140E 10981 V "Eurosport 2" is Fta
Express AM3 140E 11665 V "Lubimoe Kino" has started on , Irdeto.

JCSAT 3A 128E 4120 V The TAS mux has left .

AsiaSat 4 122.2E 3760 H "Animax India" has started on .
AsiaSat 4 122.2E 3880 H "AXN India and Space Toon India" (Fta) have started

Koreasat 5 116E 12503 H Silver TV and C3TV have left .
Koreasat 5 116E 12575 H Inet has left .
Koreasat 5 113E 12619 H "SBOX has replaced SBC" on , enc.
Koreasat 5 113E 12621 V lMBN TV, MBC, Gayo TV, Movie Channel, YTN and Well-Being TV have left .
Koreasat 5 116E 12731 H "RTV" is Fta. Gayo TV is encrypted again.

Chinasat 6B 115.5E 3750 H "Aniworld TV has replaced Golden Eagle Cartoon TV" on , Fta.

Telkom 1 108E 3620 H "Discovery Turbo has replaced Discovery Real Time" , Irdeto.
Telkom 1 108E 3640 V "SC Entertainment, SC Musik and SC News" have started on , Irdeto.

Cakrawarta 1 107.7E "Baby TV Asia" has left 2565 H.
Cakrawarta 1 107.7E "Discovery Channel South Asia" has left 2595 H.
Cakrawarta 1 107.7E "SET International and Asia Plus" have left 2625 H.

AsiaSat 2 100.5E 3960 H "Trace TV" is/was Fta

ProtoStar 1 98.5E 12710 V "Eye" (Sri Lanka) has started on , Fta.

NSS 6 95E 11037 H "Star Utsav and Chardikla Time TV" have left .
NSS 6 95E 12595 V "Fashion TV India, Nepal 1, India TV and Play TV" are Fta.

Insat 4B 93.5E 4045 H "Adithya TV" is now Fta

Insat 4B 93.5E 11570 V "Zee Smile" has started on , Fta.

ST 1 88E 3469 V "Buddha Compassion TV Station and Da Ai TV" (Enc and Fta) have started on, Conax, SR 30000, FEC 5/6.

Thaicom 2 78.5E 3824 H "Ten TV and Saha Channel" have left .

Thaicom 5 78.5E 3545 V "D Station" has started on, Fta.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3640 H "ETCT World" has left .
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3840 V "365 Din" has started on , Fta.

Intelsat 10 68.5E 12722 V "TCT World" has left .


NEWS


High stakes for networks in digital dividend


From http://business.theage.com.au/business/high-stakes-for-networks-in-digital-dividend-20090101-78kw.html

THE commercial television networks are quietly delighted by Telstra's exclusion from the $10 billion national broadband network (NBN) tender. As an owner and content provider to the NBN, Telstra would have given the networks two things they dread — competition and a gatekeeper to the largely unexplored world of broadband TV.

Using its new Telstra Media arm, the big carrier could have effectively become a fourth commercial TV operator. The NBN operator will have some 100 digital channels to play with, opening the potential of multiple plays in home broadband free-to-air and pay TV.

Telstra's exclusion (at least in the initial stage) highlights the mega-stakes for TV networks, not just in the broadband tender but the big shoe that will drop right behind it — analog spectrum switch-off and the return of old spectrum. This is the so-called "digital dividend".

Viewers get the snazzy new world of digital choice and viewing quality by analog cut-off in 2013, while taxpayers get what Communications Minister Stephen Conroy estimates could be worth $1 billion from reselling old spectrum.

But viewers and taxpayers shouldn't be holding out for any dividends. Spectrum return and the resale dividend threaten a bigger commercial and government wrangle than the NBN tender. At least a three-way tussle is looming.

Conroy wants to maximise any resale, possibly "restacking" the old analog broadcasting services band to clear larger blocks. Communications companies, Telstra included, are keen for new spectrum to meet demand for wireless broadband, as new gadgets like iPhones titillate consumers. The analog spectrum is ideal.

As expected, the networks are not just reluctant to hand back spectrum until they get all sorts of assurances about no new competition, they actually want more.

Their argument is that, unlike analog where picture signals simply fade over longer distances from transmitters, digital signals fall off a cliff, requiring more, not less, spectrum to maintain.

The networks' real dilemma, however, is that they urgently need a new business model. And not just for digital multichannel broadcasting, but for the even more threatening world of broadband, with its consumer promise of many different methods of utilising video content via internet protocol television (IPTV).

The networks — the ABC and Seven excluded — still cling to their 1950s mass-market control model they have sold to advertisers over decades. But viewers — and advertisers — are fragmenting into pay TV and the internet. Unless the networks adapt, they face a similar fate to newspapers of being eaten alive by the internet.

Foot dragging on digital multichannelling illustrates the reluctance to change. Sure, they have created Freeview, with its promise of 15 channels, but the ABC is the only network to launch a new channel. Ten has unveiled a sports channel for next year. Nine and Seven are yet to reveal any plans.

These are all standard-definition digital channels. The networks have declined the opportunity to expand their digital high-definition simulcast broadcasting into full channels, which government rules now allow.

This exposes the much-touted HDTV as a spectrum land-grab by the networks, which now realise its high costs. But new territorial grabs will be standard fare as the NBN is launched, then folds into the analog spectrum return and its digital dividend. Telstra, with its media ambitions, could even be a claim jumper if it quickly launchd its own broadband network, forcing the Government-subsidised successful bidder to follow.

The networks want immunity from competition. They have it until 2012. They also want added digital spectrum, but really crave subscription services to upset Foxtel/Austar's continuing inroads. Competing services must be a real issue for Conroy now pay TV has snared about a quarter of the total viewing market. Of all the clamouring parties in the new media landscape confronting Conroy, the networks will wield the biggest stick.

Australians still like their free TV, no matter how much it has been dumbed down. Conroy will want to pass them on into digital and broadband while also gaining his digital dividend.

At the same time, he has wider business, social and consumer interests to protect as broadband has an impact on everything from video conferencing to delivery of government services. This means maximising open access to the NBN.

Crucially, the networks need a broadband strategy. After being dragged into digital multichannelling, they now need to understand that high-speed broadband will attack all current home video markets — particularly network TV.


Networks 'not serious' about multi-channelling


From http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24864771-15306,00.html

THE three commercial free-to-air networks were, from yesterday, finally permitted to launch a new digital channel -- but none will have the new channels operating for several months.

The January 1 inaction on multi-channels by the Seven, Nine and Ten networks has been interpreted as a lack of enthusiasm for the new channels, and prompted a new round of hostilities from the pay-TV sector.

Foxtel says the lack of action in starting the new channels indicates the networks are not "serious" about multi-channelling.

From yesterday, the three networks were each legally permitted to launch an additional standard-definition channel, to add to the high-definition multi-channels they are already allowed to launch.

This means the commercial networks alone have the combined potential from now on to offer a total of nine stations with distinct programming.

But the only one so far to have announced plans for programming distinct from its main free-to-air station is the Ten Network, which in late October announced it was launching the 24-hour HD digital sports channel, One.

Ten's new channel will not be set up until April, but it has announced its content. "One" will be a direct competitor to pay-TV's Fox Sports channels, with sports including golf, Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket, AFL, boxing, swimming, netball, MotoGP and F1 events.

Nine and Seven have not yet announced what programming will be on their new digital channels, which are expected to launch no earlier than April.

This is despite the fact the main networks have had since October 2006 -- when the Howard government first passed legislation that allowed the commercial networks to launch the standard-definition multi-channels.

Adam Suckling, Foxtel's director of policy and corporate affairs, said the lack of action so far by the commercial free-to-air networks was telling. "Seven, Nine and Ten have had more than two years to plan and launch one new digital channel each on January 1, 2009 -- which they are now allowed to provide under government rules," he said.

"But they have chosen not to do so ... If the free-to-air networks were serious about driving digital take-up, they would have launched their new channels from the day they're allowed to."

The rhetoric of the commercial networks about the new digital channels has not been enthusiastic at a time when ad revenues are down because of structural change and the global financial crisis. Last year Nine boss David Gyngell said the new channels were a "tax" on the networks.

The new multi-channels will form part of a platform called Freeview, the free-to-air networks' answer to the profitable pay-TV multi-channels offered by regional operator Austar and Foxtel (the latter is part-owned by News Limited, publisher of The Australian).

Freeview is proposed to contain 15 distinct channels (the main channels of the commercial networks, as well as the ABC and SBS: plus each network's high-definition and standard-definition digital channels).

But Mr Suckling says the commercial networks are giving no signs of using the full potential of the new channels. "The free-to-air advertising says they're providing 15 channels. But in fact, from next year, they will only provide three new channels to what is already available."

Many other multi-channels are simple simulcasts of the main channels and are likely to remain so in the short term.

Mr Suckling also said Foxtel would start a number of new channels in 2009, as a new satellite gave it more capacity to do so. "Foxtel launched nine channels in 2008 -- including Sky News Business and five new HD channels -- and will launch another 20 digital channels in 2009."

Of the three commercial networks, Ten has been the most positive about the new channels -- announcing its plans earlier than Seven and Nine. It is also believed to have attracted at least four "foundation partners" for One.

Canadian media mogul Leonard Asper -- the president and CEO of CanWest, Ten's 56.6 per cent owner -- said Ten would initially concentrate on sponsorship rather than advertising. However, Australia's top media buyer, Harold Mitchell, last week questioned whether Ten would make much from the sports channel.

All the major networks are likely to keep costs to a minimum on the new channels. Ten revealed a fortnight ago that its cost growth for 2008-09 compared with 2007-08 would be zero, including the establishment of One.

In mid-2008, Mr Gyngell was dismissive of suggestions the new channels would cost each of the networks $50 million a year, saying that the combined spend of the three commercial networks on the new standard-definition channels would be less than $50 million a year.


Queer radio station joins gay TV channel


From http://sxnews.e-p.net.au/news/queer-radio-station-joins-gay-tv-channel-4690.html

Hot on the heels of last month’s announcement of GaySat.tv – a new gay TV station for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific – GLBT radio station Queerhunt Radio has announced that it is teaming up with the TV station, and will be jointly broadcasting via satellite to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and other South Pacific nations.

Peter Bassett-Scarfe, Director of Queerhunt Radio, said: “We’ve teamed up with GaySat.tv to bring Queerhunt Radio to a whole range of new listeners across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, making us the first gay radio to broadcast via satellite in the Southern Hemisphere.”

The announcement means that the radio station is now jointly available with the TV station, which is now taking subscribers.

Lindsay Probin from GaySat.tv the station’s programming was “very well rounded” and that it was “a gay lifestyle service with gay-produced and themed TV and movies, community broadcasts and its own special production events at home and around the world. Every subscriber will also have free access to Queerhunt Radio streaming live 24/7 [and] we have a whole lot more in store”.

Probin said that a second channel would be added to GaySat.tv by April 2009.


(Craig's comment, That's QueerHunt with an "H" (Not that there's anything wrong with that)


From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28448675/

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 31, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (Nasdaq:LORL) and the world's leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it has finalized a previously announced satellite contract award to provide a new spacecraft to Intelsat, the leading provider of fixed satellite services (FSS) worldwide.

"This will be the 45th satellite that we have provided to Intelsat," said John Celli, president and chief operating officer of Space Systems/Loral. "Like Intelsat 14, it combines heritage, space-proven building blocks with some of the world's most advanced technologies."

Intelsat 17 is a powerful, state-of-the-art, C- and Ku-band spacecraft for Fixed Satellite Services (FSS). It is scheduled to be available for launch in 2010 and will be located at 66 degrees East, where it will replace Intelsat 704. Based on the SS/L 1300 satellite platform, which provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications, Intelsat 17 is designed to provide service for 15 years or more.

About Intelsat

Intelsat is the leading provider of fixed satellite services (FSS) worldwide, delivering information and entertainment for many of the world's leading media and network companies, multinational corporations, Internet service providers and governmental agencies. Intelsat's satellite, teleport and fiber infrastructure is unmatched in the industry, setting the standard for advanced transmissions of video, data and voice services. With the globalization of content, broadband, telecom, HD and mobility fueling next-generation growth, the ever-expanding universe of satellite communications is the cornerstone of today's Intelsat. Real-time, advanced communications with people anywhere in the world is closer, by far.

About Space Systems/Loral

Based in Palo Alto, California, SS/L designs and builds satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As the leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to deliver spacecraft for a broad range of services including direct-to-home television, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and digital multimedia broadcasting. With more power on orbit than any other satellite manufacturer, SS/L helps customers meet business objectives with advanced solutions based on space-proven heritage designs. For more information, visit www.ssloral.com.

About Loral Space & Communications

Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company. Through its Space Systems/Loral subsidiary, the company is a world-class leader in the design and manufacture of satellites and satellite systems for commercial and government applications including direct-to-home television, broadband communications, wireless telephony, weather monitoring and air traffic management. Loral also owns 64 percent of Telesat Canada, one of the world's largest providers of satellite services. Telesat Canada operates a fleet of telecommunications satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, distribute direct-to-home video and broadband data services, and other value-added communications services. For more information, visit Loral's web site at www.loral.com.

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition, Loral Space & Communications Inc. or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing, which may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer of the company. Actual results could differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements as a result of a wide variety of factors and conditions. Many of these factors and conditions are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for subsequent periods. The reader is specifically referred to these documents, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACT: Space Systems/Loral Media Contact: Wendy Lewis +1 (650) 852-5188


Worldspace ‘potential bidders’ lining up


From http://rapidtvnews.com/index.php/200901042846/worldspace-potential-bidders-lining-up.html

Tomorrow, Jan 6, a hearing will take place in the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware to decide the date when an auction of Worldspace’s assets might take place, and to grant Worldspace another slice of operational cash as ‘Debtor in Possession’. The Court was told on Dec 30 that a number of potential bidders are conducting due diligence in preparation of bids for Worldspace’s assets.

Worldspace is “in discussions with a number of potential purchasers” said a Court affidavit submitted on Dec 30.

Originally the Court had set a date of January 7 for the start of the auction process. That is likely now to be extended, probably by 14 days to Jan 23 if Judge Peter Walsh agrees.  January 15 will see the formal expiry of the 90-day Court-approved ‘Debtor in Possession’ period, and Worldspace is looking for this to be extended to Jan 29. If the Court approves the new dates the actual auction for Worldspace assets will take place on Jan 26.

Worldspace filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on October 17 with admitted debts in excess of $2bn. The Court filings show that the company’s principal assets include “two completed satellites in orbit; a satellite in storage; related operational ground equipment and intellectual property and related regulatory licences and various contracts.


CCTV.com Sued For Copyright Infringement In China


From http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/12/30/8367-cctvcom-sued-for-copyright-infringement-in-china/

CCTV.com, the official website of China Central Television, has been sued by the Beijing-based Qiusuo Hengda Investment Consulting Co., Ltd. for illegal broadcasting of a TV series.

The complaint asks for CNY23 million compensation and the case has been accepted by the No.1 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing.

Qiusuo Hengda said in its legal forms that the company owns the exclusive Internet broadcasting right of a 468-episode TV series named "Yi Nan Wang" in China. However, CCTV.com started to broadcast this TV series on its website from January 2008 and used the TV series in its advertising marketing. Qiusuo Hengda said the infringing activities of CCTV.com have interfered with the normal fulfillment of copyright authorization contracts signed between Qiusuo Hengda and many other companies, which made Qiusuo Hengda suffer great losses as it settled its breach of contract dealings.

The company said that by November 13, 2008, the TV series had been illegally broadcast more than 7.19 million times on CCTV.com and the relevant pages had been visited 16.92 million times. By advertisement pricing methods of the industry, CCTV.com's illegal income is estimated to be about CNY22.94 million. Therefore, the complaint asked for CNY23 million in compensation.

Loal Chinese media quoted an unnamed relevant person in charge of CCTV.com's marketing promotion department saying the legal department of CCTV.com is currently dealing with the issue in accordance with legal procedures. Because the case is complicated, the company will not give any comment. It will respond to the lawsuit at the appropriate time


Russia Has A Crisis-Free Year In Space


From http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russia_Has_A_Crisis_Free_Year_In_Space_999.html

Russia's space industry is ending the year without mishaps. Although old headaches and problems are still there, things have not changed for the worse, and that is quite an achievement in our troubled times.

Despite the crisis, Russia is leading the world in rocket launches. On December 25, the last launch this year was carried out: a heavy Proton carrier rocket orbited three satellites of the Glonass (Global Navigation Satellite System). The Russians made 27 launches in 2008, one more than in 2007. This is a post-Soviet record.

The Americans dropped markedly behind, with 14 launches, including one unsuccessful: the Falcon-1. China carried out seven space launches, including one manned. Five French Ariane-5 launch vehicles lifted off the Kourou space center in French Guiana. As many Russian-Ukrainian Zenit-3SL rockets blasted off from the Odyssey sea-based platform in the equatorial Pacific, operated by the Sea Launch company.

India and Japan made their space debuts, 3 to 1, respectively. Iran tried to become a space power, but there is no proof that it has put a spacecraft into Earth orbit.

In January-October, 85 satellites were injected into space, with the largest number, 35, launched by Russia. In this case, however, it acted as a traditional freighter and orbited more foreign satellites than its own.

Russia leads the world in rocket launches, but it is still using the potential created fifty years ago. Its rockets are robust, but there is a limit to everything. It seems there is time to roll out new launch vehicles. But there is none. Let us hope we'll see them in the future.

At the same time, it is hard to disagree with the Russian Space Agency (Roscosmos) that launch services require high technologies, of the same type that are used to develop nano-products, and Roscosmos is determined to stay ahead despite the global crisis. It is common wisdom that most efforts are needed where success is assured.

Russia's Glonass system is a nice example of that. Its 17 satellites were joined this year by three more, launched by a Proton. There is hope that Glonass satellites will soon cover all of Russia. Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, commenting on the successful December 25 launch, said: "Personally, I do not think the space end of Glonass has any major problems left. In the next two years we should focus on the ground framework."

Good progress has been reported on the ground. The terrestrial infrastructure for space monitoring has been improved and space findings are being used with greater effectiveness. It is also gratifying that college and university students are actively joining the effort.

In 2008, three Russian universities - the Siberian and Southern Federal universities and Tyumen State University - set up space monitoring centers. The technologies they are using have been developed in Russia by the ScanX Engineering Technology Center. The centers serve to observe the environment in Russia's regions from space.

But to be effective, they need a large number of remote-sensing satellites, which are unfortunately lacking. However, next year's plans include launching more of Earth and weather satellites. If everything goes well, Russia will acquire its own constellation of weather satellites by 2013.

Given a large and upgraded fleet of rockets and spacecraft of all types, Russia may become the absolute space leader at the beginning of the next decade.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.


Swami Ramdev to launch two TV channels


From http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Swami_Ramdev_to_launch_two_TV_channels/articleshow/3934555.cms

NEW DELHI: India's most famous yoga guru is now working towards becoming a media czar.

After taking over Aastha channel, Swami Ramdev is now all set to launch two channels exclusively for bhajans and Vedas.

Swami Ramdev's spokesperson S K Tijarawala told TOI that the two 24-hour channels will be launched by April. One will explore Indian traditional and devotional music like bhajans and the other will propagate Indian culture through the learning of the Vedas.

Tijarawala said Swami Ramdev was acting as mentor and guide to both the channels. "Just like Swami Ramdev has a five-and-a-half hour yoga show on Aastha national and Aastha international, the two new channels will also run under the guidance of Swami Ramdev. He will have his own segments in the channel besides that for well-known exponents of Indian culture, music and dance," Tijarawala said.

Swami Ramdev's yoga shows on Aastha are shown across 170 countries and have a viewership of 20 million people.


ISRO to launch Mehga Tropiques weather satellite


From http://news.techwhack.com/9608-mehga-tropiques

Indian Space Research Organization has announced that they are now working on launching a weather satellite.

ISRO is working on launching this new satellite named Mehga Tropiques which has been co-developed by the Indian and French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales).

This new satellite has been designed to provide simultaneous measurements of several elements of the atmospheric water cycle such as water vapor, clouds, condensed water in clouds, precipitation and evaporation; measure the corresponding radiative budget at the top of the atmosphere; and ensure high temporal sampling in order to characterize the life cycle of the convective system and to obtain significant statistics.

ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair said in a statement that the satellite would be built by ISRO, with the French space agency adding some components like SAPHIR, SCARAB and MADRAS.

ISRO is also expected to soon release the images taken by their Moon Impact Probe (MIP) from the Chandrayaan-1 mission which was completed successfully last year.


Mangalore: Edusat in all districts


From http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=107427

MANGALORE Jan 3: Education through Satellite (Edusat) programme will soon be extended to all the districts in Karnataka, beginning with Raichur, deputy director of the Directorate of State Educational Research and Training B.P. Venkatesh said.

He was speaking at the inaugural function of the State-level science model exhibition competition at Vidyadayini High School in Surathkal near here.

At present, the Edusat is available in Chamrajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Ramnagaram and Gulbarga districts. From an archive of 450 programmes on science and mathematics, two select episodes of half-an-hour duration each, were telecast everyday under the Edusat programme, which was being partially sponsored by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Mr. Venkatesh said.

Apart from the Edusat, the DSERT was contemplating on launching a computer literacy programme, under a tie-up with Microsoft Company, in the State.

This programme was aimed at making teachers computer literates helping them in exploring the possibilities of using computers in teaching, he said.


Pix to telecast live FA Cup matches


From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/jan/jan4.php

MUMBAI: Pix, the English movie channel from Multi Screen Media (formerly known as Sony), has bagged the official television rights in India to telecast UK’s popular football tournament, The Football Association Cup, popularly knows as the FA Cup.

The matches will be telecast live starting 3 January, where prominent clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham will compete for the round of action.

Multi Screen Media CEO Kunal DasGupta said, “The passion for football is rapidly growing while the sport is gaining popularity in India. Pix brings its viewers the best in football action - FA Cup live from the stadiums.”

As part of the agreement, Pix and the FA Cup will also have the rights to air a series of England International matches in which the senior national team will play to qualify for the World Cup 2010 and European Cup 2012.

“Our viewers can enjoy the best selection of movies on Indian television along with some exciting football action from the World’s top professional league,” said MSM COO NP Singh explaining the rationale behind the telecast of football matches.

Pix business head Sunder Aaron added, “Pix has been a keen promoter of exceptional and exclusive events since we launched. In the past we’ve aired music concerts, The BAFTA Awards, and the Goal 4 Africa Charity match all which augmented the staple of great movies already on the channel. In this way we are able to expand our audience base and reach out to more viewers.”


(Craig's comment, also FTA on CTN Channel, Thaicom1 120E cband)





4/01/09

No update Holiday break




3/01/09

No update Holiday break




2/01/09

No update Holiday break




1/01/09

No update Holiday break