29/07/09
Sorry for the very late update, had a birthday party to attend
AsiaSat-5 launch delayed 24 hours The launch of Russia's Proton-M vehicle with a Briz-M upper stage and China's AsiaSat-5 telecommunications satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome has been postponed until 19548 UTC on 11 August.
A new SBS mux has appeared on Optus D1 Dual beam
12646 V sr 12600 Fec 5/6
SBS ONE:12646:v:0:12600:161:81:897
SBS TWO:12646:v:0:12600:162:83:898
SBS 3:12646:v:0:12600:161:81:899
SBS 4:12646:v:0:12600:161:81:900
SBS HD:12646:v:0:12600:102:103:901
SBS Radio 1:12646:v:0:12600:0:201:910
SBS Radio 2:12646:v:0:12600:0:202:911
Last 3 values are VPID:APID:SID
Scan Chinasat6B many encrypted channels are / were currently FTA
3920 H 27500
3980 V 27500
4020 V 27500
4060 V 27500
4140 V 27500
Tigergate have launched their 2 New Channels (Kix and Thrills)
Measat3 91.5E 3769 V Sr 14000 MPG 4
http://www.tigergate.com/kix.htm
http://www.tigergate.com/thrill.htm
From my Email & ICQ
From Steve Johnson (NZ)
SBS One, SBS Two, SBS 3, SBS 4 & SBS HD FTA testing.
Optus D1 12646Vt SR 12600 Fec 5/6 NZ/Australia dual beam
From the Dish
Chinasat 6B 115.5E 4115 H "CCTV Arabic" has started on , Fta.
AsiaSat 3S 105.5E 3880 H "9X and 9XM" have left .
Express A2 103E 3675 R "Muz TV" has left .
Thaicom 5 78.5E "Tara Newz" has moved from 4004 V to 4011 V, Fta, SR 2500, FEC 3/4.
Telstar 10 76.5E 4016 H "Desh TV" has started on , Fta, SR 4340, FEC 3/4.
ABS 1 75E "Desh TV" has left 3587 H and 3659 H, moved to Telstar 10.
From asiatvro
东经95度轨道位置的新天6号卫星Ku频段，动物星球（测试）等一组频道新增，设置11171 V 27500参数免费接收。[07-29]
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，HCBN（英语）频道加密，设置12579 H 22000参数有条件接收。[07-29]
东经125度轨道位置的鑫诺3号卫星C频段，CCTV-3、CCTV-6（CCTV）等全组频道解密，设置4160 H 27500参数免费接收。[07-29]
东经115.5度轨道位置的中星6B号卫星C频段，CCTV-5、CCTV-8（CCTV）等全组频道解密，设置3880 H 27500参数免费接收。[07-29]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，蜻蜓一台、蜻蜓二台（韩国）频道加密，设置12411 V 11110参数有条件接收。[07-29]
东经125度鑫诺3号卫星C频段，CCTV3，5，6，8-频道解密播出，设置参数4160 H 27500免费接收。 (2009-07-29)
东经138度亚太5号卫星C频段，消失的民视、民视新闻、台湾交通频道恢复，设置参数3786 H 7200免费接收。 (2009-07-29)
NEWS
Irdeto cuts deal with Foxtel for online plan
From http://www.apb-news.com/management/321-irdeto-cuts-deal-with-foxtel-for-online-plan.html
Irdeto has cut a deal to provide Australian pay-TV provider Foxtel with cutting-edge content management solution to protect a range of online content initiatives under development.
The objective of the exercise is to enable Foxtel to offer subscribers enhanced entertainment offerings and premium content on new media platforms that include downloads to PCs.
“We’re delighted to have found a partner in Irdeto that will help us drive viewers’ interest in our products and bolster our entertainment offering via alternative delivery platforms,” said Patrick Delany, executive director of sales and product development at Foxtel. “For our ... download initiatives, Irdeto has been a one-stop shop, with excellent knowledge of the technical and business challenges we face in the provision of online media services.”
One of the challenges posed by the project was to integrate new online delivery systems while ensuring that the pay-TV company’s existing workflows and systems functioned without interruption during the transition. Moreover, Foxtel’s range and volume of video and metadata coming in from various internal and external sources also needed careful synchronisation with online services.
Irdeto has established for its client simple but powerful custom interfaces requiring only a small team to ingest, repurpose and publish hundreds of hours of broadcast content across a wide variety of formats, enabling delivery to Foxtel’s online ser-vices and partners, as well as elsewhere.
The online initiative also entailed the deployment of Irdeto’s platform at Foxtel’s Sydney headquarters, with modules including:
- Syndication to facilitate video and metadata ingest from Foxtel’s channels and those belonging to third parties;
- Publish to automate the workflow needed to schedule, transcode and distribute live and on-demand premium content on popular platforms such as PCs, mobile phones and iPods;
- Control for studio-strength digital rights management (DRM);
- Monetise to support transaction management; and
- Download Control to provide a near-DVD viewing experience on consumer PCs.
“We have built a solid reputation as the go-to solutions partner for operators seeking new ways to manage and deliver their premium broadcast content to new media platforms and to further strengthen their market share,” said David Canellos, senior vice-president of Irdeto sales and marketing. “Irdeto’s content-management solution provides Foxtel with a platform to deliver enhanced services and entertainment options to a sophisticated audience in a highly competitive TV and home-entertainment market.”
Digicel launches Digi TV in Tonga
From http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=2907091e13e462b2d6c9fdeb2c4b33
Mobile phone company, Digicel today launched its new pre-paid television service, Digi TV in Tonga.
CEO of Digicel, David Butler said this is a momentous occasion for Digicel Tonga as they are the first Digicel country to launch Digi TV in the Pacific region.
Speaking to Fijivillage News from Tonga, Butler said Digicel acquired the TonFon TV business in 2007 and has invested extensively to create a world class television service.
The pre-paid Digi TV service is currently offered to Tongatapu and Eua residents offering a choice of two affordable entertainment packages Digifamily and Digimax.
Up to now residents of Tonga have had to invest heavily in a satellite dish equipment to access international TV programming.
Digi TV will turn on officially tomorrow with a huge party in Tonga.
(Craig's comment, this is a Cable TV service, not satellite http://www.digiceltonga.com/en/tv )
Free-to-air Premier League football for China
From http://www.advanced-television.com/2009/jul27_jul31.htm#w5
Chinese football fans will be able to watch English Premier League matches on free-to-air television this coming season.
Since 2007 exclusive TV rights were owned by the digital broadcaster Win TV, with matches only available on subscription – a limitation which hampered clubs building on their fan bases in the world's most populous country. However, Guangdong TV, which broadcasts to most of the nation, has now paid £1.6 million (E1.85m) for the right to show one live game and a highlights package every week.
Asia accounts for more than 40 per cent of the League's global audience with nearly one million fans tuning in.
Orbital Second Quarter Profits Fall 65 Percent; Lowers 2009 Earnings Projections
From http://www.satellitetoday.com/st/headlines/31733.html
[Satellite Today 07-29-09] Orbital Sciences’ net profits dropped 65 percent to $8.7 million from $25.1 million in 2008, according to its 2009 second-quarter financial reports released July 28.
The satellite manufacturer’s revenues saw a 10 percent decline to $270.1 million, falling nearly $27 million short of what industry analysts expected the company to earn.
Orbital said the shortfalls were caused by weaker satellite and advanced program revenues and decreased contract activity on both the Orion human spacecraft program and communications satellite programs.
As a result of the company’s performance, it is cutting its 2009 outlook. Orbital now expects to earn between $1.11 billion to $1.14 billion for the year, down from its previous forecast range of $1.15 billion to $1.18 billion. “We reduced our revenue and profit estimates for the year due to delayed satellite orders, the termination of a missile defense contract and reduced margins in advanced space programs,” Orbital CEO David Thompson said in a statement.
UAE's first gov't satellite set for lift-off
From http://www.arabianbusiness.com/563217-uaes-first-govt-satellite-set-for-lift-off
The UAE government’s first satellite is set for lift-off Wednesday night from its launch site in Kazakhstan.
The remote sensing satellite – DubaiSat-1 – is scheduled for take off 8.46pm UAE time from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the National reported.
DubaiSat-1, which has cost AED184m ($50m) to develop, will be used to take detailed photographs of the region for use in urban planning and disaster relief, the paper said.
“Delays in launching procedure are not unusual and happen frequently as it is linked to the results of the final tests undertaken by the team of scientists and experts to ensure accomplishing the process in the smoothest way possible,” said Ahmed al Mansoori, director of the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST).
DubaiSat-1 was set to launch on July 25, but was delayed at the last minute for safety checks, the paper said.
If lift-off goes to plan the first images are expected to be beamed back to Dubai within hours, but it may take several days for the satellite to become fully operational.
Setanta planning UK return
From http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2009/07/29/setanta-planning-uk-return/
Setanta Sports is looking to recommence broadcasting to the UK after the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland agreed two new satellite licences.
Setanta Sports 1 will be a subscription service that will broadcast live and recorded events to the Irish Republic while Setanta Sports is described by the BCI as broadcasting “live and delayed sporting events, mainly at weekends, and will target audiences in Ireland and the UK.
The BCI has also approved proposed changes in the ownership of Setanta Sports Channel Ireland Limited and Setanta Sports North America. Gaiety Investments, the investment vehicle for music promoter Denis Desmond and his wife, Caroline Downey, is increasing its shareholding from 20% to 60%. A new company, Sabloss, owned by Setanta’s founders Michael O’Rourke and Leonard Ryan, and the former chief executive of the UK operations Mark O’Meara, will own the remaining 40%. Sabloss had agreed the buyout with original investors Doughty Hanson and Goldman Sachs.
“These are positive developments for the Setanta companies and for Irish broadcasting,” said BCI chief executive Michael O’Keeffe. “Setanta has established itself as a key player in the broadcasting sector here and this new investment, coupled with the new channels, should secure its future in Ireland after a difficult number of months.”
Although nine slots on the Sky EPG were last week put up for auction by the administrators of the Great Britain Business, Setanta retained the rights to its Irish business, and has continued to broadcast since the GB business folded on June 23.
DD Sports to be Commonwealth Games channel; AIR has big plans
From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/july/july340.php
NEW DELHI: DD Sports will become the Commonwealth Games channel during the games in September next year and will telecast all events live or deferred live round the clock.
The Opening and Closing ceremonies will be telecast live on DD National, DD Sports, and the international DD India channel. DD News will air these ceremonies live on its news bulletins.
In addition, DD National will telecast hour-long daily highlights during the Games.
On the radio front, All India Radio will have a broadcast feed of seven and half hours every day, besides the live commentary of the Opening and Closing ceremonies.
There will be a programme highlighting the day’s events every night.
Regional capsules would be broadcast by non-Hindi capital stations. In addition, hourly updates would be given on FM Rainbow channels. Capsules in English, Hindi and Urdu will also be broadcast in External Services Division.
All India Radio has also planned to provide adequate coverage to Queen’s Baton Relay as a pre-game programme, apart from curtain-raiser and warm-up programmes.
AIR will depute adequate programme and technical officials and commentators for the live coverage of the games. They will be imparted training and attend workshops for this purpose.
DD and AIR will customize the basic feed from the Indian perspective, including the performance of Indian athletes.
While Doordarshan as the host telecaster is in the process of finalizing the entity for the production and coverage of the Games, the basic feed (World Feed) in High Definition Television (HDTV) would be generated by Doordarshan itself.
While Doordarshan and All India Radio has exclusive telecast right for Indian territory, an International Broadcast Centre will be set up in Pragati Maidan for the Commonwealth Games next yer.
Expression of Interest has already been issued for shortlisting parties for this purpose, Parliament was told today.
As reported first in Indiantelevision.com, five companies including Reliance ADAG's Big Productions and Nimbus Communications have been shortlisted for production and coverage facilities for the Commonwealth Games next year on behalf of host broadcaster Doordarshan.
Pact With US To Boost India's Space Launch Industry
From http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Pact_With_US_To_Boost_India_Space_Launch_Industry_999.html
ISRO's advantage is that it is one of the few space agencies in the world that can sling a light satellite into low orbit.
A technology safeguards agreement (TSA) signed with the US last week will open up fresh opportunities for India in the field of space launches, say officials. The agreement, signed July 20 in New Delhi, will facilitate the launch of non-commercial US satellites and satellites with US components on Indian launch vehicles.
"It will open up more satellite launch opportunities for India," said K.R. Sridhara Murthi, executive director of Antrix Corp, the Rs.1,000-crore ($200 million) commercial and marketing arm of the country's space agency, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
"Earlier, satellites built with US-made components were not available for Indian launch vehicles," Murthi told IANS from Bangalore on phone.
At present, the total market for non-commercial launches is estimated to be around 40 satellites a year, of which India's share is very small. However, with the TSA agreement, India is poised to make a larger penetration into the market, said ISRO officials.
Generally, non-commercial satellites are lightweight and may not fetch big revenues for a rocket launch agency as the satellite transport fee depends on its weight and the orbit into which it has to be launched.
ISRO's advantage is that it is one of the few space agencies in the world that can sling a light satellite into low orbit.
Though the deal will give advantage to the country in the non-commercial satellite field, India is still prohibited from launching US satellites or using US-made satellite components in the heavy commercial satellite segment.
New Delhi has to sign a commercial space launch agreement (CSLA) with Washington for the restrictions to get eased.
However, ISRO's cooperation with other countries is steadily improving, said Murthi.
The space agency is now gearing up to launch an Algerian satellite Alsat by the year-end with its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
"Owned by the Algerian Space Agency, the satellite is built by a French company with components of US origin," Murthi said.
That apart, ISRO will also launch Megha Tropiques, an Indo-French joint satellite mission for studying tropical atmosphere and climate issues like monsoon, cyclones and others.
The satellite will have an Italian made atmospheric sounder called ROSA.
Apart from Alsat and Megha Tropiques, ISRO will also launch small satellites from Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, Singapore and Canada.
Another major launch mission of the agency for the current year is the launch of GSLV-D3 (geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle) that will carry communication satellite GSAT-4.
GSLV-D3 will use an indigenous cryogenic engine that will place the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), Murthi said.
After that, GSLV-F06 carrying INSAT-3D will be launched.
28/07/09
Live satellite chat 9.pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd time onwards in the chatroom
From my Email & ICQ
..
From the Dish
Apstar 6 134E 12515 V "Cubavision Internacional" has started on , Irdeto.
Sinosat 1 110.5E 12500 V "BBC World News, NHK World Premium, Horizon Channel, Phoenix Movies Channel,
TVB 8, TVB Xing He, NOW, Celestial Movies, Channel NewsAsia, China Entertainment TV and Cubavision Internacional" have started on , Irdeto,
SR 27500, FEC 3/4.
AsiaSat 3S 105.5E 3680 H "Maharishi Veda Vision" has left .
AsiaSat 3S 105.5E 3732 V "Zee Cafe, Zee Trendz and Zee Studio" are Fta.
AsiaSat 3S 105.5E Tamil Box Office on 4071 H is Fta.
NSS 6 95E 11131 V "Asia TV (Thailand)" has started on , Fta.
Insat 2E 83E 3789 V "Kanak TV" has started on , Fta.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3760 V "PSI Channel" has left .
Thaicom 5 78.5E 4004 V "Tara Newz" has started on Fta.
Intelsat 7 68.5E 3661 V "Sikh Channel" has left .
Intelsat 10 68.5E 3777 V "Aastha Bhajan" has left .
Intelsat 10 68.5E 3802 H "Times Now" is now encrypted.
Paksat 1 38E 3819 V "Sabzbaat Balochistan TV" has left .
Intelsat 12 45E 11632 V "Nat Geo Wild Asia" has started on , Irdeto.
From Asiatvro site
东经83度印星2E号卫星C频段，印度的Vissa频道解密，设置参数3774 V 13021免费接收 (2009-07-27)
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，蜻蜓一台、蜻蜓二台（韩国）频道解密，设置12411 V 11110参数免费接收。[07-28]
东经68.5度轨道位置的泛美10号卫星C频段，Times Now（印度）频道加密，设置3802 H 10000参数有条件接收。[07-28]
东经68.5度轨道位置的泛美10号卫星C频段，Aastha Bhajan（印度）频道消失，设置3777 V 2940参数无效接收。[07-28]
东经68.5度轨道位置的泛美7号卫星C频段，Sikh Channel（英语）频道消失，设置3661 V 14070参数无效接收。[07-28]
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星C频段，Tara Newz（印度）频道重现，设置4004 V 6666参数免费接收。[07-28]
东经95度轨道位置的新天6号卫星Ku频段，OK TV、Asia TV（泰国）频道新增，设置11131 V 27500参数免费接收。[07-28]
NEWS
Nextgen extends fibre net to 15 sports venues for PMG (Fox Sports)
From http://www.itwire.com/content/view/26536/127/
Nextgen Networks has extended its nationwide fibre optic network to 15 major sporting venues to provide Premier Media Group (PMG, the owner of Fox Sports) with 1Gbps of capacity per venue to transmit video footage of major sporting events.
The two-way IP connectivity will replace one way satellite links operating at a maximum of 60Mbps, enabling PMG to improve the quality of the images its viewers receive, delivering high definition images and opening up the potential for new services. The 1Gbps feeds from the individual venues are consolidated into a 10Gbps feed into PMG's headquarters in Pyrmont, Sydney.
The venues are in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Newcastle, Gosford, Canberra, Brisbane and the Gold Coast and include the MCG in Melbourne, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, AAMI Stadium in Adelaide, Subiaco Oval in Perth and the Etihad stadium in Melbourne (formerly the Telstra Dome).
Nextgen managing director, Phil Sykes, said: "We have provided them with their own dedicated 1Gpbs fibre network, it is a huge step up... We are doing national gigabit per second private network for the video industry. It is probably the first in the country so it is a bit of a landmark."
The network also gives Nextgen the opportunity to target other broadcasters, and telcos. Sykes added: "We now have fibre to these stadiums and will offer a competitive option to other broadcasters. We can make a VPLS instance available for a range of customers. It is a VPLS layer 2 network that is demand driven."
These venues can also be the sources of very high volumes of cellular traffic during major sporting events, presenting Nextgen with the possibility of offering capacity to cellular operators looking to upgrade their backhaul to high capacity IP. Sykes said: "We are already carrying a fair bit of Vodafone's traffic around the country and we continue to build up our relationship with Vodafone. Fibre based connectivity to the towers is something that they put a lot of focus on."
Tony Scanlan, chief technology officer at Premier Media Group, said the new network would be pivotal in providing a technology path for the development of next generation video production, contribution and distribution. "This network will allow us to deliver exceptional video quality with low delay and good performance across our entire contribution and production chain."
He told iTWire that, at present "We use satellite, and in some locations we have access to a Telstra Video Network product. The venues we are looking at [for Nextgen fibre] are those where we use satellite capacity. Normally we would get 9-20MHz which would give us 12 to 60Mbps. Now, from each venue we are looking at bringing back several hundred megabits per second of digital data.
Scanlan said that all network links and associated equipment was installed and operating and would operate in parallel with existing systems for the next few weeks before being brought into service.
Beyond this he said: "There are a whole lot of new features we are looking at, including pushing content out to the venue, and brining content back which could be multiple cameras, or data for the website."
(Craig's comment, bad luck feed hunters!)
Fox to sport a clearer picture
From http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25843286-15306,00.html
VIEWERS will be served higher quality match broadcasts on Fox Sports after the channel's owner completed a multi-million-dollar upgrade of network infrastructure at 15 stadiums across the country.
Premier Media Group has successfully trialled the equipment at three AFL games in Melbourne and Adelaide over the past two weeks.
Similar trials will be conducted at Brisbane and the Gold Coast over the next week with an eye to using the increased bandwidth for broadcasts of AFL, NRL, soccer, rugby union and other sports.
PMG chief technology officer Tony Scanlan said the higher bandwidth would be used for selected sporting contests in about two weeks.
The higher quality broadcasts would deliver a smoother picture to viewers, which would mean less artefacts and pixilation disruption.
"You should be able to see the grass and the faces in the stands," Mr Scanlan said. "The end result should be a much higher quality product without any blurring or pixilation."
PMG signed a deal with Nextgen Networks to install faster network switching equipment manufactured by Juniper at 15 major sporting venues around Australia.
The stadiums are in regional Australia and major cities except for Sydney, where PMG will continue to use Telstra's network to carry the feeds from sporting venues.
Previously the vision at the ground would be captured and produced at the ground, and a compressed feed would be distributed to viewers via satellite.
What's behind Seven's Foxtel hunt?
From http://www.cnet.com.au/what-s-behind-seven-s-foxtel-hunt-339297609.htm
Commentary When Seven Network bought into the TiVo empire and last year helped bring the hugely popular device to Australia, it was a decade late and now seems to be coming up a dollar short.
TiVo's high price and a wealth of competitors has kept it from becoming the runaway success it has been in the US, although reportedly solid sales and recent distribution deals with JB Hi-Fi and Myer suggest it may be slowly finding its footing.
Yet it now appears TiVo was only the beginning of Seven's fight to climb the broadcasting food chain: Telstra CEO David Thodey was recently reasserting his company's love for Foxtel, the broadcasting monolith that all but owns Australia's pay TV market, after Seven Network boss Kerry Stokes spent $234 million to buy 18.3 per cent of 25 per cent Foxtel owner Consolidated Media Group (CMG).
Although it's hardly likely to wrestle a controlling interest over Foxtel given Telstra's 50 per cent ownership, Seven's mooted buyout of Consolidated Media Group reflects the company's long-running ambition to diversify its broadcasting portfolio from its stable of free-to-air broadcast channels. Cross-over investments like this one seem like a concerted effort to deliver on that ambition.
An eventual position on the Foxtel board would theoretically change the tone of the company's management, opening the door to greater synergies between the FTA and pay TV markets and presenting new opportunities to get a leg up on competitors as digital TV steadily gathers momentum — and appeal for crucial advertisers and sponsors. This would also help strengthen Seven's position with respect to Freeview, the FTA industry's hail-Mary pass designed to counter the growing threat posed by an increasingly high-definition and newly-profitable Foxtel, whose iQ PVR has been a much bigger success than TiVo.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this deal, however, is where it could take Seven in the long term. While forging a closer relationship with the dominant pay-TV provider could be a smart defensive move, Seven's long-term game may be better reflected in the opportunities presented by IPTV — the potential of which Foxtel has already been exploring in the past, and into which Telstra and Foxtel are also reputedly eager to tap.
With a reworked front and back-end content system and avowals that it will offer video-on-demand, catch-up TV and streaming Winter Olympics coverage, Foxtel is counting on a more flexible range of delivery options to consolidate its lead in the broadcast market — particularly as a reinvigorated Telstra explores its options for IP-based content.
Seven's own ambitions in the carriage space became clear with its late-2007 buyout of Unwired, the spectrum-rich wireless internet provider which now falls under the ambit of Seven subsidiary Network Investment Holdings (NIH). The Unwired buy gave Seven access to a range of wireless spectrum covering 90 per cent of Australia's population, providing a robust data backbone which it could feasibly deliver all manner of video, data and other IP-based content. As I noted at the time, this made it a strong contender to target telecoms markets that have been historically dominated by Telstra.
The only problem with this arrangement is content, and that's where a closer relationship with Foxtel could be of benefit. If it can get cozy with the country's largest supplier of pay-TV content, and maintain its relationship with its Freeview partners-in-FTA, Seven can cherry-pick the best of both worlds and extend its tendrils into a whole range of new areas. This could easily expand to include IP-based telecommunications services, turning the network into a more full-service communications operator.
Seven's endgame, however, may lie even further afield: a shift towards IP broadcasting will be aided by the eventual introduction of the NBN, which — whenever it actually manages to put some fibre in the ground— will present radical new options for Foxtel, whose growth has so far been constrained by the physical limits of its hybrid fibre-coax (HFC) network.
This network offers far more growth potential than Foxtel's second-tier satellite coverage, as illustrated by Telstra's already-announced plans to boost the HFC network to 100Mbps by year's end. Complemented by Seven's respective strengths and united in their access to a whole new range of customers via wireless, HFC and FTTH, the companies could mount a solid, far-reaching and unprecedented market assault based on combinations of pay TV, IPTV content, and telecommunications services.
Seven might not be eating Telstra's lunch just yet, but playing its cards right in relation to pay TV might just yet see that change over time. It may all start with CMG, but where it ends is anybody's guess.
NBN to reshape net, pay-TV
From http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25843290-15306,00.html
A MAJOR network technology vendor has revealed the potential for Labor's $43 billion national broadband network to radically reshape the internet and pay-TV industries.
Ericsson Australia and New Zealand multimedia strategy chief Kursten Leins said the network was likely to contain the intelligence and design that would allow the NBN company to let IPTV players bypass internet service providers and bolt directly on to the fibre access network.
That would remove a crucial economic obstacle to the success of IPTV -- the ISP broadband tariffs that sit between IPTV players and consumers.
Mr Leins said understanding the NBN technology required a shift from the over-the-top service model to the hybrid model that was being considered for the new network. That would include a concept of breaking the internet into multiple networks to supply services including health and security, which would bypass ISPs entirely.
"Today when we think of the internet in Australia we typically think about this model where services are delivered over the top, and what is critical to this current way of working is that ISPs are our gateway to the rest of the network and internet services," he said.
"With the NBN being the active network there is absolutely no reason why an ISP has to be the only gateway provider to a range of services."
IPTV providers would still need to invest in content deals and infrastructure but would have more certainty about audience reach.
That could also mean existing pay TV players could stop leasing access to Telstra's network. Foxtel plans to start offering broadband services in October and an IPTV service for PCs sometime next year.
If it is planning to go further down the IPTV path it is keeping its plans close to the chest.
"Generally we are platform-agnostic. We will look at whatever works to expand choice for our customers," a Foxtel spokesman said.
Michael Malone, chief executive of Perth ISP iiNet, said the NBN plans had created a rush to establish IPTV plays in the market.
Adelaide-headquartered Internode is one of the pioneering ISPs to move into the area, with its TiVo set-top box offering launched earlier this year.
IiNet is also testing about 100 set-top boxes in the field and plans to launch a full commercial service in the near future. The ISP was in the process of securing content deals to beef up its offering at launch, Mr Malone said.
ABC boss fights to end media censorship in Fiji
From http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25848203-5017965,00.html
THE managing director of the ABC Mark Scott has used a speech in Vanuatu today to call for the end of media censorship in Fiji.
Mr Scott said he supported local journalists in Fiji who faced daily threats and intimidation from the State and he wanted to let them know the ABC was behind their struggle for an independent media.
“With the Public Emergency Regulations having now been extended several times in Fiji, and
the temporary suspension of democracy now in its third year, media censorship has
continued,” Mr Scott told the 2009 Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) biennial convention.
“The experience around the world is that a free and independent media is a cornerstone in a society which demonstrates good governance in the interests of all its people.”
Mr Scott said the ABC’s presence in the region was governed by the same principles as the public broadcaster’s TV, radio and online services in Australia.
He said Radio Australia and Australia Network complied by the same principles as the ABC in Australia and all came under the same Charter and the same ABC Act and both upheld “the same editorial expectations for accuracy, fairness and objectivity”.
“They also share the largest editorial group covering the the Pacific - 60 journalists led by
Sean Dorney in our Pacific coverage serving the region exclusively through the ABC Asia
Pacific News Centre on Radio Australia, on Australia Network television and online.”
“Sean Dorney has been reporting from the Pacific for over 30 years. He married into the
Pacific and his children spent much of their young lives growing up in these islands. He even
captained the PNG Rugby League national team.
Sky Perfect JSAT Selects Hughes’ Next-Generation Broadband Platform
From http://www.satellitetoday.com/st/topnews/31726.html
[Satellite Today 07-28-09] Hughes Network Systems won a contract with Sky Perfect JSAT to supply its HX System broadband satellite platform, Hughes announced July 27.
The HX platform order includes HX260 and HX200 broadband satellite hubs, terminals and mesh. The next-generation system aims to improve Sky Perfect JSAT’s throughput and bandwidth management while operating from a single network operations center.
Sky Perfect JSAT Senior Executive Vice President Osamu Inoue said the order will help his company reach target rural audiences and to solve digital divide issues in the region.
Thaksin to launch 'Voice TV' network
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/28/politics/politics_30108486.php
Fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra has decided to spend more than Bt1 billion in setting up a global television network called "Voice TV", which will start airing from next month, a Pheu Thai Samut Prakan MP said yesterday.
During his phone-in on Sunday night, the birthday boy said he would launch television channels devoted to education, the poor and selling Otop products.
Pracha Prasopdee said the network will be linked to People's Station and MTV and can be viewed on the already existing http://www.voicetv.co.th/ website.
Though the MP refused to reveal which satellite will be used to broadcast Voice TV, he did say that the government would not be able to block its signal.
After having travelled to several countries to gather information, do feasible studies and to talk to businessmen, diplomats and academics over the past three months, Thaksin will be putting his plans in action next month, he said.
In fact, Pracha said, Thaksin might even host his own television programmes.
The Voice TV website, run under the motto "Voice of New Generation", broadcasts Thai and foreign news shows including latest updates on Thaksin and links to his speeches like his phone-in on Sunday to mark his 60th birthday.
Pracha said the website would focus on inspiring the new generation to express themselves and share their opinions, which would offer society new opportunities.
Pheu Thai Party's deputy leader Panpree Pahittanukorn said the party would be happy if the government helped materialise Thaksin's idea of launching three TV channels for Thai citizens because it would not require huge sums.
"We have proposed the idea, and if this government does not want it, it doesn't matter because when we take over we will make it part of the national agenda," he said.
The "big surprise" that Thaksin had promised was revealed on Sunday when he said he was planning to launch 100 TV stations that could be watched across the globe.
He said these TV stations would prove that his support for Thai citizens was still strong, and that three types of shows ready for kick off were related to selling Otop products, tutoring students and soliciting funds for the poor.
Network Takes Legal Action Against Major Satellite Company
From http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/20180/
NEW YORK—An independent Chinese-language television network is taking legal action against Eutelsat, one of the three most lucrative satellite companies in the world. Eutelsat is under legal pressure for betraying public trust and contractual obligations in order to appease a major customer, the Chinese communist regime.
"China is a country where public liberties are suppressed, such as freedom of expression," said prominent human rights lawyer William Bourdon, who is representing New York-based television network New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV).
NTDTV frequently reports on human rights in China, and other issues kept out of state-controlled news. The network was the first to break news of the SARS outbreak that killed around 350 people in China in 2003.
"NTDTV is a means to try and give access to information, and for Chinese people to get around the wall of intellectual orthodoxy organized by the [Chinese Communist Party]," said Bourdon in an interview translated from French.
Bourdon is specialized in the defense of human rights and victims of crimes against humanity. He was General Secretary of the International Federation for Human Rights from 1995 through 2000, and earned prominence for initiating legal procedures against former Serbian and Rwandan leaders suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes. He also defends several French prisoners detained at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, in Cuba.
Now Bourdon is indirectly confronting the human rights abuses of the most populous nation on earth, China.
The France-based Eutelsat terminated broadcast of NTDTV into China in June, 2008, citing technical problems. A July 10 investigative report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) revealed, however, that the broadcast cut was a premeditated act, owing to influence from the Chinese regime ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
The RSF report included an incriminating recording of Eutelsat staff in Beijing, China, who said: “It was our company’s CEO in France who decided to stop NTDTV’s signal ... We could have turned off any of the transponders ... It was because we got repeated complaints and reminder from the Chinese government ... Two years ago, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television kept saying the same thing over and over: ‘Stop that TV station before we begin to talk.’"
In January, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on Eutelsat to resume NTDTV’s broadcast and clarify its reasons for suspending the broadcast—neither of which Eutelsat did.
“We will support [NTDTV] because we know how important it is, human rights is the basis for any other rules like democracy free market economy, social economy, environmental protections, they all start from human rights,” said European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek in an interview earlier this month. Buzek compared NTDTV to Western radio that encouraged himself and others to hope for freedom in communist Poland.
NTDTV is pursuing a French legal measure that would allow an independent expert appointed by the court full access to Eutelsat's inner workings to definitively determine whether or not Eutelsat gave into political pressure from Beijing.
The expert "can tell us the reality and truth of the matter, meaning, yes or no, Eutelsat had the right to act the way it did, or that behind what we consider to be very probably an act, the reality is that Eutelsat yielded to orders from Beijing and the Chinese government," said Bourdon.
The date for the French court hearing is still being finalized.
While Bourdon pointed out that there is no clear precedent for the case against Eutelsat, he remained optimistic.
"There is an international public conscience that is stronger and stronger and that no longer stands for liberties being silenced and restricted. And all this technology favors the need for the free flow of information, unrestricted, no matter what the resistance is," said Bourdon.
Satellite delay worries Russian platforms
From http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2009/07/27/satellite-delay-worries-russian-platforms/
The leading Russian DTH platforms Tricolor TV and NTV-Plus may be unable to launch any more new channels this year.
Cableman says this is due to the delayed launch of Eutelsat W7 at 36 degrees East, which may now not make its debut until 2010.
Eutelsat W7 will provide Tricolor TV and NTV-Plus with additional capacity, while at the same time freeing up Eutelsat Sesat, which will replace Express AM2.
Tricolor TV is the leading DTH platform in Russia in terms of subscribers, claiming 5 million as of the middle of last month.
NTV-Plus is meanwhile the longest established, having been in operation since 1996.
DISH Network Claims Another Victory In Piracy Fight
From Sky report
The Supreme Court of British Columbia has shut down a well known Canadian web site that has long been considered a haven for satellite signal pirates. The move came in response to a joint case brought by DISH Network, NagraStar and Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership.
The permanent injunction includes two sites owned and operated by Andrew Bate, including piracy forum www.ROM10X.com and pirated software archive www.THEFILESHOP.com.
DISH and its partners in the suit first obtained civil search orders against Bate in January of 2008, calling on him to shut the sites down. The recent injunction finally enforces that order and bars Bate from having any further involvement with satellite piracy activities.
Football from Albania lands pub in the dock
From http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/4514793.Football_from_Albania_lands_pub_in_the_dock/
A WORCESTER pub landlord who screened live Premier League football matches illegally on an Albanian TV channel has been fined £1,000.
Colin Kenwrick, of The Berkeley Arms, on School Road, St John’s, purchased a satellite dish and decoder box from a company offering a football package which was more than half the price of Sky Sports.
The Coventry-based company, Dreambox, charged £1,595 plus VAT for all Premier League matches.
The cost for a commercial package from BskyB would have been about £4,000.
In March 2008, the pub was visited by an officer from the Media Protection Service who noticed two satellite dishes and that the pub was screening a live game with the logo for the Albanian channel DigitAlb on the top left hand corner of the screen.
A couple of months later the officer returned to the pub and explained how BskyB had the exclusive rights to show live Premier League matches and DigitAlb was not permitted to broadcast outside of Albania. In November 2008, Sid Wood made his third visit to the Berkeley Arms and saw an advert for a match between Arsenal and Manchester United.
He went into the pub and again noticed the DigitAlb logo in the corner of the screen. Colin Kenwrick and his son Richard, who was the designated premises supervisor, both denied dishonestly receiving a programme with intent to avoid payment.
Giving evidence at Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday, Colin Kenwrick said he had been assured by Dreambox the channel was legal and was told BskyB were trying to “bluff” him into paying a higher price.
Kenwrick said: “I was told it was perfectly legal to continue showing the football. I thought they were doing it at such a good price because I was told they had lots of customers. I was not being dishonest because I had been assured it was legal.”
Chairman of the magistrates Claire Pilling said: “You were aware of the cost of BskyB’s package and then you were offered it at a cost which was more than 50 per cent less.
“You were then given two letters, one from the Media Protection Service which recommended taking independent legal advice and one from DigitAlb which explained it was illegal to broadcast their channel outside of Albania.
“Therefore, we find the charge proved as you must have realised what you were doing was dishonest.”
Colin Kenwrick was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £600 in costs. Richard Kenwrick was fined £150 and has to pay £300 in costs. They both must pay a £15 victim surcharge.
(Craig's comment, Dreambox?? ummmmm)
Prasar Bharati DTH moving to pay mode?
From http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_prasar-bharati-dth-moving-to-pay-mode_1277779
New Delhi: At a time when competition in the direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting space is intensifying, public broadcaster Prasar Bharati plans to increase the number of channels on its platform from the current 59 to 198.
Also, as against the current model of only free-to-air channels, Prasar Bharati's DTH platform -- DD Direct Plus -- will also accommodate 144 pay channels, four hi-definition channels and 50 radio channels with PPP models. The scheme is yet to be approved by the government, according to the Outcome Budget 2009-10 of the information & broadcasting ministry.
The private DTH players include Dish TV, TataSky, Airtel, Reliance, Sun Direct Plus, and Videocon. But the Prasar Bharti is citing "less transponder capacity" for refusing them entry, industry sources have said.
The subscriber base of DD Direct Plus is estimated at 60-70 lakh, and many private broadcasters are keen to come on this platform for a wide reach.
At present, there is no monthly tariff for watching DD Direct Plus, as opposed to the private DTH service providers. Once DD Direct Plus makes room for private pay channels, it will cease to be a free-to-air platform.
Efforts are also on to enhance the transponders' capacity for DD Direct Plus, to be able to add more channels.
The upgradation includes modernisation, augmentation and replacement of satellite broadcast equipment.
Prasar Bharati had launched Ku Band transmission (DTH) in December 2004, with a bouquet of 33 TV channels. The main objective of this service was to provide TV coverage in remote areas. Except in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, multi-channel TV coverage is now available across the country. From 33 channels, the capacity of DD Direct Plus was later increased to 50 and then 59 channels.
By the year 2015, 40% of the pay TV universe (cable TV and DTH) are likely to be DTH users, up significantly from around 5% now, according to industry projections.
27/07/09
New Channel
Asiasat 4 122.2E 12360 v 9404 "ETV Telugu" on the Australasia beam
New site similar to Lyngsat, Satcodx and others
http://sathint.com/
NZ SPY Base Dish interesting video footage
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/spy-base-gets-its-cloak-secrecy-back-2870989/video
Weekend Feeds
Saturday
D2 12660 V 6670 "Horse racing @ Donald" V 0101 A 0102 P 0101
Intelsat/Pas8 4105H New York Yankees feed, Yes channel, , SR 5632 , V 308, A 256
Asiasat 4 122.2E 12490 V Sr 6620 'NRL Storm v Sharks"
Sunday
As4 12490 v 6620 AFL Melbourne v Sydney
From my Email & ICQ
From nbf_wrestling
Duna II Autonomie has replaced Duna TV (Globecast Optus D2)
From the Dish
Intelsat 701 180E 12648 H "Australia Network Pacific" has started on , Irdeto.
Chinasat 6B 115.5E 4115 H "CCTV 4 Asia, CCTV 9, CCTV F and CCTV E" have started on , Fta, SR 21370, FEC 3/4.
Chinasat 6B 115.5E 4129 H "New Vision" has left .
Koreasat 5 113E 12621 V "BeTV, MBN TV, YTN and Well-Being TV" are encrypted again.
NSS 11 108.2E The ETTV mux has moved from 12571 V to 12651 V, SR 30000, FEC 5/6.
NSS 11 108.2E The TAS mux has moved from 12651 V to 12571 V, SR 30000, FEC 5/6.
NSS 11 108.2E 12591 H "Cignal HD PPV 2-3 and Playhouse Disney Asia" have started on , HD, Videoguard, SR 29980, FEC 2/3.
NSS 11 108.2E 12511 H "Sci Fi Philippines has replaced C/S Origin" on , Videoguard.
Insat 4A 83E 3909 H "Bikas 365" has started on , Fta.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 12313 H "Green Channel (Thailand) and ACTS Channel" have started on Irdeto.
ABS 1 75E 12579 H "3ABN International" has left .
From Asiatvro site
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，东森洋片、东森幼幼（华卫）等频道加密，设置12651 V 30000参数有条件接收。[07-27]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，东森洋片、东森幼幼（华卫）等频道解密，设置12651 V 30000参数免费接收。[07-27]
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星Ku频段，ACTS Channel（泰国）频道新增，设置12313 H 30000参数有条件接收。[07-27]
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星Ku频段，Green Channel替换Earth One（泰国）频道，设置12313 H 30000参数有条件接收。[07-27]
东经83度轨道位置的印星2E号卫星C频段，Vissa（印度）频道解密，设置3774 V 13021参数免费接收。[07-27]
东经113度轨道位置的韩星5号卫星Ku频段，SBN（韩国）频道加密，设置12731 H 28200参数有条件接收。[07-26]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，Cignal HD PPV（菲律宾）全组频道改频率，设置12591 H 28800参数有条件接收。[07-25]
东经100.5度轨道位置的亚洲2号卫星Ku频段，国际电传（传送）频道改频率，设置12304 V 6000参数免费接收。[07-25]
东经100.5度轨道位置的亚洲2号卫星Ku频段，新华社（新闻）频道解密，设置12259 V 6990参数免费接收。[07-25]
东经105.5度轨道位置的亚洲3S号卫星C频段，Tamil Box Office（德国）频道解密，设置4071 H 14240参数免费接收。[07-24]
东经110.5度轨道位置的鑫诺1号卫星Ku频段，凤凰电影、天映电影（统一平台）等一组频道新增，设置12500 V 41530参数有条件接收。[07-24]
NEWS
Spy base gets its cloak of secrecy back
From http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/spy-base-gets-its-cloak-secrecy-back-2870989
A million dollar security dome means the Waihopai spy base is once again shrouded in secrecy.
Sickle-wielding protesters punctured the old dome at the government's satellite communications monitoring facility in Marlborough last April.
A new protective dome was fitted over one of the satellites at the spy base on Saturday.
Workers had to wait a few days for calm conditions in the valley for the delicate work to go ahead.
The replacement process involved around 50 people and wasn't quick. The heavy material was draped over the satellite early Saturday morning but not inflated for hours.
It has cost the government around $1 million.
"It's a serious waste of taxpayers' money. It's not in our national interests to help America spy on the world. We want to be seen as an independent, peaceful country," says Keith Locke, Green List MP.
The satellites at the base tap into telephone, email and fax transmissions in Asia and the Pacific as part of a network which includes the US.
Three people are waiting to stand trial for allegedly slashing the old dome last April, leaving the satellite exposed.
The Government Communications Security Bureau which runs the site says the dome has been replaced to protect the antennae from the elements, but wouldn't say whether there has been a security upgrade at the base since the attack.
Neighbours of the site are glad to see the dome back.
"I think it's going to look better and it sort of reinstates that air of mystery a little bit," says Debbie Walton, a neighbour.
Freeview expanding in tough ad market
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10586778
Freeview says new digital channels are on the horizon despite the advertising slump.
Free television faces an uncertain future because its main revenue source - advertising - has fallen rapidly in the economic downturn.
Free TV, like other traditional media, is adapting to a revolutionary shift in the way people use media and unfettered growth at pay television giant Sky TV.
Yet Freeview general manager Sam Irvine insists that now is a good time to start a free-to-air TV channel.
"Three or four" operators were looking at joining either Freeview's digital satellite or digital terrestrial platform.
And he saw future prospects for pay TV channel to move to Freeview, as happened in Britain.
Irvine said one of the proposals under discussion was advanced. The main negotiations are with the State-owned transmission company Kordia which sells capacity for independent channels to join Freeview.
The Freeview company itself - dominated by TVNZ and MediaWorks - controls access to the electronic programming guide and has no real powers to shut new players out.
But new channels might expect a mixed reception from Freeview incumbents.
More channels will be welcomed, making the free-to-air digital platform more attractive, helping counter the growing power of Sky and digital TV, and hastening the day when analogue signals are switched off.
On the other hand key players - TVNZ and MediaWorks - will be reticent about more free channels funded from the diminishing advertising revenue.
Freeview currently has 13 channels and Freeview believed the country could sustain 18 to 20. On July 15 Freeview estimated 255,048 decoders had been sold, a figure that suggests it may be in 16 per cent of homes.
Of those 167,328 are on satellite, up 11,846 from the last quarter and 87,720 on terrestrial which offers high definition signals, up 17,061.
That compares with more than 706,181 subscribers to Sky digital and and a total 748,546 or 46 per cent of the country.
With digital TV now in more than 62 per cent of homes the Government is planning to switch off analogue TV signals by 2015 or earlier.
Despite earlier emphasis on Freeview as an alternative to Sky TV, Irvine insists that its focus is to make people aware there is more content on free TV and a better quality picture.
Delay in Sky TV putting its free-to-air channel Prime TV on to Freeview - despite calls from Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman - is slowing uptake for the free-to-air platform.
Sky says it is delaying due to costs but free TV advocates say Freeview with more channels might affect the number of people signing up for Sky subscriptions.
Arts channel gives up the struggle and sells to Sky
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10586776
Pay television is reputedly more resilient than free-to-air in an economic downturn - but it is not immune from tough times in this country's tiny TV industry.
Arts Channel owner David Ross said it had become just too difficult to run in privately and he had sold it to Sky TV.
"It was a passion and my biggest concern was to ensure that it continued, and the best way of doing that was to be with Sky," he said.
Arts Channel subscribers pay extra on top of their Sky basic subscription and because the channel does not have ads it has escaped the advertising downturn. But Ross said that it had been difficult to draw new subscribers.
Sky TV chief executive John Fellet said Sky could more easily build numbers. Sky has attempted to broaden the appeal of the channel by offering more popular fare such as The Eagles in Concert and The Darling Buds of May. Ross said that Sky would not be willing to forsake subscription revenue making the Arts Channel available as part of the basic Sky subscription.
In March this year the independently owned and advertiser-funded music channel Alt TV went bust.
Separating the wheat from the chaff
From http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/25/business/4378644&sec=business
Analysts upbeat on potential revamp of the Astro group in light of changing local broadcasting landscape.
IT took 10 years and US$2bil for Rupert Murdoch to get into China for the market potential there mesmerised him. But he lost a lot of money trying to sell pay-TV services in China, writes Bruce Dover in his book, Rupert’s Adventures In China.
The pay-TV business offers huge potential but the risks are equally high. The guzzler is content cost and unlike Murdoch, who has control of sports and the 20th Century Fox, T. Ananda Krishnan’s stable of broadcasting/celco is somewhat content-reliant even though he controls Celestial Pictures.
Celstial owns and had digitally re-mastered the 760-title Shaw Brothers library for worldwide distribution.
Like Murdoch, Ananda also tried his best to make it big in China but his lieutenants often say China is a very difficult market. So it can be understood why Murdoch is still losing money there. Ananda’s Indonesian venture has also turned sour.
But India is a huge market with tremendous potential and Ananda was one of the few early birds that entered the market and despite the sourish Indonesia venture, Ananda’s Astro All Asia Network plc (Malaysia operations) is a cash cow.
Astro group’s revenue grew from strength to strength with a compound annual growth rate of 15% from financial year (FY) ended January 31, 2007 to FY09.
Its earnings before interest, tax depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) in FY09 was higher at RM696mil versus RM615mil in FY08. Ebitda margin sustained at 24% in FY09.
Ananda is into broadcasting and cellular business in India and advertising in China.
In Saudi Arabia, Astro has a joint venture with Saudi Telecom Co Ltd and Saudi Research Marketing Group to aggregate and distribute digital content to the Middle East and is committed to invest RM56mil for a 29% stake in the venture. Saudi Telecom also has a stake in Astro sister company, Maxis Communications Bhd.
A Separation?
So when news leaked out last week that Astro may be separating its international business, it came as no surprise to some analysts.
But some questioned the move: “Why take the loss-making divisions out?’’
Astro has a 20% stake in Sun Direct TV, a direct-to-home player with 3.2 million subscribers and 170 channels. Via Maxis, Ananda controls a large portion of India’s Aircel, the sixth largest mobile player.
Despite intense competition, India has a huge appetite for pay-TV and mobile operations for its one billion population.
Astro Malaysia operations has been subsidising the Indian operations.
Astro chief financial officer Grant Ferguson said the share of losses from Sun TV in FY09 was RM60mil or 3 sen per share and it expected it to remain earnings dilutive till FY13 with share of losses up to RM529mil. Astro has invested RM69mil to date in India Radio and will invest a further RM110mil over the next two years.
The exact details are not available and Astro has decided not to elaborate beyond the fact that it is studying various proposals put forth by its bankers and will make the necessary announcements at an appropriate time.
It did not however, deny that a separation may be in the offing.
What has been speculated is that Astro is considering a plan to divest its unprofitable international operations in a deal valued about RM9bil.
A media report said Astro’s two main shareholders, the privately held Usaha Tegas and Khazanah Nasional, will buy Astro’s unprofitable international operations under the deal which may see Astro paying a one-off dividend of RM1 per share.
Another report suggested that Astro will sell its Indian operations.
During a press conference last week, Astro deputy chairman and group CEO Ralph Marshall said the plan ‘‘may include the separation of the international operations from the Malaysian operations and proposals are being considered to restructure the company, which will result in an efficient capital and corporate structure.’’
Interestingly, state-owned investment arm Khazanah Nasional Bhd has stakes in both Astro and TM. TM is embarking into the IPTV business while Astro, clearly, wants to be a dominant player in that segment.
With Khazanah’s influence, Astro can ride on the HSBB to offer cable TV while TM could offer IPTV, such as video on demand and so forth. This way, both could compete by offering different content.
“So TM should stick to what it knows best and focus on IPTV. There is no room for head-on competition but complementary offering is preferred,’’ says analyst.
Despite the scarcity of information, many analysts have started crunching the possibilities.
One expert said it ‘‘made a lot of sense to take out the domestic and international operations and have Maxis re-listed either directly or via Astro or just have a very strong strategic tie-up with Maxis in view of a quadruple play.’’
Quad play or sometimes humorously referred to as “The Fantastic Four,’’ is a marketing term that combines triple play service of broadband Internet access, television and telephone with wireless service provisions.
This is necessary as the world is borderless and people are looking for new ways of accessing and viewing content at the cheapest cost.
Astro’s direct-to-home offering via satellite transmission sometimes has a rain-fade (losing signal due to rain, snow or ice) issue that could be one of the factors people will switch if cable TV comes to Malaysia. Enter high speed broadband (HSBB), there may be competitors that will want to go into the cable TV business. Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) is building the HSBB and has said it will offer IPTV (internet protocol TV) services.
The move towards HDTV (high definition TV) by Astro is the way forward but it should not stop there. Astro has to address the challenges it would face when HSBB is available. Of course Astro has an upper hand with content but the strength of the other aspiring players in cable TV sphere should not be underestimated.
Astro TV chief executive officer Rohana Rozhan said the group invested some RM300mil to develop local content and localisation and for the financial year 2008, the company spent RM240mil.
She added that Astro’s new set-top boxes which are IPTV-enabled will be distributed from October onwards.
But with a very strong tie-up with Maxis, both Astro and Maxis, when combined into a huge organisation will have a lot to offer in the market place. What is needed is some beefing up of the Maxis network which seems to be congested in some areas.
Overseas operations
Maxis also has operations in India. Experts feel that both the Indian operations of Astro and Maxis should be merged and listed on the Indian stock market, with a dual listing on Bursa Malaysia.
This may seem far fetched to Ananda, but that’s what some analyst reckon as the way forward. For investors of Astro, they can still have access to the Indian operations after it is taken out of Astro.
“We believe that this deal (separation of international business), if true, is generally positive for the stocks as this exercise will effectively result in Astro being solely an operator with local operations,” JP Morgan said, pointing out that Astro had previously used RM300mil to RM400mil FCF (free cashflow) generated in Malaysia annually to offset some losses in its overseas venture.
“Hiving off its Indian business venture will effectively put Astro in a slight net-cash position,” it said.
CIMB Investment Bank added that “Astro would be able to focus solely on its core Malaysian operations and Astro would no longer have to book losses in India. In our forecasts, we have imputed diminishing losses from Sun Direct TV over the next three to four years. We project total losses of over RM250mil for FY10 to FY11,” CIMB said adding that the divestment of Sun Direct TV would add three to four sen or 11% to 38% to Astro’s FY10 to FY11 earnings per share.
The minorities
But what does this mean for minorities?
“If Astro is de-listed, they get the money but no longer the exposure to a dominant broadcaster. If the operations are separated – domestic is kept and international hived off to another unit – then there is little exposure to the Indian operations and whatever Astro Malaysia rakes in there. Astro is a potential dividend play stock,’’ says an analyst.
How long can Astro continue to borrow money for the Indian operations even though it is a great cash generator?
“No point increasing the borrowing to support an under-performing assets and at the same time cutting off your source of cheap funding from the public by taking Astro private. Let it remain listed but separate the overseas ventures,’’ says the analyst.
Ferguson says the overseas investments are expected to negatively impact the group’s earnings over the next three to four years before turning cash positive.
After having invested a total of RM1.03bil in key overseas investment from pre-FY08 until FY09, Ferguson says Astro is committed to invest RM321mil from FY10 to FY12 for its key overseas investments.
If there is a Maxis/Astro marriage, it would become a very solid much sought after broadcaster/telco, not only locally but also regionally.
JP Morgan currently values Astro’s Malaysian business at RM3.50 per share, while to date Astro has invested RM454mil or 23 sen per share for its 20% stake in Sun Direct TV.
“Hence, we believe Usaha Tegas and Khazanah will have to offer at least 23 sen or more in order for shareholders to agree to the sale.
“The 23 sen per share seems fair as one of Sun Direct’s competitors, Dish TV trades at enterprise value/ subscriber of RM647 while Astro’s 20% stake to subscriber amounts to about RM709,” it says.
CIMB says if there were a cash payout, it could take the form of a special dividend or a capital repayment.
Astro paid out a total of 10 sen per share or RM193mil in dividends in FY09. As of April 30, Astro’s cash stood at RM1.1bil while debt was about RM1.5bil, including the drag down for Sun Direct TV.
“A cash payout of 80 sen per share translates into RM1.6bil, exceeding the current cash level,” it adds.
Excluding any divestment of assets, Astro’s existing cash hoard can support an additional payout of up to 50 sen per share, after taking into account its normal dividends, CIMB says.
“We think that the potential restructuring is likely to realise some value to be returned to shareholders,” it adds.
China launches Arabic TV channel
From http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/07/200972563026919452.html
China has launched a 24-hour Arabic-language television channel aimed at addressing "distorted" views of China in the Middle East and North Africa.
The satellite channel, launched on Saturday, is expected to reach about 300 million people in 22 countries.
China Central Television (CCTV) already broadcasts foreign language channels in English, Spanish and French.
Zhang Changming, deputy president of CCTV, said that through the Arabic channel "the world can know China and China can know the rest of the world even better".
"Our principle is to be real, to be objective, to be accurate and transparent. CCTV will present the world with the real China," he said at the launch.
The channel will mainly broadcast news, but Zhang promised it would also feature entertainment and educational programmes.
'Good journalism'
Ying Chan, the director of Hong Kong University's journalism and media studies centre, told Al Jazeera that China saw the channel as a way to counter "unfair" portrayls of China in the international media.
"There's no question that the Middle East is a very strategic area and China wants its voice heard there," she said.
"They want to announce their policies more to the world, and they also felt that the international media, led by the Western media, has not been fair to China."
China exerts a great deal of control over its media and often censors the reporting of sensitive topics.
"It [CCTV] will face challenges in how much it will allow its own reporters to report news as it is, as it happened," Ying said.
"I think CCTV, in order to gain influence, has to deliver good journalism."
Investment plans
CCTV has also said it plans to open more foreign bureaus.
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper reported that Beijing was prepared to put 45 billion yuan ($6.6bn) into the development of its media, an amount which could not be confirmed by Chinese sources.
China's Arabic language channel joins other foreign government media networks broadcasting in Arabic.
The UK's BBC launched its Arabic channel last year and the US set up al-Hurra, an Arabic-language channel based in Virginia, in 2004.
What does an Arabic language TV channel get you?
From http://followthemedia.com/reachout/cctv27072009.htm
Every government with a story to tell wants to tell it on television. Internet services of state-run news agencies can put out all the press releases and official statements. Nothing, however, beats a television channel for a foreign audience.
State run international broadcasting, radio and TV, has a storied history, long and interesting. Many of these broadcasters have developed over the years strong followings for their foreign language channels. Those with the deepest history – mostly Western governments – see international broadcasting as essential to public diplomacy; strengthening outreach in search of a minute or two of well-placed attention. For that they must speak the language.
China Central Television (CCTV) launched its Arabic language satellite television channel this past weekend (July 25). The footprint covers North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. At the welcoming press conference in Beijing (July 24) CCTV vice president Zhang Changming said it “will serve as an important bridge to strengthen communication and understanding between China and Arab countries,” according to the official Xinhua news agency. The new service offers news, entertainment and educational programs.
CCTV’s new Arabic language TV channel arrives as the Chinese government faces domestic unrest in Xinjing province among the Muslim Uyghur majority. The Uyghur language, widely spoken in Xinjing and adjacent areas of Uzbekistan, is an Arabic and Persian derivative. Uyghurs aren’t the target for CCTV’s Arabic TV channel.
The rush to set up Arabic language satellite channels targeting the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region started after the first Persian War (1991). During that conflict the Arabic speaking public tuned to CNN’s live coverage often rebroadcast locally or available on cable systems. Thereafter several Arabic language channels launched, mostly with Saudi investment. One, Orbit, contracted the BBC to provide Arabic language programming. That ended badly with contention over cultural sensitivity.
The US government launched satellite channel al-Hurra in 2004. More recently, Russia Today (Russia) and France 24 (France) started Arabic channels in 2007 with Deutsche Welle (Germany) expanding service to 8 hours daily. BBC Arabic reentered in 2008 and this year launched BBC Persian.
Arabic language television channels, particularly on satellite, are as plentiful as they are diverse. MENA region viewers have choices from over 400 satellite channels; from CNN Arabic and Al-Jazeera on the news side to soap-operas and entertainment shows from Arabic producers to movie and sports channels. All this diversity led to an agreement among Arab information ministers to adopt (February 2008) a charter to “protect Arab identity from the harmful effects of globalization.” Western media watchers saw the charter as another attempt at institutionalizing censorship and protecting rulers from potential criticism on television. Lebanon and Qatar opted out of the charter’s rigid language.
International broadcasters – government sponsored and otherwise – know that audience development in new regional targets takes years of grinding out news and programs. Politicians funding these efforts have notoriously short attention spans, lengthened only by the number of times they become interview subjects. The shift of attention by Western international broadcasters from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to the Middle East, Africa and Asia is comparatively recent. Also recent is the interest by China in getting their message to viewers – following Russia, Iran and even Venezuela – comes from the hope that viewers will see all information equalized by the miracle of television.
The Chinese government is not inclined to dabble in Arabic politics overtly through the new satellite channel. The primary interest is overcoming what it sees as “biased coverage” of China. And MENA region viewers will, if they find CCTV’s Arabic channel, have another point of view to add to the rest. As Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Dean Joseph Nye wrote in Soft Power (2004), “Plenty of information leads to a scarcity of attention.”
Ousted premier Thaksin will set up satellite TV stations
From http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=10999
BANGKOK, July 27 (TNA) - Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra celebrated his 60th birthday on Sunday with what he earlier branded “a big surprise," announcing that he planned to set up a satellite television business with at least three channels dedicated to the Thai people.
The announcement, via video link at about 9pm Sunday evening, was aired at a birthday dinner party at the Mangkorn Luang (Royal Dragon) Restaurant in Bangkok and two other sites holding parties to celebrate his birthday -- Wat Uthaitaram in sub-urban Bangkok and in At Samat district of Roi-Et.
A number of Puea Thai party members of parliament and members of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) joined the event at the restaurant.
Dressed in a red shirt, Mr Thaksin said he planned to establish satellite television networks with 100 channels, with at least three channels to serve the Thai people.
One channel was expected to be used to promote Thailand’s ‘One Tambom One Product’ (OTOP) output, another to broadcast ‘reality shows’ about Thai poverty and how the wealthy will help them, and the third channel will concentrate on providing education programmes for Thai students.
Earlier in the day, thousands of admirers of the ex-premier gathered at temples across the country to perform merit making ceremonies in their celebration of Thaksin’s 60th birthday Sunday morning and to ward off his bad luck.
Mr Thaksin’s younger sister Yaowapa Wongsawat and her husband Somchai Wongsawat, a former prime minister, led opposition politicians and members of the UDD in performing Buddhist religious rites at Kaewfah temple in suburban Nonthaburi.
The ex-premier telephoned the temple to speak to his supporters, thanking them, and to present a tape of himself singing a song “I Will Come Back” that was composed especially for him. The ousted premier said he hopes to be able to return home in the future.
At Bangkok’s Wat Uthaitharam, taxi drivers gathered to conduct their own birthday event for Mr Thaksin despite an afternoon rain. The group’s leaders took turns aiming birthday wishes for Mr Thaksin and attacking the government’s performance on the stage.
In Chiang Mai, his hometown, a birthday party was held at the Varorot Grand Palace Hotel. Among the evening’s activities were collecting 2,492 cakes and presenting 2,492 birthday cards for Mr. Thaksin in special significance of the year 2,492 of the Buddhist Era (B.E.), Mr Thaksin’s birth year.
In the northeastern province of Udon Thani, political revellers made birthday cards for him and the local group’s leaders said they planned to fly to Dubai to present them to Mr Thaksin.
In the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Red Shirt groups gathered at Suan Khan temple. It was the only province in the south, stronghold of the ruling Democrat party of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, which held a birthday celebration for Mr Thaksin.
The world-travelling former premier was ousted in a 2006 coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power. He remains popular, especially among people in the rural areas. It is believed that the self-exiled former premier is now staying in Dubai. (TNA)
Murdoch to shake up Star
From http://www.advanced-television.com/2009/jul27_jul31.htm#m1
James Murdoch is planning a sweeping shake-up of the Star television operations. The move will involve a sharp cut in jobs in Hong Kong and the rest of the region, as the group aims to cut costs and consolidate overlapping operations, reports the FT.
Star’s Indian operation, which generates the most profits for the group in Asia and reports to Hong Kong, will become independent and start reporting directly to James Murdoch, who is based in London, where he has been head of News Corp’s Asian and European operations since 2007.
Under the Asian plans, News Corp aims to eliminate overlap between Star, which operates 60 channels in 13 languages and is distributed in 53 Asian countries, and Fox International Channels, which distributes the cable networks FX, National Geographic and other channels in the region. The plans, yet to be finalised, are part of News Corp’s global rethinking of its business at a time when media consumption has drifted online. It is aiming to control costs across its portfolio after reporting a 47 per cent decline in operating profit in the first three months of the year.
News Corp’s Star India business accounts for $400 million in sales per year, more than 75 per cent of regional revenue. But amid growing competition, profit in June this year is estimated to have fallen to $35 million or less, compared with $76 million in June 2008, according to the Media Partners Asia
UAE Satellite Launch Postponed to July 29
From http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2009/July/theuae_July520.xml§ion=theuae
DUBAI — The launch of the UAE’s first satellite has been delayed by four days because of safety concerns, officials confirmed. DubaiSat-1 was scheduled to be launched today onboard a Dnepr rocket, but the launch has been rescheduled to 10.46pm on Wednesday.
Delays to the launching of satellites are not unusual, said Ahmed Al Mansoori, Director-General of the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST).
“It is extremely important that the launching company ensures maximum readiness of all equipment related to the launch pad and satellites,” Al Mansoori said in a statement.
“Delays in launching procedures are not unusual and happen frequently, as it is linked to the final tests undertaken by the team of scientists and experts.”
Al Mansoori said the new launch date is July 29 but delays could occur again because of technical or meteorological reasons. DubaiSat-1 will share the Dnepr rocket with five other satellites from around the world.
The missile is housed in an underground silo at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a former Soviet military base in Kazakhstan. Vladimir Kaimov, Deputy Director-General of launching company ISC Kosmotras, denied that technical reasons had caused the delay.
“There were no technical problems whatsoever,” he told Khaleej Times over the phone. “It was postponed due to organisational reasons,” he added, although he declined to elaborate further. “Before we moved the launch, we got the permission from all of the satellite owners.”
At the beginning of the month, teams of engineers began the laborious process of installing the small satellites into the nose cone of the Dnepr rocket.
Earlier this week, project manager Salem Al Marri told Khaleej Times over the phone from Kazakhstan that preparations for DubaiSat-1 were on track.
“We have everything in place now,” he said on Tuesday. “We are checking and re-checking to ensure that there are no problems. If there is a problem with the systems onboard, then we cannot change it once it is in space.”
DubaiSat-1 is a weather satellite, weighing around 200kg and orbiting the earth at an altitude of 500-700km. It will beam back images to the EIAST listening station in Al Khawaneej, Dubai.
Another satellite due to be launched on July 29 is the UK-DMC2 — operated by Surry Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL). Spokeswoman for the company, Audrey Nice, said that there has always been a degree of flexibility in the launch date. “There’s no official technical reason for the delay,” she said. “Sometimes the Russians just prefer not to launch at the weekend.”
New automotive channel launched
From http://www.tradearabia.com/news/newsdetails.asp?Sn=MEDIA&artid=164866
Arab Motors recently launched its new automotive TV channel, introducing fresh and original automotive and motorsport content with a unique Arabian flavour.
Arab Motors is an Arab satellite channel in both identity and content, broadcasting its programmes to and from the Mena region, in general, and the GCC area, in particular.
This is a specialised channel in the world of automotives, from the programmes to the services provided for both viewers and Arab traders, taking the auto trading market to the next level with the introduction of the first market of its kind in the Middle East, the “virtual automotive market.”
“It is a source of pride and pleasure for us, at Arab Motors, to launch our channel in the Middle East,” said Mousub Shashaa, marketing manager at Arab Motors.
“We endeavor to be the most successful and outstanding automotive TV station in the region, with uniquely developed and unparalleled subject matter and design that caters for all market segments in an educational and interactive way,” he added.
“Our ultimate goal is to serve an audience with a thirst for all that is new in the automotive world.”
“One of the key features of Arab Motors is that it offers a specialised market for automotive trading, whether buying or selling, which is easy to use, reliable and effective,” Shashaa concluded.
Arab Motors has a highly qualified team preparing fresh and original programmes, using high-tech technological tools (website, mobile applications, SMS and MMS technology, and online streaming) to broadcast its news, said a statement. – TradeArabia News Service
Zee TV to be first South Asian channel on Time Warner Cable in San Diego
From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/july/july291.php
MUMBAI: Zee TV will now be available to viewers in San Diego on Time Warner Cable, making it the first South Asian channel to be on the cable network's platform in that market.
The deal is done through Zee TV USA. "We are partnering with Time Warner Cable San Diego in an effort to bring Zee TV's South Asian lineup to an even larger audience," said Zee TV USA (Americas) VP affiliate sales Sudev Datta.
The channel will be available at channel 370 on the cable network.
The Zee TV lineup includes reality show Saregamapa and dance reality show Dance India Dance, apart from dramas like Choti Bahu, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo and new shows Pavitra Rishta and Aap Ki Antara.
O/L education channel launched islandwide from school in Moneragala
From http://www.sundaytimes.lk/090726/FinancialTimes/ft325.html
PELWATTE -- A new educational television channel – Nenasa – to supplement teaching of the national Ordinary Level syllabus, was launched islandwide this week from the Ranjan Wijeratne Madya Maha Vidyalaya, in the Moneragala district.
Tucked away inside the Pelwatta sugar plantation, the Ranjan Wijeratne school is located in the Uva Province, one of the poorest regions in Sri Lanka. The school caters mainly to farming families in a dry, hot, neighbourhood that provides very limited economic opportunities.
“This school has enough teachers but the TV teaching can help to teach better and to teach new subjects,” a parent, R. M. Piyadasa told the Sunday Times FT. The media were taken to the site by Dialog Telekom that is providing satellite broadcast facilities for the Nenasa Channel as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility activities.
Mr. Piyadasa, a sugarcane farmer, has two children, a 16 year-old daughter and a 15 year-old son, attending the school. Parents like him and other visitors thronged the school compound on Monday, braving the July heat and oppressive security to ‘see President Mahinda Rajapaksa,’ who made a flying visit to launch the Nenasa channel.
The school also got a computer laboratory from the Education Ministry. Previously access to computers was a privilege available for a few better-offs, such as children of officials from the Pelwatta Sugar Company, children of teachers and other government officials, and a few business families. “They have now put computers to the school. So now our children can also use a computer. Up to now the school did not have computers. So only people with money were able to send their children for a computer course,” said G.W. Appu, another sugarcane farmer with three young children attending the school.
Access to computers
But even now, the lack of teaching resources makes it difficult for rural schools like the Ranjan Wijeratne school, to provide a quality education. This is discouraging higher education in rural Sri Lanka.
“When I went to school a few years ago, school did not have computers. So I have never used a computer. For our A/Ls (Advanced Level examination), we could only do arts subjects because they do not teach A/L science here,” said 26 year-old, K. A. Chanaki Piyadarshini, a past pupil of the school. Ms Piyadarshini studied up to her O/Ls and then dropped out of school. She is now married with a five year-old son and has relocated to another village. But now her son faces the same difficulties in accessing a quality education.
The Ranjan Wijeratne school still does not have the facilities to teach science subjects for the A/Ls. As a result, students wanting to follow higher education are all forced to do arts subjects only. But teachers of the school say the computer lab and the TV teaching channel are a major improvement. “The village children have already started using the computers. About 10 teachers were also trained to teach computers under an 18-day teacher training programme,” said Ms Lasanthi Prinkara, who teaches agriculture to O/L students.
“Most parents in these areas don’t have money to give facilities like computer training and tuition for their children. But they understand it is very important. So more and more children will use the computer lab. Lack of English is not a problem for them. They can understand when they are given instructions and through usage,” said Ms Dammika Wijesekera, an O/L science teacher.
Bridging the gap
The Nenasa concept, is expected to address some of the resource constrains faced by rural schools. The channel will be initially available to 1,000 underserved schools, selected by the Education Ministry. It will broadcast lessons on selected subjects required for the O/L examination. Many rural schools lack teachers and other resources to teach subjects such as English, science and mathematics.
“Nenasa is a satellite TV channel. There are other educational TV programmes being shown already, but the difference here, is that the programmes are developed by the national education authorities themselves. They are developed by the National Institute of Education (NIE). The accent is on subjects that are compulsory for the O/L exam,” Group Chief Executive of Dialog Telekom Plc, Dr Hans Wijayasuriya, told journalists.
Dialog Telekom says the educational channel, which is offered free of charge by the company to the national education authorities, can be used 24 hours daily, and can be accessed from any part of the country.
Meanwhile, as Ministers and high officials droned speeches under the shade of a white canopy, some school children had already found their way into the computer lab. The lab, had seven computers all equipped with Internet connections. With innate resourcefulness children with limited experience of the Internet had already enlisted help from more learned peers to surf the web.
“Earlier school did not have computers. So I went to Buttala to do a computer course. I know how to use the (MS) Word package and to go to the Internet,” said Ms Prasadi Mihirani a 14 year-old student. Prasadi’s parents work for the Pelwatta Sugar Company.
But even children with limited English knowledge and no prior computer training say these are not obstacles to use computers. For them, information technology is not scary or difficult, it’s just another exciting new discovery.
India Building Four Tonne Satellite Bus
From http://www.spacemart.com/reports/India_Building_Four_Tonne_Satellite_Bus_999.html
The advanced satellite will employ a new 1-4K Bus (computer network). It will be configured with two-sided large solar array panels generating 11 KW of power. In the run-up to GSAT-11, the space agency is scheduling the launch of other communications satellites in the GSAT series over the next two years.
India will soon design and develop its heaviest communications satellite GSAT-11 to provide advanced telecom services from 2011-12, a senior official of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said here Friday. At 4.5 tonnes, it will weigh more than twice as much as the biggest Indian satellite in orbit now.
"Activities to design and develop GSAT-11 will start immediately, as the project has been cleared by the government at a cost of Rs.5-billion (Rs.500 crore)," ISRO Director S. Satish said.
The advanced communications technology satellite will be launched in mid-2011 on board the Geo-Synchronus Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-Mark III) from ISRO's spaceport at Sriharikota, about 80 km north-east of Chennai.
"The satellite will be designed at our satellite centre in Bangalore, payloads consisting of 40 transponders in Ku/Ka band will be built at the space applications centre in Ahmedabad and the 630-tonne rocket (GSLV-Mark III) will be rolled out from the liquid propulsion systems centre in Thiruvananthapuram," Satish told IANS.
The indigenously developed GSAT series of satellites are aimed at revolutionising communications, spanning digital audio, data and video broadcasting. The earlier versions of GSAT such as GSAT-1 and GSAT-2 were designed with two S-band and three C-band transponders.
"With 16 high capacity multi-beams in Ku/Ka band, GSAT-11 will provide much faster uplinks for a host of communications and broadcasting services, including direct-to-home (DTH television). With a dry mass of 2.1 tonne, the spacecraft will provide 10 GHz of bandwidth, which will be equivalent to about 220 transponders of 36 MHz," Satish pointed out.
The advanced satellite will employ a new 1-4K Bus (computer network). It will be configured with two-sided large solar array panels generating 11 KW of power.
In the run-up to GSAT-11, the space agency is scheduling the launch of other communications satellites in the GSAT series over the next two years.
"The two-tonne GSAT-4, slated for launch by this year on board GSLV-Mark II, will have a communication payload comprising multi-beam Ka-band pipe and regenerative transponder and navigation payload in C, L1 and L5 bands," Satish said.
GSAT-4 will also carry a scientific payload, Tauvex, consisting of three ultra violet (UV) band telescopes developed by Tel Aviv University and Israel space agency for surveying a large part of the sky in the 1,400-3,200 Ångstrom wavelengths.
Propulsion with four stationary plasma thrusters, Bus Management Unit (BMU), miniaturised dynamically tuned gyros, 36 AH Lithium ion battery, 70 V bus for Ka-band and on board structural dynamic vibration beam accelerometer are some of the new technologies developed for GSAT-4.
"GSAT-4 spacecraft will a power generation capability of 2,500 watts and will be positioned at 82 degrees east longitude in a geo-stationary orbit, about 36,000 km above the earth," the official said.
GSAT-1 was launched on board a technology demonstrator (GSLV-D1) April 18, 2001 as an experimental satellite for performance monitoring, tracking, range safety/flight safety and preliminary orbit determination.
GSAT-2 was launched May 8, 2003 and is located at 48 degrees east Longitude and carries four C-band transponders and two Ku-band transponders.
"The dedicated satellite for distance education (Edusat), launched in September 2004, is part of the GSAT series and can be considered as GSAT-3. Its transponders and their ground coverage are specially configured to cater to educational requirements," Satish added.
The remaining spacecraft in GSAT series such as GSAT-5, GSAT-6 and GSAT-8 will be equated with INSAT-4 series of communication satellites. In the series, the government has not yet approved the development of GSAT-7 and GSAT-10 satellites.
GSAT-5 or INSAT-4D will be configured as an exclusive C-band communication satellite. It will carry 12 normal C-band transponders and six extended C-band transponders with wider coverage in uplink and downlink over Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe as well as zonal coverage.
GSAT-5 will be launched on board GSLV in 2010 and positioned at 82 degrees east longitude.
The two-tonne GSAT-6/INSAT-4E will have a multimedia mobile S-band transponder to provide entertainment and information services to consumers and vehicles through digital multimedia consoles and multimedia mobile phones. It is also slated for launch next year and will have a mission life of 12 years.
GSAT-8/INSAT-4G is proposed as a Ku-band satellite with 24 transponders similar to that of INSAT-4A and INSAT-4B.
"It will also carry the second GPS aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload," Satish told IANS. "The satellite is expected to be launched in the second half of 2010 and will be positioned at 55 degrees east longitude."
26/07/09
Sunday, no update
25/07/09
Saturday, no update
24/07/09
New CCTV Arabic Chinasat 6B do a rescan.
Friday night feed
Asiasat 4 12490 v 6620 "Big Time Boxing"
Don't forget register a username on the webcams site above, better still, spend $20 and buy some tokens there using my referal link.
From my Email & ICQ
..
From the Dish
Insat 2E 83E 4042 V "Time Express TV" has left again.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3448 V "CTV 9" has left .
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3760 V "Kalaignar TV" has started on , Fta.
Yamal 202 49E 3953 "LTV Lanka Channel 2" is now encrypted.
Intelsat 12 45E 11632 V "Nenasa TV" has started on , Irdeto.
Fro Asiatvro site
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星C频段，CTV 9（柬埔寨）频道消失，设置3448 V 2222参数无效接收。[07-24]
NEWS
Freeview Set To Restrict Fast Forward Speeds
From http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Home_Cinema/Industry/L6U5V9A2
EXCLUSIVE: Freeview has finally cut a deal to install MHEG5 technology into Freeview branded TV’s and set top boxes sold in Australia. The new technology will restrict what Australians can do with a Freeview branded product claims industry observers.
The technology will also prevent ad skipping and restrict the copying of programs.
Matt Kossatz, the General Manager of Ice TV an electronic program guide Company said "The use of MHEG5 will pave the way for overlay ads and other forms of on-air advertisements in a Freeview branded device. This combined with the restrictions Freeview impose on the functionality of supported devices by third party vendors, such as no '30 second skip' or fast forward speeds greater than 30x, will certainly not sit well with Australian customers that have already bought into the Freeview hype".
Questions are also being raised as to whether the new technology will make current Freeview boxes obsolete. SmartHouse is currently trying to find out whether current Freeview products can be upgraded.
Robin Parkes CEO of Freeview said that upgrades "will depend on manufacturers and the type of Freeview device purchased. We do intend to support all devices".
Freeview Australia has also admitted that that they have selected MHEG-5 as the interactive TV middleware for its suite of free-to-air DTT channels.
Receiver specifications including the MHEG profile for Australia have now been released by Freeview Australia and are available under NDA, announced IMPALA, the International MHEG Promotion Alliance.
The launch of Freeview phase two in 2010 as tipped by ChannelNews for April 2010 will see the deployment of an MHEG-5-based platform EPG that will provide listings information on all Freeview channels regardless of the channel being watched. The platform EPG will also allow channel and Freeview branding onscreen.
Freeview Australia is owned by the ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine, Ten, Prime, Southern Cross and WIN. It is similar to the successful Freeview operations in the UK and New Zealand, with Freeview-endorsed product conforming to published standards on sale through retail chains.
Giri Valliappan, director of market development, IMPALA, said in a statement: "Freeview Australia undertook a comprehensive review process before selecting MHEG-5. They wanted an open standard middleware but also wanted maximum manufacturer support. This was forthcoming from all the major CE vendors for MHEG – strengthened by the fact that all the major CE manufacturers would be able to supply product to meet Freeview's launch dates – and means another successful adoption for MHEG-5 technology."
IMPALA founder members S&T and Cabot Communications, working alongside a major CE manufacturer, prepared the country-specific profile for Australia, referencing the UK DTG DBook 6 for the majority of the specification, adding Australia-specific PVR extensions. The receiver specification and MHEG profile both include support for HD and the IP-based Interaction Channel.
Robin Parkes, CEO of Freeview Australia, said in a statement: "We looked closely at both Freeview in the UK and Freeview NZ and were impressed by the success they had achieved. With the addition of high definition graphics and interactive channels, MHEG-5 provides the best route for enhanced services for Freeview in Australia".
CASBAA Adds Four Members
From http://www.satellitetoday.com/st/headlines/31708.html
[Satellite Today 07-24-09] CASBAA (The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia) has added four new corporate members to its ranks, the organization said July 23.
Global sports TV agency SportFive Asia, U.K.-based broadcast technology provider SysMedia, Vietnamese satellite operator Vinasat and Papua New Guinea-based pay-TV platform HiTron joined the group
“The breadth of the new membership reflects industry-wide confidence in the Asia-Pacific subscription TV market and reaffirms the key relationships between content, technology, distribution and pay-TV subscribers. While some media markets are struggling, pay-TV continues to thrive,” Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA, said in a statement.
[Satellite Today 07-24-09] CASBAA (The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia) has added four new corporate members to its ranks, the organization said July 23.
Global sports TV agency SportFive Asia, U.K.-based broadcast technology provider SysMedia, Vietnamese satellite operator Vinasat and Papua New Guinea-based pay-TV platform HiTron joined the group
“The breadth of the new membership reflects industry-wide confidence in the Asia-Pacific subscription TV market and reaffirms the key relationships between content, technology, distribution and pay-TV subscribers. While some media markets are struggling, pay-TV continues to thrive,” Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA, said in a statement.
News Release of the Press Briefing on the Opening of CCTV Arabic International Channel
From http://english.cctv.com/20090724/104260.shtml
News Release of the Press Briefing on the Opening of CCTV Arabic International Channel
China Central Television owns four international channels which present programs in Chinese, English, Spanish and French. CCTV will officially launch its Arabic International Channel on July, 25th. The new 24-hour Arabic Channel is a solid step in terms of strengthening China's international impact in the medium of television. It is also a crucial strategic measure to make CCTV multilingual and widen its coverage.
The new Arabic Channel will reach the Middle East and North Africa via signals on Arabsat and Nilesat. It will also reach the Asia-Pacific region by Chinasat 6B. Nearly 300-million people in 22 Arab countries will be able to watch programs from China's Arabic Channel with their satellite dish.
CCTV's Arabic Channel's main audience will be people in Arab countries and regions. The channel will be news-focused and complemented by cultural, service and entertainment programs. The Channel will produce 9 programs which fall into 4 categories. These categories are news, feature stories, entertainment and education. Programs will include Dialogue, Talking About China, Technology Outlook and documentaries. Programs will run by units every four hours. All the programs will be rebroadcast six times every day except for news programs, which will be regularly updated. The Arabic Channel will gradually increase the number of programs as the channel develops.
China and Arab countries all have long histories and splendid civilizations and their friendship dates back to ancient times. As their financial cooperation increases, the "China Craze" in many Arab countries is also increasing. The new Arabic Channel will serve as an important channel to strengthen communication and understanding between China and Arab countries. It will also be a bridge for cooperation in politics, the economy, trade, culture and technology. The Arabic Channel will also become an important new medium for Arab people to learn more about China.
Mid-East’s ART readies ‘super box’
From http://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/200907234326/mid-easts-art-readies-super-box.html
The past week or so has seen much Middle East focus on the merger between Showtime and Orbit, two long-established but struggling pay-TV operators in the Middle East. However, Arab Radio & Television (ART) is quietly readying its own plans to consolidate and grow its rival pay-TV business – and this includes MPEG-4 based HDTV and an IPTV-enabled set-top box.
ART started broadcasting in the mid-1990s but has been somewhat hamstrung by the lack of enthusiasm for pay-TV in the region. Nevertheless, and despite a lack of formal data, it is widely understood to be the market leader in terms of pure subscriber numbers. ART has spent the past few years concentrating on sport as well as Arabic content.
The broadcaster is now abandoning its previous dependence on non-proprietary (and so called ‘zap’ boxes) in favour of a purpose-designed and unique set-top box which contains ART-owned software and IP. It is also switching from Irdeto conditional access and has selected Viacess encryption from France Telecom. However, key to its strategy is its use of ANT Galio Browser and ANT Galio Core Applications for its new service.
Cambridge-based ANT is supplying/licensing its ANT Galio Browser and ANT Galio Core Applications, which gives Arab Media Corporation a platform to grow their existing service and provide a variety of new multimedia services supported by hybrid set-top boxes. The planned feature upgrades include an EPG, Personal Video Recorder, Video on Demand (VoD), zapper functionality as well as incorporating pushed advertising for the first time.
The service will have an entirely new look and feel designed by Arab Media Corporation (ART’s parent company). The ANT architecture also enables the redesign and reskinning of services on deployed STBs as and when desired after the initial launch of the service, an important capability in this programme.
“Not only is it important for us to build a compelling new service but also to have a solution that can continue to grow. ANT, with its standards based software architecture, is at the forefront of delivering next generation services and applications,” said Alan Constant, CTO at Arab Media Corporation. “We are looking beyond what the market is currently demanding to the types of services that consumers will want next year and in future years.”
“We’re excited to be working with this leading satellite operator to bring new services to the Middle East and North African markets at a time when rapid growth is forecasted in these regions,” said Simon Woodward, CEO at ANT. “This agreement is a significant milestone for ANT. By working directly with an operator such as Arab Media Corporation we’re able to offer ANT’s considerable experience in TV service development and deployment in a partnership which can have a major influence on the evolution of TV services.”
ART’s be being built in Korea.
Indian Govt gives green signal to GSAT-11 communication satellite
From http://ptinews.com/news/191459_Govt-gives-green-signal-to-GSAT-11-communication-satellite
New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) Indian government has approved development of a Rs 500 crore advanced communication satellite to provide telecom links with small Ku-band terminals operating across the country.
A meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday night gave its nod for the design and development of GSAT-11 communication satellite, which is planned to be realised in 30 months.
The GSAT-11 is an advanced communication satellite which will be a high capacity multi-team Ku/Ka-bank spacecraft.
"The launch of GSAT-11 will augment the Ku-band capacity considerably for telecommunication services in the country," an official release said.
With 16 beams in Ku-band and frequency reuse factor of 4, it can provide 10 GHz effective bandwidth equivalent to about 22 transponders of 36 MHz, it said.
WWIL Q1 net loss up as revenue drops 12%
From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/july/july279.php
MUMBAI: A hit in revenues and investment towards Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) has pulled down the first-quarter profitability of Wire and Wireless (India) Limited.
The Subhash Chandra-promoted cable TV distribution company has posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 477.69 million for the quarter ended 30 June, as against Rs 183.15 million a year ago.
Operating revenue for the quarter fell by 12 per cent to Rs 630.06 million (from Rs 716.26 million). "The company made several corrections in this period," says a source.
WWIL is betting big on HITS for future turn around of the business. Though the company has commercially launched the services from 1 April, the bulk of pay-TV broadcasters have stayed away from making commercial agreements with it.
Says WWIL chairman Chandra, "We believe that our ability to handle large cable network, digital cable services, successful launch of HITS and other value-added services would provide a compelling value proposition for our viewers."
WWIL's analogue cable business is cash positive and it is keen to build up other value-added services for future revenues. Says WWIL CEO Sudhir Agarwal, "We believe that non cable and satellite homes will bring in an important chunk for future growth. In addition to HITS, we would also offer digital cable and analogue cable services
, ISP and other value-added services in the country."
Expenses in the quarter stood at Rs 918.48 million, up 15.82 per cent, as compared to Rs 793.04 million a year ago.
On standalone basis, WWIL's net loss for the quarter stood at Rs 464.72 million (as against Rs 197.40 million). Revenue fell to Rs 471.78 million (from Rs 551.30 million), while expenses rose to Rs 753.58 million as compared to Rs 641.14 million in the earlier year.
WWIL promoters pledged 36.35 million shares, or 16.7 per cent stake, according to information provided by the company till 30 June 2009.
Cash-strappped, WWIL is planning to raise Rs 4.5 billion via rights issue to fund its expansion plans. The company has already raised Rs 1.92 billion of debt through issue of secured redeemable non-convertible debentures.
23/07/09
Sorry for the very late site updates
LI TV (HD) mentioned yesterday (Life Inspired)
Measat 3 91.5E 3751 V sr 13333
See news section for News story
From my Email & ICQ
..
From the Dish
Koreasat 5 113E 12621 V "BeTV, MBN TV, YTN and Well-Being TV" are Fta.
Express AM33 96.5E 3675 R "Telekanal Rossiya" is now encrypted.
Intelsat 12 45E 11632 V "FX Asia" has started on , Irdeto.
From Asiatvro site
东经96.5度轨道位置的快车AM33号卫星C频段，Telekanal Rossiya（俄罗斯）频道加密，设置3675 R 33483参数有条件接收。[07-23]
东经92.2度中星9号卫星Ku频段，新增DVB-S2格式的CCTV-1频道，设置新参数12180 R 5632免费接收 (2009-07-23)
东经78.5度泰星5号卫星C频段，新增Kalaignar 2频道，设置参数3760 V 26667免费接收 (2009-07-23)
东经75度ABS-1号卫星C频段，RRsat公司上链的Granada TV一组组频道更改频率，设置新参数3651 V 10000部分免费接收 (2009-07-23)
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星C频段，Kalaignar 2（亚洲）频道新增，设置3760 V 26667参数免费接收。[07-22]
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星C频段，Granada TV（RRSat）等全组频道改频率，设置3651 V 10000参数部分免费接收。[07-22]
东经113度轨道位置的韩星5号卫星Ku频段，Betv（韩国）频道加密，设置12621 V 13333参数有条件接收。[07-21]
NEWS
Pacific Islands Forum To Be Captured By GlobeCast Australia
From http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=185442367
The Australian Government has, this week, appointed GlobeCast Australia as Satellite Services Provider for this year’s Pacific Islands Forum.
Key politicians and media from more than a dozen Pacific nations will attend the 2009 Forum in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, in August. It is estimated more than 200 working media will cover the event, from August 4 to August 7, with GlobeCast Australia as the exclusive provider for satellite uplink and distribution. GlobeCast Australia has significant experience on Event Coverage and was previously Host Broadcaster of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) 2007 and CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) 2002.
Tape feeds and live bookings will be delivered in C-band across the Asia Pacific region on IS-5 and AS-2, as part of GlobeCast Australia’s global fibre and satellite network; and to the northern hemisphere as required, including via GlobeCast Australia’s fully redundant fibre from Auckland to Sydney to Los Angeles, Washington, and London. GlobeCast Australia’s 24/7/365 Teleport and Master Control in Sydney will also downlink the signals for distribution to all Australian networks. It has connectivity to all five free to air networks and all pay television channels in the region. GlobeCast Australia will mobilize one of its 10 DSNG units to be based in Cairns for uplink requirements. The Mercedes Sprinter van (pictured) has a Gigasat 2.4m antenna; Xicom amplifiers; 4xTANDBERG encoders; 16x16 SD/HD Codan router; cabling for stand-ups, full IFB facilities, full audio and video monitoring and full redundancy on equipment and power.
The Pacific Islands Forum’s membership has increased from the original seven founding members (Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa) to also include the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Niue, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. Fiji was expelled earlier this year. Current Forum Observers include the Commonwealth (2006) and the Asia Development Bank (2006)
ASCENT MEDIA PROVIDES END-TO-END SOLUTIONS FOR LIFE INSPIRED
From http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock News/2436523/
Ascent Media Provides End-to-End Solutions for Life Inspired, Li -- the First HD Lifestyle Channel Launch in Asia
Ascents Shared Common Play-out HD Platform Brings Flexibility, Efficiency and Cost-Savings to TV Channels
SANTA MONICA, Calif. and SINGAPORE, July 23 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Ascent Media Group, a leading provider of fully integrated, end-to-end services for the global digital media supply chain, today announced a multi-million dollar, multi-year deal with Li TV International Limited, to provide post production, network origination, and uplink services for Li, Asias first regional lifestyle channel in HD on Measat.
Out of its Singapore facility, Ascent Media will provide a complete file-based workflow and fully automated play-out system in a shared network environment. Lis integrated service offering will include video tape library management, graphics, editing, and channel play-out inclusive of master control facilities, animated channel branding, subtitling, affiliate break signaling, and compliance recording. Ascent Media will also provide the HD uplink to the Measat 3 satellite.
"The TV industry in Asia is quickly evolving towards being an entirely digital operation. Our shared HD platform provides a highly cost-effective, turnkey solution that gives networks the tools necessary to evolve and expand even in todays tight economic environment," stated Jose Royo, chief executive officer of Ascent Media. "We look forward to a long working relationship with Li and are excited to be part of their much anticipated HD channel launch."
In addition to day to day support services, Ascent will also handle the management of Lis vast library of digital media and archived tape assets. To accommodate Lis expansive digital inventory, Ascent will provision a customized multi-terabyte archive storage system sufficient enough to store more than 500 hours of HD content.
Anne Chan, General Manager of LI TV comments, "Ascent Media was selected as our technical partner for their responsiveness and extensive experience in providing end-to-end HD solutions to broadcasters. Their service complements our drive to launch Li, the regions first lifestyle channel in High Definition as a true multimedia offering."
About Ascent Media Group:
Santa Monica, California-based Ascent Media Group, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ascent Media Corporation (Nasdaq: ASCMA). With more than 40 facilities worldwide, Ascent Media Group is a leading provider of fully integrated, end-to-end services for the global digital media supply chain.
Guided by our entrepreneurial culture, we blend breakthrough creative with emerging technologies to deliver some of the most advanced and innovative solutions to help film and television studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies and other companies make, manage, move and monetize their digital media.
About Li:
Li, Life Inspired, is Asias brand new, groundbreaking, 24-hour lifestyle television channel in true high definition. A first in the region, Li broadcasts pan-regionally across Asia with an expanding footprint.
Li boasts a vibrant stable of world-class-quality, first-run entertainment across five key programming pillars of Food, Home, Wellness, Travel and Style.
A gatekeeper to the world of inspirational living, Li serves as a personalised Asian lifestyle editor for all trend seekers.
The channel is owned by Li TV International Limited and operated by LI TV ASIA SDN. BHD., with its operating headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and regional operating offices in Singapore and Hong Kong.
SOURCE: Ascent Media Group
CONTACT: Gail Laguna of Ascent Media Group,
+1-818-260-6229; or
Debbie Lee of Green Worldwide (LI TV ASIA SDN. BHD.),
+65-98515488,
[email protected]
RS cranks up its digital volume
From http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/20774/rs-cranks-up-its-digital-volume
RS Plc, the country's second largest entertainment group, expects its digital music business to be a key driver in increasing revenue and putting its second-quarter balance sheet back into the black after two years of losses.
RS chief executive Surachai Chetchotisak (centre right) and Paul Manatthaworn, vice-president of RS Digital, pose with two supermen to launch the ‘‘Super Mao *339’’ ringtone download service.
"We will see changes. The operation will be profitable after the managerial restructuring last year," said CEO Surachai Chetchotisak. "Digital music is a key to boosting our business from now on."
RS hopes revenues from digital music will increase to 500 million baht this year, up from 300 million baht last year. Although digital music generated only 180 million baht in the first half of 2009, RS is confident that aggressive marketing campaigns would help it meet the target by the year-end.
In the first quarter of this year, RS booked a 46-million-baht loss on revenue of 480 million baht, bringing its accumulated losses to 467 million baht.
This year, it is confident of achieving the revenue target of 2.4 billion to 2.5 billion baht, up from 2.3 billion last year. The company will consider paying dividends again by the end of the year.
Mr Surachai said RS had been downsizing its physical music product business and increasing that of digital music. The gross margin of digital music is around 50-60%, compared with 15-20% on traditional physical products.
"If we want to be successful in digital music, we must focus on content and understand customer demands," Mr Surachai said.
"Apart from the youth market, we have focused on the folk music segment, which has thrived noticeably since early this year."
Yesterday, RS launched Super Mao *339, a downloading service for either ringtones or calling melodies at the price of 20 baht a month for each package. Starting from Aug 1, the service will be available to users of AIS, DTAC, and True Move services. It expects more than 5 million customers from the total 50 million mobile-phone users nationwide.
RS found that many customers were using more than two phones on different networks to take advantage of each operator's promotional rates. Consequently, there is big demand for mobile downloads of music and ringtones.
Besides, RS has already prepared 3G content and is ready to penetrate the market as soon as it goes commercial.
Recently, the company stepped into the satellite TV market with a 50- million-baht investment. It is now testing programmes on two channels, with two more channels to be added after the successful launches of the first two - U Channel, targeting teenagers, and Sabuy Dee TV, focusing on family content.
RS shares closed yesterday on the SET at 1.25 baht, up five satang, in trade worth 780,000 baht.
AETN Debuts In Taiwan
From http://www.mediaresearchasia.com/view2.php?type=press&id=649
Taipei – AETN All Asia Networks (AAA Networks), a joint venture of A&E Television Networks and ASTRO All Asia Entertainment Networks Limited, announced today the launch of its channels in Taiwan with four key Multiple System Operators (MSOs): TBC, kbro, CNS and TFN Media.
AAA Networks’ portfolio of four factual channels – HISTORY HD™, HISTORY™, The Biography Channel™(BIO), and Crime & Investigation Network™(CI) – have recently launched on both TBC and kbro’s digital platforms; while CNS and TFN Media will soon debut HISTORY HD, a 100 percent HD content channel.
Louis Boswell, General Manager, AAA Networks, said, “Taiwan is such an important pay TV market, it is unthinkable not to have our channels available there. We believe the Taiwan cable TV industry has developed extensively and the digital revolution is underway. We are pleased to offer our channels on the digital platforms of the four key MSOs. Taiwan viewers can now enjoy more in-depth, high quality factual entertainment programmes than ever before.”
All four channels are fully subtitled with traditional Chinese. Boswell continued "Subtitling is only the first step; as in every market we will continue to focus our efforts on the localisation of content through acquisition and production."
AETN All Asia Networks launched in June 2007 with HISTORY and CI. In just two years, the company’s channel portfolio has grown to include BIO and HISTORY HD. Distribution now covers Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Macau, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
Astro, Measat gain on merger talk
From http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20090723142454/Article/index_html
Astro All Asia Networks Plc, T. Ananda Krishnan’s pay-television operator, climbed in Kuala Lumpur trading as investors raised bets he may merge one of his companies with his phone group, Maxis Communications Bhd.
Astro climbed as much as 3.6 per cent, set for the biggest gain in more than two weeks, before trading 2.4 per cent higher at RM3.46 at 12:08 pm local time.
The shares have surged 57 per cent this year. Measat Global Bhd, his listed satellite operator, also gained.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said yesterday he wants Maxis, which Ananda has held privately since 2007, to re-list on the local exchange.
Such a high-level recommendation means billionaire Ananda, ranked as Malaysia’s second-richest person, is more likely to bring Maxis back to the market, possibly by merging the business with another of his listed units, according to AmResearch Sdn Bhd.
“If it comes from the number one person in Malaysia, that puts pressure on Ananda,” said Izz Al-Din Maslan, an analyst at AmResearch with a “hold” rating on Astro. “It strengthens the possibility of Ananda doing something with his companies. If you look at the operational synergies between Maxis and Astro, it’s possible. Astro has the content, Maxis is the conduit.”
Maxis, 25 per cent-owned by Saudi Telecom Co, is assessing “very seriously” the suggestion to re-list, Najib told reporters late yesterday. The return of the mobile-phone operator, which had a market value of RM40 billion (US$11 billion) before it was bought out, would attract capital to Malaysia and increase trading on the local exchange, he said.
Triple Play
Maxis chief executive officer Sandip Das wasn’t available to comment, his secretary in Kuala Lumpur said yesterday. Das hasn’t replied to an e-mail from Bloomberg News, and a Maxis spokeswoman said she couldn’t comment.
Measat today rose 3.3 per cent to RM2.17, set for the first gain in four days. The stock has leapt 80 per cent in 2009.
According to speculation that surfaced in June, Ananda might use Astro or Measat Global Bhd, his listed satellite operator, as a vehicle to hold Maxis. That would create a so- called triple-play telecommunications company offering wireless, television and satellite services.
On July 20, Astro issued a statement confirming it was reviewing options to reorganise, although chief executive officer Ralph Marshall later told reporters a merger with Maxis was not being considered. -- Bloomberg
Hong Kong Cable comes to HD party
From http://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/200907224318/hong-kong-cable-comes-to-hd-party.html
Rivalries in Hong Kong pay-TV are set to hot up even further, with Hong Kong Cable TV announcing the launch of high-definition programming on the platform. But the operator comes late to the party – PCCW’s Now TV has offered HDTV for two years, since July 2007.
Cable TV will launch HDTV on August 18, focusing initially on sports programmes. Three channels will be available – a 24-hour HD channel (HD201), an HD version of All Sports Network (ASN HD), and a “live” channel for any soccer matches or sports events that clash with ones already airing on hd201 (HD202).
Programming on HD201/202 will include UEFA Champions’ League soccer, UEFA Europa League soccer (the second-tier European soccer competition), German Bundesliga soccer and PGA golf tournaments. Cable TV has exclusive rights to the UEFA competitions, while rival Now TV has English Premier League soccer as the basis for its HD sports offering.
Vincent Cheung, Vice President, Hong Kong Cable Television Ltd, said: "The new service is introduced at this time to capture increasing market demand, with the wider proliferation of HD television equipment, the expanded availability of HD programming supply and increasing customer acceptance.”
Subscribers wanting to take up HDTV programming must rent a new set-top for HK$30 a month, as well as pay HK$50 a month for HD 201/202 and HK$20 a month for ASN HD. There are half-price offers available for those who subscribe during August, however.
Ten Sports deploys U-To Solutions for broadcast management system
From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/july/july258.php
MUMBAI: Taj Television, which owns and operates Ten Sports, has appointed U-To Solutions to provide a fully integrated broadcast management system, for all its broadcast operations in South Asia and the Middle East.
The operations include three wholly-owned channels - Ten Sports India, Ten Sports Pakistan and Ten Sports International (Middle-East) - and five third-party channels managed and distributed by Taj Television.
These are Art Prime Sports and Football Channel, Goal TV 1, Goal TV 2 and Cricket Plus.
LU-To Solutions, which is BroadView’s exclusive representative in India, will manage the account through the ‘BroadView’ Suite of Broadcast Management solutions.
After an accelerated system integration process that was wrapped in eight weeks, all eight channels successfully went live with BroadView on 15 July.
BroadView’s Suite is a fully integrated broadcast management system for ad sales, traffic, programming, scheduling, acquisitions and billing and is easy to integrate with almost every automation system in the market.
Ten Sports director, station traffic and presentation Richard Saldanha says, “This new broadcast management system will bring efficiencies to our operation and create an excellent platform to expand our third party channel business.”
U-To Solutions director Sumit Suri says, “We at U-To Solutions are very proud to partner Ten Sports in this strategic exercise which has delivered a dramatic overhaul of their broadcast management systems and processes. The rapidly growing Middle East market tends to lag in adoption of state-of-the-art Broadcast Management solutions Ten Sports’ initiative breaks new ground and we are privileged to have played a role.”
U-TO Solutions has also brought Viacom18 channels - Colors, MTV, Nick and Vh1 LIVE - on their BMS platform. Other broadcasters who have opted for various products and services of U-TO Solutions include Star, NDTV Imagine, NDTV Lumiere, INX Media and NewsX.
Arianespace To Launch HYLAS Telecommunications Satellite
From http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Arianespace_To_Launch_HYLAS_Telecommunications_Satellite_999.html
Avanti Communications Group plc, has chosen Arianespace to launch the HYLAS telecommunications satellite. This new contract is the 11th signed by Arianespace with the major satellite operators.
The launch of the HYLAS satellite is planned for the first semester of 2010, using an Ariane 5 or Soyuz launcher from the Guiana Space Center, Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
HYLAS is the first satellite entrusted to Arianespace by Avanti Communications, the new European satellite operator. Avanti Communications is Arianespace's 31st new customer.
HYLAS has been built by the industrial consortium grouping EADS Astrium and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) using an ISRO I-2K platform. Positioned at 33.5 degrees West, this powerful Ka band satellite will be Europe's first superfast broadband satellite, serving customers all over Europe.
The satellite will weigh about 2,750 kg at launch, and has a design life exceeding 15 years.
"We have chosen Arianespace for the launch of HYLAS as they have demonstrated the right combination of reliability, value and performance," said David Williams, Chief Executive of Avanti Communications Group plc.
"Their track record is the best guarantee of success. HYLAS, once in orbit will begin a new era in broadband services for the people of Europe and so a reliable and successful launch is of huge importance."
Commenting on this latest contract, Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said: "Arianespace is proud of this opportunity to serve a new satellite operator and I would like to thank Avanti Communications for its choice.
"This new contract, the 11th signed in 2009 and the 2nd in the United Kingdom, is clear recognition of the quality and competiveness of our launch Service and Solutions offer."
Reprogramming Satellites during Flight
From http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/deltav/23889/
New research shows that a space probe's hardware could be reconfigured on the fly.
By Brittany Sauser
Researchers in Germany have developed satellites that can be radically reconfigured in orbit. The approach could ultimately lead to multitasking satellites capable of changing, for example, from pollution-detection to searching for earthlike planets.
The researchers, led by Toshinori Kuwahara of the Institute of Space Systems at the University of Stuttgart, plan to launch a test satellite called Flying Laptop in 2012. The spacecraft's onboard computer will be able to reconfigure its own electronic hardware. The satellite will also carry a suite of instruments and sensors including cameras, multispectral imagers, thermal infrared imagers, and GPS receivers. The research appears in the spaceflight journal Acta Astronautica.
Making satellites that can rewire themselves could save millions of dollars and reduce the amount of space junk in orbit. In addition, there could be more scientific collaboration and data gathering. Kuwahara told New Scientist that the spacecraft could even be rented out to different groups of researchers during the same mission, spreading out the cost.
Kuwahara built the satellite using microchips called field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). These allow the spacecraft's electronics to be reconfigured for a particular task, instead of having a predetermined configuration that can only operate in a set way.
From the New Scientist article:
FPGAs contain logic gates that can be connected and disconnected by programmable switches. All that's needed to move from one task to another is to retrieve the relevant logic gate connection settings from the flying laptop's memory- or beam them to the spacecraft.
Kuwahara has to find a way to protect the FPGA circuits from charged cosmic ray particles, which can interfere with digital data and cause programming errors. He plans to use multiple back-up FPGAs all doing the same job at the same time, along with a program to decide which ones are performing correctly.
As NASA's budget continues to get cut, building multipurpose satellites for earth science missions and other scientific data gathering--an area that the Obama administration has put emphasis on for the future--sounds like a good way to reduce the number of satellites that need to be built, thus reducing costs of and resources for development.
Mediaset,RAI Launch New Free Satellite TV Platform
From http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090722-712917.html
ROME (Dow Jones)--Italy's state-owned RAI SpA and commercial broadcaster Mediaset SpA (MS.MI) said Wednesday they will launch a new satellite platform July 31, in a move expected to increase competition in a market now dominated by News Corp.'s (NWS) satellite TV unit Sky Italia.
The new satellite platform, called TivuSat, will be free and will host about 22 channels, including traditional free-to-air and new digital channels, the companies said at a joint press conference in Rome.
The move aims to drive the switch from analog to digital terrestrial TV in Italy, due to be completed by 2012. But analysts see the creation of TivuSat as an attempt by RAI and Mediaset, which is owned by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, to counter competition from Rupert Murdoch's Sky Italia.
Sky Italia has broken the domestic duopoly of privately owned Mediaset and state-controlled RAI, surpassing Mediaset in terms of overall revenue for the first time in 2008, Italy's telecoms regulator said this month.
News Corp. (NWS) owns Dow Jones, publisher of this newswire.
"Our target is to reach that 5% of Italian families that is not currently reached by digital terrestrial by 2012," Tivu President Luca Balestrieri said Wednesday.
"We are not a pay-TV and we do not intend to offer paid content in the future," he added.
TivuSat users won't pay for content but will need a decoder and smart card for a total cost of less than EUR100. RAI and Mediaset each own 48.25% of the new venture, Tivu, with Telecom Italia SpA's (TI) media arm holding the remaining 3.5%.
Sky Italia Tuesday said it will boost its movie offer with a new channel and high-definition technology, in a move also aimed at offsetting a possible pullout by RAI of its channels from Sky's platform, following the launch of TivuSat. Negotiations on the renewal of an existing contract, which expires at end-July, are ongoing.
"Sky may have to worry about the possibility to lose about 40% of its audience, which is attached to RAI and Mediaset traditional free-to-air channels," said a Milan-based media analyst who declined to be named.
"In the medium-term, this is a move that may benefit Mediaset, which is Sky's real competitor," he added.
Sky Italia wasn't immediately available for comment Wednesday.
News Corp.'s satellite unit has offered EUR425 million to RAI for its pay channels, including Rai Sat and Rai Cinema, for seven years, but RAI has rejected the proposal, which for now doesn't include its three free-to-air channels.
"The launch of TivuSat won't influence RAI's commercial strategy and its negotiations with Sky," RAI Vice Director General Giancarlo Leone said Wednesday.
Company Web site: www.mediaset.it
KidsCo to pitch ad account for UK launch
From http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/News/Articlex/81a0ce7c77d64dbfbe4168931eb4d872/KidsCo-to-pitch-ad-account-for-UK-launch.html
KidsCo, the international kids TV channel, is preparing to hold an advertising pitch ahead of its launch in the UK.
It is understood that the company has begun approaching agencies and it is expected to move into a more formal process once it has signed with a broadcaster.
The channel’s newly appointed global marketing manager, Andrew Wishart, is likely to be involved in the process.
He has been charged with helping drive the company’s expansion in the UK and international markets.
Chief executive Paul Robinson has said previously that it is hoping to reveal what platform the channel will be available on by the autumn.
KidsCo is a joint venture between NBC Universal, Cookie Jar Entertainment and Corus Entertainment Inc and it is expecting to launch in the UK either at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
Meanwhile, this year KidsCo has for first time introduced traditional advertising spots in its programming, signing up Twentieth Century Fox to promote its movie Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
KidsCo’s target audience are girls and boys aged six to 10 years old, and it is aiming to become the fourth global player behind Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.
22/07/09
Expanded news section due to lack of site update yesterday
From my Email & ICQ
..
From the Dish
NSS 11 108.2E 12431 H "Global News Network" is now Fta.
NSS 11 108.2E 12511 H "DZRH TV, C/S Origin and Voom HD (HD)" have started on , Videoguard.
Insat 4B 93.5E 3885 H "Kiran TV, Sun News, Sun Music, Surya TV and Chutti TV" have left ,moved to 4045 H.
Measat 3 91.5E 3645 V "Sci Fi Philippines has replaced C/S Origin" on , Digicipher 2, enc.
Yamal 201 90E TV Centr Moskva has started on 3954 L, Fta.
ST 1 88E "Da Ai TV and Buddha Compassion TV" Station on 3469 V and 3595 H are nowencrypted.
From Asiatvro
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星C频段，Granada TV（RRSat）等全组频道改频率，设置3651 V 10000参数部分免费接收。[07-22]
东经113度轨道位置的韩星5号卫星Ku频段，Betv（韩国）频道加密，设置12621 V 13333参数有条件接收。[07-21]
东经91.5度马星3号卫星C频段,新增LITV的高清测试频道，设置参数3751 V 13333免费接收 (2009-07-21)
东经115.5度中星6B号卫星C频段，新增CCTV阿拉伯，CCTV4等频道，设置新参数4117 H 21370免费接收 (2009-07-21)
东经108.2度新天11号卫星Ku频段，新增菲律宾playhouse HD和PPV HD等高清测试频道，设置参数12591 H 29980有条件接收 (2009-07-21)
东经108.2度新天11号卫星Ku频段，环宇直播Global News Network频道加密，设置参数12431 H 30000有条件接收 (2009-07-20)
东经113度韩星5号卫星Ku频段，韩国YTN.MBN.WBTV三频道解密播出，设置参数12621 V 13333免费接收 (2009-07-20)
NEWS
The Optus D3 satellite payload is delivered to French Guiana for Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 launch
From http://spacefellowship.com/2009/07/21/the-optus-d3-satellite-payload-is-delivered-to-french-guiana-for-arianespaces-next-ariane-5-launch/
(Arianespace) – The second of two satellite payloads for Arianespace’s mid-August Ariane 5 mission arrived in French Guiana today, moving this heavy-lift launch campaign into full swing.
Optus D3 was delivered to Rochambeau International Airport near the capital city of Cayenne by a chartered cargo jetliner, which carried this Orbital Sciences Corporation-built spacecraft from its manufacturing facility in the United States.
It is the third D-series satellite produced by Orbital Sciences for the Australian-based Optus telecommunications provider. The two previous spacecraft were launched by Ariane 5 missions in October 2006 and October 2007.
Optus D3 is based on Orbital Sciences’ STAR platform and will provide Ku-band fixed communications and direct television broadcasting services to Australia and New Zealand. As the most powerful spacecraft in the D-series, Optus D3 will generate approximately five kilowatts of payload power to service up to 32 active transponders.
Joining Optus D3 on the upcoming Ariane 5 mission is another U.S.-built satellite, which also will be operated by an Asia-Pacific telecommunications service provider: Lockheed Martin’s JCSAT-12 relay platform for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation of Japan.
The mid-August flight with Optus D3 and JCSAT-12 will be the fourth of a record seven Ariane 5 launches planned in 2009 as Arianespace maintains its mission pace to meet the launch services requirements of a growing international customer base.
GlobeCast Taps TANDBERG Television HD Compression to Bring the Ashes Cricket Series Back to Australia
From http://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Releases/GlobeCast+Taps+TANDBERG+Television+HD+Compression+to+Bring+the+Ashes+Cricket+Series+Back+to+Australia/4805843.html
SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group (NASDAQ: ERIC), announced today that GlobeCast Australia has selected the company's encoders and decoders for all its high definition Contribution & Distribution requirements, which includes the distribution of premium sports like the 2009 Ashes Series Test Cricket to the Southern Hemisphere. GlobeCast Australia, the leading provider of services for International Broadcasters in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, is also expanding its TANDBERG Television DSNG (Digital Satellite News Gathering) encoding capabilities. In addition, the company is deploying TANDBERG professional receivers for its new GlobeCam miniature camera broadcast initiative, which provides birds-eye-view live video footage from sports events.
"Our continued growth across all business areas means we are doubling the size of the Master Control area at our Sydney international teleport during 2009," comments Andrew Nealon, Commercial Director at GlobeCast Australia. "The new TANDBERG Television equipment in Sydney will help us deliver the best quality high definition video for customers while maximising bandwidth efficiency, considerations that were also important for our DSNG expansion. Reliability, ease of use and local support all figured in this purchase decision."
Dario Choi, Executive VP & General Manager, Asia Pacific, TANDBERG Television, adds: "GlobeCast Australia has a well-earned reputation for high quality and innovative broadcast services in the Southern Hemisphere. We are proud that they have recognized the value of our C&D solutions across three different areas of their business, namely DSNG (mobile digital satellite), Teleport (fixed satellite) and Global Fiber (Fixed Telco). The common thread is GlobeCast Australia's determination to go the extra mile for their customers and the need for reliable, high quality, bandwidth-efficient video links."
For the Sydney international teleport, TANDBERG Television has provided its E5782 MPEG-2 encoders for 4:2:0 and highest quality 4:2:2 profile HD video, and the multi-format RX1290 MPEG-2/MPEG-4 AVC decoders. The company's SM6620 modulators, which support the DVB-S2 standard, are also being used. For DSNG applications, GlobeCast Australia is using the E5740 Voyager MPEG-2 SD and E5788 Voyager MPEG-2 4:2:2 HD encoders, suited for news gathering or world-class sporting events.
GlobeCast Australia is also deploying TANDBERG Television's TT1222 Integrated Receiver Decoders as part of its recently introduced GlobeCam service. GlobeCam uses miniature cameras to broadcast live, onboard action from sporting events such as motor racing, cycling, aerobatics and sky diving. The new service enables broadcasters to put viewers at the heart of the action, like inside a racing car. GlobeCast already has a four year contract with V8 Supercars for GlobeCam and other customers include Macau Grand Prix and TVN Horse Racing.
"In creating GlobeCam, we needed fresh thinking and TANDBERG Television was able to customize its equipment to our vision, creating a new way of doing things," says GlobeCam Manager Gerry Justus. "Our TANDBERG Television solution ensures continuity of transmission and more robust delivery of pictures in high impact, fast action environments."
GlobeCast Australia combines its owned and operated satellite capacity with international fiber contribution and backhaul circuits from New Zealand, London, Washington, Los Angeles, Melbourne and Perth. The company already uses TANDBERG Television C&D solutions on its fiber networks and for DSNG.
About GlobeCast Australia
GlobeCast Australia is a member of the GlobeCast Worldwide Group. It is the leading provider of services for International Broadcasters in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, operating facilities and links that span the World. GlobeCast Australia's main services include Direct to Home Satellite (DTH), Digital Satellite News and Sport Coverage (DSNG), International Fibre Distribution, Teleport Services and 24/7 Master Control, Mobile TV and Disaster Recovery. GlobeCast Australia partners with the world's leading Channel Providers, Broadcasters, Sporting Federations and News Organisations to deliver their services within Australia and Internationally.
http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.globecast.com.au&esheet=6011278&lan=en_US&anchor=www.globecast.com.au&index=1
About TANDBERG Television
TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, delivers the multimedia technology and expertise that is moving digital video forward. Whether it's advanced compression systems, on-demand or content distribution, the company's award-winning solutions are used by the world's leading broadcasters, operators and programmers to deliver new viewer experiences and advertising opportunities. With a broad suite of open, standards-based products, TANDBERG Television offers the highest quality solutions for Digital TV, HDTV, VOD, and IPTV. For more information, please visit http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandbergtv.com&esheet=6011278&lan=en_US&anchor=www.tandbergtv.com&index=2
About Ericsson
Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 1 billion subscribers and has a leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises of mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision "to be the prime driver in an all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 75,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 209 billion (USD 32.2 billion) in 2008. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.
IMPALA Announces Freeview Australia's Selection of MHEG-5 as its Interactive TV Middleware
From http://www.itvt.com/story/5240/impala-announces-freeview-australias-selection-mheg-5-its-interactive-tv-middleware
--Freeview New Zealand's MHEG-5-Based Platform Grows 13% in Q2
The International MHEG Promotion Alliance (IMPALA), an organization that was set up in 2006 by Strategy & Technology, Cabot Communications and EchoStar Europe to promote use of the MHEG-5 standard outside the UK (note: MHEG-5 is the middleware standard upon which the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial service, Freeview, is based; it was developed and standardized in the mid-90's as part of the DAVIC standardization effort to support interactivity and navigation for VOD services), announced Monday that Freeview Australia has selected MHEG-5 as the interactive TV middleware for the free-to-air multichannel digital terrestrial TV platform that it is currently rolling out in a phased launch process. IMPALA says that receiver specifications including the MHEG profile for Australia have now been released by Freeview Australia and are available under NDA.
Freeview Australia--which, as its name suggests, is similar in concept to the Freeview services that have been launched in the UK and New Zealand--is co-owned by Australian free-to-air broadcasters, ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine, Ten, Prime, Southern Cross and WIN, and is billed as upholding "Australians' right to watch quality television for free." It is delivered via Freeview-endorsed receivers that are available in retail stores. The second phase of its roll-out, which is scheduled to take place next year, will see the deployment of an MHEG-5-based platform EPG that will provide listings information on all the service's channels, and that will also allow channel and Freeview branding onscreen. "Freeview Australia undertook a comprehensive review process before selecting MHEG-5," IMPALA's director of market development, Giri Valliapan, said in a prepared statement. "They wanted an open-standard middleware but also wanted maximum manufacturer support. This was forthcoming from all the major CE vendors for MHEG--strengthened by the fact that all the major CE manufacturers would be able to supply product to meet Freeview's launch dates--and means another successful adoption for MHEG-5 technology."
According to IMPALA, its founder-members Strategy & Technology and Cabot Communications worked with an unnamed "major CE manufacturer" to prepare the country-specific profile for Australia, referencing the UK DTG Dbook 6 for the majority of the specification and adding Australia-specific PVR extensions. The receiver specification and MHEG profile both include support for HDTV and the IP-based Interaction Channel (allows two-way interactive TV services), the organization says. "We looked closely at both Freeview in the UK and Freeview NZ and were impressed by the success they had achieved," Freeview Australia CEO, Robin Parkes, said in a prepared statement. "With the addition of high-definition graphics and interactive channels, MHEG-5 provides the best route for enhanced services for Freeview in Australia."
MHEG-5 is a public, international standard with country- or region-specific profiles, which, according to IMPALA, has an industry-proven test and conformance regime ensuring compliance over a "vast supply chain" of manufacturers providing such products as set-top boxes, integrated digital TV's, DVR's and hybrid devices. IMPALA--which claims that broadcasters around the world are now deploying MHEG-5 as a "low-cost middleware solution for roll-out over terrestrial, satellite and cable platforms"--says that its role is to provide guidance and advice to ensure the standard is adopted and implemented correctly, and to expand its reach globally.
In related news: Freeview New Zealand announced Sunday that its MHEG-5-based platform grew by 13% during the 2nd quarter, with its satellite-delivered service adding 11,846 households, and its HD DTT-delivered service adding 17,061. According to Freeview NZ, its service is now used by 255,048 households, representing nearly a fifth of the total number of TV households in New Zealand.
Spy base ready for new dome
From http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2663681/Spy-base-ready-for-new-dome/
ERECTION AND PROTECTION: A new dome will be placed over the GCSB Waihopai Facility just as soon as the wind dies down to let the workers get on with the job.
Work is underway to replace the sabotaged protective dome over a satellite dish in the Waihopai Valley.
Sickle-wielding peace activists deflated one of the balls at Waihopai Spy Base on April 30 last year. It's been uncovered ever since.
The white rubberised material protects the interception satellite dishes at the spy base.
The base is run by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB).
The satellite dish was this morning parked facing the sky with ropes slung over it.
GCSB deputy director corporate Hugh Wolfensohn confirmed the satellite dish was in the "parked position" in preparation for the erection of a new dome, known technically as a radome.
The dome would be placed over the satellite dish when wind conditions in the valley allowed the work to continue.
The day after the attack, the bureau said the dome would be replaced at a cost of $1 million to the taxpayer.
Yesterday, Mr Wolfensohn said he could not say exactly how much the new dome cost but he confirmed that $1 million wasn't far off the mark.
"That estimate is still generally valid."
Asked if any measures had been taken to prevent a repeat of last year's attack, Mr Wolfensohn said the new dome was the same as the one it replaced.
"It's a one for one replacement. I'm not going to comment on security measures."
After the attack last year, GCSB director Bruce Ferguson said activists had "totalled" the dome, causing fatal gashes around two-thirds of its perimeter.
He said the dome was made of rubberised material that was very heavy and thick.
"It's a bit like a very strong inflatable boat."
It is inflated to two PSI (pounds per square inch) above atmospheric pressure and designed to protect the satellite from the weather not hide the direction that the satellite is pointed, as has been popularly believed.
Mr Wolfensohn said the satellite dish's antennae had not been damaged by exposure to the weather over the past year as a "a number of engineering and technical measures" had been taken, but added: "We want to get it covered before additional exposure reduces its operational life."
He said before the dome could be replaced an approval process involving, both the past and present prime ministers, had to be followed and insurance matters had to be sorted.
Auckland-based Dominican friar and Catholic priest Peter Murnane, Hokianga farmer Sam Land and Otaki organic gardener Adrian Leason all deny charges of unlawful entry and wilful damage in relation to the deflation of the dome.
All three men were members of the Ploughshares peace group, which takes its name from a biblical proverb about turning weapons into ploughshares.
Their trial will be held in Wellington rather than Blenheim at a date yet to be set.
A protest is organised annually by peace activists, who say Waihopai provides intelligence to the Pentagon and is New Zealand's most important contribution to the United States military network.
Spybase Dome To Protect From weather - Yeah, Right
From Press Release: Campaign Against Foreign Control Of Aotearoa
Chief Reporter
“It (the Waihopai spybase’s new dome, being installed today) is inflated to two PSI (pounds per square inch) above atmospheric pressure and designed to protect the satellite (sic – dish) from the weather not hide the direction that the satellite (sic – dish) is pointed, as has been popularly believed”. Full story at http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2663681/Spy-base-ready-for-new-dome
Yeah ,right.
In which case, why isn’t Telecom’s big satellite dish at Warkworth under a dome to “protect it from the weather”? Or the big satellite dishes on the roofs at TV1 and TV3 in Auckland? Or. Come to think, the hundreds of thousands of satellite TV dishes on buildings and houses up and down the country?
Of course the purpose of the domes at Waihopai is to conceal the direction in which the dishes are being pointed, in order to conceal which international civilian telecommunications satellites they are spying on. Actually the Stuff report quoted above has a Freudian slip in that it uses the word “satellite” instead of “dish”. That’s it in a nutshell – the domes are to conceal what satellites are being spied on.
Please turn the question around and ask the NZ Government Communications Security Bureau if they, and their masters in the US National Security Agency, don’t mind at all if anyone can see which way their spy dishes are pointing and can therefore work out who and what they’re spying on? Do a quick Google search of other spybases – Pine Gap in Australia or Menwith Hill in the UK, for example – and tell us how many uncovered dishes you can see as opposed to ones concealed by domes.
Please stop falling for the GCSB line that, uniquely, Waihopai’s satellite dishes have to be covered by domes to stop them getting wet or blowing away.
ENDS
(Craig's comment, those dishes are located a few K from the sea of course those HUGE dishes never rust..)
Ten Sports extends its reach across Asia and the Pacific
From http://www.ameinfo.com/204445.html
Ten Sports, the most watched sports channel in the sub-continent, achieved yet another landmark when the channel launched in Papua New Guinea and Tonga.
Ten Sports has also renewed its license agreement with Telkomvision in Indonesia as the network starts an expansion drive into emerging markets of the Pacific.
Ten Sports, owned by the Dubai-based Taj Television Limited, is now available via Digicel's Cable Pacific Limited, a leading cable platform for TV channels in Tonga and on Hitron, a leading cable platform in Papua New Guinea. Worldwide - Ten Sports is currently available in more than 75 million cable and satellite homes in over 75 territories.
The new service provides thousands of cricket fans based in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Tonga a chance to view international cricket matches from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe to which Ten Sports holds exclusive multi year rights.
Viewers will be able to enjoy Pakistan's and New Zealand's tours to Sri Lanka which will feature a triangular ODI series involving India.
Mark Denton, Vice President International Sales commented, 'We are delighted to be able to offer Ten Sports to the cricket starved audiences across the Pacific region which have traditionally found great difficulty in accessing such services and we are confident that this is the first of many such deals in the region.'
David Butler, CEO of Digicel, added:
'This is a momentous occasion for Digicel Tonga, as we are the first country to launch Digitv in the Pacific region. We acquired the TV business 12 months ago and have invested extensively to create a world class television service. Digitv is committed to providing an international and local mix of programming to suit everyone in Tonga. We are especially delighted to have Ten Sports on board and are looking forward to working with them in the future.'
Asia/Pacific Region Lifts Sagging Satellite Set Top Box Market, In-Stat Says
From http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090721005174&newsLang=en
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thanks to remarkable shipment growth in Asia/Pacific and particularly India, the worldwide satellite set top box (STB) market chalked up growth in 2008, reports In-Stat (http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-stat.com&esheet=6010920&lan=en_US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.in-stat.com&index=1). However, outside of Asia/Pacific and Latin America, regional markets remain sluggish or even negative. Another important trend is the rise of High Definition (HD) Digital Video Recorders (DVRs).
“In-Stat expects HD DVRs to overtake shipments of Standard Definition (SD) DVR boxes in 2009, with some providers no longer offering SD DVR boxes,” says Michelle Abraham, In-Stat analyst. “More providers will stop offering them in the future, with some going so far as to eliminate all SD boxes from their product lineup in a few years.”
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
- The worldwide satellite set top box market grew by 6% in 2008, bolstered by triple-digit growth in the Asia/Pacific region.
- Thomson was the largest provider of satellite set top boxes in 2008. Other STB providers include Coship, EchoStar, Homecast, Humax, KAONMedia, Pace, Samsung, TechniSat, and Altech UEC.
- The semiconductor Bill of Materials (BOM) for Satellite STBs ranges dramatically from under $25 to well over $100 depending on advanced features, hard drive size and the number of supported video streams.
- Key semiconductor suppliers include ALi, Broadcom, NEC, NXP, STMicroelectronics and Zoran.
- Network connections are becoming increasingly important to support whole-home DVR services, over the top video (OTTV) to the TV, place-shifting, and remote DVR scheduling.
The research, “Worldwide Digital Satellite Set Top Box Market” (#IN0904542ME), covers the worldwide market for digital satellite set top boxes. It includes:
- Unit and revenue forecasts of satellite set top boxes by region and by type through 2013.
- Bill of materials and total available market forecasts through 2013.
- Regional market overviews.
- Box vendor profiles of Coship, EchoStar, Homecast, Humax, KAONMedia, Pace, Samsung, Thomson, UEC, and others.
- Silicon vendor profiles of ALi, Broadcom, NEC, NXP, STMicroelectronics, Zoran, and others.
For more information on this research or to purchase it online, please visit: http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instat.com%2Fcatalog%2Fmmcatalogue.asp%3Fid%3D162&esheet=6010920&lan=en_US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instat.com%2Fcatalog%2Fmmcatalogue.asp%3Fid%3D162&index=3 or contact a sales representative: http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instat.com%2Fsales.asp&esheet=6010920&lan=en_US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instat.com%2Fsales.asp&index=4
The price is $3,495 (US).
About In-Stat
In-Stat’s market intelligence combines technical, market and end-user research and database models to analyze the Mobile Internet and Digital Entertainment ecosystems. Our insights are derived from a deep understanding of technology impacts, nearly 30 years of history in research and consulting, and direct relationships with leading players in each of our core markets. In-Stat provides its research through reports, annual subscriptions, consulting and advisory services to inform critical decisions.
21/07/09
Sorry no update today due to lack of time
Live satellite chat as usual 9p.M NZ and 8.30p.m Syd time
20/07/09
Nasa TV feed seen feeding out on "Up4"
Asiasat 2 3706H SR 4167 VPID 200 APID 256 PPID 258
From my Email & ICQ
From nfbwrestling
Optus D2 Duna TV 2 Hungary from July 22?
I posted this at vetrun but the site seems to not be working too good at the moment so people might not see it.
Duna TV Hungarian channel has been advertising Duna 2 starting on the 22nd of July for Australian and American audiences so that we can don't have to watch Hungarian prime time shows in the early hours of the morning. Upon doing a blind scan I have found nothing so far. Does anyone have any more info on this new channel?
From the Dish
Agila 2 146E 12541 H "France 24 English has replaced TV 5 Monde Asia" on , Nagravision.
Chinasat 6B 115.5E 3680 V "Channel Investor has replaced Fortune World" on , Mediaguard.
Chinasat 6B 115.5E 3920 H "Article Channel has replaced Shuowen Jiezi" on , enc.
Chinasat 6B 115.5E 3980 V "Baby Channel has replaced Eastern Logistics" Channel on , enc.
Chinasat 6B 115.5E 4080 H "Article Channel" has left .
NSS 11 108.2E Three TAS muxes have started on 12571 V, 12651 V and 12731 V, Viaccess, SR 30000, FEC 5/6. See the NSS 11 for channel line-ups.
Measat 3 91.5E "Classica Asia" has left 4125 V, moved to 3805 V.
Measat 3 91.5E 3805 V Astro Aruna is / was Fta .
ST 1: 88E "Videoland Japan, Videoland Drama, Videoland ONTV and Videoland Max TV" on 3550 V
and 3632 V are now encrypted.
Insat 2E 83E 4042 V "Time Express TV" has started on , Fta.
Insat 4A 83E 11010 H All channels in the Tata Sky mux are encrypted again.
Express MD1 80E 3875 R "TV 3 (Russia)" has started on , Fta, SR 32000, FEC 3/4.
Thaicom 5 78.5E All channels on 12355 V are now encrypted, except the MRTV channels.
Telstar 10 76.5E 3840 H "Luxe TV" has started on , MPEG-4, HD, Fta.BBC World News, KidsCo, EuroNews, MTV Base, B4U Music India and B4U Movies
India are back, MPEG-4, Viaccess.
Telstar 10 76.5E 12405 V "Wei Xin TV and No. 1" have started on , Fta.
Intelsat 10 68.5E 3810 H "CNBC Pakistan" is now encrypted.
Intelsat 10 68.5E 3863 V "Travel Channel and Rhema Network" are encrypted again.
Intelsat 10 68.5E "Kingdom Life Network" has left 12562 H, moved to 12682 H.
Intelsat 906 64.2E 3664 L "ACBN" has started on , Fta, SR 2170, FEC 3/4.
Intelsat 906 64.2E 3998 R "Zee Gujarati USA and Zee Gujarati UK" have left .
From asiatvro site
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，Global News Network（环宇）频道解密，设置12431 H 30000参数免费接收。[07-20]
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星Ku频段，卫视体育、CNN（缅甸）等频道加密，设置12355 V 30000参数有条件接收。[07-20]
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星C频段，Live Today（泰国）频道消失，设置3960 V 30000参数无效接收。[07-20]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，Global News Network（环宇）频道加密，设置12431 H 30000参数有条件接收。[07-20]
东经113度轨道位置的韩星5号卫星Ku频段，MBN TV、SBOX（韩国）等全组频道解密，设置12621 V 13333参数免费接收。[07-19]
东经68.5度轨道位置的泛美10号卫星C频段，Rhema Network、Travel Channel（南非）频道加密，设置3863 V 20600参数有条件接收。[07-19]
东经93.5度轨道位置的印星4B号卫星C频段，Adithya TV（MPEG-4）频道新增，设置4045 H 28000参数免费接收。[07-18]
东经146度轨道位置的马布海2号卫星Ku频段，France 24替换TV 5（梦幻）频道，设置12541 H 25600参数有条件接收。[07-18]
东经90度轨道位置的雅玛尔201号卫星C频段，TV Centr Moskva（俄罗斯）频道新增，设置3954 L 29500参数免费接收。[07-18]
NEWS
NewSat Limited (ASX:NWT) Declares 400% Year on Year Growth to Shareholders
From http://www.abnnewswire.net/press/en/61058/NewSat_Limited_(ASX:NWT)_Declares_400_Year_on_Year_Growth_to_Shareholders.html
Melbourne, July 17, 2009 (ABN Newswire) - As part of NewSat Limited's (ASX:NWT)(PINK:NWTLY) continuous disclosure obligations, directors wish to advise shareholders of the company's ongoing progress.
NewSat's growth over the past 12 months has been the strongest of any period in the history of the company.
In the year of international economic meltdown, NewSat grew new business in excess of 400% on the previous year. Total revenues also increased substantially. Its recurring revenue stream will ensure the 09/10 year is NewSat's best ever as the Board is confident that the company will continue the growth of the 2008/09 financial year.
"Last year the company successfully grew its annuity revenue stream, minimised contract churn and effectively contained all business costs. As a result NewSat is in a position to generate month on month growth in 09/10 and will deliver its maiden profit", said Chairman, John Walker.
NewSat's teleports are still regarded as amongst the most significant in the world and they continue to generate profitable business. These assets help set NewSat apart from other Australian based communications providers. They have been a target of international acquisition ambition in previous months, but the Board has determined shareholders interests are not well served via a sale of either one or both teleports.
NewSat's client base is essentially "blue-chip", and very much geared towards the oil, gas and mining and military sectors. Deployments in these sectors are typically confidential and publicity free.
The value of NewSat's assets continue to grow as satellite technology becomes more mainstream. It's no debt policy and growing cash balance has placed the company uniquely amongst its competitors. NewSat still supports the largest retail digital media satellite network in the country, and its Kimberley region initiative across 16 sites is both ground breaking and valuable for communities who have traditionally been disenfranchised by way of mainstream communications.
NewSat's satellite launch aspirations continue to develop, and this month executives of major space corporations meet in Melbourne to finalise construction and implementation details. NewSat will be in a position to offer a solution via NBN or in its own right. On the basis of its current project plan, directors are confident the initiative can be fully funded The company wants shareholders to know it is in serious negotiation for substantial satellite based business with organisations of world renown. The company is confident of early success in that regard. Notwithstanding, NewSat will ensure its primary focus is on increasing month on month revenues via contracts of longevity.
Shareholders have much to be excited about in going forward as the Boards strategy is working.
Link: http://www.abnnewswire.net/media/en/docs/61058-ASX-NWT-320646.pdf
About Newsat Limited
NewSat Limited (ASX:NWT) provides a full range of managed communication services, TT & C and carrier monitoring from its teleports in Perth and Adelaide to Australia/Oceania, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Utilising the latest generation satellite and VSAT technology, NewSat offers end-toend, affordable, high-speed, two-way satellite broadband communication services, products and solutions to broadcasters, cable programmers, news agencies, telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers, corporations, governments and distance-learning networks. In addition, NewSat Networks operates multiple Broadband IP Services based on technologies developed by ViaSat, Gilat, Hughes, Comtech and iDirect.
Services are available on a wide range of satellites accessible from the Perth and Adelaide facilities. Antenna sizes ranging from 3.7 to 13m are available in addition to all the necessary RF and conversion equipment. Customers may co-locate equipment in these facilities, or NewSat can provide an end-to-end service.
Contact
John Walker
Chairman
Melbourne, Principal Office
Tel: +61-3-9674-4644
Fax: +61-3-9674-4655
Freeview lifts reach
From http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/2607628/Freeview-lifts-reach
Freeview general manager Sam Irvine says there is no evidence people are holding off buying digital set-top boxes to wait for the launch of TiVo later this year.
The number of Freeview subscribers continues to track steadily upward, helped by the availability of lower-cost Freeview HD decoders, which are now on sale from $199, he says.
Mr Irvine says the proportion of homes with either Freeview or Sky TV must be close to 60 per cent the point at which the Government has announced it will set a target date for the closure of the analogue television service.
Mr Irvine says that based on experience in Australia, that could further help boost Freeview uptake.
The lack of availability of Prime on Freeview was one of the factors holding back the digital switch-over.
SingTel upbeat about its satellite ventures
From http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/views/story/0,4574,342458,00.html
Upcoming ST-2 and ABS-2 also expected to bolster SingTel's other business offerings, reports ONG BOON KIAT
SINGAPORE Telecommunications' (SingTel) upcoming pair of co-owned satellites could spawn new market opportunities collectively worth more than US$400 million, according to a senior official of the company.
Mr Yong: 'At this point, we can say that the satellite industry is very robust despite the global recession.'
The two satellites - the ST-2 and ABS-2, which are scheduled for launch in around two years' time - are expected to help bolster the telco's broad range of communications offerings and IT services.
'Currently given our satellite coverage, which comprises not only our own but also our capacity from other operators, the addressable market in Asia-Pacific up to the Middle East border is about US$2.6 billion,' said Titus Yong, SingTel's vice-president of Satellite, in an interview with BizIT.
'The ABS-2 and ST-2 will take us all the way to Africa and we expect US$2.6 billion to easily grow to become more than US$3 billion.'
The outlook is based on 'looking from a demand standpoint from all of the broadcasters, data communications providers and maritime operators which are looking for satellite capacity'.
SingTel last month announced an S$80 million deal with satellite operator Asia Broadcast Satellite Limited (ABS) to own an undisclosed number of transponders - devices that receive and transmit signals - on the ABS-2 satellite. Said to be one of the world's most powerful satellites, ABS-2 is expected to take to its orbit by late 2011 or early 2012, and extend SingTel's satellite coverage in Africa, the Middle East and the central Asian regions.
Last September, the telco announced a joint venture with Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan's biggest telecom operator, to build and launch the S$200 million ST-2 satellite by early 2011. Replacing the retiring ST-1, it will offer significantly greater capacity than its predecessor and wider coverage including the Middle East. SingTel and Chunghwa own about 62 per cent and 38 per cent share of the venture respectively.
For the past three years, rising demand for satellite communications by the media, finance, maritime, oil and gas and other sectors have propelled SingTel's satellite unit to a robust double-digit year-on-year growth rate, according to Mr Yong.
The upcoming satellites will help the telco carve out more inroads into emerging markets, as well as extend the reach of its range of enterprise offerings, he said.
For instance, with satellite coverage SingTel has been able to drive its Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP-VPN) services, as well as IT services such as managing networking and PC equipment on behalf of end-users, into ships and oil rigs.
'It is a new sector of growth for us. Many businesses look for end-to-end solutions and we can now extend our services that we delivered terrestrially via satellite into remote offices,' he said.
So far, things have looked good for SingTel's new ventures. The telco said over half of ST-2's capacity has already been signed up. With ABS-2, Mr Yong expects over half of the capacity owned by SingTel to be filled at launch.
On future prospects, he singled out the maritime sector as a growth area. 'Broadband to the maritime now is a very hot topic because it is very hard to attract crew to work on ships for long term as a lot of them are from Gen-X. Many shipping firms therefore now equip ships with broadband to improve crew retention.'
He also noted that shipping firms can slash the cost of on-ship phone charges by more than half through using technologies that allow for voice calls over the Internet, known as Voice-over-IP, or VoIP.
'At this point, we can say that the satellite industry is very robust despite the global recession. Given this and that the economy is expected to recover in the next 24 months, the confidence level is quite good, barring launch issues.'
Measat looks at launching fifth satellite
From http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/18/business/4346129&sec=business
CYBERJAYA: Measat Satellite System Sdn Bhd may launch another satellite to add to its existing four satellites in orbit, said chief operating officer Paul Brown-Kenyon.
“We are in discussions to have the fifth satellite either by developing it ourselves or through joint venture with another partner,” he said yesterday at the launch of Measat-3a, which also marked the success of its latest satellite in in-orbit testing and entered into full commercial services.
The Measat-3a was launched into orbit on June 22.
Brown-Kenyon said the process of developing and launching a new satellite would take two to three years and if the discussions were positive, Measat would make the announcement in the next six to 12 months.
“Malaysia is given 17 orbital slots; the opportunity to develop more satellites is there to cater to demand locally and internationally,” he said.
Meanwhile, Brown-Kenyon said the company had secured customers for over half of Measat-3a’s capacity, so the satellite was expected to be earnings-accretive before the end of this year.
Measat-3a is able to provide satellite services to over 145 countries, spanning from Australia to Nigeria.
Measat is expected to earn US$100mil annually in the next three to four years through the four satellites it owns, from the current US$60mil, according to Brown-Kenyon.
Commissioning Congratz — MEASAT-3a Milestone
From http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=1628794266
MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. has announced the MEASAT-3a satellite, launched on the June 22nd from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a Landlaunch Zenit-3SLB launch vehicle, had successfully completed in-orbit testing and entered full commercial service.
The newly commissioned satellite was handed over from Orbital Sciences Corporation, the satellite’s manufacturer, to MEASAT at a ceremony at the Company’s primary operations centre outside of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “MEASAT-3a provides an additional 24 transponders, to the 48 transponder already provided by MEASAT-3 at the company’s key 91.5 degrees East orbital location, allowing for the continued growth of our DTH and HD video distribution neighborhoods,” said Paul Brown-Kenyon, Chief Operating Officer, MEASAT. “Having secured customers for over half of the satellite’s payload, we expect the satellite to be accretive to earnings before the end of the year.” With the introduction of MEASAT-3a, the MEASAT fleet now comprises of four satellites across three orbital locations. The fleet is able to provide satellite services to more than 145 countries stretching from Australia to Nigeria.
Lithium ion space battery power for MEASAT-3a satellite provided by Saft
From http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/366467/32/ARTCL/none/EXECW/1/Lithium-ion-space-battery-power-for-MEASAT-3a-satellite-provided-by-Saft/
COCKEYSVILLE, Md., 19 July 2009. Satellite designers at Orbital Sciences Corp. in Dulles, Va., needed lithium ion (Li-ion) space batteries for the MEASAT-3a communications satellite, launched in June from a Land Launch rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They found their space battery solution from Saft in Cockeysville, Md.
The MEASAT-3a satellite, which will generate space power 3.6 kilowatts for the satellite payload, carries 12 Ku-band and 12 C-band active transponders along with three antennas.
MEASAT-3a contains two of Saft's VES 140 spacecraft batteries onboard, for 72 VES 140 cells. This launch makes 33 spacecraft in orbit today using Saft Li-ion battery technology, company officials say. Saft's rechargeable Li-ion batteries power the MEASAT-3a during two eclipse seasons per year when the spacecraft is blocked from the sun.
MEASAT-3a will serve C-band markets throughout the Asia-Pacific region with a global beam, while Ku-band beams will serve direct-to-home broadcasting in Malaysia and Indonesia. The satellite will be located at an orbital slot at 91.5 degrees East Longitude over Southeast Asia and will .
In addition to the MEASAT-3a, Saft has provided batteries for several Orbital-built satellites, including the Optus D3, which is scheduled to launch later this year, and both the Optus D1 and Optus D2 satellites that launched in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Saft also supplied its Li-ion technology for Orbital's Horizons-2 and THOR 5 satellites, both launched in 2008. Orbital's KOREASAT 6 is being manufactured with Saft Li-ion batteries onboard and is scheduled for launch in 2010.
For more information contact Saft online at http://www.saftbatteries.com/Technologies_Lithium_Liion_301/Language/en-US/Default.aspx.
Malaysia Astro to be revamped in $2.5 bln deal-paper
From http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSKLR39295220090718?sp=true
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Reuters) - Malaysian pay-TV operator Astro All Asia (AAAN.KL) will be restructured in a 9 billion ringgit ($2.5 billion) deal that will see its international businesses sold off, a newspaper reported on Saturday.
Astro's two main shareholders, the privately held Usaha Tegas and Malaysian state investment agency Khazanah Nasional, will buy the company's unprofitable international operations under the deal, Singapore's Straits Times reported, citing unnamed bankers.
Astro will also pay a one-off dividend of 1 ringgit per share, which would see Khazanah receiving about 340 million ringgit from the payout, the paper said.
Khazanah will keep its 22 percent stake in the listed Malaysian entity and control about 33 percent in the private vehicle that will house the international business.
Usaha Tegas, controlled by low-profile Malaysian tycoon Ananda Krishnan, and its affiliates will control the rest of the private entity, the report said.
Astro and Usaha Tegas could not be reached for comment. Khazanah Nasional declined to comment. ($1=3.563 Malaysian Ringgit) (Reporting by Liau Y-Sing; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Region to Share Its Satellite Data
From http://thejakartaglobe.com/news/region-to-share-its-satellite-data/318818
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region have agreed to make more of an effort to share information to help disaster mitigation, an Indonesian representative said on Friday.
Orbita Roswintiarti, head of the environment and natural resources department at the Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (Lapan), said that some countries with advanced technologies were willing to help others by sharing their satellite data, especially to help prevent and reduce wildfire and flood disasters.
Orbita was speaking at the second Joint Project Team Meeting for the Sentinel Asia program, which was held in Bali from Wednesday to Friday and gathered some 62 members, including 54 organizations from 22 countries around the Asia Pacific and eight international organizations, to talk about sharing data across the region.
“Some countries, such as South Korea, India, Thailand and Japan, are willing to help others, especially those that don’t have satellites,” Orbita said. “All members are committed to helping each other by sharing information from remote sensing for free.”
She said that Indonesia was one of those countries willing to share its information for free for disaster mitigation purposes, and that the commitment would also cover training to analyze satellite data and to use that information in the first response to disasters.
“We will focus on wildfires and floods now,” Orbita said. “We want members to analyze the data of what’s going on prior to and after the disaster, so that they can take the correct action.”
She said that some member countries, namely Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, did not have their own satellites.
In 2008, the Asia-Pacific region was hit by several natural disasters, including the Sichuan earthquake in China and Cyclone Nargis in Burma, that left up to 220,000 people dead and caused $200 billion in damages.
Orbita said that while it was difficult to predict disasters, early warning systems and comprehensive data helped
ESPN Kicks Up Fiber For Cup
From http://www.multichannel.com/article/315719-ESPN_Kicks_Up_Fiber_For_Cup.php
Programmer Builds A Global Network for 2010 Coverage
ESPN is pulling out the stops for its on-site coverage of the 2010 World Cup. The global sports giant is expanding its private fiber-optic network to create the same level of connectivity with Johannesburg, South Africa, that it enjoys between its multiple U.S. studios.
The programmer has already installed two-way fiber links between its Bristol, Conn., home base and its new L.A. Live facility in Los Angeles, as well as with ABC studios in New York and ESPNU/ESPN Regional TV in Charlotte, N.C. In 2010, it will use fiber to support two real-time video links from Johannesburg, one running to New York and the other to Los Angeles.
ESPN has also already established full-time fiber links to soccer-mad London, Argentina and Brazil, where it launched its latest HD network, ESPN Brazil, in April. That two-way connectivity will support 65 hours of coverage originating from two sets in and around Johannesburg, as well as three camera crews there.
It is the first time ESPN will produce the entirety of its World Cup studio programming on-site. This will include SportsCenter segments, nightly World Cup Live updates, and pre-, halftime and post-match shows, with additional studio programming and World Cup-branded segments. The matches themselves — which will use the feed from host broadcaster Host Broadcast Services, augmented by ESPN cameras — will be telecast on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.
“We're doing so much from everywhere to everywhere production-wise these days, that having a backbone acquisition and distribution network was essential,” said ESPN vice president of digital technology Rob Hunter.
Like other large programmers, ESPN has been steadily shifting its contribution links from satellite to fiber over the past five years. The cost of leasing fiber has steadily come down as the amount of available throughput has increased. One of the big advantages of fiber for live production, Hunter noted, is that it reduces signal latency compared to satellite. ESPN only had a latency of about 240 milliseconds for standard-definition fiber feeds from the 2007 women's World Cup in Shanghai, China, and expects the delay from South Africa to be only slightly more with HD.
“You still can't overcome the 44,000-foot turnaround [with satellite] when you're doing live-to-live,” Hunter said.
He noted that ESPN now produces a unique segment in SportsCenter where the talent in Bristol is speaking to talent standing in front of a greenscreen in Los Angeles. “The viewer has no idea, because there is no latency,” he said. “They have no idea they're 3,000 miles away.”
The twin 10-Gigabit-per-second fiber links between Bristol and Los Angeles also allow the facilities to seamlessly pass content back and forth between Quantel servers as if they were side-by-side editing rooms at one location. ESPN will have some of the same capability for the World Cup, though it will use EVS servers in Johannesburg to produce highlights on-site.
Due to the cost of trans-Atlantic links, ESPN won't have quite that big a pipe for the World Cup to link to its facilities within the International Broadcast Center in Johannesburg. The network is considering connectivity at either OC-3 (155 Megabits per second) or OC-12 (622 Mbps), with terminal equipment provided by Net Insight. It is leaning toward OC-12, which is the speed of its new pipe to London.
One undersea route will travel from the west of South Africa up to Portugal and on to New York via trans-Atlantic cables, running approximately 9,420 miles. The other undersea route will run from the east side of South Africa through Penang, Malaysia; Hong Kong; and into New York via Los Angeles. That route is considerably longer at 14,750 miles.
Due to the global nature of the World Cup and the tremendous popularity of soccer in South America and Europe, ESPN will be making heavy use of its fiber connections to those markets as well, according to Hunter, both leading up to and during the matches. “We'll be bringing feeds from Argentina and Brazil into the coverage from South Africa, and we expect to take advantage of our circuit into London, too,” he said. “We'll also have collection points from Germany and France. We will be able to build a worldwide community, both on-air and online, for months.”
Format-conversion technology will be crucial for handling the feeds, as the World Cup matches are being produced in the European 1080-line-interlace/50 hertz format and will need to be converted to ESPN's 720-line progressive/60 frames-per-second format. The feeds, which will be compressed in MPEG-2 using Tandberg encoders, will also need to be converted to 1080i/60 for ESPN's new HD facility in Brazil, which has adopted the same format used by Brazilian broadcast giant TV Globo.
ESPN currently uses Snell's Alchemist Ph.C format-conversion product, but will also be evaluating technology from other vendors between now and next spring.
Since ESPN will also be transferring a huge amount of edited packages as files across the network, it will employ bandwidth-optimization technology from firms like Aspera, which specializes in speeding the delivery of large video files, and Riverbed, whose products are more suited to applications like e-mail.
According to ESPN lead engineer for transport and special projects Emory Strilkauskas, data-acceleration software is essential when using file-transfer protocol technology over long distances to get the full throughput of the bandwidth you're paying for.
“Those protocols are designed for short-distance, LAN [local-area network] applications,” Strilkauskas said. “So the application thinks the data packets are not received, because the echo back is taking longer than the application was designed for. So the file transfer slows down to a mere trickle.”
He cites a test that ESPN conducted sending an HD file from L.A. to Bristol over the network's 10-Gb link. Without acceleration software, it took eight minutes to transfer the file; using the software, it took 15 seconds.
Critical Malfuntion in Chandrayaan-1
From http://www.india.com/news/india/critical_malfuntion_chandrayaan_1_5511
May face an early death
The Chandrayaan-1, Indias first moon mission satellite has lost a major sensor and may face an early death, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO).
"Unfortunately, during the last month we have lost a vital sensor — the star sensor," ISRO Chief G Madhavan Nair said. "Like in the olden days when one used to look at the stars to fix a direction, likewise an onboard electronic equipment was doing all this and it was required for precise pointing (towards the moon). With its loss we are really worried," he said.
"But to the credit of the ISRO scientific team, they have worked out a very innovative way of overcoming the problem," the ISRO chief said, but added that if some more failures happen, "then we will have problems".
Chandrayaan-I was launched from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on October 22 last year. On the bright side, in the last eight months Chandrayaan-1 has completed almost all of its objectives and has collected almost all the data that it was supposed to record.
ISRO Spokesperson S Satish said, "We are not sure how long we will be able to sustain it. The life of Chandrayaan-I designed for two years may be reduced". He, however, maintained that the mission is not crippled adding, "it is continuing satisfactorily." ISRO said it has devised innovative technology and is using antenna pointing mechanism and gyroscopes to overcome the problem.
The Indian Space agency would be able to complete manned moon mission by 2015 AD and added that the transponder capacity would be increased to 500 by the end of 11th plan period. At present ISRO is operating 211 transponders.
19/07/09
Sunday, no update
18/07/09
Saturday, no update
17/07/09
Only a short update to finish the week with.
From my Email & ICQ
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NEWS
GlobeCast delivers Russia Today to networks throughout Asia
From http://press-releases.techwhack.com/38764-globecast-18
Hotels, DTH and cable networks in India and Hong Kong now receiving top English-language channel
New Delhi/Hong Kong, 16 July 2009 – GlobeCast and Russia Today have concluded a deal to distribute the channel in Asia to a variety of distribution networks and platforms, beginning with India. Millions of homes and thousands of hotel rooms throughout India will now receive this top channel.
To bring the channel into India, GlobeCast oversaw all regulatory requirements for Russia Today’s launch, including securing of the downlink license and landing rights. GlobeCast’s expertise and strong presence in India enabled it to secure the license within a shorter timeframe, in a challenging broadcast climate.
Russia Today is now available on cable and DTH platforms in India including WWIL, Dish Hits, InCable, 7Star, Big TV and SunDirect platforms – representing a potential viewership of 7 million homes. GlobeCast is also bringing the channel to over 15,000 rooms in more than 100 high-end hotel networks in India. A total of 300 hotels will eventually receive this content according to the deal.
In a separate deal, GlobeCast has reached an agreement with Hong Kong’s Cable TV, expanding Russia Today’s reach to viewers in the city-state.
As Russia Today’s chosen distribution partner, GlobeCast is in talks with various other large networks to carry the channel to the widest possible audience, including obtaining regulatory licences in other parts of Asia, which will allow for expansion into new markets in the region for Russia Today.
Russia Today is Russia’s free-to-air 100% English-language channel, broadcasting news and current affairs programming. GlobeCast is pleased to be working with this major broadcaster as part of its expansion into rights management and distribution. GlobeCast focuses on international content as an increasingly vibrant part of the television industry, and leverages the relationships with broadcasters around the world to bring them to new audiences.
#
Press Contact
Vanessa Ching vanessa.ching {at} globecast(.)com +65 6325 4222 (Singapore)
GlobeCast (www.globecast.com): a subsidiary of France Telecom, is a leading global provider of content management and worldwide transmission services for professional broadcast delivery. The company operates a secure global satellite and fiber network to manage and transport 10 million hours of video and other rich media each year. Top-tier broadcasters and content providers of all sizes turn to GlobeCast for ingest, aggregation, transmission and repurposing of content for delivery to direct-to-home satellite platforms; cable, IPTV, mobile and broadband headends, as well as corporate and digital signage networks. GlobeCast’s fleet of SNG trucks deploys globally to support coverage of the biggest news and sporting events each year in SD and HDTV formats. Borders are non-existent when it comes to GlobeCast’s services, thanks to the company’s 11 teleports and technical operations centres as well as its 17 offices in Europe, North and Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia.
Launch of Korea's First Satellite Rocket Postponed
From http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/07/17/2009071700712.html
The much anticipated Korea's first satellite launch using a homemade launch vehicle has been postponed due to technical problems. The satellite rocket was scheduled to be launched on July 30 from the Naro Space Center in Korea's south, but the plan could be pushed back by at least four days.
The ministry of Education, Science and Technology says the setback came after a Russian aerospace company had to delay the test of one of the main boosters of Korea's Naro rocket.
The multi-stage rocket consists of a liquid fuel-based Russian-made rocket for first-stage propulsion and a solid fuel-based Korean-made rocket for the second stage.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute says the rocket launch could be postponed indefinitely if Russia's rocket booster test fails.
Granada TV moves onto Mio
From http://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/200907164267/granada-tv-moves-onto-mio.html
Granada TV will launch on SingTel’s IPTV platform Mio TV in Singapore on July 15.
ITV Global Entertainment’s new generalist channel for Asia will be part of the SuperSaver English Pack as well as being available a la carte. ITV already has programming on Mio’s on-demand service.
Many of the new channel’s programmes have never aired in the region before. Programming is drawn from the extensive ITV library and includes the Prime Suspect franchise, entertainment series The Jeremy Kyle Show and The Friday Night Project and reality and factual TV such as Airline and Ballroom Bootcamp.
James Ross, Regional Director, ITV Global Entertainment (Asia), said: “SingTel is one the world’s leading multi-media platforms and we are delighted to have chosen mio TV as the South East Asian launch partner for Granada TV. This agreement is a natural extension of our recent premium VOD deal that will see some of the best in ITV Global Entertainment drama and documentaries become available one month after their UK telecast.”
MultiChoice launches new package
From http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/220/688153
MULTICHOICE Africa, the operator of Africa’s pay TV platform Digital Satellite television (DStv), has launched a new package called DStv Access.
The new product has 25 channels and will cost $10 (sh21,300) per month.
“We are responding to the needs of a broader television viewing market. Since many people in Uganda and the rest of the world are tightening their budgets, we believe this new bouquet will open up new avenues for both MultiChoice business and the viewers,” Charles Hamya, the MultiChoice Uganda general manager, said at a press conference at the Kampala Serena Hotel.
“This a big milestone in making pay-television an everyday reality for homes in Africa. It demonstrates our commitment to creating a vibrant pay television industry in Africa.”
He added that DStv Access subscribers would have an extensive choice of family entertainment, combining general entertainment, movies, documentaries, news, children’s programming, music, religion and sports.
It will also feature BBC world, Aljazeera, national geographic wild, fashion TV, magic world and CNBC Africa
Hamya also said, “Our commitment remains focused on providing exceptional customer service to DStv subscribers to ensure that they have access to the finest quality premium content; local and international channels on carefully selected bouquets, designed to meet the viewing needs of the whole family, while ensuring flexible pricing options.”
CASBAA Criticizes Indian Regulatory Moves
From http://www.satellitetoday.com/st/headlines/31653.html
[Satellite Today 07-17-09] The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) believes new regulations introduced by the Indian government could have a detrimental effect for satellite pay-TV operators, according to a statement released July 16.
The statement is in response to a July 6 announcement from Indian finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who introduced a 5 percent customs tax on importing set-top boxes while reducing duties on LCD televisions from 10 percent to 5 percent.
In the statement, CASBAA noted that imported telecoms equipment is exempt from basic customs duty, but the basic duties for imported head-end equipment for cable TV and satellite TV systems can vary from 7.5 percent to 10 percent.
“The broadcast industry still needs government support in the form of a reasonable (and reasoned) tax environment if it is to grow further,” Simon Twiston Davies, CASBAA CEO, said in the statement.
Reliance to start broadcasting biz with lifestyle and English music channels
From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/july/july185.php
MUMBAI: Reliance ADAG is likely to kick-start its broadcasting business with the launch of a lifestyle and an English music channel, industry sources say.
The lifestyle channel will focus on fitness for which the content is being firmed up. Big Broadcasting, the entity which will own and operate Reliance's TV channels, is also in talks with international music labels like Sony, BMG and Universal for the content lineup on its music channel.
When contacted, Big Broadcasting COO Ashutosh declined to comment.
The Hindi movie channel is on the backburner as there is paucity of content in the marketplace. Recently, Reliance sold telecast rights for 25 Hindi movies to UTV Movies on a limited screening basis for two years. The list included Rock On, Luck By Chance, Marigold, Johnny Gaddaar, Love Story 2050, Border, Refugee, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon, and Gangaajal.
"For building a movie channel like Zee Cinema or Max, content is just not available at this stage. The option is to either run a movie channel on syndicated content or acquire one. But on syndicated content you can't have a movie channel of big size," sources add.
Reliance is believed to have started talks with Sahara One Media & Entertainment Ltd. for acquiring its Hindi movie channel Filmy, but couldn't settle on the valuation.
Reliance ADAG has already started producing regional content through Big Productions.
Earlier Reliance ADAG had applied to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for 20 channels in the non-news segment. This included regional and kids channels.
16/07/09
..
From my Email & ICQ
..
From the Dish
Agila 2 146E 12541 H "Star Sports South East Asia and ESPN Philippines have replaced Arirang World and NOW" on , Nagravision.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3840 V "365 Din" is back on , Fta.
Intelsat 10 68.5E 3863 V "Travel Channel and Rhema Network" are now Fta.
From Asiatvro site
图:东经91.5度马星3号卫星C频段,VOOM高清频道解密，设置参数3751 V 13333免费接收 (2009-07-16)
图：东经108.2度新天11号卫星KU频段，新增东森电影，东森洋片，东森新闻等频道（华卫），设置参数12569 V 30000有条件接收 (2009-07-16)
图：东经108.2度新天11号卫星KU频段，新增国兴，好消息，好莱坞电影等频道（华卫），设置参数12649 V 30000部分免费接收 (2009-07-16)
图；东经108.2度新天1`1号卫星KU频段，新增东风，年代新闻等频道（华卫），设置新参数12729 V 30000部分免费接收 (2009-07-16)
NEWS
Seven Network’s Consolidated Stake Nears Bid Trigger
From http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=af2shVMuxBEo
July 16 (Bloomberg) -- Australian billionaire Kerry Stokes raised his stake in Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd. to 19.9 percent, just shy of a regulatory threshold preventing him from buying more for six months without making a full takeover bid.
Stokes’ Seven Network Ltd. acquired 11 million more shares, about 1.6 percent of Sydney-based Consolidated’s stock, to lift its holding from 18.3 percent, according to a stock-exchange filing today. Rival billionaire James Packer has also added to his investment this week and now owns 41 percent.
Seven has spent the past two weeks quadrupling its holding in Consolidated, whose assets include a 25 percent stake in Australia’s largest pay-television operator, Foxtel. Under Australia’s so-called creep rules, an investor that exceeds a 20 percent holding can’t buy more than 3 percent every six months without making a full takeover offer.
“I would be very surprised to see a full takeover from Kerry Stokes because if Packer doesn’t want to sell, it’s going to fail,” said Mark McDonnell, an analyst at BBY Ltd. in Sydney. “We will see things quieter now unless either decides to use the creep provisions in six months.” McDonnell rates Seven shares “buy.”
Seven fell 0.9 percent to A$5.67 at the 4:10 p.m. market close in Sydney. Consolidated rose 1.9 percent to A$2.69. The stock has gained 22 percent since July 7, the day before Stokes began raising his stake.
In addition to the Foxtel stake, Consolidated owns about 26 percent of Seek Ltd., Australia’s largest employment Web site, and 50 percent of Premier Media Group, which broadcasts seven subscription channels.
‘Join ‘Em’
Telstra Corp., Australia’s largest phone company, owns 50 percent of Foxtel, and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. holds the remaining 25 percent.
Seven’s previous involvement in pay TV was its unprofitable C7 channel, which closed in 2002. Stokes lost a A$1.1 billion lawsuit against News, Telstra and 20 others after he failed to prove they aimed to destroy C7 and stop it accessing the Foxtel platform. An appeal of the 2007 ruling is currently under way.
“Stokes has made strenuous efforts through C7 and litigation to get into pay TV, and all his efforts have failed,” said McDonnell. “This looks like, ‘If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.’”
The billionaire, 68, began increasing his Consolidated stake last week, paying A$234 million between July 8 and July 10 to more than triple his holding from less than 5 percent. Packer, 41, bought 0.9 percent last week, before yesterday announcing the purchase of a further 1.5 percent of the available stock.
Stokes owns almost 49 percent of Sydney-based Seven, whose investments include 23 percent of West Australian Newspapers Holdings Ltd. and 50 percent of the nation’s most-watched television network and second-largest magazine publisher.
A&E Deepens Relationship With Foxtel
From http://www.mediaresearchasia.com/view2.php?type=press&id=636
New York / Sydney – A&E Television Networks (AETN) and FOXTEL have reached an agreement to renew and extend their existing partnership. Under the agreement FOXTEL will assume expanded rights for multi-platform representation of AETN brands and programs across Australia and New Zealand. The agreement was announced by Sean Cohan, Sr. Vice President, International, AETN and Brian Walsh, Executive Director of Television & Marketing, FOXTEL.
FOXTEL currently programs, operates and distributes localized versions of HISTORY™, Crime & Investigation Network™ (CI) and BIO™ across the region. In Australia, all three brands are carried by FOXTEL, Optus and Austar; while HISTORY and CI are available on Sky New Zealand in New Zealand.
“FOXTEL is a key partner and we are very pleased to expand and strengthen our already close relationship,” said Cohan. “FOXTEL's strong leadership team has driven rapid growth for the platform and our channels. Their execution married with our content and brands has proved a winning combination, and today, AETN’s brands are ranked the top performing factual brands on the platform. We look forward to continued success and growth in our partnership, including jointly launching more services."
Walsh adds, “FOXTEL is committed to providing subscribers with more exclusive and first run programming and AETN provides compelling, quality content which can now be delivered across a range of genres to our viewers.
“In addition, that we’ve been able to extend our relationship with AETN, who already provide us with a raft of premium programming, is a terrific testament to FOXTEL’s factual unit which is now open for the distribution business in Australia and New Zealand ”
The new agreement grants FOXTEL the right to distribute AETN’s brands and programs via new platforms. AETN content is currently available through FOXTEL Push VOD service and Telstra Mobile.
FOXTEL will represent program sales of the factual programs from AETN’s library in Australia and New Zealand. Fraser Stark, FOXTEL’s Programme Executive, has been appointed to oversee distribution in the region. The AETN international program catalog features series and specials from HISTORY, A&E Network, BIO and Crime & Investigation Network. AETN currently licenses programs to Network Ten, Nine Network, Seven Network and Fox 8 in Australia, and TV3, Prime TV, Sky 1, Box Channel, The Documentary > Channel and Vibe in New Zealand.
HISTORY launched in Australia as a programming block in 1998 and as a full channel in 2000. The channel debuted in New Zealand in 2003. In 2008, HISTORY was the #2 factual channel among A18+ during Primetime 18-24 hrs. The network features award-winning, original programming that covers a variety of topics, including ancient history, contemporary history, military history and conflict, and technology and transport. In addition to global history programs, HISTORY Australia broadcasts award-winning, original commissions.
Now available in 140 countries in more than 200 million TV households, HISTORY is the only international television network devoted exclusively to historical programming, featuring informative and entertaining series, specials and documentaries. The network is the leading destination for revealing, award-winning, original non-fiction series and event-driven specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. HISTORY was first launched in the US by AETN in 1995.
Crime & Investigation Network is the ultimate destination for crime, investigation and mystery programming. FOXTEL was the first platform to debut CI in January 2005. Since then, the channel has experienced steady growth, and has been the #1 factual channel in Australia for the past three years. The network was named the Subscription TV Channel of the Year in 2008 by MediaWeek, and broadcasts a number of acclaimed original series and specials. CI launched in New Zealand in 2007 on Sky TV.
CI opens the door to crime labs, police archives and the justice system, providing viewers a behind-the-scenes look at criminal investigations, probing unexplained mysteries and examining the lives of infamous murderers and outlaws. CI is available in over 65 territories, reaching more than 40 million households.
Launched in Australia in 2004, BIO proves that the truth about people is always more entertaining than fiction. In Australia, BIO’s adult primetime viewer base grew 86% in 2008, making it one of the fastest growing networks in the country. BIO is about real people and their real lives: up close and personal, gritty and provocative, always unfiltered. BIO original series uncover the drama in people stories: everyday situations with a twist; celebrities going off script; people-centric crime stories and paranormal events. BIO is available in over 45 territories, reaching more than 82 million households.
Nine unveils GO! as new free to air channel
From http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25790504-5017962,00.html
THE Nine Network has announced GO! as its new youth-focused channel as part of Australia's brand new multi-channel television landscape.
GO! will launch in August to free-to-air television via channel 99, bringing the number of Freeview channels to 13.
Nine Network chief executive David Gyngell said GO! would offer a range of programs with a focus on the 14 to 39-year-old demographic.
“Typical programs on GO! will be favourites such as Gossip Girl, The Hills, FRINGE, Terminator – Sarah Connor Chronicles, Weeds, The Wire, Survivor, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, CSI and hit comedy series Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm," he said.
GO! will also later this year broadcast hotly anticipated new US show The Vampire Diaries.
Nine Network last month struck the largest US output deal in local broadcast history when it renewed its contract with Warner Bros in a deal believed to be worth up to $500 million over five years.
The deal starts when the current contract expires in 2011 and will enable Nine to feed GO! with US hit programs.
GO! will also enable Nine to offer advertisers access to both the broader audience of its main Nine channel and a younger audience.
Mr Gyngell said GO! was a win for its audience.
"It offers more diversity and substantially wider viewing choices than ever before, at no cost,” he said.
Nine's parent company PBL Media said Nine was already talking with advertisers about GO!.
Australian science beams in Neil Armstrong from moon
From http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25785721-5012762,00.html
WHEN American astronaut Neil Armstrong took mankind's most significant step 40 years ago, Australians were the first earthlings to see it.
Only by 300 milliseconds, admittedly.
But the fine distinction is an important acknowledgement of Australia's key role in bringing the historic television pictures of man on the moon back to earth.
As any Australian adult or school kid of the 1960s will tell you, it all happened on July 21, 1969, although the date was July 20 in the US.
That's exactly 40 years ago next Tuesday.
It was lunchtime in Australia, 12.56pm eastern plus 20 seconds to be precise.
Expectant kids were given the rare treat in those days of being allowed, nay ordered, to watch TV at school.
Many could scarcely believe their eyes as they watched Armstrong descend the ladder of the lunar module Eagle and leave the first imprint of his boot on the moon's Sea of Tranquillity.
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," the 38-year-old astronaut remarked in a quote for the ages.
It was a giant leap for Australian science, too.
Some school kids may not have realised it but the pictures they were watching were being relayed to the world through their own country.
That came courtesy of both the CSIRO's giant radio telescope at Parkes in central-western NSW, made famous again for later generations in the movie The Dish, and the tracking station at Honeysuckle Creek in the mountains outside Canberra.
US space agency NASA's mission control at Houston, Texas, initially switched between those sources, and its own station at Goldstone, California, to try to get the best picture.
After years of confusion and controversy over whose pictures were used when, most now agree Honeysuckle Creek relayed the pictures of Armstrong's historic first step.
Houston then switched to Parkes for all but the first eight minutes or so of the two-and-a-half-hour broadcast.
The reason? Armstrong caught everyone on the hop by deciding to venture out ahead of schedule.
The astronauts were supposed to sleep for six hours, but who could sleep? They had just landed on the moon.
Parkes was set up to be the main Australian station, but the moon had not quite risen there yet.
The giant dish at Parkes could point no lower than 30 degrees in the air, while Honeysuckle Creek could go to zero degrees - that is, it could look horizontally along the ground.
Because the earth rotates at about 15 degrees an hour, that put Parkes two hours behind Honeysuckle Creek.
The first blurry pictures were of a lower quality because Honeysuckle Creek's 26-metre dish was not even half the size of the one at Parkes.
Reams of data, including information from heart monitors on the astronauts, was being sent back to earth on a small bandwidth.
"You have to realise that TV was not a top priority, not by a long way," said John Saxon, 74, of Canberra, who was operations supervisor at Honeysuckle Creek.
"We simulated just about everything before the mission.
"We simulated until we were blue in the face.
"But one thing we could not simulate was the pictures."
The quality of picture improved dramatically later because the larger dish at Parkes captured more signal.
"When Buzz Aldrin came down the ladder 20 minutes later, you could almost read his name on his breastplate," said Parkes observatory operations scientist John Sarkissian.
"I would have said, 'Neil, wait a couple of minutes', but they (NASA) thought Goldstone would have it.
"No one anticipated that an inexperienced controller on duty (in the US) then would have the wrong settings."
The Australian signals were sent to Sydney via specially installed microwave links.
From there the TV signal was split.
One signal went to the ABC studios at Gore Hill for distribution to Australian TV networks.
The other went to Houston for inclusion in the international telecast.
The international broadcast signal had to travel halfway around the world from Sydney to Houston via the INTELSAT geostationary communications satellite over the Pacific Ocean.
The result, a Parkes spokesman said, was that Australian audiences witnessed the moonwalk, and Armstrong's historic first step, some 300 milliseconds before the rest of the world.
Honeysuckle Creek's Glenn Nagle has said NASA used the signal from Canberra for the "first step" because the American pictures were dark and upside down.
Colleague Mike Dinn also remembered the Houston controller switching from California to a better signal from Canberra before the big moment.
Mother nature almost put Parkes out of play.
While the telescope was fully tipped over waiting for the moon to rise, it was unexpectedly struck by a series of 110km/h gusts of wind, so severe they made the control room shudder.
Fortunately they stopped just before the tracking began.
One man who was there but didn't see a single thing was a staffer called Neil Mason.
Seated at the control desk, he drove the telescope without being allowed to once turn around and see the incoming pictures on the TV monitor.
Astro may face stiff competition from TM
From http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/16/business/4328797&sec=business
Analysts: Astro will likely remain dominant in short term despite TM’s IPTV
PETALING JAYA: Astro All Asia Networks Plc, the country’s sole pay-TV operator, is expected to face stiff competition from Telekom Malaysia Bhd’s (TM) upcoming Internet Protocol television service (IPTV), but will likely remain dominant in the short term, analysts said.
IPTV is television content delivered interactively to homes via broadband connection.
“TM is starting from scratch, from building infrastructure to content offerings to customer base. It will take a while to show the results and will not be an overnight change; all will depend on TM’s IPTV development, infrastructure and content,” an OSK analyst said.
The research house said the area of content would be a key battlefield, noting that Astro has high-demand content such as the English Premier League (EPL).
According to a media report, Astro holds the broadcast rights of EPL for the 2007 to 2010 seasons.
The multi-million ringgit exclusive rights for the EPL for the 2010 to 2013 seasons are due for tender in the second half of 2009, the report said.
Maybank Investment Bank sees a greater threat to Astro from TM’s IPTV service.
“TM’s IPTV product (due to be rolled out by the first quarter 2010) may erode Astro’s net additions and average revenue per user (ARPU),” said Maybank Investment analyst Yin Shao Yang.
“Astro may retain attractive content, especially sports, but at higher prices due to competitive bids from TM,” he told clients in a research note.
Yin said TM would be a more formidable foe to Astro than MiTV, a pay-TV product launched in Sept 2005, which went bust by Oct 2006. The TV station faced lack of subscribers due to its unattractive content.
“TM however, with a huge cash pile of RM4bil, is better able to compete with Astro,” he reckoned.
Yin noted that Astro had traded at a premium to discounted cashflow (DCF) before MiTV’s entrance, but the premium narrowed sharply to almost nil with the arrival of MiTV.
“On the same basis, we believe that Astro will at best, trade at par to DCF going forward,” he continued.
Another analyst from a local brokerage said strong financial backing alone would not win the looming TV war.
“Can TM’s IPTV offer the same packages that Astro offers currently at a lower price? It will be a wait-and-see situation.
“TM (needs) to ensure the stability of its infrastructure, be able to source for good content and tap a big customer group in order to compete with Astro,” he said.
After Meralco, PLDT ventures into digital TV
From http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news5_july16_2009
THE PLDT Group, through its MediaQuest Holdings subsidiary, is investing up to P1 billion to roll out a satellite TV service that will beam out digital and high-definition pay channels nationwide.
Benjie Fernandez, MediaQuest’s managing director, said the company had so far invested P650 million for Cignal Digital TV, and would spend another P350 million by the end of the year.
“This signals a new milestone in Philippine TV,” MediaQuest president Orlando Vea said during the launching of Cignal at the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Tuesday night.
Cignal Digital TV was the latest subscription-based direct-to-home satellite television service provider using the NSS-11 satellite of New Skies Satellite, Fernandez said. It was being operated by Mediascape, a MediaQuest subsidiary.
Cignal has been on a test broadcast since January 2009 in Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna, where 3,000 subscribers had signed up. Fernandez said that number was expected to increase significantly with the formal launching and nationwide rollout of the service on Tuesday.
“We aim to reach a market of two million households in the Philippines that are not served by cable TV providers,” Fernandez said.
Cignal will compete directly with Dream Satellite TV and GSAT, both of which also broadcast through satellite.
“What makes us different is that we have quality channels and affordable cost. We also offer three high definition channels,” Fernandez said.
He said Cignal was not competing with cable TV providers but only seeking to complement them. MediaQuest has a minority interest in Central CATV, which owns SkyCable.
Fernandez said Cignal was on standard definition format, while most cable operators were still on an analog format.
Cignal Basic, with 20 standard definition channels, is available for a one-time fee of P4,700 for set top box, satellite dish and cables and cignal card, an installation fee of P1,000, and a monthly sevice fee of P390.
The 20 standard definition channels on the Cignal Basic package include crystal-clear access to free-to-air local channels ABS-CBN 2, TV5, NBN 4, GMA, CS9, QTV, IBC 13, Studio 23, 2nd Avenue, ETC, and NET 25, and premium channels HBO, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, CNN, PBO, Viva Cinema, AXN, and BIO. RHTV (dzRH Television) is also on the list.
Radio channels from the FM band are also available to Cignal Digital TV subscribers.
Cignal Combo, which has three high-definition channels plus the Cignal Basic, is available for a one-time fee of P4,800, an installation fee of P1,000, and a monthly service fee of P790.
Cignal HD offers three high- definition channels—Voom, History Channel, and Playhouse Disney. Fernandez said another five or six HD channels would be introduced in the coming months.
SkyCable was the first to broadcast HD channels in the Philippines: Discovery Channel HD and History Channel HD.
“This marks a significant milestone for the Philippine television industry. Cignal with its Cignal HD and Cignal Digital TV is the most aggressive initiative thus far to bring digital television to more Filipinos all over the country,” said Manuel Pangilinan, chairman of Mediascape and the PLDT Group.
“We are once more at the cutting edge of innovation, offering the next generation of advanced services.”
MediaQuest has partnered with TV set manufacturers Sony Bravia and JVC.
“The growing awareness of HD technology here has increased customer appreciation for our Sony Bravia full HD TVs,” said Sony Philippines vice president Takashi Kozu.
JVC general manager Paul Santos said more and more consumers would want to fully experience real HD viewing.
“To make them fully appreciate this technology, we have been in talks with Mediascape to provide the latest JVC HD LCDs and Cignal service bundles at very attractive prices,” he said.
Satellite vendor charged with conspiracy to hack Dish Network
From http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135573/Satellite_vendor_charged_with_conspiracy_to_hack_Dish_Network?taxonomyId=144
Jung Kwak tried to hire hackers to break Dish's Nagra 3 encryption scheme, prosecutors allege
The owner of a California-based company that sells "free-to-air" (FTA) satellite receiver boxes has been arrested on charges that he attempted to hire computer hackers to try and break the encryption scheme used to protect Dish Network's satellite programming signals.
Jung Kwak, 33, owner of Viewtech, Inc., in Oceanside, Calif. was charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DCMA) in the U.S. District Court in San Diego on Monday. Charged along with him were two alleged accomplices in the plot, Phillip Allison, 35, and Robert Ward, 54, both from Seminole, Florida.
If convicted they face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to indictment papers, Kwak's company imports FTA receiver boxes and resells them under the name Viewsat via a network of retailers.
FTA satellite receiver boxes are designed to allow users to grab free satellite TV programming such as religious and ethnic content. Often they can be relatively easily tweaked to allow illegally access to paid satellite programs from companies such as Dish Network, owned by EchoStar Communications, for free.
A USB port on the satellite receivers allows owners to get and update codes for unscrambling signals simply by connecting their devices online. The relative ease with which the boxes can be modified for illegal use is a factor that has resulted in the sale of "millions" of Viewsat FTA boxes, according to the indictment papers.
In order to defeat such piracy, providers of subscription-based satellite TV programming encrypt their signals and provide smart-cards which subscribers insert into their receivers to decrypt the signals. The use of new smartcards based on one such Dish encryption scheme, called Nagra 3, in the fall of 2007 threatened to seriously impact Viewsat's market because it was considered to be an especially strong encryption scheme.
So Kwak is alleged to have asked Allison and Ward to hire computer programmers who would be able to crack the Nagra 3-based smartcards. Kwak agreed to finance the effort, in addition to rewarding anyone who succeeded in breaking the encryption.
When Allison and Ward are alleged to have found an individual in Florida who agreed to do the hacking, Kwak was said to have paid $8,000 for a special microscope to dissect and analyze the smartcard being used by Dish for decoding Nagra 3 encoded signals.
He is also alleged to have paid $20,000 in cash for photographs, purportedly of the dissected Nagra 3 card. He then indicated his willingness to pay an additional $250,000 if the hacker succeeded in breaking the code.
It was not immediately clear if the alleged hacker, who was not identified in court papers was an informant for the San Diego branch of the FBI which investigated the case. Neither was it clear what exactly triggered the investigation.
Mitch Dembin, assistant U.S. Attorney in San Diego, said today that he was not able to speak about the case that has not been publicly disclosed yet. But he said Kwak's attempts to get others to hack Nagra 3 appear not to have been successful as of the time of his arrest.
"As best as we can tell Viewsat was one of the leading sellers of these boxes," though there are several others selling such devices, he said.
"The use of FTA in order to obtain pirated satellite signals has been very big since Nagra 2 was cracked," Dembin said, referring to the previous version of the encryption technology that Kwak is charged with attempting to break.
It's hard to say how many of those who purchase FTA boxes are using it strictly to grab the freely available programming signals that they are officially meant for, he said. But the fact is that a majority of the over 200 free satellite signals that are freely available are religious and ethnic programs in languages other than English.
"The market for such programming is relatively small and doesn't support the millions of FTA boxes sold in the U.S. and Canada," Dembin said.
In most cases, the set-top boxes themselves are highly sophisticated and are clearly designed to capture far more than the free programming signals they as ostensibly meant for.
This is the second time in the last two years that EchoStar has been involved in a run-in with Viewtech. In 2007, EchoStar and its NagraStar unit, which makes the Nagra descrambling card, sued Viewtech for allegedly illegally bringing Dish programming to about two million homes in the U.S.
That suit had asked the court to enjoin Viewtech from selling FTA devices. The two sides settled the dispute last September.
Boeing set to announce satellite contract - paper
From http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSBNG49285120090716?sp=true
July 16 (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) is expected to announce on Thursday it has won a contract potentially worth nearly $1 billion to build satellites for telecommunications group Intelsat Ltd [INTSAT.UL], the Los Angeles Times reported.
The contract is to build four communication satellites, each estimated to cost about $200 million and to take three years to build, the paper said.
Boeing satellite officials said the Intelsat deal would help preserve jobs in El Segundo which could have been at risk because of Pentagon cutbacks, the daily said.
Boeing said more than 200 suppliers -- most of them in southern California -- would be involved in the satellite program, the paper said.
Intelsat looked at five satellite manufacturers -- two in Europe and three in the U.S. -- before striking a deal with Boeing, the paper reported Intelsat's senior vice president for space systems Ken Lee as saying.
Boeing and Intelsat could not be immediately reached for comment by Reuters. (Reporting by Hezron Selvi in Bangalore; Editing by David Holmes)
15/07/09
More problems with Sinosat 3 @ 125E some services have moved to Chinasat 6B
Check 4120 H sr 27500
NASA TV coming back?? stay tuned for updates on this one..it is being worked on..
From my Email & ICQ
From Charles
Feeds seen on D1
12635 V Sr 5100
SCTV Launceston
TDT (Tas Digital?)
From the Dish
No Lyngsat
From Asiatvro site
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NEWS
Packer may have a mate in Murdoch
From http://business.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/packer-may-have-a-mate-in-murdoch-20090714-dk4r.html
A LITTLE over a decade ago they were the fiercest of rivals in the Super League war. Today Rupert Murdoch may become James Packer's closest ally in thwarting the pay television ambitions of Kerry Stokes.
Analysts have raised the possibility that Murdoch's News Corp could weigh into the battle for control of Consolidated Media Holdings, acquiring a blocking stake that would prevent Stokes's Seven Network from control of its investments in the pay TV businesses Foxtel and Fox Sports.
The speculation came yesterday as the media tug-of-war continued with a $26.5 million share parcel, or 1.45 per cent of the company, changing hands in the afternoon.
The $2.65-a-share trade was done through UBS, which advised the Packer camp on its $25 million share-buy to counter Seven's raid last week. The stock is likely to have gone to Mr Packer.
Most market players expect a war of attrition between Mr Stokes and Mr Packer, the billionaires likely to creep up on the share register to defend their claims.
Yesterday's trade would raise Mr Packer's stake above 40 per cent, within 3 per cent of what he can acquire every six months without making a full takeover bid for the company. Seven could increase its 18.3 per cent holding to 19.9 per cent before the 3 per cent creep limit applies.
Yesterday Seven again declined to comment.
Examining other scenarios, a UBS analyst, Lauren Moran, said a third party could bid for Consolidated Media or build a blocking stake to stop Seven. She said News Corp and Lachlan Murdoch's Illyria were likely to have an interest in such a move.
News and Consolidated Media jointly own Fox Sport and half of Foxtel. The Murdoch and Packer families share an animosity against the Stokes camp, fuelled in 2006 by Seven's failed $200 million litigation over the demise of its pay TV arm, C7.
A spokesman for News Corp declined to comment on Rupert Murdoch's position, but said the battle was "'entirely between the two parties that are involved".
There have been suggestions Stokes is working on a full bid with his private equity partner KKR, said to have about $US15.3 billion ($20 billion) of cash available to spend.
Consolidated Media shares rose 6c to $2.66. Seven rose 30c to $5.53 after UBS and Credit Suisse upgraded the stock. Credit Suisse said dividends from Consolidated Media would push up Seven's earnings this year by 32 per cent.
Retail deals help boost Freeview numbers
The uptake of Freeview has increased by nearly 13% in the latest quarter, with more than 250,000 New Zealanders now tuning in to the subscription-free digital television service.
For the three months ending June 2009 255,048 households were able to receive Freeview, with 11,846 more households receiving Freeview satellite (a total of 167,328 households) and 17,061 more households receiving Freeview HD (a total of 87,720 households).
Freeview says tightened consumer spending and cheapr Freeview HD (high definition) has helped increase the uptake.
"One of the key drivers for our growth in the last quarter has been the sharp deals available in retail, which is partly due to new brands coming into the market with Freeview approved products," says Freeview general manager Sam Irvine.
An increase in television viewing habits has also played a part. Data from AGB NMR shows that viewership is up almost 10% in certain time slots.
Freeview channels include TV ONE, TV2, TV3, C4, Maori Television, TVNZ6, TVNZ7, TVNZ Sport Extra, Parliament TV, tvCentral (Waikato/BOP only), ChineseTV8, and radio stations Radio New Zealand National and Radio New Zealand Concert.
Freeview HD neck and neck with Sky
From http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/freeview-hd-neck-and-neck-with-sky-105622
Freeview is touting an increase in TV viewing habits, tightened consumer spending, and the improved affordability of its High Definition receivers as the drivers for its increased uptake.
The latest sales figures for the three months ending June 2009 show the total number of households able to receive Freeview is 255,048.
Breaking the numbers down there are 167,328 homes with Freeview satellite and 87,720 homes with Freeview HD.
This compared to just under 50,000 MySky HDi subscriptions at December ’08, although given that the service only launched late last year, Sky TV Director of Operations Tony O’Brien was confident they would have easily surpassed their target of 80,000 subscribers for the year already.
Sky will not have figures available until its annual report in August.
The caveat is that this is the potential audience, or the amount of people who are able to receive the HD signal, not the amount of people watching.
Freeview GM Sam Irvine said one of the key drivers for growth in the last quarter was the sharp deals available in retail, partly due to new brands coming into the market with Freeview approved products such as Sanyo and LG.
The uptake of Freeview in the last quarter closely mirrors the increase in overall TV viewing habits throughout the country, with data released recently by AGB NMR illustrating that viewership is up nearly 10% in certain key time zones.
A further driver for Freeview’s growth is that it will be the broadcast TV feed for Tivo when it launches here later in the year.
Sinosat-3 Satellite Resumes Broadcast
From http://english.cri.cn/6909/2009/07/14/53s501357.htm
The Sinosat-3 satellite that suffered an earlier twelve hour long malfunction had returned to normal by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and all broadcasts via the satellite have resumed, an official of the China Direct Broadcast Satellite Co., Ltd, or China DBsat, said Tuesday.
Yao Fahai, vice director of the satellite operator, said the glitch won't affect future use of the satellite or cut short its length of service, according to a report from sxgov.cn website.
Yao said the failure was totally unexpected and doesn't mean that China is weak in the area of civil broadcast satellite.
Descriptions of the malfunction have been submitted to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, China's top broadcasting watchdog, but Yao declined to detail the cause of the contingency.
Qianlong.com reported Tuesday that no artificial factor was found in connection with the satellite error, citing an anonymous official from the China DBsat.
The transponders of the Sinosat-3 satellite broke down at around 21:50 Beijing Time on Monday, leading to the cutoff of satellite TV channels in many areas across China. Programs transmitted by the satellite were later taken over by the Chinasat 6B satellite.
The Sinosat-3 satellite was launched on June 1, 2007, from Xichang Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March-3A carrier rocket. It was designed to support high quality and reliable up-linking and receipt of media programs. The satellite is managed by the Ground Control Centre of China DBsat located in Beijing.
RazakSAT Successfully Blasts Off Into Space
From http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/news_lite.php?id=425261
KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Bernama) -- RazakSAT, Malaysia's second remote sensing satellite, blasted off into space at 11.35 am Malaysian time from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean's Marshall Islands.
Twenty minutes into launch, the 180kg satellite entered the Near Equatorial Orbit (NEqO) to become the world's first remote sensing satellite launched into the NEqO, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation said in a statement here Tuesday.
The launch at Omelek Island using Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX)'s launcher Falcon 1 went smoothly after a four hour delay due to the need to fulfill some technical requirements.
The ministry said that one-and-a-half hours into the launch, initial contact was established by the National Space Agency at Sungei Lang in Banting with Razaksat.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili and officials from the ministry and agency Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn Bhd were in Guam to witness the launch via webcasting.
Simultaneously, the ministry officials led by Deputy Minister Fadillah Yusof watched the launch and held a teleconference with the group in Guam via webcasting at the National Space Agency in Banting, Selangor.
There was an air of jubilance when the satellite, named after Malaysia's second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, blasted into space after a drizzle and strong wind at the launch site.
Dr Ongkili said the launch was historical not only for Malaysia but the world. The satellite will orbit the NEqO at an altitude of nominal 685km.
"I congratulate ATSB for building Malaysia's own RazakSAT 1Malaysia World First NEqO Satellite," Dr Ongkili said.
RazakSAT carries a high resolution camera that can take images from space for different applications to benefit not only Malaysia, but countries along the equatorial region.
The orbital location will enable an increased frequency of image observation, and the images can be applied to precision farming, landscape mapping, forest biomass, marine spatial planning, disaster mitigation, urban and road network planning.
Dr Ongkili said that while other satellites operate on polar orbit (Sun Synchronous Orbit), the RazakSAT® operates at NEqO and will cover 70 percent of the oceans, where weather phenomena such as La Nina originate.
"This will allow scientists to study and monitor various critical factors that will contribute significantly to science," he said.
Several countries in Asia, the African continent and Latin America have expressed interest in utilising the images captured by RazakSAT, he said.
Malaysia, he said, would also be offering the data to contribute to the field of knowledge to benefit societies all over the equatorial region.
Remote Sensing Malaysia, an agency within the ministry, would be responsible for receiving the data from RazakSAT and developing its applications, Dr Ongkili said.
RazakSAT is a continuation of the TiungSAT-1 programme, the country's first remote sensing satellite launched in 2000. However, RazakSAT is a fully functional satellite in monitoring the earth's surface and environment.
Dr Ongkili is confident the achievement would propel and inspire the ministry's agencies and Malaysians at large to continue to strive to be innovative and creative, particularly as the country celebrates the Year of Creativity and Innovation next year.
"We aim to make a mark for Malaysia in the world of science and innovation, not just by exploring the borderless world but to go beyond, into space," he added.
He also announced that SpaceX has agreed to launch the two micro-satellites CubeSAT and InnoSAT, meant for educational purposes, next year on Falcon 9.
CubeSAT was developed by ATSB while InnoSAT by three local universities, namely Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Perlis.
Dr Ongkili attributed the success of RazakSAt to the national leaders - former prime ministers Tun Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as well as current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak - for their unwavering support, confidence and visionary leadership in innovating RazakSAT.
The RazakSAT® satellite will be operated through its ground segment in Malaysia, consisting of a Mission Control Station (MCS) and Image Receiving and Processing Station (IRPS).
SpaceX Successfully Launches Commercial Satellite to Orbit
From http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/090713-spacex-fifth-falcon1.html
A private spaceflight company launched a Malaysian satellite into orbit using a rocket of its own design late Monday, marking the firm's first successful commercial space shot.
The Hawthorne, Calif.-based Space Exploration Technologies, Corp. (SpaceX) launched the small satellite atop its Falcon 1 rocket, a two-stage booster that made its first successful test flight last year after three consecutive failures. It was the fifth Falcon 1 launch for SpaceX, but its first to successfully haul a functional Earth-watching satellite into its intended orbit.
The Falcon 1 rocket blasted off at about 11:35 p.m. EDT (0335 July 14 GMT) from the U.S. Army's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Defense Test Site on Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll, a launch site that sits about 2,500 miles (4,023 km) southwest of Hawaii.
Delayed liftoff
A malfunction in equipment used to load helium aboard the Falcon 1 rocket pushed the mission four hours beyond its initial launch target, with stormy weather delaying the mission even more. SpaceX initially hoped to launch RazakSAT in April, but the need to eliminate a vibration issue between the satellite and its Falcon 1 rocket set the flight back several months.
But despite those lengthy delays, Monday's launch ultimately reached orbit without a hitch. After jettisoning its first stage as designed, the Falcon 1 booster reached a parking orbit and later restarted its rocket engine to deploy RazakSAT in an orbit that flies high above Earth's equator.
"Second burn and satellite separation nominal," SpaceX officials said in an update. "Falcon 1 has successfully deployed RazakSAT into the correct orbit."
RazakSAT was built by Malaysia's Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn. Bhd. (ATSB) to take high-resolution images of Malaysia to aid land management, resource development and conservation, forestry and fish migration studies, SpaceX officials said. The satellite carries a camera that can observe Earth at a panchromatic resolution of 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) and a color resolution of about 16.4 feet (5 meters).
The Falcon 1 rocket launched several hours after NASA canceled its own launch of the space shuttle Endeavour in Florida for the fifth time, this time due to foul weather. The shuttle is slated to launch Wednesday to begin a long-delayed construction flight to the International Space Station.
Falcon rocket family
SpaceX, too, has its eyes on flying to the International Space Station. Founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk, a co-founder of the electronic payment service PayPal, SpaceX is aiming to offer low-cost launches to space with its Falcon 1 rocket and a larger version called Falcon 9.
The Falcon 1 rocket can haul small satellites, like the nearly 400-pound (180-kg) RazakSAT, into low Earth orbit. After three launch failures between 2005 and 2008, SpaceX successfully reached orbit with a Falcon 1 rocket last September. Falcon 1 launches currently cost about $8 million per flight, SpaceX officials have said.
The larger Falcon 9, however, is designed to launch SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, a capsule-based vehicle tapped by NASA as one of two privately built spacecraft to ferry cargo to and from the International Space Station. NASA awarded SpaceX with a $1.6 billion contract last year to launch 12 unmanned cargo flights to the space station by 2016. The other vehicle, Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus spacecraft, received a $1.9 billion from NASA for eight cargo flights.
SpaceX has drawn plans for a free-flying version of Dragon, called DragonLab, for space experiments, as well as a manned version to launch astronauts to and from the space station. The company plans to launch its first Falcon 9 rocket test flight sometime this year from a seaside pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, SpaceX officials have said.
2009, 2010 'likely to be golden years' for satellite and cableTV business
From http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/14/business/business_30107355.php
Satellite and cableTV businesses in Thailand will consider 2009 and 2010 to be the golden years, Satellite Television Association of Thailand president Adisak Limparungpattanakit said yesterday.
"Businesses have received great support from regulations granting business licences, as well as indeฌpendent local cableTV rating measฌurements," he said.
He said 2025 new satelliteTV channels were expected to start up annually this year and next and that in the next five years, the cableTV audience would increase to that of freetoair channels.
"We've yet to see any significant budgets earmarked by business vendors for satellite and cableTV chanฌnels, because there are no official ratฌings at the moment. Ratings are now measured by a local association of media and ad agencies. We believe that this year, satellite and cable TV will account for 12 per cent of the advertising money allocated for freetoair channels, worth more than Bt50 billion, or 57 per cent of total media expenditures.
However, the advertising budget for satellite and cable TV will increase significantly next year, to about 5 per cent of spendฌing on free channels," said Adisak.
The Broadcasting Act permits cableTV operators to air commerฌcials on their channels and allows the National Telecommunications Commission to grant temporary licences to the cableTV business nationwide.
There are 3 million cable subฌscribers nationwide using a fibreoptic system.
Mediasurvey house AGB Nielsen Media Research (Thailand) has joined with 15 cablechannel operators to pilot the cableTV ratings. Between last August and this past May, a survey was conducted of 100 households: 20 in the greater Bangkok area and 80 upcountry.
The survey found that on weekdays, people spent more time watching cable than free channels, except from 9pm to midnight, when viewers watched mostly free channels. On weekends before 6pm, people generally switch back and forth between free and cable channels about equally.
News Corp brings out the knife for Star TV
From http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/15/new-corp-brings-out-the-knife-for-star-tv/
News Corp’s cost cutting and job shedding continues, with the US head office planning to put the cleaners through the Star Satellite Pay TV business spanning Asia.
Reports in US trade papers suggest that the changes will be driven by the senior management of Fox, not Star. In effect Star’s operations will be brought under the aegis of Fox International Channels (FIC) boss David Haslingden and News Corp.’s European and Asian boss James Murdoch, who ran Star five years ago. The reports say the dynamic duo plan to eliminate overlap between Star and FIC, which have been competing for viewers, advertising and overhead funds.
Star packages 60 regional and national channels in 13 Asian languages and claims to broadcast to 53 Asian countries. Beyond Hong Kong, it has offices in India, Taiwan, mainland China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the U.S. and the UK. For years it was Rupert Murdoch’s chosen route to expand throughout Asia, especially China.
FIC distributes global branded channels including National Geographic and History Channel as well as smaller networks FX, Fox Crime and Fox Life. Now, the reports say the chief operating officer of Star, Laureen Ong, who was appointed two years ago, has been sidelined.
The reports say her job will be axed, along with others throughout the Star empire as Fox executives assert control. In March, News Corp. combined its US film and television production operations into one unit (As NBC has done). “By removing barriers between businesses, this restructuring will enable us to better share ideas and resources,” Rupert Murdoch said at the time.
The reports say the changes could see management of national channels devolved to smaller structures in their various markets, such as India and China being split from Star management and told to focus exclusively on those markets.
“Management of regional English-language channels may be integrated with that of FIC, with oversight of Star Movies and Star World likely to be the thorniest issues. Fox Movies, which FIC handles in some territories, is not distributed in most of Star’s region.”
The changes seem to be driven by reports of a downturn in the finances at Star in the year to June
ESPN Star Sports appoints Lefebvre as VP
From http://www.advanced-television.com/2009/jul13_jul17.htm#w6
ESPN Star Sports (ESS) has appointed Jon Lefebvre as its new Vice President, Sales Operations and Strategy. He will be based in Singapore and will report directly to Charles Less, Senior Vice President, Advertising and Multimedia Sales. Prior to his move to Singapore, Lefebvre was based in Australia where he ran J&M international, a boutique sponsorship consulting firm representing corporations to source, develop and negotiate sports and arts sponsorship
Turner moves deeper into Japan
From http://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/200907144250/turner-moves-deeper-into-japan.html
Tturner Broadcasting’s Japanese subsidiary is adding five channels to its roster, following the acquisition of Japan Image Communications (JIC).
Japan Entertainment Network is adding Tabi Channel, Mondo21, Nittere Plus, Act On TV and Fox Life. Currently, JEN operates Cartoon Network Japan, which reaches 6.5 million homes.
JIC has been producing cable and satellite channels in Japan since 1996. Tabi Channel and Mondo21 offer original programming, with Tabi focusing on food and travel programming. Mondo21 airs “sexy” programming as well as motoring and variety shows.
Iran authorities confiscate satellite dishes
From http://www.iranfocus.com/en/iran-general-/iran-authorities-confiscate-satellite-dishes-18341.html
Tehran, Iran, Jul. 15 – Iran’s State Security Forces (SSF) are once again confiscating satellite dishes in the capital Tehran.
SSF agents were spotted raiding houses in Amir Abad and Seyed Khandan districts in Tehran on Saturday, rounding up satellite dishes and equipment.
Further patrols have continued in recent days.
The SSF said in May it had confiscated 84,000 satellite dishes during the Persian calendar year that ended March 20.
SSF agents routinely go up rooftops in Tehran and other major cities removing satellite dishes which are banned in Islamic Iran.
The Islamic Republic banned satellite dishes in 1995. The crackdown on satellite dishes was prompted by broadcasts from Iranian opposition groups whose television programs reportedly have a large audience in Iran.
Three Charged with Conspiring to Violate Digital Millenium Copyright Act
From http://www.australia.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12460:three-charged-with-conspiring-to-violate-digital-millenium-copyright-act&catid=130:reviews&Itemid=226
Jung Kwak, 33, also known as “Mr. Viewsat,” of Oceanside, California, Phillip Allison, 35, also known as “thebroken,” and Robert Ward, 54, also known as “TDG” and as “thedssguy,” both of Seminole, Florida, have been charged in a previously sealed indictment handed up by a federal grand jury on July 9, 2009, with one count of Conspiracy to Violate the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Mr. Kwak was arrested by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday, July 10, in San Diego. The indictment was unsealed upon his initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge William McCurine, Jr., in United States District Court in San Diego. Messrs. Allison and Ward were arrested in Seminole, Florida and will appear before a United States Magistrate Judge in Florida.
According to the indictment, Mr. Kwak owns and operates Viewtech, Inc., in Oceanside, California. Viewtech imports “free-to-air” or “FTA” satellite receiver boxes and sells them to the public through a network of retailers under the brand name “Viewsat.” There exists a limited amount of free programming available by satellite to owners of FTA receiver boxes, much of it consisting of ethnic and religious programming in numerous languages. Yet, millions of Viewsat FTA boxes have been sold to the public. The popularity of FTA boxes is due to the fact that they are designed to make it a simple process for a purchaser to obtain subscription-based satellite television, such as that offered by Echostar’s DISH Network, for free. DISH Network licenses copyrighted works from the copyright holders, encrypts the signal, and sells the right to view to DISH subscribers. Subscribers to DISH Network programming obtain from DISH a “smart card,” which is inserted into a DISH satellite receiver box. The smart card decrypts the programming that the subscriber is authorized to view. Over the years, DISH has changed its encryption algorithms and employed other countermeasures to attempt to defeat theft of its signal.
FTA boxes, including the Viewsat line, are manufactured with technology far in excess of what is necessary to receive FTA programming. However, to illegally decrypt the DISH signal, the FTA boxes must appear to have DISH smart cards. That is done by reverse-engineering DISH smart cards and creating computer code which, when downloaded to an appropriate FTA box, will emulate the existence of a smart card and trick the system. In the past, as DISH encryption and countermeasures were defeated, the code has been posted on the Internet and made available for download to anyone.
The indictment charges that beginning in or about March 2008, Mr. Kwak, in concert with Messrs. Allison and Ward, determined to hire computer hackers to break the latest DISH encryption scheme, known as Nagra 3. In the late fall of 2007, DISH announced that it had created a new encryption scheme and would start shipping new smart cards to its customers. As the new encryption scheme was deployed, owners of FTA boxes would no longer be able to view DISH programming without a subscription, and sellers of FTA boxes would lose their market. According to the indictment, Mr. Kwak authorized Messrs. Allison and Ward to locate persons to work on cracking Nagra 3. Mr. Kwak agreed to provide funding and a substantial reward for success. Among other things, as charged in the indictment, Mr. Kwak funded the purchase of a specialized microscope used in dissecting and analyzing smart cards and paid $20,000 in cash for photographs of a dissected smart card purported to be a Nagra 3 card. Mr. Kwak offered a reward of $250,000 if the EPROM (eraseable programmable read-only memory) for the Nagra 3 card could be obtained.
At Mr. Kwak’s initial appearance in United States District Court today, the government moved that Mr. Kwak be detained without bail. A hearing on that motion will be held Wednesday, July 15, 2009, at 2:30 p.m., before United States Magistrate Judge William McCurine, Jr.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Cybersquad of Federal Bureau of Investigation in San Diego.
DEFENDANTS Case Number: 09cr2646 -JLS
Jung Kwak Oceanside, California Age: 33
Phillip Allison Seminole, Florida Age: 35
Robert Ward Seminole, Florida Age: 54
SUMMARY OF CHARGE One Count - Title 18, United States Code, Section 371: Conspiracy to Violate the Digital Millenium Copyright Act Maximum Penalty: 5 years’ imprisonment and $250,000 fine
AGENCY Federal Bureau of Investigation An indictment itself is not evidence that the defendant committed the crimes charged. The defendant is presumed innocent until the Government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Al Jazeera’s ‘alternative’ worldview reaches US
From http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090714/FOREIGN/707139900/1002
Al Jazeera English (AJE) signed its first major deal with a US cable television provider this month, paving the way for more deals to expand the network’s reach into North America and deliver its take on news in the Middle East and around the world.
The deal with MHZ, a Washington-based educational broadcaster, will beam AJE to 2.3 million North American viewers.
Since its launch in 2006, AJE has marketed itself as providing an alternative view of developments to that of the mainstream western news media, and telling a side of the story that western outlets are said to have either under-reported or ignored.
But critics accuse the channel, owned by the Qatari government, of being anti-US and anti-western, of primarily focusing on issues in which Arabs are seen as the “victims”, and of failing to criticise Qatar.
Indeed, according to Robert Menard, who recently resigned as head of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, citing official restrictions on, and interference in, the centre’s operations, the channel faces a number of red lines, among them, “never criticise Qatar, don’t talk about the army, don’t talk about internal issues”.
“They [AJE] always have to show the bright side of Qatar and never bring up controversial issues about the country,” Mr Menard said.
However, Tony Burman, AJE’s managing director, said much of the criticism of AJE’s Qatar coverage was unjustified. He said the channel had run a number of reports on the conditions of foreign workers in Qatar in recent months.
“Qatar does not get a free ride on AJE,” Mr Burman said in an e-mail. “But it should be pointed out that Qatar itself is very small, and doesn’t justify excessive coverage on an international news channel.”
AJE has won plaudits for its coverage of such conflicts as the war in Iraq and, more recently, Israel’s assault on Gaza.
But issues such as “slavery” in Mauritania and northern Sudan, the war in Darfur, treatment of religious minorities in the Middle East and the widespread abuse of immigrant workers have often been either under-reported by AJE or fallen off the radar altogether, critics say.
At a 2007 Arab media conference on Sudan at the American University in Cairo, Kamal al Gizouli of the Sudanese writers union asked why Al Jazeera was ignoring what was going on there.
“Al Jazeera focuses on the human side in Palestine,” he said. “So you have to ask why they don’t do the same in Darfur. There is a double standard on human feelings.
Al Jazeera is operated by Arabs so they show sympathy for the Palestinian and Iraqi people and show the dead babies there, but when it comes to Darfur, they don’t. They want to show Arabs always as victims.”
Mr Burman, however, rejected the criticism.
“AJE has done extensive coverage of Darfur and southern Sudan, and in fact has been criticised by the Sudanese government for this,” he said. “It has also covered Mauritania, [the treatment of Christians in] Egypt and immigrant workers.”
In the West, much of the controversy surrounding the Al Jazeera name is derived from its Arabic-speaking sister channel, headquartered in Qatar alongside AJE.
Al Jazeera Arabic gained renown after the September 11 attacks as the preferred destination for militant groups, particularly al Qa’eda, to send recorded messages.
This led to many conservatives and the Bush administration at the time labelling it a “mouthpiece for terror”. Indeed, the US targeted Al Jazeera operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, resulting in the death of the reporter Tarek Ayoub when the station’s office in Baghdad was hit.
The continuous airing of such tapes and a number of other incidents have led to accusations that the station is too close to militants. In July last year, the station covered a welcome home party for Samir Kuntar, who was imprisoned in Israel for killing three Israelis, including a four-year-old girl whose skull he crushed on a rock with the butt of his rifle. The station’s Beirut bureau chief, Ghassan bin Jiddo, organised a birthday party for him and called him a “hero”.
Al Jazeera issued a statement days later admitting that the event had violated its code of ethics.
Mainly as a result of Al Jazeera Arabic’s reputation, AJE, which was never in fact banned in North America, was considered risky by cable providers.
But some former employees accuse AJE of harbouring an anti-US agenda.
In March 2008, Dave Marash resigned after just over a year as AJE’s US anchor because of the station’s US coverage.
In an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review, Mr Marash cited an AJE series titled Poverty in America as an example:
“The specifics of the plan were so stereotypical and shallow that the planning desk in Washington said that we think this is a very bad idea and recommend against it and won’t do it. And so the planning desk in Doha literally sneaked a production team into the United States without letting anyone in the American news desk know, and they went off and shot a four-part series that was execrable. That was essentially, if I may say so, here a poor, there a poor, everywhere a poor poor.”
Mr Burman insisted AJE harbours no biases.
“AJE does not have an [anti-]American bias,” he said. “In its journalism, [AJE] has challenged all governments – including the American government.”
[email protected]
But critics accuse the channel, owned by the Qatari government, of being anti-US and anti-western, of primarily focusing on issues in which Arabs are seen as the “victims”, and of failing to criticise Qatar.
Indeed, according to Robert Menard, who recently resigned as head of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, citing official restrictions on, and interference in, the centre’s operations, AJE is prohibited from bringing up any “controversial issues” about Qatar.
The channel, he said, faces a number of red lines, among them, “never criticise Qatar, don’t talk about the army, don’t talk about internal issues”.
“They [AJE] always have to show the bright side of Qatar and never bring up controversial issues about the country,” Mr Menard said.
However, Tony Burman, AJE’s managing director, said much of the criticism of AJE’s Qatar coverage was unjustified. He said the channel had run a number of reports on the conditions of foreign workers in Qatar in recent months.
“Qatar does not get a free ride on AJE,” Mr Burman said in an e-mail interview. “But it should be pointed out that Qatar itself is very small, and doesn’t justify excessive coverage on an international news channel.”
AJE has won plaudits for its coverage of such conflicts as the war in Iraq and, more recently, Israel’s assault on Gaza.
But major issues such as slavery in Mauritania and northern Sudan, the war in Darfur, the persecution of religious minorities in the Middle East and the widespread abuse of immigrant workers have been either under-reported by AJE or fallen off the radar altogether, critics say.
At a 2007 Arab media conference on Sudan at the American University in Cairo, Kamal al Gizouli of the Sudanese writers union asked why Al Jazeera was ignoring what was going on there.
“Al Jazeera focuses on the human side in Palestine,” he said. “So you have to ask why they don’t do the same in Darfur. There is a double standard on human feelings. Al Jazeera is operated by Arabs so they show sympathy for the Palestinian and Iraqi people and show the dead babies there, but when it comes to Darfur, they don’t. They want to show Arabs always as victims.”
Mr Burman, however, rejected the criticism.
“AJE has done extensive coverage of Darfur and southern Sudan, and in fact has been criticised by the Sudanese government for this,” he said. “It has also covered Mauritania, [the persecution of Christians in] Egypt and immigrant workers.”
In the West, much of the controversy surrounding the Al Jazeera name is derived from its Arabic-speaking sister channel, headquartered in Qatar alongside AJE.
Al Jazeera Arabic gained renown after the September 11 attacks as the preferred destination for militant groups, particularly al Qa’eda, to send recorded messages. This led to many conservatives and the Bush administration at the time labelling it a “mouthpiece for terror”. Indeed, the US targeted Al Jazeera operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, resulting in the death of the reporter Tarek Ayoub when the station’s building in Baghdad was hit.
The continuous airing of such tapes and a number of other incidents have led to accusations that the station is too close to militants. In July last year, the station covered a welcome home party for Samir Kuntar, who was imprisoned in Israel for killing three Israelis, including a four-year-old girl whose skull he crushed on a rock with the butt of his rifle. The station’s Beirut bureau chief, Ghassan bin Jiddo, organised a birthday party for him and called him a “hero”. Al Jazeera issued a statement days later admitting that the event had violated its code of ethics.
Mainly as a result of Al Jazeera Arabic’s reputation, AJE, which was never in fact banned in North America, was considered risky by cable providers.
But AJE, too, stands accused of harbouring an anti-US and anti-western agenda, even by those who have worked there.
In March 2008, Dave Marash resigned after just over a year as AJE’s US anchor because of the station’s US coverage.
In an interview with the Columbia Journalism Review, Mr Marash cited an AJE series titled Poverty in America as an example:
“The specifics of the plan were so stereotypical and shallow that the planning desk in Washington said that we think this is a very bad idea and recommend against it and won’t do it. And so the planning desk in Doha literally sneaked a production team into the United States without letting anyone in the American news desk know, and they went off and shot a four-part series that was execrable. That was essentially, if I may say so, here a poor, there a poor, everywhere a poor poor.”
Jo Burgin, former head of planning at the channel, took AJE to court for discrimination last year after her contract was not renewed for what she claimed were race, gender and religious reasons and accused senior staff of harbouring “anti-western sentiment”. Steve Clark, Ms Burgin’s husband and AJE’s former head of news, walked out in March last year.
Still, Mr Burman insisted AJE does not harbour any biases.
“AJE does not have an [anti-]American bias,” he said. “In its journalism, [AJE] has challenged all governments – including the American government.”
Over 13m DTH subs in India
From http://www.advanced-television.com/2009/jul13_jul17.htm#w6
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has said the DTH subscriber base has swelled to more than 13 million in the country, indicating an increased penetration of the service.
TRAI said "total number of reported registered Direct to Home (DTH) subscribers served by five private DTH operators, offering paid service, had gone up to 13.09 million till the end of March 2009".
At present, apart from the free DTH service of Doordarshan, there are six private DTH licensees. While five are already in operation, the sixth is in the process of rolling out its services, TRAI said.
Govt Forms Draft Satellite Radio Policy; Steps To Curb Video Piracy
From http://in.reuters.com/article/paidmediaAtoms/idIN198534691220090715?sp=true
The ministry of information and broadcasting said yesterday that it has framed the draft Satellite Radio Policy Guidelines based on the recommendations made by TRAI. The draft policy envisages two kinds of permissions. One for the service provider and the other for those want to run radio channels on these platforms. The draft policy, a copy of which is not yet available on the I&B ministry’s website, lays down eligibility conditions, license fee, foreign investment norms and regulatory provisions.
The government will establish 190 new sub stations of All India Radio during the 11th Five Year Plan. It will also set up 145 FM transmitters at an expenditure of Rs163.9 crore.
I&B minister Ambika Soni also responded at length to a question in the Lok Sabha on what measures the government was taking to curb video piracy.
14/07/09
Sorry no update today due to lack of time
Live chat in the chatroom at 9.pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd time onwards as usual
13/07/09
Sorry for the late update, always a lot to pasteup every Monday
Saturday feed
D2 12680 V Sr 6670 "V8 supercars from Townsville"
Sunday
Asiasat 4 12491 V Sr 6620 "AFL Hawks v Kangaroos"
From my Email & ICQ
From Tony Dunnett (NZ)
Hi Craig,
We have put up our test report of our new 13K DMSI Cband LNBF it makes for interesting reading.
DMSI 13K LNBF test report
http://www.jayx.co.nz/DMSI%20LNB.html
From the Dish
JCSAT 3A 128E 4055 V "Educator TV" has left again.
Koreasat 5 113E 12530 H "CBS" has left .
Telkom 1 108E 3620 H "TelkomVision 1-2" are now encrypted.
Telkom 1 108E 3640 V "Lejel Home Shopping" is now encrypted.
Telkom 1 108E "TVRI Aceh" has moved from 4015 H to 3813 H, Fta, SR 3000, FEC 3/4.
AsiaSat 3S 105.5E 3780 V "Nat Geo Wild Asia and Fox Crime Asia" have left .
AsiaSat 3S 105.5E 3880 H "9X and 9XM" are still on , MPEG-4, Fta.
AsiaSat 3S 105.5E 3940 V "Star News India and FX Asia" have left .
Express AM33 96.5E 10997 H "World Music Channel" has started on , Fta.
NSS 6 95E 11131 V "Hit station and OK TV" have started on Fta.
NSS 6 95E 11172 H "ETC Channel Punjabi" is Fta.
NSS 6 95E 12647 H "UTVi TV" has started on , Conax. NewsX has left.
Insat 4B 93.5E 3885 H "KTV and Sun TV" have left .
Insat 4B 93.5E 4045 H "Sun TV, Surya TV (clear), Sun News, Sun Music and Chutti TV" (Fta) have started on , MPEG-4, Mediaguard.
ST 1 88E "Videoland ONTV and Videoland Max TV" on 3550 V and 3632 V are Fta.
Insat 4A 83E 11010 H All channels in the Tata Sky mux are/were Fta.
Insat 4A 83E 11050 H "Toon Disney India has again replaced Jetix India" on , Videoguard.
Thaicom 5 78.5E 3840 V "365 Din" has left .
Thaicom 2 78.5E 4016 H "I Channel has replaced Party Channel" on Fta.
Telstar 10 76.5E 3840 H "BBC World News, KidsCo, EuroNews, MTV Base, B4U Music India and B4U Movies India" have left .
Telstar 10 76.5E 4137 H "NDTV Arabia" has left .
ABS 1 75E H 12579 H "CBN has replaced JCTV" on , Fta.
Intelsat 10 68.5E 3783 H "Peace TV English" is still on , Fta, SR 3250, FEC 2/3.
Intelsat 12 45E 11632 V "Max TV (Sri Lanka)" has started on , Irdeto.
Intelsat 12 45E 11632 V "Zee Tamizh" has started on , Irdeto.
From Asiatvro site
东经88度轨道位置的中新1号卫星C频段，纬来育乐、纬来综合（台亚）等频道加密，设置3632 V 30000参数有条件接收。[07-13]
东经88度轨道位置的中新1号卫星C频段，纬来育乐、纬来综合（台亚）等频道加密，设置3550 V 30000参数有条件接收。[07-13]
东经140度轨道位置的快车AM3号卫星Ku频段，World Music Channel（俄罗斯）频道新增，设置10997 H 3300参数免费接收。[07-13]
东经95度轨道位置的新天6号卫星Ku频段，Hit Station（泰国）频道新增，设置11131 V 27500参数免费接收。[07-13]
东经113度轨道位置的韩星5号卫星Ku频段，JCBN（韩国）频道解密，设置12530 H 26000参数免费接收。[07-12]
东经78.5度轨道位置的泰星5号卫星C频段，365 Din（印度）频道消失，设置3840 V 26667参数无效接收。[07-12]
东经93.5度轨道位置的印星4B号卫星C频段，Chutti TV、Sun Music（MPEG-4）等频道新增，设置4045 H 28000参数部分免费接收。[07-12]
东经93.5度轨道位置的印星4B号卫星C频段，Sun TV、KTV（印度）频道消失，设置3885 H 28000参数无效接收。[07-12]
东经138度亚太V卫星KU频段，艺华直播CCTV-HD、LUXE高清频道恢复加密，设置参数12463 V 21600有条件接收 (2009-07-11)
东经75度轨道位置的ABS-1号卫星Ku频段，HCBN替换JCTV（香港）频道，设置12579 H 22000参数免费接收。[07-11]
东经138度轨道位置的亚太5号卫星Ku频段，高清综合、Luxe TV（艺华）高清频道加密，设置12463 V 21600参数有条件接收。[07-10]
东经146度轨道位置的马布海2号卫星Ku频段，ESPN替换NOW（梦幻）频道，设置12541 H 25600参数有条件接收。[07-10]
东经146度轨道位置的马布海2号卫星Ku频段，卫视体育替换阿里郎（梦幻）频道，设置12541 H 25600参数有条件接收。[07-10]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，国泰人寿（台亚）等频道加密，设置12731 V 30000参数有条件接收。[07-10]
东经108.2度轨道位置的新天11号卫星Ku频段，国泰人寿（台亚）等频道解密，设置12731 V 30000参数免费接收。[07-10]
NEWS
Stokes and Packer, head-to-head
From http://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/200907124237/stokes-and-packer-head-to-head.html
Australian pay-TV platform Foxtel is shaping up as the latest prize in the country’s long-running Packer v Stokes soap opera. Kerry Stokes’ Seven Network on Friday confirmed it had lifted its stake in the James Packer-controlled Consolidated Media Holdings, which owns stakes in Foxtel and other Australian pay-TV businesses, to 18%.
Two series of share acquisitions were staged last week, with A$180 million paid on Wednesday to lift Seven’s stake from juts under 5% to over 15%. A further trade later in the week saw Seven pay out another A$40 million, ending the week with an 18% stake in the media holding company.
But Packer himself, through his privately-held Consolidated Press Holdings, then purchased shares worth A$25 million, raising his stake from 38.3% to 39.3%. That buy was clearly intended to send a message to Stokes over who was in charge.
Seven is reportedly mulling a full hostile takeover for ConsMedia, which owns 25% of Foxtel (News Corp owns 25% and Telstra the remaining 50%) and 50% of Premier Media Group, which operates the Fox Sports network of channels, among others. After selling its stake in Seven Media Group, which actually operates Australian network Seven, Seven Network still has some A$1.4 billion of cash left.
But whether a full takeover will happen is unclear. Most observers see Stokes’ move as insurance for Seven, which is positioning its fingers in as many media pies as possible. The ConsMedia stake gives Seven a seat at the Foxtel table. Telstra could be forced to sell its stake in Foxtel in the future, and Stokes has been keen for years to get into pay-TV. Seven’s C7 pay-TV sports channel failed back at the beginning of the decade but recent litigation showed that the sector is still attractive to Seven.
Stokes will also now have a say should Packer decide to divest all of his family’s remaining media assets (the former “Crown Jewel”, free-to-air Nine Network, was sold off to private equity back in 2007).
And of course Stokes’ acquisition will have another side effect – annoying both Packer and Rupert Murdoch.
Seven quiet on its stake in Cons Media
From http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-business/seven-quiet-on-its-stake-in-cons-media-20090713-did0.html
Seven Network Ltd owner Kerry Stokes remained silent on Monday about his foray onto the share register of James Packer's Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd.
A spokesman for Seven would not elaborate on why Mr Stokes had increased his stake in Cons Media last week to 18.32 per cent.
"We're not commenting on Consolidated Media," Seven's Simon Francis said in an email.
Cons Media rose one cent, or 0.38 per cent, to $2.61 and Seven Network lifted one cent, or 0.19 per cent, to $5.25 at 1411 AEST.
By early afternoon on Monday, 1.1 million Cons Media shares had changed hands, including a cross trade of 195,000 shares at $2.62 each for a total of $510,900.
Meanwhile, three special parcels of shares worth a total of $95,806 also went through the share market.
The trades were all done at $2.60 a share in parcels of 12,286, 12,281 and 12,281 in early afternoon trading.
On Friday, Mr Stokes came out of the shadows to confirm he was behind a massive buying spree in Cons Media shares over three days last week.
Seven Network, through its subsidiary Network Investment, spent $234.24 million buying 92.91 million hares to lift its stake to 18.32 per cent, from 4.8 per cent.
The raid prompted activity at the Packer family's main investment vehicle Consolidated Press Holdings, which in reply lifted its interest to 39.3 per cent, from 37.9 per cent.
ConsMedia owns 25 per cent of pay TV firm Foxtel and 50 per cent of Fox Sports-operator Premier Media Group, plus a 26.7 per cent stake in online employment firm Seek Ltd.
Foxtel is 50 per cent owned by Telstra Corporation Ltd, with the rest held by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation Ltd.
Independent analyst Peter Cox from Cox Media said on Monday Mr Stokes was likely planning further moves on Cons Media to gain influence over the Foxtel network.
"This one is being driven to try to get himself a place at the negotiating table so that he can be with the big boys with owning pay TV in Australia.
"He's always been driven by wanting to be in pay TV."
ConsMedia shares were steady at $2.60 at 1420 AEST, having traded between $2.59 and $2.64.
Australians remember giant leap for mankind
From http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Australians_remember_giant_leap_for_mankind_999.html
In a dry, dusty paddock thousands of miles from Mission Control, a group of Australian astronomers were the first people in the world to witness a giant leap for mankind.
It was 12 minutes past 11 am when Apollo 11 appeared over Dead Man's Hill, just outside the Australian capital, Canberra, and engineer Hamish Lindsay was waiting with bated breath.
"I'd had six years' preparation for all this, this was the moment I had been trained for," Lindsay told AFP.
"I must admit if I stopped and thought about it, which I did a couple of times, I would get goosebumps at what was going to happen."
Now 72, Lindsay was in the operations room at the Honeysuckle Creek tracking station, one of three radio telescopes in Australia involved in the Apollo 11 mission.
And thanks to Neil Armstrong's decision to attempt the moon walk early, he was among the first in the world to witness man's first steps on the lunar surface.
"When it was said that there had to be a rest period after they got down on the moon, that meant it would all be over by the time we could see it," explained David Cooke, who was manning the 64-metre dish at Parkes, some 400 kilometres to the north.
"But then Armstrong said 'What are you talking about, we don't want a rest,' and it meant at that very moment he was about to come down on the moon his signal was just coming down over our horizon."
Neil "Fox" Mason was behind the controls of the Parkes telescope, manually directing the antenna to receive Apollo's telemetry and other data for a very tense five hours, as unseasonable winds threatened to push the signal off course.
"It was blowing (up to) 110 kilometres (68 miles) an hour, a lot more than we would normally observe under, you could feel it going at the walls," Mason said.
Racing to get the dish in position at a painstaking 15 degrees an hour, Parkes missed the first few minutes of the television signal, leaving it to Honeysuckle to beam Armstrong's descent and first steps to the world, Lindsay said.
"I'm still living those moments even now, 40 years later. It was a real thrill to be involved with something like that."
"We were making phenomenal history, to go off into space and throw yourself at the mercy of whatever's out there, we didn't know what was going to happen," he added.
Lindsay said the entire moon mission was a fantastically complex undertaking.
"Your maths had to be dead right, one decimal point out of place and it was curtains for the astronauts, everything was so critical."
Up in Parkes, Mason and Cooke were elated.
"There was a picture on a little green TV screen and the time came for Armstrong to get down on the surface, and one of the American operators who'd probably been working on this kind of stuff for years and years just looked at it and said 'How about that'," Cooke said.
"I can't remember any cheers, but I was pretty pleased about it all."
A proud John Saxon, operations supervisor at Honeysuckle, joked that he noted the exact second Armstrong set foot on the moon in his log "because we had a sweepstake going and I didn't want to upset anyone by getting the wrong time."
"There were no high fives or backslaps or handshakes or anything because you're concentrating, you've got to finish the mission," Saxon said.
"But all that said, you can walk outside and take a quick breath and look up and say 'Gosh, there's men up there, and we're having something to do with it'."
All four men said it was a moment that changed history, bringing together a fractured world by capturing the public's imagination with dreams of the impossible.
"400,000 people achieved the impossible in eight years by working together," said Lindsay.
"To me, that's the message from Apollo."
NITV might lose digital transmission
From http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25769668-7582,00.html
THE National Indigenous TV network is marking its second on-air anniversary today under a cloud, warning that it might be about to lose free-to-air digital transmission to the nation's largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Since October, the network has been carried free of charge on Broadcast Australia's Digital Forty Four trial datacasting and open narrowcasting TV service, giving it free-to-air access to the roughly 650,000 Sydney households with digital reception.
But NITV chief executive Pat Turner said she feared the trial would soon end following last month's acquisition of BA's parent company, Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group, by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
"With the change in ownership we are anticipating they could well make the decision to cease the trial," Turner told Media.
"That would be a significant loss to the potential audience in Sydney. Even though it is only a trial service, it is our biggest free-to-air coverage."
Another source with knowledge of the trial, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he believed it was "very likely" Digital Forty Four would cease by the end of this calendar year.
"It is a pressure point for the government to make a decision on what it is going to do with NITV in digital terrestrial terms," the source said.
NITV had long lobbied for guaranteed permanent access to the free-to-air digital spectrum, Turner said.
"We want to know how the Government intends to get NITV access to free-to-air digital spectrum," she said.
"We're a national service and ultimately we would want to be free-to-air across Australia."
Of NITV's potential free-to-air digital TV audience of 2.2 million people, some 2 million live in Sydney.
The city is home to the nation's largest indigenous community of about 60,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Turner said anecdotal evidence indicated many watched NITV through Digital Forty Four.
"People do access it that way and they love it," she said.
Without Digital Forty Four, which could be seen by anyone in Sydney with a digital TV or set-top box, viewers would need direct-to-home satellite facilities or pay-TV to view the channel.
BA new platforms general manager Martin Farrimond said no end date for the trial had been set.
"(ACMA is) continuing to renew pending a decision by the government regarding the unallocated broadcast spectrum, also referred to as channels A and B," he said.
"We, like a lot of people, are awaiting that clarification before making decisions on what may come after the trial when that eventually comes to an end.
"There's nothing implicit in the change of ownership that would cause us to change our approach as far as the trial is concerned."
The trial digital terrestrial TV service was launched in March 2004 to demonstrate the sorts of services that could be operated under the datacasting rules.
BA's licence to run it is renewed every three months by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Last year ACMA changed the conditions of the trial to allow NITV's open narrowcast service to be included, on channel 40.
Other services include an ABC news, sport and weather channel, the Australian Christian Channel, Teachers TV and a broadcast of sitting days of the Australian federal parliament.
Another service, Channel NSW, which was run by the NSW government, was shut down on July 1.
Mr Farrimond said that was not connected to rumours about the trial service ending.
"Over the years some content services have come and some go," he said.
"The NSW Government took a policy decision ... (that) they had got everything out of it they wanted to get out of it and they didn't want to fund that participation any longer."
NZ Sky TV ready to flick its UHF switch
From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10583747
Sky UHF network customers have until the end of next month to switch over to the pay-TV provider's digital service before it turns off the network.
The broadcaster announced early last year that it would no longer be accepting new UHF subscribers as the company's transmitting equipment, installed in 1990, started falling apart.
The transmitters generally last for about 15 years but no one makes the equipment anymore and the parts are hard to find.
Sky chief executive John Fellet had said UHF was either going to be turned off or fall apart and the firm started pushing to convert its customers to its digital offerings.
The network has now committed to closing the UHF system, starting on August 31 in Taupo. The company hopes to have the process completed throughout the country within six months.
Sky spokesman Tony O'Brien said UHF had about 300,000 subscribers in 1995 and the company had reduced that to about 25,000 customers.
He said the digital option, which has run since 1998, had "much more variety, stacks more channels".
"As we had to close it down we're just moving them across, giving them a very compelling offer to move across to our digital, and it's going exceptionally well."
Mr O'Brien said the digital service was not a more expensive option but was a "completely different network with a whole host of different options and package choices for [customers] so it depends what they pick".
The broadcaster would send out installers to every UHF home to put up new satellite dishes for the digital network at no cost to the customer, he said.
Sky moved its live broadcasts of the Warriors league team from Sky Sport 1 to digital-only Sky Sport 2 to move people away from the now-decrepit technology. About 10,000 people migrated once that happened.
Sky plans to hand its UHF and radio spectrum back to the Government and trade them for digital terrestrial bandwidth.
Mai TV secures FIFA World Cup rights
From http://www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=13070986c82578d74333af3e843804
Mai TV Fiji Limited has today announced it had signed an Oceania sub-license agreement with SBS Australia as the official broadcaster of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Managing director Richard Broadbridge said the agreement ensures that millions of people across the Pacific region will be able to watch FIFA tournaments on free-to-air TV.
Oceania Football general secretary Tai Nicholas was pleased with Mai TV that after 13 months of operation they were able to secure the rights to the FIFA World Cup.
Nicholas said that there are plans in the pipeline to secure other FIFA tournaments for the company.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be held in South Africa.
Space Systems/Loral Delivers AsiaSat 5 To Baikonur
From http://www.space-travel.com/reports/Space_Systems_Loral_Delivers_AsiaSat_5_To_Baikonur_999.html
Space Systems/Loral has announced that it shipped a new communications satellite built for Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) to the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, where it is scheduled to launch in early- to mid-August aboard a ILS Proton Breeze M launch vehicle provided by International Launch Services (ILS).
"We are very proud of being able to contribute to the continuing success of AsiaSat with the delivery of the AsiaSat 5 satellite," said John Celli, President and Chief Operating Officer of Space Systems/Loral. "With the proven reliability of the SS/L 1300 platform, we have built an excellent tool to help this first class regional operator enhance and expand its business."
AsiaSat 5, a Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) spacecraft, is designed to provide television broadcast, telephone networks, and VSAT networks for broadband multimedia services across the Asia Pacific region. AsiaSat 5 will replace AsiaSat 2 at the orbital location of 100.5 degrees East longitude and will help the operator enhance its services and expand its business.
"We are very pleased that the satellite is being shipped to the Baikonur launch base and we are looking forward to traveling to Kazakhstan for the August launch," said Peter Jackson, chief executive officer of AsiaSat.
"Our collaboration with Space Systems/Loral on this project has been very positive, and we expect to benefit from the company's long heritage of reliability in FSS satellites."
AsiaSat 5 carries 26 C-band and 14 Ku-band transponders. The C-band expands on the AsiaSat 2 pan-Asian coverage, and the Ku-band coverage consists of three high-power beams, two of which will cover East Asia and South Asia as well as the in-orbit steerable beam that can be positioned to provide service anywhere within the satellite's view.
The satellite is based on SS/L's 1300 space-proven platform, which provides the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances.
RazakSAT set for launch
From http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/13/nation/4307299&sec=nation
PETALING JAYA: RazakSAT, Malaysia’s second remote sensing satellite, will be launched tomorrow.
It was scheduled to launch from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands in April but was delayed due to vibration problem on the launch vehicle.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili arrived in Guam yesterday to witness the live web casting of the launch of the satellite.
During a briefing, officials had informed him that the satellite and launch vehicle Falcon 1 had been erected on the launch pad site at Omelek Island.
The 180kg satellite will allow increased frequency in the image observation of the earth surface and environment through its high resolution camera which will benefit Malaysia.
Ongkili said that he was satisfied with the preparation for the launch.
Goonhilly marks role in Moon landing broadcast
From http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/news/cornwall_news/4486143.Goonhilly_marks_role_in_Moon_landing_broadcast/
BT’s Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station will this month celebrate the vital role it played 40 years ago in the broadcasting of one of mankind’s greatest achievements.
On Sunday July 20, 1969, Goonhilly’s giant Antenna 1 – nowadays affectionately known as Arthur – relayed the historic pictures of the first moon landing to television screens in the UK.
Millions of people across the country had stayed awake into the early hours to watch American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin guide Apollo 11’s lunar module to a safe touchdown in the moon’s Sea of Tranquility.
The astonishing ‘live’ pictures of the mission were transmitted across a quarter of a million miles of space to stations in Ascension Island, Australia and the USA and relayed from the US, via satellite, to Goonhilly, which is located on Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula.
A microwave link was then used to send the images to the BBC and ITV in London and on to the European Broadcasting Union network for viewing across Europe.
Goonhilly’s popular Visitors Centre is organising a celebration of those historic moments and on the evening of Monday July 20 will host an exclusive anniversary event for 100 people.
It will include presentations by leading astronomers, authors and presenters, such as Peter Grego and Ian Ridpath, both of whom have written a number of books about the moon and space; and Brian Sheen, the director of the Roseland Observatory.
The displays and attractions will include a genuine piece of moon rock and an inflatable planetarium. Tickets are available from 01872 325 400.
Among those with clear memories of that historic night is Pip Greenaway, 66, from Truro, who was a technician in the control room at the time of the landing.
He said: “There were only seven of us there at the time including a couple of American observers, I think from NASA.
“It was pretty exciting to see those pictures come through all the way from the moon and we were all crowded around the monitors watching that first step taken by Neil Armstrong.
“It was such a great achievement and a real privilege to be there at Goonhilly at the time. We were amazed at the huge step forward in technology even then, and just look how far we have come since.”
John Austin, now aged 67, was another technician in the Goonhilly control room at the time of the landing. His job, known as aerial steering, was to ensure that Goonhilly’s Antenna 1 stayed locked onto the satellite relaying the broadcasts as it tracked across the sky.
He said: “I remember it all very well. I had just done a 12-hour daytime shift, but, such was the importance of the moon landing, I was asked to stay on for the 12-hour night shift to ensure everything went according to plan. We had a relatively new person on duty that night, but thankfully everything went like clockwork.
“I was shattered by the time the second shift finished at 8am, though I felt very privileged to have seen it all happen. It is something I will never forget. To be there at the time was quite an experience.”
Michael Dunn, BT’s regional manager for the South West, said: “BT has been doing exciting things in Cornwall for a long time and it's good to mark these special occasions and celebrate the innovation of local people in making telecommunications history. This is a big day for the Earth Station and for everyone that has been involved with it.”
Pay TV networks Orbit and Showtime merge
From http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/2009/7/Pages/12072009/07132009_318f4bb43f4f40378148e6893bfb4792.aspx
Showtime and Orbit have merged to become the largest pay TV platform in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), confirmed official communications from both the establishments.
Investment firm Kuwait Projects Company (Kipco) conveyed that it has merged its pay TV channel unit Showtime Arabia with the Riyadh-based Orbit Group, owned by Mawarid Group.
"The new company is a partnership between the Orbit Group and Showtime Arabia," Kipco said in an e-mailed statement.
It did not give details on the value of the deal.
Showtime Arabia is one of the first pay TV network in Mena broadcasting the Hollywood movies and Western entertainment.
It is based in Dubai and produces 20 premium channels that are branded as Showtime channels.
In addition, it also has partnered with international networks including Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, CNBC and MTV.
Showtime Arabia is owned by Gulf DTH, which is a joint venture of Kipco owning 80 per cent of Gulf DTH and Viacom. Viacom owns the remaining 20 per cent.
The other partner, Orbit Satellite Television and Radio Network, is the world's first fully digital, multi-channel, multi-lingual, pay television service that also has 20 radio stations.
Orbit broadcasts broadly for the Middle East and North Africa region with its reach in Europe, US and Australia and has plans to expand this service into other Asian countries and Canada.
Dubai offices of the two channels confirmed the news and conveyed that "the two establishments have merged", but refrained from releasing any more details.
However, the corporate communication officials of the two companies were tight-lipped and were busy in meetings until late last evening to iron out the details and did not disclose any thing more to the press.
Over 111 TV channels got cleared in 2008-09
From http://203.197.197.71/presentation/leftnavigation/news/india/over-111-tv-channels-got-cleared-in-2008-09.aspx
July 12: Despite the ongoing recession, financial year 2008-09 proved to be the year of boom for television channels as over 111 satellite channels got the nod of Union information and broadcasting ministry to begin operations.
According to the annual report of the I&B ministry the year 2008-09 counted for almost one-fourth of the total 394 TV channels that were granted licence by the ministry till March 2009.
"The number of new TV channels has gained momentum due to liberalisation and enhanced enthusiasm shown by the broadcasters to catch a share of the huge entertainment & media industry in India," the annual report states.
Official sources stated that several applications for uplinking have been received and proposals for 145 private satellite TV channels for permission to uplink from India are at various stages of scrutiny. It may be recalled that the I&B Ministry had also permitted 22 more channels to go on air last month.
The information and broadcasting ministry annual report pointed out that the number of news and current affairs channels, constitute 211 of the total 394, have outnumbered channels of all other genres put together.