31/3/01
Away on Holiday
30/3/01
Away on Holiday
29/3/01
There is a huge amount of sports of this weekend, includeing starting today the Champions Cup cricket tournament from Perth, all the best teams from each country playing each other the first time this has been tryed. There has to be a feed of this somewhere as its going to pay tv channels all around the world. Also on is the usual NRL, Super12, Rugby 7's from Hong Kong (This seen last time on Pas 2 4148V Hong Kong BQ) There is AFL as well check B1 it usesd to be on there in analog. Also on is the World Superbikes, usually seen on Star Sports or on I701 Channel 10 feeds. So if you see any of these email the details or share them via the mailing list. There is some very interesting stuff in the news section about Australia TV in fact its another mega news edition.Another thing of interest all the Intelsat coverage maps at their website have been improved. Its well worth checking out http://www.intelsat.int/satellites_coveragemaps.asp
I was going to trim the page but I think I will leave it all up untill I am back home and update on Tuesday
From my Emails & ICQ
Lagocki in NZ ,sends this shot off Optus B1 an analog Testcard seen last night. Sorry I don't have the freq details
From Jamal
Hi craig,
Could you informe me please if "Animal Planet" is FTA on PAS8-KU band ??
thank you
Craigs reply, It should be there if Boomerang TV is still FTA.
From the Dish
Pas 8 166E 12566 H "IHUG (internet service)"has started here, Sr 27500.
Sinosat 1 110.5E 4088 V "Macau Five Star Business" Vpid 650 Apid 651.
Sinosat 1 110.5E 4075 V "MATV" is testing here Sr 6660, FEC 3/4, Vpid 4130 Apid 4131.
Asiasat 3 105.5E 3660 V "Zee TV Asia" has started here, (Not sure whats going on with this one thought they were encrypting everything)
NEWS
Saving face in Asia
From http://www.theaustralian.com.au/extras/media/columns/day2903.html
THE Howard Government has failed to cover itself with glory over the bungles and backflips involving Australian Television International, the nation's window-to-the-world TV service which shut up shop last week. But, to his credit, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is at last on the right track by insisting that any future government assistance to re-start the service is conditional on one thing: programming.
It is a rare event when governments announce they have a bucket of money to give away. It is even more rare when that bucket is offered to media proprietors; and it must be unique for at least one of them to reject it.
But Kerry Stokes's rejection of government assistance for the ATVI service operated by his Seven Network came because Downer insisted Seven's shameful programming be radically upgraded. Stokes worked out that he'd still lose money meeting his benefactor's demands, even with a handsome subsidy, so he walked away, leaving a $10 million loss behind.
The ATVI saga is a blot on Australia's recent foreign policy. We may well look like a bunch of oiks at the closure of the service, but thanks to Stokes's programming over the past year, we've been looking like idiots.
When the ABC programmed ATVI, viewers were fed a wide range of ABC programs, plus tailored and credible news services, which attracted a large audience ranging from heads of states to travelling Australians. Since Seven put the service into the too-hard basket, viewers have been offered six-hour revolving blocks of rubbish from the archives, plus regular doses of Humphrey Bear.
Stokes believed he would win the Government tender for assistance money and he would convert his loss-making rubbish service into a profitable rubbish service. All he had to do was go to Canberra and pick up a cheque. But Downer had other ideas: unless the service offered acceptable programming, there would be no deal.
The consortium reported to be next in line for the service, Australian Vision International, with its close links to the Liberal Party through former Howard cabinet minister Warwick Smith and Howard's close friend and solicitor, Clayton Utz chairman Brian Wilson, figures it has the programming bases covered.
Its proposal is for a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week service involving 8760 hours annually on the Palapa C2 satellite which has a footprint from Western Samoa to India. The transponder and associated linking costs would eat up about $5 million a year.
AVI proposes a small news team to be based in Sydney to prepare dedicated news services to be broadcast in prime-time blocks across the footprint. For instance, to put a 6pm news service into the South Pacific time zone, you would need to uplink out of Sydney at 4pm, then update and uplink again at 8pm for Singapore, Hong Kong and Jakarta and again at 10pm for India.
Primary news footage, including Australian stories, would be provided by TV news agencies Reuters and Associated Press, with some additional SBS or ABC footage as required. There would be no demand for commercial television's staple – car crashes, which Seven has been feeding out.
AVI expects 1500 hours of its annual schedule would be taken up with news, the most costly part of its programming plans. Part of this would include studio discussions and forums on regional issues.
A further 1000 hours would be filled with low-cost next-day repeats of SBS or ABC programs such as Dateline and Foreign Correspondent. AVI has a further 2000 hours of documentaries, travelogues and science programs available through a dozen or so program makers or distributors – almost all Australian made or Australian subject matter. And it has about 2000 hours of children's programming available to it.
But the biggest potential, according to AVI's supporters, lies in education programming. Education services already have become Australia's third largest export earner, the bulk of it to Asia. Universities spend more than $100 million a year to market their services, and AVI believes it can attract considerable support to use its facilities to extend marketing and deliver education material in viewing downtimes, like the ABC's Open Learning program.
All this programming would cost more than the $5 million notionally available after transmission costs. But AVI is hoping the Government subsidy will be closer to $15 million a year initially because Government sources let it be known that a subsidy of $10 million a year would be reasonable, but $20 million a year would be unreasonable. Ergo, there's room to move beyond $50 million over five years. The quid pro quo would be undertakings to lessen the subsidy as advertising sales grow.
Downer and the mandarins of the Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs are pushing for a quick fix of the ATVI shambles because they see the service, properly programmed, as a shining advertisement for Australia's exporters and as a stabilising influence on the entire South-East Asia region.
The ATVI service has failed in this role under Seven's ownership because of its risible programming. During the ABC days, it attracted criticism, particularly from expatriates, who were embarrassed by news reports of Paul Keating at his most explosive, hurling scumbag insults around Parliament.
But many old foreign affairs hands turn that argument, saying it was warts-and-all democracy at work. They look around the region and see wars, insurrections or instability in Aceh, Ambon, Timor, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, The Philippines, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, and reason that an open and properly programmed Australian voice would be capable of demonstrating that total freedom of speech and freedom of expression is compatible with stable democracy.
Now there's an original thought.
Fed Govt provides funds to maintain Radio Australia
From http://abc.net.au/news/newslink/nat/newsnat-28mar2001-72.htm
The Federal Government is providing $600,000 to maintain the signal of Radio Australia, the ABC's international service.
Radio Australia's signal to South-East Asia and the South Pacific has been threatened by the loss of its piggyback rights on the satellite previously used by Australia Television.
Channel Seven closed down the international TV service last week, depriving Radio Australia of access to its satellite.
Communications Minister Richard Alston says the $600,000 is extra funding so the ABC can secure satellite rights.
Senator Alston says the money will mean Radio Australia can continue to broadcast important services to the region.
170 million to watch Champions Cup
From http://www.sofcom.com.au/cgi-bin/news/getAAPPreview?keyword=cricketchampions
The Champions Cup one-day tournament, mooted as a cricket version of rugby union's successful Super 12 series which starts Thursday, will be beamed to a global television audience of about 170 million.
Disastrous timing has robbed the event of some of the biggest names in cricket, such as Indian master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, South African captain Shaun Pollock and Australian star Adam Gilchrist and placed it at the mercy of a football mad public here.
But WACA spokesman Steve Wright said the global television deal ensured the fledgling tournament would be a success.
According to Wright, Indian government broadcaster Doordarshan, which hosted the recent India-Australia Test series, will replay every game from the Champions Cup into India early next month.
And Sky Sports in New Zealand, South Africa's Super Sports and host broadcaster C7 will transmit into homes in the southern hemisphere.
The round robin tournament between the best one day sides from India, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia is the ACB's vision of a second tier international one-day event, similar to rugby's Super 12.
"They are all taking this seriously," Wright said.
"They can see the event is going to grow, they see it in the same light as the Super 12s rugby.
"The vision is for it to grow to between six and eight teams over a 10 day period."
The Western Warriors won hosting rights as the 2000 Mercantile Mutual Cup champions and their opponents also all lifted the one-day silverware in their respective national tournaments.
The hosts will be without Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn, who are on international duty, and allrounder Brendon Julian, who has been given permission to skip the event for personal reasons.
But Test No.3 Justin Langer has returned from India to captain the side.
Mumbai have the biggest loss, that of Tendulkar who is busy terrorising the Australian attack in the one day series in India.
But the side boasts three members of the successful side that claimed the Border-Gavaskar trophy in the third Test - Simar Dighe, Siraj Bahutule and Nilesh Kulkarni.
New Zealand's Central Districts will be captained by promising 22-year-old Jacob Oram who arrived here late today after being released from 12th man duties from New Zealand's Test against Pakistan.
Kiwi one day player Craig Spearman is in the side and Matthew Sinclair will head to Perth as soon as the Test is finished.
Only Kwa Zulu Natal was unable to call on its international players.
South African captain Pollock and allrounder Lance Klusener are in the West Indies on Test duty while batsman Jonty Rhodes has elected to stay at home with his family.
AFL warns Seven
From http://foxsports.com.au/common/story_page/0,5000,1838305%5E5930%5E%5Enbv,00.html
AFL officials yesterday placed Channel 7 on notice after it pulled the plug on the first two Friday and Saturday nights of the season and Brisbane's round-one clash with Port Adelaide.
Shocked league officials made it clear to Seven executives that they must fulfil several contractual obligations relating to their coverage in Brisbane, including televising Lions games on the day of the match.
Seven, who has lost the rights to televise AFL from 2002 onwards, has scheduled Super 12 rugby matches on Friday and Saturday nights in Brisbane in timeslots regularly used for replaying AFL matches.
Australia's second-round Davis Cup tennis tie with Brazil has been given preference over the AFL next week.
Just three games this weekend will get airtime, with no coverage of the opening match between the Kangaroos and premiers Essendon.
Brisbane's clash with Port Adelaide on Saturday night will be shown as a highlights package the next day.
Lions president Graeme Downie was bewildered by the lack of coverage and said the code would suffer immeasurably if Seven didn't alter its stance.
Downie had been privately assured AFL coverage in Brisbane, in particular that of the Lions, would not be affected by Seven losing the rights to channels Nine and Ten.
"It's pathetic," Downie said. "It's extremely disappointing that this has happened.
"Seven has gone to great lengths to say the coverage this year will be equal if not better than in previous years."
Downie will seek urgent talks with the AFL and with Seven to uncover what has caused the about-face.
More problems are likely to arise during the season when Seven covers the Ashes cricket tour of England.
Intelsat Launches New Corporate Identity at Satellite 2001
From http://www.intelsat.int/news/press/2001-05e.asp
Intelsat today launched a new brand identity which focuses on how the company inspires connections with people, businesses and partners around the globe. The center point of the brand is a new visual identity that includes three panels that intersect to form the letter "i" in the middle, representing how Intelsat is a bridge that helps its customers and their worlds connect. The word mark for Intelsat is no longer spelled in all upper case letters, as an acronym, but with an initial capital "I," as the proper name of the company.
Intelsat CEO Conny Kullman, speaking today at the Satellite 2001 conference here this week, commented, "Our key challenge in developing this brand was to show how our resources and technology in the sky make people's lives on earth better -- how we create opportunities for our customers by connecting the world. We also wanted our new brand identity to reflect collaboration, innovation, flexibility and partnering, as these are the drivers that we believe will be key in our future. We are aligning our business practices and priorities with the marketplace, and we believe that this new brand projects Intelsat as a modern, customer-centric company, geared for the future."
At the same time, Intelsat also announced that it had redesigned its web site to conform to the new brand look and feel.
Intelsat is an international communications provider offering Internet, broadcast, telephony and corporate network solutions around the globe through its fleet of 19 satellites. For nearly four decades, many of the world's leading telecommunications companies, multinational corporations and broadcasters in more than 200 countries and territories have relied on Intelsat satellites and staff for quality connections, global reach and reliability.
For further information, please contact us at media.relations@intelsat.com or at +1 202-944-7500.
Some of the statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking statements" that do not directly or exclusively relate to historical facts. These forward-looking statements reflect our intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside our control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include known and unknown risks. Because actual results could differ materially from our intentions, plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs about the future, you are urged to view all forward-looking statements contained in these news releases with caution. Intelsat does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise
28/3/01
Wow a mega huge news edition today. Everyone please take note I am away down in Christchurch from Friday to Monday so there will be no site update over those few days. I will collect everything reported, and update on Tuesday. My signal on B3 12363v seems down it wont lock very often now on the 60cm. I will have to try and locate a bigger dish. Thanks to those who turned up in the chatroom last night its good to see more people from here in NZ joining in. I will try and trim the page tommorow.
A channel is testing on Asiasat 3 KU have a look see if you find anything remember the official coverage maps are not always %100 correct.
From the Dish
Gorizont 25 140E 3875 R "RTR (+8h)" and Radio Rossii have left
Sinosat 110.5E 4075 V "MATV" is new here Sr 6660 Fec 3/4 Anyone in Australia receiving this satellite?
Asiasat 3 105.5E 12598 H "MCTV"Sr 8890 Fec 3/4, is NEW TESTING here reports needed !
Asiasat 3 105.5E 3660 V "Urdu TV Network" has left, replaced by an info card.
(just as we reported LAST week)
Asiasat 3 105.5E 4135 V "Zee Music??" here FTA ?? Sr 15000 Fec 2/3 someone please check
Asiasat 2: 100.5E 3907 H "Reuters TV Singapore feeds", SR 5632, FEC 3/4
Pas 4 68.5E 4185 V "Urdu TV Network" has replaced Zee Music,Middle East beam.
NEWS
Sky NZ solicits bids for betting service
From http://www.idg.net.nz/webhome.nsf/UNID/91E92B43D54CCC04CC256A1C00100212!opendocument
Services due to launch late next month
Sky Television is considering bids from four companies - including a New Zealand firm - to provide an interactive betting service for its digital TV network.
The companies will only be providing the software to enable the service, says Sky CEO John Fellett, with the actual handling of wagers to be "legally worked through the TAB."
Fellett says Sky is looking at each company and its "record of on-time delivery" before making a decision. He admits that repeated delays in rolling out interactive services, which were originally due to launch last September, have been "frustrating".
Sky's chief financial officer Paul Smart told the Wall Street Journal this week that the company was set to launch its first interactive services based on the OpenTV platform late next month.
Fellett says OpenTV engineers brought to New Zealand are "continuing to work through all the bugs of having four different types of decoders in the field and getting the OpenTV applications to talk to our conditional access system, but it looks good" for a launch.
The first application will be an interactive TV guide purchased from Open itself, followed by a weather guide developed by the Wellington firm Oktobor. E-mail, games and the betting service will follow.
The games are being sourced from LudiTV, a division of the French company Visiware.
NDS launches Powered by NDS certification programme in Asia Pacific region
From indiantelevision.com
NDS, a News Corporation company and the leading provider of conditional access systems and interactive applications for digital pay TV, today announced it has launched the new Powered by NDS Certification Program to enable faster and seamless integration of NDS Open VideoGuard conditional access with Asian manufactured set-top boxes (STBs).
The programme, which started in Korea, also targets manufacturers in India, China and Taiwan, a company release says.
The first step of the two-stage certification programme reduces cost of integration and provides added convenience by providing a tool kit to enable the manufacturer to integrate the conditional access system prior to selecting a middleware. Manufacturers who successfully complete stage one will become Powered by NDS Certified Partners. In stage two, the manufacturer receives the VideoGuard Integrator Kit, which enables integration of NDS conditional access with all elements of the STB middleware and hardware. Upon completion of stage two, the vendor will achieve the Powered by NDS Premier Partner certification.
NDS Asia Pacific technical staff in Hong Kong, Beijing, Sydney and Bangalore provide 24/7 technical support for the Asian STB partners. The Certified Partners receive the added benefit of access to NDS markets, exclusive NDS developer tools, and dedicated NDS technical support and consulting services to facilitate expansion of their business.
Zee Music goes digital
From Indiantelevision.com
Zee Music, the 24 hour "Indian Hindi family Music Channel" went digital today while remaining a free to air channel.
The decision to turn digital was to give its viewers sharper pictures and better audio quality, fulfilling the Zee Network's endeavour to provide the best in quality entertainment, according to a company release.
The channel is beaming off Asiasat 3 on Transponder 13V. The downlinking frequency is 4.135 GHz, FEC is 2/3 and Symbol Rate is 15 Mbauds.
These items below from [e-bna] Vol 4 No 2
HONG KONG SAR: First there were five now there are three. I am talking of course of the PayTV scene in HongKong and the new licensees. Firstly, StarTV pulled out weeks ago. And now 10 days before operators must pay their first operator's performance bond to the government, Hong Kong Network TV Limited (NETV) pulled the plug on its proposed service citing "unreasonable" interconnect charges that it would have to pay Pacific Century Cyberworks/HK Telecom making any operation unprofitable. The Hong Kong Telecommunications Authority (TA) covers itself on this point - and had already issued a clear statement regarding broadband interconnection reserving the power to determine the terms and conditions of interconnection should competition be prejudiced by excessive interconnection charges levied by network operators. But this was obviously to no avail in the case of NETV. Curiously, Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting, the subsidiary of dominant terrestrial player, HKTVB missed paying its $HK88 million (US$11 million) bond by the March 23 deadline. The company says it is seeking government permission to defer payment until the company has concluded deals with strategic investors. Galaxy's General Manager, Stanley Tang was quoted in the SCMP newspaper as saying, "Poor market sentiment has cost us a longer negotiation period with strategic investors to conclude our fund-raising plans." According to Galaxy, it was unable to cash in the US$150 million investment committed by Malaysian businessman T. Ananda Krishnan (through his TV entities Measat Broadcast Network Systems and Astro Broadcast Corp) because the firm had yet to conclude any deal with other strategic investors. Krishnan agreed to invest US$150 million to take a 40 per cent stake in Galaxy. However, he required TVB to reduce its interest in Galaxy from an existing 62.13 per cent to less than 50 per cent and place out part of its Galaxy shares to other strategic investors. Of course, Galaxy is in no hurry over these matters as it cannot start payTV for 18 months -- a condition of being awarded its license so as not to dominate the marketplace through its combined terrestrial and PayTV operations and give the other startups a chance at fair competition. The Hong Kong Government can only grit its teeth over these unfolding issues, as it is much to blame for the uncertainties surrounding the current marketplace and the post 97 sentiment. Two remaining PayTV licensees, UK's Yes TV and Taiwan's Pacific Digital Media posted their performance bonds on time which were HK$13.41 million and HK$4 million respectively. (US1.00 = HK$7.8)
Oops! On March 19, Australia Television folded.
Why is it Australian politicians fail to see the benefit to the country of a vibrant international radio and TV service, sufficiently funded to do its job properly and run by the ABC? The operator of Australia Television, Channel Seven, said the overseas satellite service was not commercially viable. Just four years ago Seven took it over from the ABC. If under ABC, the satellite service to Asia-Pacific however was considered "too parochial", under Seven it became a joke with ancient soap opera re-runs that bore no resemblance to Australian society's present day values. It so happens that the Seven Network was heavily criticized by the domestic audience for its mishandling of the Sydney Olympic Games programming as being too commercial and discriminatory. As to ATV, the government last year called for bidders to revamp the service with an annual injection of up to US$7.5 million a year to maintain the international TV service. But after Channel Seven was selected again to run the service there was a howl of protests from around Asia Pacific - mainly expatriate Australians. The government had selected Seven and the publicly-funded Special Broadcasting Service as the preferred bidder but differences between the two broadcasters prevented the partnership going ahead. There is a growing lobby in the Aussie broadcasting establishment that believes it would be better to have a strong Radio Australia service rather than a lacklustre TV service. The Government still wants an international TV service says a spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, MP. Views on the subject can be sent directly to the minister A.Downer.MP@aph.gov.au
In a related story.... Seven Network will cut back investment in online and other new media business, after operating profit for its latest six months slumped 87 percent . Its i7 web site losses tore holes in the profits from Seven's exclusive coverage in Australia of the Sydney Olympics. However Chairman Kerry Stokes said the "initial success" of i7 in its first three months indicated Seven had created a successful online business.
Since March 19, CNBC Asia Pacific has started to run its stocks "ticker" through commercial breaks as well as programming broadcast Monday-Friday across all its local services. Viewer research has shown that continuous access to the an on-screen "stock ticker" is one of the top requests to TV broadcasters of biz news. Up to 75 per cent of U.S. viewers look to CNBC for on-screen market data on the ticker. (Mendelsohn Media Research, October 2000).
CNN: I was reflecting to colleagues just the other day that CNN was letting key rival, CNBC, in the past few weeks take all the kudos in Asia Pacific...well how wrong can one be? On March 18, CNN launched its most comprehensive marketing initiative to date under the banner: "Be the First to Know". This is the first time that CNN's eight English-language TV and web services outside the United States have adopted a single message for simultaneous roll-out.
Thailand: From April 1, The National Geographic Channel will be featuring one-hour of prime-time with Thai audio every day on its UBC distribution..
India: From July 1, Turner's Cartoon Network in India will expand to full day scheduling. The company is currently exploring alternative distribution platforms to deliver TCM Turner Classic Movies as a premium offering in markets that present that opportunity. Until now, TCM and Cartoon Network have been a shared service in most Asian markets, with the Hollywood classic movies being featured from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am.
Singapore: Nickelodeon joined CableVision's MaxTV platform on March 9
BBC World has revamped its airtime sales operation in Singapore. Sunita Rajan is promoted to Deputy Airtime Sales Director; Colin Lawrence becomes Strategy and Sales Operations Director while Alison Rust is promoted to Sponsorship and Sales Development Director. The team has added Kerry Richards as Account Manager (from Network Ten, Australia), and Jennifer Heng, as Account Executive. The BEEB says more clients want to sponsor its programming.
Intelsat Secures US$1 Billion Credit Facility
From [sat-nd] 28.03.2001
Intelsat has secured a US$1 billion credit facility intended
to provide liquidity support for the expansion of the company's
business and privatisation expenses, including a final
distribution to its current investors, the international
satellite organisation said in a press release.
In connection with its privatisation, currently scheduled for
18 July 2001, Intelsat is becoming self-funding. This recently
syndicated unsecured credit facility will also be available to
support general corporate purposes, including working capital
needs, the organisation said.
NewSat offers capacity on former Palapa B2R
From [sat-nd] 28.03.2001
While it didn't go unnoticed that the Indonesian Palapa B2R--a
Hughes-built C-band satellite--was recently relocated to 42.5
degrees East and renamed NewSat 1, little has been known about
the buyer of the spacecraft. A press release from NewSat-USA,
LLC, does practically nothing to change this.
NewSat-USA, based in New Jersey, is a privately-held company
offering international satellite capacity for Internet, voice,
data and video services. The company said it plans to add to its
satellite fleet in the future, and in addition, anticipates the
announcement of a major gateway in Europe in the very near
future. This gateway will offer access to NewSat 1 as well as
international fibre and Internet connectivity.
NewSat-1 has 24 C-band 36 MHz transponders plus spares. All
primary systems are also available with redundancies. Battery
power is sufficient to run with a full load through the eclipse
periods. Its C-band beam centre power is 35 dBW. The footprint
provides coverage from as far West as London, to as far East as
Beijing. From North to South, coverage is available from Moscow
to New Delhi, and extends to points beyond.
Current inclination is about 0.6 degrees and its anticipated
additional lifetime is 8.5 years with inclined station keeping.
TT&C will continue to be performed by PTT Telekom Indonesia.
The company has this to say about itself: "NewSat USA is a
subsidiary of NewSat Holdings Limited of Bermuda. The company
offers satellite capacity for international Internet, voice,
data and video services. Its founders are Jack Albert and Robert
Wardrop."
27/3/01
Live chat in the chat room is on tonight 8.30pm Syd time, don't forget! Lots of news in the news section, more on its way tommorow. The base for my dish is all made up. My brother still has to weld the pole up and bolt the plate to the concrete but at least things are happening, I will try and get a photo up of it soon.
There is a new website about Australian Pay tv http://australianpaytelevision.gcsnet.net/
From my Emails & ICQ
Peter Berret emails the following
Hi all
Here is some interesting international feedback about Australia Television I
came across from Singapore
http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/1,1381,12370,00.html
I loved the following comment
"Maybe the Australian Consulate should send a memo to Canberra and get this
lame channel put down before it does too much damage."
I think they did!
cheers Peter
Hi Craig,
Recently I started a Yahoo group dedicated to Australian Satellite Pay TV installers,
Ever since installing Australian company Comet has started they have actively discouraged individual contractors from communicating,
Hopefully this group will aid individuals to communicate to discuss all points about there industry,
Would it be possible for me to post a couple of lines to Apsattv to let your members that this group has started?
Here is the link to it
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vomet
Hope to hear from you soon,
CompactHack.
From Robert Anthony
Something is amiss at Boomerang TV. The customer rep said that they had
their contract for cartoon Network/TNT pulled very unexpectedly last
Friday PM. They have yet to publish a reason and suggested I write a
complaint letter.
Robert
From the Dish
Pas 2 169E 3767 H "Korean mux has been running here" Sr 8322, FEC 3/4,
Pas 2 169E 3767 H "KBS TV 1" Vpid 33 Apid 35
Pas 2 169E 3767 H "Ytn" Vpid 33 Apid 35
Websites
KBS Video Stream http://www.kbs.co.kr/onair/H_1TV.asx
YTN Video stream 56k http://www.ytn.co.kr/ytn/livenews/live_56.asp
YTN Video stream 200k http://www.ytn.co.kr/ytn/livenews/live_200.asp
Pas 8 166E 12726 V "Cartoon Network / TNT" has left Espn and Animal Planet, CNN still FTA
NEWS
Voice of Australia faces Friday deadline
From http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/2001/03/27/FFXHRE4ARKC.html
The ABC is negotiating last-minute measures to save Radio Australia from going off the air by Friday.
The broadcaster's transmissions to a range of Asian and South Pacific countries were thrown into doubt last week when the Seven Network closed Australia Television International.
Radio Australia had relied on a piggyback deal with Australia Television, using its satellite space to broadcast into countries such as Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Cambodia and Vietnam.
A contract with the Indonesian operator SatelIndo expired yesterday, but the ABC negotiated an extension until Friday and hopes to sign another, more permanent contract by the end of the week.
"We are on the air ... we will be on the air until Friday, and we're still negotiating," said Colin Knowles, the ABC's director of technology and distribution.
It is believed that satellite fees cost more than $10million a year - money the ABC will seek from the government as part of its Australia Television package.
"It's all tied up with the government's vision about what it's doing with Australia Television," Mr Knowles said. He was confident that a long-term broadcast arrangement would be reached.
A spokesman for Communications Minister Richard Alston said the government was "considering further options for the provision of an international television service, and we will consider if there's a need to support any new satellite delivery arrangements ... to ensure that Radio Australia continues to be received throughout the region".
But Labor MP Kevin Rudd condemned the government's management of Radio Australia, including a halving of the broadcaster's budget in 1997. "Radio Australia represents an extraordinary catalogue of mismanagement by the government," he said.
Picture blurred for sluggish pay TV unit
From http://www.theage.com.au/business/2001/03/26/FFXSWVF6SKC.html
A cloud hangs over the future of Optus Vision - the pay TV division - after SingTel yesterday refused to guarantee it would keep the loss-making business, and indicated it would bring in other partners.
Following Singtel's $17 billion bid for Cable & Wireless Optus, SingTel chief executive Lee Hsien Yang said the future of the pay TV business would be discussed with management. However, no decision is expected until after the Optus deal is completed at the end of June.
"We think there are some options and ideas that we have. But it is too early for us to put a definitive position on that right now," said Mr Lee.
Optus pay TV chief Mike Lattin resigned yesterday.
Optus has fallen well behind Foxtel in the pay TV battle in metropolitan areas. Foxtel, boasting more than 700,000 subscribers, has a customer base of more than two-and-a-half times Optus' 200,000.
As SingTel does not operate a pay TV business anywhere else in the world, analysts expect the company to seek to off-load Optus Vision.
As well as a stagnant subscriber base, ongoing negative cashflow, and a cable network needing an upgrade for digital technology, Optus Vision has now relinquished to rival Foxtel the rights to broadcast all major sporting events.
"To succeed in pay TV, you need both content and money," said one media analyst. "No one is going to supply the money, and all the content is locked into Foxtel."
Analysts doubt SingTel will invest the sizeable amount in programming and digitising the Optus' cable network that is required to make the business an attractive purchase.
Mr Lee said SingTel had a strong balance sheet to fund the expected $1 billion cost of digitising to provide interactive TV services.
Given the dip in sharemarket valuations, neither Kerry Packer's Publishing & Broadcasting nor Austar, which both held talks with Optus to buy the pay TV unit last year, will likely have the funds to buy it now.
As Foxtel is valued at $1.8-$2 billion, any sale of Optus pay TV is expected to fetch less than $1 billion - a far cry from the $4 billion price tag a year ago. In the absence of a local buyer, analysts said, a UK player such as Granada could bid.
ACCC warns cable owners to open up digital services
From http://www.sofcom.com.au/cgi-bin/news/getAAPPreview?keyword=accccable
Australia's competition watchdog has warned telecommunications giants Telstra Corp Ltd and Cable & Wireless Optus Ltd to make arrangements for open access to digital services or face regulation.
As Singapore Telecommunications today announced a takeover bid for CWO, the country's second largest telco, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chairman Professor Allan Fels put the cable owners on notice.
"Both Telstra and C&W Optus are reported to be planning to digitise their existing networks later this year," Professor Fels said in his Australian Telecoms Cisco lecture, to be given tonight.
"Potential suppliers of retail programming need to have access to the networks if competition is to develop in digital service provision and diverse service choices are to be made available to consumers."
Professor Fels said recent uncertainty surrounding the future role and structure of C&W Optus had slowed the roll-out of new urban infrastructure.
He said the regulatory authority has no problem with SingTel's $17.2 billion buyout bid for C&W Optus.
"It now seems clear that SingTel will be the new owner of Optus," Professor Fels said.
"The ACCC has no concerns about this, since SingTel is a new entrant with no current role in Australia."
Access to hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) networks for the delivery of analogue pay TV services was mandated by the ACCC in 1999.
However at the time there was uncertainty about the emerging digital environment and the ACCC decided to keep the question under review.
"It is clearly in the interests of both suppliers of retail services and customers for broadband networks to be open," Professor Fels said.
"This means that access to the network should be available to suppliers on non-discriminatory terms and conditions."
Regulation of digital platforms will be considered where commercial forces are being undermined and open access stifled, the ACCC boss warned.
Adding weight to the warning, Professor Fels pointed to the experience of pay TV suppliers attempting to gain access to cables controlled by Foxtel and Telstra.
"Telstra and Foxtel have frustrated every effort to open up access to competitors," he said.
"They have engaged in a lengthy campaign to prevent access to competing pay TV providers and slow down the processes.
"They are clearly both able and willing to devote considerable energy and resources to such activities."
If digital platform owners do not take the initiative in opening up their networks for digital services, they can expect intervention.
"They can take the regressive step of maintaining closed shops and then face the inevitable demands from potential retail competitors, governments and customers for regulatory intervention," Professor Fels said.
GSLV launch tomorrow, live telecast on DD
From indiantelevision.com
The countdown has begun for the launch of India's long delayed Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) tomorrow from Sriharikota, India's spaceport 100 km north of Chennai in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
National broadcaster Doordarshan will telecast the launch live. DD's national network will start the telecast of the launch at about 3.15 pm Indian time.
A curtain raiser programme on GSLV will also be telecast, a release from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said on Monday.
CNBC, Aaj Tak lay claim to top slot among news channels
From Indian Television.com
CNBC India and Aaj Tak from the India Today stable, both quoting AC Nielsen TAM data, have separately come out with figures showing their respective channels as the leaders among the news channels.
"We are now the number one news channel in India even if we don't factor in the viewership figures in offices, for which there is no proper tracking system in place," asserts Haresh Chawla, CNBC India CEO.
Reeling off AC Nielsen TAM data to back his contention, Chawla says the figures speak for themselves. For a four week period ending 10 March, data culled from nine major cities, category SEC A, age group 25+ shows Aaj Tak from the India Today stable coming a close second, Chawla points out. Zee News and Star News come third and fourth, he says. The figures quoted for channel share were: CNBC - 0.7, Aaj Tak - 0.6, Zee News - 0.5, Star News - 0.4, BBC - 0.1 and CNN and Jain TV as negligible.
TV Today Network executive director G Krishnan, however has his own tale to tell on the subject. "Within 60 days Aaj Tak has become the most watched news channel in India. Aaj Tak has managed to capture an audience share of 33 per cent among the news channels, which is equivalent to that of Zee News whereas Star News gets 15 per cent channel share. The channel has created a loyal audience base with Aaj Tak viewer spending 32 minutes on the channel as against 15 minutes on Star News and 23 minutes on Zee News." Interestingly, Krishnan also quotes AC Nielson's TAM data to support his argument. And CNBC figures nowhere in his calculations.
And for good measure, Krishnan also refers to INTAM data in buttressing his argument. "Aaj Tak has already captured 33 per cent share among the news channels which goes up to 37 per cent as against 26 per cent for Zee News and 17 per cent for Star News in Sec A, B/15+years target group. The latest INTAM report also confirms that Aaj Tak is the most watched news channel with a channel share of 31 per cent which is higher than that of Star News and Zee News," says Krishnan.
Chawla says CNBC is in the process of beefing up its five bureaus in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkota, Madras and Bangalore, adding that it has recently expanded its anchor teams.
As for Hindi programmes, Chawla says there will be an increase of half an hour per day (from one-and-a-half hours to two-and-a-half-hours) over the next two quarters which would take Indian programming on the channel to 11 hours a day from the present 10.
Krishnan, meanwhile, scores his channel's performance as being linked to its easily comprehensible and in-depth news coverage coupled with state of the art technology and graphics. Advertisers have also been quick to realise the channel's worth with brands like Nestle, LG, Opel Corsa, Videocon, Berger, Oriental Insurance etc, advertising, Krishnan says.
The channel has recently introduced a stock ticker keeping in view of the audience with interest in business news. "Our viewership growth is a function of cutting edge technology & extensive coverage of everyday events & happenings," Krishnan asserts.
On plans for the near term, Krishnan says the company is exploring the possibility of launching news channels in regional languages as well as a 24-hour Hindi business channel in future, the plans for which would be firmed up by the end of this year.
Chawla, meanwhile, says the channel is setting up additional facilities in telecom and infrastructure in the coming quarter which will enable a direct uplink to Singapore. "We will invest $ 500,000 in telecom facilities in Delhi for uplinking to Singapore. A V-Sat link to VSNL's hub is being set up in Delhi for this purpose, he says, adding that a laser link was what CNBC was using earlier.
26/3/01
Very little today, I have had another look for the KU internet on I702 with no success.
From my Emails & ICQ
Seen by me Sunday 25/03/01
B3 12363 V "NRL Roosters vs Bulldogs" Sr 6111 Vpid 4160 Apid 4120
B3 12363 V "Horse raceing"
B3 12336 V "NSL Soccer"
B1 12367 V "NRL Melbourne vs Knights" Sr 5632 Vpid 308 Apid 256
From the Dish
Nothing new
NEWS
Outdated big satellite dishes find new life in Appalachia
From http://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/kentucky/2928356.htm
HAZARD -- They were once jokingly referred to as the state flower of Kentucky and West Virginia.
The 10-foot fiberglass satellite dishes rose from metal stems like huge dandelions on lawns in sparsely populated areas of Appalachia where cable television wasn't available.
Now becoming outdated, some of the dishes are being trashed while others are being put to imaginative new uses.
Mike Lamz saw no need to build a shingled roof on his gazebo at his rural home outside Hazard. An unused satellite dish, turned upside down, provided the perfect dome-shaped cover.
"Actually, there's quite a few of the dishes being used for gazebos," said Lamz as he removed unnecessary parts from the top of his new gazebo. "We borrowed the idea from one we had seen."
Tony Lewis, coordinator of a volunteer cleanup effort in Perry County, praised the newfound use of the satellite dishes that numbered more than 2 million in rural America in the 1980s.
"They're structurally sound," he said. "No matter how much snow you packed on, it's not going to come down."
Many people have found alternative uses for the large dishes since smaller ones began replacing them, said Karen Engle, director of PRIDE, an eastern Kentucky group that cleans up illegal dumps.
"One man had made an ornamental fish pond for his front lawn," she said. "He dug a hole and put the dish inside and lined the top with rocks. It worked well."
The dishes also would work well for watering livestock and growing flowers, said Dennis Farley of Blaine, who also claimed an abandoned satellite dish for a gazebo roof.
Harry Thibedeau, a spokesman for the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, said some of the dishes also have been used for bird baths, but many still are being used to collect television signals from orbiting satellites.
At least 2 million homes subscribed to television programming via the large dishes in the 1980s when they reached their height of popularity, Thibedeau said. Now, he said, that number has dwindled to about 1 million.
When the less obtrusive 12-inch dish systems, like those offered by Direct TV, hit the market in 1994, they quickly overtook the large ones in sales. Thibedeau said the smaller versions, which some companies offer free to customers who pay monthly fees for television programming, now number about 15 million.
Unfortunately, Engle said not everyone has found imaginative uses for the large dishes as interest in them waned. Many of them, she said, are being tossed into illegal roadside dumps.
Along with household trash, refrigerators and junk cars, Engle said the satellite dishes also are turning up.
"We're finding those," she said. "It's an ongoing problem."
Ronnie Sizemore, solid waste coordinator in Knox County, said it's too bad more people don't see the potential uses of the dishes.
"We have a large number of them thrown over in illegal dumps since people have begun using these smaller dishes," he said.
25/3/01
Lots of news for today.
The official memorial service for the late Sir Donald Bradman will be a national event in Australia this evening.
The service will be held one month to the day after Sir Donald, widely acknowledged as the greatest cricketer Australia and possibly the world has ever seen, passed away in his Adelaide home on February 25 at the age of 92.
The memorial service will be televised live in Australia on the ABC, Sky News Australia and Fox Sports Two from 7pm Adelaide time (7.30pm in eastern Australia, 0930GMT). Star Sports will be televising the service live in India from 3pm IST. Channel Nine, who are providing the broadcast facilities for the service, will show a replay later in the evening following their regular Sunday prime-time programming. The ABC are also broadcasting the event on radio and will be webcasting live (abc.net.au).
There will probably be a few feeds of the service on B1 or B3, I will be watching it on ABC Northern
From my Emails and ICQ
Reported by me 24/3/01
B1 12367 V "NRL Sharks vs Penrith" Sr 5630 Vpid 308 Apid 256 says "india/path.1" in the info
B3 12363 V "NRL Cowboys vs Tiger" Sr 6111 Vpid 4160 Apid 4120
This from Dave
Hi Craig,
Nothing on 4193H on Pas2 or 8 with my 2.3 Mesh
picking up 12363V on a 90 loud and clear In Brisbane on a 90Cm
Regards
Dave
From the Dish
PAS 2 169E 3793 V "Arirang TV World 2" has left, moved to PAS 8. (Encrypted signal)
PAS 8 166E 3815 V "Arirang TV World 2" has started on ,SR 4400, Fec 3/4.(Encrypted signal)
BSAT 2A 122.5E now geostationary at 122.5 East, will soon be tested someone with a Nokia have a search for this one?
Asiasat 2 100.5E Many happenings with the radio services on this satellite
New APID for "Liaoning People's Radio": 257, left.
3806 V "Guangxi People's Radio" has started on , Apid 256, right.
3813 V "Shaanxi Economic Radio" has started on , Apid 81, right.
3820 V "Anhui People's Radio" has started on , Apid 256, right.
NEWS
T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 12/2001 - March 25 2001 -
A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by Tele Satellite International
Editor: Branislav Pekic
(Editred Apsattv.com eidition)
AS I A
CARTOON NETWORK TO BECOME 24 HOUR SERVICE
Time Warner’s Cartoon Network on March 30 announced that it will expand to a
24-hour network in Asia starting from July 1. The channel currently reaches 23
million TV homes in the region but up until now it has run as a shared service
with Turner Classic Movies. (TCM). Turner Entertainment Networks Asia is also
exploring alternative distribution platforms to deliver TCM as a premium
offering in some Asian markets.
SHOWTIME ADDS TWO CHANNELS
ShowTime is adding two more premium channels, Discovery Civilisation Channel
and Animal Planet, to its television entertainment package. The Discovery
Civilisation Channel is exclusive to ShowTime and offers 12 hours a day of
educational documentaries. Animal Planet is a joint venture with the BBC and is
entirely devoted to animals.
AUSTRALIA
END OF THE ROAD FOR AUSTRALIA TELEVISION
The plug has been pulled on Seven Network’s Australia International Television
after the broadcaster said it was not viable. The commercial television
broadcaster’s announcement came despite the Australian government offering to
contribute up to $15 million a year for the service. Australia Television
transmitted current affairs, news and religious programs into countries such as
Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The target audience was expatriate
Australians. The March 19 decision comes as little surprise as Seven warned in
August the satellite service, which it bought from the public broadcaster ABC
in 1997, was not viable. Seven said it was still willing to provide
Australian-produced programming for any new Australian service in the region.
Meanwhile, the Australian government is seeking private companies to take over
and expand the ailing service. The government is offering subsidies of up to 10
million Australian dollars a year over five years for a bidder to take over the
service from Seven Network Ltd. Seven took over the Australia Television
service (ATV) from the state-funded Australian Broadcasting Corp. in 1997 after
the government refused to continue funding it. The front-runner to take over
the service is Australian Vision International headed by David Hill, a former
managing director of the ABC.
UGC SAVES AUSTAR
Australian pay-TV company Austar has received a cash injection of A$200 million
from its parent company UnitedGlobalCom. Austar reported losses of A$319.4
million for the year to December, three times the 1999 figure. However, it
announced an expected subscriber increase of 9 per cent for 2000, adding that
it expected to breakeven by 2004. The DTH operator invested A$488 million in
2000, and estimates further costs of A$297 million in 2001.
PUBCASTER PLANS KIDS AND YOUTH DTT CHANNEL
Australia’s public broadcaster has revealed plans to launch a kids’ and youth
channel on DTT by the middle of the year. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. is
currently seeking program concepts from independent producers for the channel,
with a start-up budget of $A3 million dollars. Under government regulations,
only Australia’s two public broadcasters are allowed to use their digital
spectrum for multichannel services.
CHINA - HONG KONG
NETV TO WITHDRAW PAY-TV SERVICE
Hong Kong Network TV (NETV), a subsidiary of Sino-i.com, on March 19 confirmed
that it plans to withdraw from offering a local pay-TV service. It’s the second
casualty, after News Corp. subsidiary Star TV pulled out in December last year.
It now looks like pay-TV incumbent i-CABLE Communications, broadband content
provider Galaxy and Taiwan-based DTH unit Pacific Digital Media will supply the
region’s 1.8 million TV households.
CCIC INVESTS IN SATELLITE SECTOR
Chengdu Chuanhong Industrial Co. (CCIC) has become the first company in
mainland China to invest in the international satellite TV media sector. The
Sichuan company has invested 27 million yuan in Macau’s Five Star TV Station
and now holds 25 per cent of its shares. Five Star TV, a world-oriented
international satellite TV company, started broadcasting in December 2000 and
its Chinese programs are broadcast to dozens of countries and regions in the
world.
SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL
The National Geographic Channel on March 22 reported substantial growth in
China, through the airing of three Mandarin program blocks on cable systems and
terrestrial platforms. According to MD Ward Platt, it’s now the top performing
international program block on the mainland. The channel currently works with
the Sofres agency to monitor pass-through on all cable systems and terrestrials
which carry its programming.
GOVERNMENT PLANS CONSOLIDATION OF TV NETWORKS
China plans to merge all of its cable- and broadcast-television networks into a
single state-owned enterprise this year, the broadcast industry regulator
confirmed on March 22. Separating network assets from those involved in the
creation of content may set the stage for private and eventually foreign
investment in cable networks, analysts said. Under the current system, cable
and television stations in China, and their associated networks, are owned by
local governments. The restructuring plan calls for SARFT, the national
broadcast-industry regulator, to essentially buy out local owners and bring the
networks under its control. Major state-owned enterprises will possibly be the
first investors to be approved under the new arrangement, while foreign
investors could then gain an indirect exposure to the cable industry by
investing in the overseas-listed units of such companies. SARFT figures show
there are now more than 90 million cable subscribers in China, but most of the
cable networks currently support one-way broadcasting.
INDIA
SET TO JOIN VNSL DIGITAL PLATFORM
Sony Entertainment Television (SET) on March 23 announced it plans to invest
around R1.5 billion in DTH satellite broadcasting. It will use the platform
being set up by telco giant Videsh Sanchar Nigam, Ltd. (VSNL) to enter the
business. While VSNL will provide the basic platform, content providers such as
Zee TV, Star Group and SET will use the platform to air a bouquet of channels.
VSNL has been talking to PanAmSat and IntelSat for uplinking. VSNL will likely
charge a rental fee for the broadcasters using the platform and would also
charge a nominal fee from the subscribers. SET is planning to offer 20 new
channels via the DTH platform.
INDONESIA
BIMANTARA TO BUY METRO TV STAKE
PT Bimantara Citra, a holding company for widely diversified businesses, plans
to acquire 25 per cent of a new television broadcasting company, Metro TV. In a
letter to the Jakarta Stock Exchange, BMTR said shareholders' approval for the
plan is expected when the shareholders meet on April 17. BMTR, which is owned
by Bambang Trihatmojo, a son of former President Soeharto, is now a 69 per cent
shareholder of Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia, the country's first privately
owned television broadcasting company.
NEPAL
NEPAL TV CHOSES BHARAT TO GO DIGITAL
Bharat Electronics is to upgrade Nepal TV Corporation’s hub equipment to
digital from analogue in a $450,000 deal, according to India Business Insight.
The Bangalore-based company will set up digital uplink equipment and remote
television receive-only terminals, upgrade existing hub equipment and supply
and integrate digital video encoders and modulators.
Sabe TV modifies screen logo
From Indiantelevision.com
Sri Adhikari Brothers Entertainment (Sabe) TV has recently modified its logo keeping its Hindi speaking audience in mind.
"We slightly changed the design and added the Hindi script because that is what we are. A Hindi entertainment channel," explains Markand Adhikari, the company's vice-chairman and managing director.
"With the changed logo, viewer identification will be that much simpler," Adhikari says.
24/3/01
Some happenings with B3 Mediasat, 2 signals Mediasat cards on 12363V, first signal is 12336v. Load 12336v NIT loads 12363V, 4193H, 12365V strange. 12363 V requires at least a 90cm in Australia. 4193H might be Pas 2? Reports please?
12363 V Vpid 4160 Apid 4120 PCR 4160 Sids 1&10 PMT 5001
From my Emails & ICQ
From "Siam Global"
WELL IT SEEMS MY GUESS WAS WRONG. THERE IS NOW AN ON SCREEN NOTICE SAYING THE SERVICE SHUTTING DOWN PERMANENTLY AT 01700 GMT FRIDAY. NOW WILL HAVE TO FLY THERE IF WE WANT A TASTE OF AUSTRALIA....VERY SAD AND ALSO STUPID , AS READ RECENTLY THAT THE COST OF A DIGITAL TRANSPONDER HAS COME DOWN TO NO MORE THAN HALF A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR NOW AND IF THE PROGRAMMING IS THERE ,IT DOESN'T NEED THE WEALTH OF A MURDOCH OR A PACKER TO RUN SUCH A SERVICE (BROADCASTING IN ANALOGUE THEY WERE PROBABLY PAYING A TRANSPONDER RENTAL OF EIGHT TIMES THAT AMOUNT AND THAT IS WHAT MUST HAVE CAUSED THE LARGE LOSSES )
From Tony Drexel
Subject: Australia Television now OFF-AIR permanently
Message as shown at close of transmissions.........
"AUSTRALIA TELEVISION"
will go off air midnight friday 23rd March Jakarta time permanently.
The Management and Staff would like to thank our many loyal viewers across
the region and regret that we can no longer offer the service"
Unbelievable that this should happen in this age of technology...........
Tony Drexel,
Free To Air Satellite Svcs, South Australia.
Picture thanks to Andrew Harrison
Andrew also supplies
Craig,
the DeLaHoya pic is off I701@ 180 E.3769 R Sr 20000 "Newsforce Australia" feed,
suggests fight live here at midday Sydney time on Sunday.
From the Dish
Measat 2 148E 11540 H "Mediasat mux" has left
Gorizont 33 145E 3925 R "NTV and TNT (Russia)" have started Sr 20000, Fec 3/4, Vpid 2305-2306 and Apid 2308/2309. As reported the other day anyone find a signal from it?
(T Kameda)
Palapa C2 113E 3880 H "Australia TV" has left , replaced by an info card.(FOR REAL THIS TIME)
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3554 V "CMM Music" has left, replaced by a test card.
NEWS
Radio Australia services hit by ATV closure
From http://www.auspaytv.com/news/mar01/www.amt.org.au/news
Channel 7's Australian Television (ATV) was closed down this week because it was not commercially viable. The decision has implications for Radio Australia, which was using ATV’s Palapa Satellite feed to distribute its RA programs to rebroadcasters and direct to listeners. RA is now facing the prospect of finding another carrier for its services.
ATV was originally the idea of ABC Managing Director, David Hill. The service, funded originally by the ABC and commercial sponsorship, started transmissions into Asia in the early 90s and in 1998 was bought by the Seven network. It continued to lose money, but Seven kept the station running when the Howard Government announced a tender for a $50million, five-year subsidy for a new, fresher ATV. Seven has now pulled out of the tender process despite being the front-runner leaving the tender process unresolved and the service shut down. The ABC was not invited to tender.
At a recent speech ABC Chairman Donald McDonald praised RA’s ability to adapt to funding cuts, but did not give any hint of expecting the most recent developments. He said: “Radio Australia, the ABC's international service, is today better placed than ever to foster a dialogue and act as a bridge between us and our neighbours. In the past three years, Radio Australia has experienced what one might call a renaissance. Faced with funding challenges and increasing international competition, it has reinvented itself to be more responsive to the needs of contemporary audiences in our region, and make full use of existing and new technologies to reach them, whether they be short wave or satellite broadcasting, local relays and rebroadcasts or internet technology.”
Star having a rethink on its DTH plans
Star India, which in January was reported to have in place the blueprint for its DTH operations, appears to be having second thoughts after the government’s recent notification that there would be no changes to the guidelines it issued to broadcasters in November 2000.
Altaf Ali Mohammed, president digital platforms group, who had been brought in from Hong Kong to oversee Star’s DTH project in December last after Star abandoned its DTH plans for Hong Kong, has this to say: “At this point, the risks of going in for DTH are much higher than the possible rewards.”
.ven leaving aside the guidelines themselves, which are anyway extremely stringent, the government has not spelt out clearly some other issues,” Mohammed says. “ As far as computing our costs go, we still don’t have a clear picture on what spectrum usage fees and the uplinking licence fee mentioned in the notification will entail. Add the service tax and new income tax regime in the present budget and it effectively leaves us with little room to manouvre,” Mohammed says.
Queried whether Star has given up on DTH, Mohammed says: “We are putting together a business plan which will go into all aspects of this and the whole process will take at least 30 days. If at the end of this, we feel it is commercially viable for us to get into DTH we will, otherwise no.”
Why a business plan is required at this stage is the question if talk that Mohammed had already readied a report to be presented before the Star's board in Hong Kong is true. Especially considering that in January, Star officials were quoted as saying that “in the absence of any positive response from the government on the issue of raising the foreign equity ceiling to a minimum of 49 per cent, it was anyway launching the project to take a first mover advantage.
23/3/01
Site update delayed by MIR crashing..No not really Fridays update is always late as I am busy on Fridays. 8 channels are loading on B3 Mediasat when i checked before something going on there check 12363v.
From my Emails & ICQ
From Peter Berrett via the mailing list
Hi all
I understand that as of tonight Australia Television will cease. R.I.P.
I have been watching Australia Tv on and off for the last 2 days and have
not seen any announcement about the switch off.
I think the viewers deserve to know what is happening. I feel sorry for the
viewers and expatriates in the asian region who will tomorrow suddenty find
their channel is no more. I hope the Government is able to speedily arrange
an alternative operator so as to ensure continuity of service.
cheers Peter
This from Andrew in Vanuvatu
ATVI alive and kicking (well not really alive) on this tropical morning here
in Vila.
AJH
From Siam Global
TIME 0600 GMT FRIDAY. OZZIE TV STILL GOING STRONG !
Craigs comment, Perhaps someone forgot to pull the plug?
From Sungadi the latest Sports schedule for the weekend
This is the schedule of sports trans. for this week:
All Jakarta time (GMT +7)
PALAPA C2
RCTI
Saturday March 24, 2001 - 22:55
World Cup Qualifying Round Europe Zone:Rusia vs. Slovenia
Sunday March 25, 2001 - 01:15
Rumania vs. Itali
Sunday March 25, 2001 - 10:00
Boxing: Oscar de la Hoya vs. Arturo Gatti
Thursday March 29, 2001 - 01:00
Slovenia vs. Yugoslavia
Thursday March 29, 2001 - 02:30
Portugal vs. Netherland
regards.
Adi
From "Compact Hack"
Recently a Yahoo Group has been started dedicated to Australian Satellite Pay TV installers,
The majority of Australian Satellite Pay TV installers contract through a national company called Comet S & C.
This company actively discourages it's contractors from communicating to each other.
This group is to help Australian Satellite Pay TV installers to make contact and discuss every aspect of there industry.
This group may also be good for others to monitor & contribute to.
Find out the Gossip on Satellite Pay TV from the people at the Cole face.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vomet
Hope to see you there soon,
Compact Hack.
From the Dish
Thaicom 3 78.5E Sky Racing 2 on 3695 H is now encrypted.
NEWS
Sorry no time for an update here will try and post some tommorow
22/3/01
I located Pas 2 today with the 60cm! so the sites a little late as I have been tweaking the dish and generally enjoying haveing a new satellite to play around with. 12281V and 12637V load Australian Power Vu services plus a few internet streams to check out later. There are signals there that look possible with a bigger dish but won't lock on the 60cm. Ihugs signal on 12480 H is the weakest signal I have seen, no wonder it dies at the nearest hint of rain. They should be useing 1.5M dishs not 90cm ones.
Page trim tommorow
First look at Pas 2 with dvbedit dosn't look good to much cross pol (blue line is where I marked something onscreen by mistake)
Looks a bit better after a slight rotation of the feed
3rd time lucky?
Thats more like it, the red signals are vertical (12281V) (12637V) 12480 H in the middle is Ihugs signal the rest won't lock
From my Emails & ICQ
This from Tony Drexel FTA Sat Services, South Aust
Australia Television is scheduled to shut-down Midnight tonight (Thursday)
Will be sadly missed by viewers in the Australasia/Asia/Pacific area
Perhaps when our government officials next arrive in a hotel room in Asia and turn on a television set to find out what is happening at home, they might wake up to the fact that a grave mistake has been made.
the background to this posting will soon be the picture that once was 'AUSTRALIA TELEVISION'
Craigs comment, maybe the dealers can start organising a petition to bring back an improved service? I still think the way to go is a combined Australia and NZ effort. Perhaps time to find some government email address's to send our complaints to?
From the Dish
All is quiet nothing to report
NEWS
Seven axes Asian satellite TV service
http://afr.com/companies/2001/03/20/FFXOQ8IOHKC.html
Mr Kerry Stokes pulled the plug on his Seven Network's Asian satellite television service on Monday night, claiming it was not commercially viable.
Seven said Australia Television International "will cease operations immediately".
The commercial television broadcaster's announcement came despite the Federal Government's offering to commit up to $15 million a year for the service.
Australia Television beamed current affairs, news and religious programs into countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The target audience was expatriate Australians.
Seven had said last August the satellite service, which it bought from the ABC in 1997, was not viable.
Seven also on Monday formally withdrew its submission to the Government for the provision of a commercial television satellite channel for the Asia-Pacific region. The network said it was still willing to provide Australian-produced programming for any new Australian service in the region.
Mr Stokes' decision comes as Seven tightens its spending on new investments, particularly new media and internet investments.
Seven's half-year profit figures, announced last month, were savaged when the company wrote down the value of these investments by almost $20 million.
"The decision to close Australia Television follows careful consideration of Seven's long-term planning for development - including focus on the further development of the company's core broadcast television business and opportunities in new media technologies in the Australian market," Seven said.
The company said it was continuing to build a presence for Australian programming in Asia through Hong Kong-based Seven Network Asia.
The business provides program sales in the region's cable television market and in China's broadcast television sector.
Seven's shares fell 8¢ to $6.55.
Telstra not 'routed' by lack of satellites
From http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/dailynews/story/0,2000013063,20107180,00.htm
Australia’s biggest ISP has defended criticism that it did not have an adequate satellite network to cope with the week’s underwater shenanigans.
Telstra spokesman Stuart Gray admitted the 650,000-customer ISP would not attempt to re-rout Web traffic via satellite, a situation Monash University IT lecturer Stephen Giles said highlighted the nation’s “particularly poor” degree of satellite coverage.
Giles said Australia was an “unattractive” coverage area for companies that run satellite operations. “That leaves (Telstra) with the small number of entry and exit points that are in place at the moment.”
However, Gray said no amount of satellite coverage would encourage the ISP to consider that as an alternative mode of international Internet connection.
?Satellite just doesn’t have the capacity of cable,” he said. “All our future developments are with cable.”
Telstra would redirect all international Web traffic via its undamaged “Eastern cable” until the damaged “Western cable” was repaired, he said.
The 37,000-kilometre SEA-ME-WE 3 Internet cable, that connects Australia to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, was slashed at the bottom of the ocean near Singapore on Monday afternoon. The damage left Telstra’s Bigpond network running at 30 percent its normal capacity, until traffic was switched over to the other cable. Gray said the ISP was currently running at around 75 percent its normal capacity.
Gray said the repair ship was expected to “set sail” on Thursday afternoon, and that repairs were expected to be completed early next week.
The cost of the job would be covered by the consortium of 90 international players that own the cable, Gray said. He would not estimate the cost of the repair, but said a similar repair in Australian waters had cost the consortium AU$200,000. Telstra’s fiscal stake in the consortium was less than five percent, he said.
The spokesman said the single cable was coping “quite well” with traffic during off peak hours. However, “there has been some slowness during peak periods.”
The ISP had not received any official complaints from customers who were denied access to the Web, Gray said.
Vyvx connects NSS-513 (183E)
From [sat-nd] 21.03.2001
Williams Communications, a provider of broadband services for
bandwidth-centric customers, is providing New Skies Satellites
teleport facilities for New Skies' Asia Pacific satellite,
giving customers a combined fibre and satellite connection
between North America and the Pacific Rim.
Under the terms of the agreement, Williams Communications
Broadband Media Services, through its Vyvx business, is
providing a dedicated 16.4-meter antenna at its Los Angeles
teleport for New Skies' NSS-513 satellite at 183 degrees East.
In addition to the satellite connectivity, the Vyvx teleport
gives New Skies access to Williams Communications' network, the
largest next- generation fibre-optic network in the United
States. Services supported include New Skies' IPsys Internet
service, as well as other video and data services.
21/3/01
Lots of stuff today for a change. Hope you find something of interest.
SatcoDX reports THT Russian on 145E 3925 RHC Sr 20000, Fec 3/4 can someone check it out preferably someone with the correct circular feed
From my Emails & ICQ
From Tony Drexel FTA Satellite Services S. Australia
Australia TV still running as at 11pm Adelaide time, Tuesday night.
When ATV closes, we will be saying good-bye to our only international tv channel.
Australia TV has proven itself as a wonderful vehicle for promoting Tourism, Goodwill, Culture, and Understanding, along with developing Economic Growth for Australia.
If Australia TV shuts down, I doubt there will be anything to replace it in the future.
Let the people in Canberra know that this is a very big mistake.
We need to keep it going.
Tony Drexel.
Free To Air Satellite Services, S.Aust.
Craigs reply, If they can't make it work as Australia Television perhaps they should be looking at joining forces with New Zealand and produceing a combined effort. I would like to see them relaunch in 6 months time as "Australasia TV" a general entertainment channel that would combine the best programming from Australia and New Zealand. What does everyone else think about this idea?
From Jeff Bannister
Hi Craig.
well its 9.13pm and i just checked and im watching C7 sports on australia
television on palapa c2 so i dont know what your all on about..im in the
lower south west of WA and receiving on a 3m mesh KTI, I also checked Insat
2B and are receiving 2 channels at P3, 1 at 4125v and 4166v
regards jeff bannister
Craigs reply, yes we were a little hasty with banishing Australia TV off our screens, the latest date for shutdown is Thursday. Those channels you report are on Insat 2C at the same location unless your 4166V could be "DD Gyandarshan" Lyngsat reports on Insat 2B 4170V
From Siam Global
ITS NOW 14.30 GMT. 20 MARCH . OZZIE TV STILL GOING STRONG DESPITE A REPORT ON YOUR WEBSITE TODAY SAYING IT HAD GONE.. AMAZINGLY LYNGSAT HAVE ACCEPTED AND PUBLISHED AN INCORRECT REPORT THAT THE SIGNAL HAS GONE. PERHAPS SAT ENTHUSIASTS SHOULD NOT BELIEVE BLIND EVERYTHING THEY SEE ON LYNGSAT !
PS YES STILL ON PALAPA C2 3880H WHERE ITS ALWAYS BEEN.. STILL KEEPING FINGERS CROSSED FOR A REPRIEVE
Craigs Reply, Thursday is now the scheduled shutdown day. Also note the unreliable SatcoDX site has also posted that its already gone.
SEVEN AGREE TO CONTINUE AUSTRALIA TV SERVICE
A special Apsattv.com report from Peter Berret
In a last minute agreement the Seven network have agreed to continue operation
of its much maligned Australia Television service. However due to limited funding a number of program changes will occur. Despite this Seven have promised to continue its tradition of programming excellence.
As of April 1st programming will consists principally of the following high quality shows
April 1
UTC
0600 Here's Humphrey: More fun for children with our popular Bear.
0700 Seven News: Mimed by Humphrey Bear with Asia Region weather service explained by Humphrey Bear
0730 Today Tonight: Current Affairs with our hard hitting investigative Bear.
0800 Humphrey's Rules: Comedy drama series about the first every Bear to be appointed to the Magistrates Court.
0830 A Country Practice: Wandin Valley is thrown into a panic when out of the bush comes a half naked Bear who mimes a lot.
0930 AFL Today: Focus on the Brisbane Bears
1030 Humphrey's Fishing Adventures: Today Humphrey shows you how to catch fish the natural way that Bears do. Yibbidy Yibbida.
1100 Here's Humphrey: More fun for children with our popular Bear.
1200 Who Bears Wins: Contestants vie to do dangerous things with a Bear
1230 Humprey's Practice. Tune in to watch a Bear operate on animals
In addition to the above quality line-up, sponsorship of the service will be funded by a half dressed Bear selling questionable real estate in Melbourne.
From Bill Richards
Bill provides a screenshot MTA off Asiasat 2
0455 UTC 20/3/01
3961 V S/R 6000, Fec 3/4, Vpid 257Apid 308 PCR 8190
Unknown Service .Been on for 2 days Encrypted with NTL.
Regards
Bill
From The Dish
Gorizont 33 145E 3925 R SatcoDX reports THT here Sr 20000, Fec 3/4 can someone check it out preferably someone with the correct circular feed
Palapa C2 113E "Australia TV" and the three radio channels are still on 3880 H, PAL.
NEWS
New Hawaiian Teleport Seeks Access to Agila 2 Satellite
From www.satnewsasia.com
TransVision International, a Los Angeles-based satellite communications company, will build a US$3 million satellite antenna facility on Hawaii’s Campbell Estate.
TransVision supplies satellite transmission services to national TV networks and networks in Europe, Asia and Australia. The company will lease up to 32,000 square feet of land at Kapolei to build its Asia-Pacific Gateway Teleport.
Construction work has now begun on the teleport site and the company expects to have its first two antennas (a 9 meter and 11meter antenna) operational in April on the Agila 2 and Measat 2 satellites. The company will also be providing antennas to access JCSAT 3.
There are only three Asian satellite beaming to Hawaii: the Philippines’ Agila 2 (the most powerful); JCSAT 3 (a satellite owned by JSAT Corporation of Japan) and Measat 2 (owned by Binariang Satellite Systems of Malaysia).
TransVision aims to provide Internet access to Asian countries that lack high-speed cable connections by picking up fiber optic data transmissions from the United States mainland and sending the information via satellite to Internet access providers in areas lacking cable connections.
TransVision said it can transmit Internet data to two-thirds of the world’s population, including people in China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.
Kapolei presently has eight satellite dishes: four operated by Loral Cyberstar, two by Verizon Hawaii and two by USAsia Telecom. The teleport’s master plan is approved for 34 dishes.
TransVision said Hawaii is a great gateway to the huge Asian market because it enables us to reach further into Asia by satellite than is possible from the U.S. West Coast.
Outside of the US satellite operators, Agila 2 offers one of the best satellite connections between the US and Asia. Some 90 per cent of Agila’s standard C-Band transponders and 67 per cent of the extended C-band transponders are now leased out.
Mabuhay Philippine Satellite Corporation, operator of Agila 2, has a list of customers that include some of the biggest Internet-Over-Satellite players in the world including Loral Cyberstar, Interpacket (Veristar), Hutchison and Singapore Teleports.
Agila 2's footprint covers the entire Asia Pacific region, including India, Sri Lanka, Mongolia and Nepal. The satellite is equipped with 30 C-Band transponders used for telecommunications, broadcast and Internet and 24 Ku transponders suitable for direct-to-home (DTH) and satellite newsgathering services.
Through its teleport partners in Hawaii, Mabuhay also offers services for video and broadcast customers. These include content contribution and distribution from the US directly to Asian cable operators; and distribution of Asian ethnic channels to the US via direct TV systems.
The company's Internet Over Satellite service provides Internet connectivity throughout the Philippines and Asia with one-way or two-way asymmetric Internet connection up to 45 mbps direct to US gateway using small disk and receiver routers.
20/3/01
