30/11/01

Not much happening today havn't felt much like doing the website today. I looked on the big dish for the Aus vs Nz cricket without much luck. Abc Northern on B1 has improved power levels, loads on my 65cm again now.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Ross Woollett (NZ)

TV 2 FTA on 12671 v Sr 22500, Fec 3/4

(Craigs comment, no picture when I last looked)

From John Vandeven

All B3, Pay TV channels free to air. Was scrambled even on my subscription card.
Seem like they may be have some technical problems.

Best Regards
John Vandeven

From the Dish

Optus B1 160E 12671 V "Tv 2" Vpid 516 Apid 654 Txt 580 Sid 1032

Telkom 1 108E 3500 H "Indosiar, SCTV, Metro TV, CNBC Asia, BBC World, Bloomberg TV Asia, Metro
Business, Fashion TV, Trans TV tests" and Anteve (enc.) have started on, Sr 27500, Fec 3/4, PIDs 60/61-656/657.

NEWS

Foxtel stalks the bush

From http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,3339041%5E15316%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html

FOXTEL is poised to significantly expand into regional areas serviced by troubled pay TV group Austar after buying a satellite licence from the federal Government.

The Australian Communications Authority offered the satellite slot to Foxtel, believed to have cost $1 million, after other bidders withdrew from a planned auction.

The deal gives Foxtel leverage on two fronts - its negotiations to merge with Austar and to extend its access deal to the Optus/Austar satellite.

But while Foxtel has bought the licence to operate a satellite service, the cost of launching a satellite is believed to range between $250 million and $400 million and has yet to be approved by Foxtel's board.

Foxtel chief executive Jim Blomfield would not comment on whether the company would set up its own satellite infrastructure. He would only say: "The potential of the slot for the expansion of Foxtel's business is unlimited."

Foxtel now uses the Optus/Austar satellite to send 45 channels into metropolitan areas. But that deal is believed to be close to expiry and Foxtel wants assured satellite access.

The new licence gives Foxtel the ability to broadcast 21 channels of up to 27 Mhz each. That is a huge capacity given that free-to-air digital TV channels are 7 Mhz.

It means Foxtel could provide new services such as video-on-demand and interactivity. Further, the channels could be divided into a greater number of less MegaHertz, providing more capacity for usual broadcast-style offerings.

Of Foxtel's 760,000 metropolitan subscribers, 35 per cent are serviced via satellite.

Austar, believed to be discussing its future with both the Foxtel and Optus metropolitan groups, has about 450,000 regional subscribers.

Any move by Foxtel into regional markets would be without much of Foxtel's premium programming, such as the movie packages and Fox Sports channels, which are sub-let to Austar.

However, there remains other non-exclusive programming which Foxtel could use to attract regional subscribers at discounted rates.

It would be able to use its existing call centre but would need to meet the higher cost of installing set-top boxes in regional areas.

Austar early next month is due to report its financial position to the market as it waits to learn whether the company has been able to refinance its $400 million debt facility.

If that does not occur by December 31, the loan must be repaid by its parent company UnitedGlobalCom (UGC).

However, UGC does not seem to have the funds to meet the repayment after defaulting on a $US34.5 million ($66.3 million) interest payment to mostly US owners of senior discount notes issued to buy its Austar stake.

(Craigs comment, $250-$400 Million for the satellite? a Lite sat only costs around $50 million and the location they are talking about is 152E)

Reuters closes financial video service

From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=369849572

REUTERS is closing down a financial video news service that was distributed directly to traders, saying the costs were too high.

Reuters Financial Television was seen only by a "modest" number of financial professionals through Reuters terminals, Reuters spokeswoman Nancy Bobrowitz said Thursday. She declined to be more specific.

She said about half the division's work force, or about 45 people, would be laid off. The company hadn't decided what would happen to remaining workers after the service shuts down next May 31.

The move does not affect Reuters' broadcast television news service, Reuters Video News, which serves more than 330 broadcast networks in more than 90 countries.

Bobrowitz said the shutdown of Reuters Financial Television was part of an overall company reorganization first announced in July.

The financial TV service, which served customers in various regions of the world, did not operate full time but at intervals throughout the day based on news that was affecting financial markets.

It was delivered by satellite, which made the service too costly to maintain, Bobrowitz said.
( AP )

29/11/01

No copies of Badtrans so far today which is good. I have been adjusting my dish had it up on I701 I got 3769 R ok , 4086 L with a lot of breakup. Of the TVNZ globals 4194 R is the only one above threshold. Of course my dish is nowhere "tuned up" I have left it on Pas 8 for the night. I will have a look at 701 again tommorow afternoon see if I spot some feeds.

From my Emails & ICQ

From "SIAM GLOBAL"

THE SIGNAL FROM THE BOUQUET ON PALAPA 3580H CANNOT NOW BE RECEIVED IN BKK WITH A 12 FT DISH SO PRESUMABLY HAS GONE OR THE SYMBOL RATE HAS BEEN CHANGED.. THE SIGNAL FROM TELKOM IS VERY STRONG BUT THE THREE CHANNELS,
"UNKNOWN" AND TVRI TEST ARE NOT VIEWABLE AND THE HDT SHOWS THEM AS
"SCRAMBLED CHANNEL" .

SINCERELY SIAMGLOBAL BKK

From Andrew Harrison

I receive Telekom 1 108E 3500 H as a very strong signal indeed here in Vanuatu (3.7M). 2 blank channels and another loads as test. All encrypted.

(Craigs comment check again?)

From the Dish

Intelsat 701 180E 4086 L "RFO Tempo Tahiti", the occasional feeds and RFI are still on ,but without SIDs.

PAS 8 166E 12726 H All channels are encrypted, except Thai TV Global Network.

Optus B1 160E 12671 V "TV ONE" Vpid 516 Apid 654 TXT 580 Sid 1031 (No FTA video here as at 3.20pm NZ)

Optus B1 160E 12519 V "SDM House" Audio service, Apid 661, Sid 1075
Optus B1 160E 12519 V "SDM 50's and 60's" Audio service, Apid 662, Sid 1076
Optus B1 160E 12519 V "SDM Disco" Audio Service, Apid 656, Sid 1077

Optus B1 160E 12546 V "SDM Rock" Audio service, Apid 660, Sid 1078 (FTA)
Optus B1 160E 12546 V "SDM Country" Audio Service, Apid 661, Sid 1079 (FTA)
Optus B1 160E 12546 V "SDM Classical" Audio Service, Apid 662, Sid 1080
Optus B1 160E 12546 V "SDM Kids" Audio Service, Apid 665, Sid 1081 (FTA)
Optus B1 160E 12546 V "ADTRACK" Audio Service, Apid 666, Sid 1090 (FTA)
Optus B1 160E 12546 V "Merry Christmas" Audio Service, Apid 663, Sid 1184

Optus B1 160E 12581 V "SDM Chart Attack" Audio service, Apid 664, Sid 1070
Optus B1 160E 12581 V "SDM POP" Audio service, Apid 665, Sid 1071

Optus B1 160E 12608 V "SDM Smooth" Audio Service, Apid 661, Sid 1072
Optus B1 160E 12608 V "SDM Chill" Audio Service, Apid 662, Sid 1073
Optus B1 160E 12608 V "SDM Jazz" Audio Service, Apid 666, Sid 1074

Optus B3 156E 12313 H Austar TV Homepage has started on , Vpid 33 Apid34.

Telekom 1 108E 3500 H "Indosair, SCTV, Ch2, Trans TV JKT, CNBC, BBC, Bloomberg, Metro BU , Digitl Video, Trans TV JKT, Anteve" all reported here! Sr 27500, Fec 3/4 (Very interesting this covers nearly everything thats on Palapa C2, Could everything be moving off Palapa C2.)

Asiasat 2 100.5E 3640 H All TV channels have encrypted again.

NEWS

SpeedCast launches NetTV today

From Indiantelevision.com

Leading broadband enabler SpeedCast launched NetTV today. The online multimedia service will serve the Pan-Asian region.

NetTV will offer subscribers more than 20 channels of streaming multimedia programs. The network delivers streaming multimedia content directly into ISP networks, solving the hassles of Internet congestion. NetTV brings content closer than ever before to the end-user, to enable subscribers to enjoy high quality streaming audio and video content directly from their PCs.

NetTV's browser combines video and audio content and offers data and search functions. There are four viewing modes: minimal, compact, standard and full screen display interfaces. NetTV will enable ISPs increase subscriber base, as well as generate new revenue streams. ISPs that have formed partnerships with Speedcast, have a wide selection of premium audio and video content that they can choose from the NetTV package.

NetTV is available for ISPs within the AsiaSat 3S satellite footprint that covers the entire Asia-Pacific region. The coverage area extends from Russia to New Zealand, Japan to India and Egypt. Based in Hong Kong, SpeedCast, which provides satellite based services throughout Asia, delivers the latest news, business, entertainment, lifestyle, cultural and sports content directly into ISP networks throughout Asia and the Middle East.

Deutsche Welle, Eurosportnews, Radio Free Virgin, Hownew's CCTV-4 channel, CETV and Asian News International (ANI) are the latest companies to partner SpeedCast. Its other partners include Bloomberg Television, Fashion TV and Channel NewsAsia. NetTV is the latest step in the company's bid to become the leading broadband Internet and multimedia service provider.

SpeedCast claims that NetTV has successfully aggregated world-class content providers to deliver branded audio, video and data content to qualified ISPs throughout the Asia Pacific and Middle East.

PanAmSat Exercises Option to Buy Two More Small Geostationary Communications Satellites from Company

From http://www.orbital.com

Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) received another major industry endorsement for its smaller-sized geostationary (GEO) STARTM satellite systems today when PanAmSat Corporation (NASDAQ: SPOT) exercised a contract option to purchase two additional company-built C-band spacecraft. The two new satellites will be based on Orbital's STAR-2 platform, which offers the satellite industry's highest performance and lowest per-transponder acquisition costs of any small commercial GEO spacecraft in production today. The two companies did not disclose the financial details of the option exercise, which follows PanAmSat's original order with Orbital for one STAR-class satellite in March 2001. The first of the two new PanAmSat satellites is slated for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2003, while the second satellite is expected to have its delivery date determined in the near future.

"We are exceptionally pleased that PanAmSat has given us the go-ahead to build two additional satellites for its in-orbit fleet," said Mr. David W. Thompson, Orbital's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "With this order, Orbital continues to develop strong momentum throughout the satellite market as established and emerging operators in the U.S. and abroad are recognizing the benefits of our smaller-sized GEO satellites. Our STAR products offer customers lower acquisition and launch costs, the ability to cost-effectively add incremental capacity and the flexibility to meet certain regulatory requirements," he added.

Over the past several years, Orbital has developed a strong niche position in the world market for GEO communications satellites. With its ramp-up in the production of small, lighter-weight satellites, the company is on track to replicate its decade-long success following the introduction of its small-sized Pegasus and Taurus rockets to the world launch vehicle market in the early 1990's.

"Now that there is an established and proven alternative to the larger, more costly GEO satellites offered by our competitors, I think we are seeing a clear and encouraging trend around the world of satellite operators re-examining their acquisition strategy, budget flexibility and overall capacity requirements. With numerous new business proposals submitted or currently in the works, we are seeing more interest in our STAR satellites than ever before," said Dr. Ali Atia, President of Orbital's GEO communications satellite business unit.

With PanAmSat's exercise of its two option orders, Orbital has built and delivered, or is now in the process of manufacturing, eight GEO communications satellites, including IndoStar-1, B-SAT-2a, -2b and -2c, N-STAR c (in conjunction with Lockheed Martin), PanAmSat's Galaxy XII, and the two new spacecraft PanAmSat just ordered. Orbital is also one of the world's leading suppliers of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The company has developed and produced, or is now under contract to deliver, over 90 LEO spacecraft for commercial, scientific and defense applications.

Mr. Mesut Ciceker, Orbital's Vice President of Business Development for GEO satellites, said, "All of us at Orbital are grateful for the confidence that PanAmSat has shown in our ability to deliver three highly reliable, state-of-the-art satellites for their extensive worldwide communications network. We hope that this initial order is just the beginning of a long and beneficial relationship between Orbital and PanAmSat, one of the world's 'blue-chip' satellite operators."

Orbital's GEO satellites are based on the company's STAR family of smaller GEO satellite platforms, which are able to accommodate most types of commercial communications payloads. For many applications, the STAR design is an attractive alternative to the larger, more costly GEO satellites offered by the industry's traditional suppliers. The STAR satellites are smaller and are significantly less expensive to manufacture and launch. They are a perfect fit for customers in the early stages of building their business or established companies that wish to add incremental capacity to their network.

About PanAmSat:

PanAmSat Corporation is the premier provider of global video and data broadcasting services via satellite. Operating a global network of 21 in-orbit spacecraft with more than 800 transponders and seven technical facilities on the ground, the company reaches 98 percent of the world's populations with entertainment and information delivered through cable television systems, TV broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home TV operators, Internet service providers, and telecommunications companies. PanAmSat is 81 percent owned by HUGHES Electronics Corporation. For more information on PanAmSat, visit the company's web site at http://www.panamsat.com

About Orbital:

Orbital develops and manufactures affordable space systems, including satellites, launch vehicles, electronics and advanced systems. Orbital is also involved with satellite-based networks that provide wireless data communications and high-resolution Earth imagery to customers around the world. For more information on Orbital, visit the company's web site at http://www.orbital.com

28/11/01

16 Copies of Badtrans in my email thanks to all you guys who have passed it on. At this stage Nortons Antivirus is winning 16-0 on my machine.

I note Tv1 running labled "Eng45" inside Sky mux on B1, 12671V Vpid 516 apid 654 txt 580 pcr 8190 sid 1045 PMT 273

No audio, and TXT dosnt work...loads as radio channel on my Nokia. anyone else find it loading as radio? Could it be intentional? so that some fta boxs will have trouble with it? I think we need to wait until December 1st. In the meantime Skys new channel numbers are listed below in the News section

From my Emails & ICQ

From "Siam Global"

IN RESPONSE TO YOUR REQUEST FOR INFO ON TELKOM 3500H I CAN REPORT 0800GMT MONDAY THAT THERE ARE THREE CHANNELS THERE, TWO ARE MARKED UNKNOWN THE OTHER TVRI TEST. ACCORDING TO THE HDT RECEIVER I HAVE ALL THREE ARE " SCRAMBLED " AND INDEED NO VIDEO CAN BE SEEN.

SIAMGLOBAL BKK

From the Dish

PAS 8 166E 12726 H "TARBS services here are currently FTA, Sr 27067, Fec 3/4

Optus B1 160E 12456 V "TVNZ TV One" has new pids Vpid 518 Apid 656.
Optus B1 160E 12456 V "TVNZ TV 2" has new pids Vpid 519 Apid 657.
Optus B1 160E 12483 V "T81" is FTA, Apid 654 PCR 148 Sid 81 PMT 269, with "Pop Music"

Asiasat 2 100.5E 3640 H Nile Variety, Future TV USA and ESC 2 have left.

NEWS

New Remote Control Configuration for Sky Digital Channels

Source : Sky Network Television Limited

SKY Television confirmed today that from 1 December 2001, SKY Digital channels will be allocated new positions on the SKY remote control.

The new format will group SKY channels into genres making navigation and channel selection easier and more user friendly.

As announced earlier this month TV1 and TV2 will join SKY’s digital service on December 1 and will become part of the first tier, the broadcast channels, which will also include TV3, TV4, SKY 1 and Prime.

Travis Dunbar, SKY Television Director of Entertainment said, “As we continue to increase the number and variety of channels that we offer we need to ensure that they sit in logical tiers”.

?It will now be much easier to select channels as they will now be grouped together in genres such as Broadcast, Sports, Movies, Entertainment, Documentaries and News” said Dunbar.

Sky Digital Channels As of 1 Dec 2001

Source : Sky Network Television
28 Nov 2001

0 Mosiac
1 TV1
2 TV2
3 TV3
4 TV4/Fashion TV
5 SKY1
6 Prime
7 SKY Sport
8 SKY Sport 2
9 ESPN
10 Trackside/Fashion TV
11 SKY Movies
12 SKY MovieMax
13 MGM
14 Hallmark
15 Sundance
16 UKTV

Nothing listed for 17

18 Juice TV
19 J2
20 Cartoon Network
21 Nickelodeon
22 Discovery
23 National Geographic
24 Animal Planet

Nothing listed for 25/26

27 CNN
28 SKY News Australia
29 CNBC
30 SKY Box Office
31 SKY Box Office Movies
32 SKY Box Office Movies 2

38 Playboy
39 Spice

61 JTV
62 KTV
63 CTVN
64 CTVE
65 Phoenix
66 CTVC

70 Chart Attack
71 Pop
72 Easy
73 Chill
74 Jazz
75 House
76 50 & 60's
77 Disco
78 Rock
79 Country
80 Classical
81 Kids

101 National Radio
102 Concert FM
103 Wolf Radio
104 Edge

200 Interaction

Ihug Changes Settings for ULTRA users in Australia and NZ

Panamsat 8 Australian users

Dear Customers,

To make further improvements to the performance of ihug Ultra, on the
4th of December 2001 at 05:00 AEST ihug will be altering the settings to
it's PAS8 carrier.

As a result of these changes please ensure that your settings are
changed. The new settings are below.

Downlink Frequency 12564.000MHz (currently 12560.137MHz)
Symbol rate 23.7036MSym (currently 17.981MSym)

The changes will take place on the 4th of December 2001 at 0500hrs AEST.
Please note that these new settings will not work before 0500hrs AEST on
the 4th of December but from 0500hrs AEST onwards you will have to
change your settings to continue to receive the Ultra service.

Panamsat 2 NZ users

On the 4th of December 2001 at 0500hrs NZDT Ihug will be altering settings to
the satellite carrier, which is used for high-speed connection.

As a result of these changes users will be required to change the frequency and
symbol rate settings of your computer. The new settings are below.

Frequency: setting: 12489 MHz (currently 12490 MHz)
Symbol rate setting: 11.111 MSym (currently 9.63 MSym)

27/11/01

Live chat in the chatroom usual time 8.30pm Syd and 9pm NZ onwards be in there for the latest satellite chat. Abc Northern on B1 down in power again it seems not playing here on the 76cm. If someone has good instructions how to setup NTSC on the Nokia then I am interested. Mine isn't displaying properly although the TV handles NTSC Star sports fine. (even has a tint control)

Just noticed some changes on the TVNZ mux on Optus B1, 12456 V Sr 22500 Fec 3/4, see "From the Dish" Section. As you can see Teletext has been added. Also the picture resolution is now 720x576!

Satfacts Page updated

From my Emails & ICQ

From "Siam Global" 26/11/01

Incredible website today. Firstly a Satfacts article about the MMBN bouquet on Palapa shutting down and then in complete contradiction a letter saying it is alive and well . Therefore checked out the bouquet with disbelief, certain the letter saying the bouquet was up again was an error. But no, there it was.... all twelve channels. The signal strength however was extremely weak as the letter had stated...a third the strength of the other Palapa channels, and that was with a 12 foot dish, 15kLNB and mechanical polariser. The moral I suppose is never disbelieve anthing in this game but check it out oneself !

Siam Global Bangkok

(Craigs comment, the Satfacts item went up before the Item From Dave Ross came in, not sure what MMBN is up to)

From the Dish

Intelsat 701 180E 4086 L "France Culture" has replaced France Bleu on , Apid 267.

Optus B1 12456 V "TVNZ MUX" Sr 22500 Fec 3/4

Optus B1 12456 V "Tv1" Vpid 518, Apid 656, TXT 582, PCR 154, Sid 101, PMT 41
Optus B1 12456 V "Tv2" Vpid 519, Apid 657, TXT 583, PCR 155, Sid 102, PMT 44

Palapa C2 113E 3880 H "MMBN is back 12 services" Sr 26850 Fec 3/4. (Very weak!)

Telekom 1 108E 3500 H "Indonesian MUX reported here, includes Metro, RCTI, Tvri , Global TV" Sr 24000 Fec 3/4. ( I need reports of this one please..could it be that Palapa C2 is on its way out and that they will shift here. I hope not!)

Intelsat 704 66E 3924 R "CNBC Asia" has left

Intelsat 604 60E 4173 R "Occasional feeds" , Sr 5632, Fec 3/4, global beam.

NEWS

New Worm Replaces Sircam as No. 1

From http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,48613,00.html

Yet another worm that takes advantage of an old and well-known vulnerability in Microsoft software is on the loose.

The worm, dubbed "BadTrans.B" by antiviral application vendors, installs a piece of spy software on infected computers. This program attempts to record and relay private information such as user names and passwords to an e-mail address that is presumably accessible to the worm's author.

Most of the major antiviral application companies ranked the worm as a moderate to high threat on Monday morning. MessageLabs' virus activity tracking indicates that BadTrans.B is being transmitted at about 100 copies per minute.

BadTrans.B even knocked the worm that just won't die, SirCam, from its first-place post on MessageLabs' tracking list on Sunday afternoon. SirCam had reigned for four months as the most prevalent computer virus.

"BadTrans.B is propagating as quickly as any virus we have ever seen, and has replaced SirCam as the most virulent virus in the wild," Mark Sunner, chief technology officer at MessageLabs, said.

But some antiviral vendors said that it hasn't yet reached the saturation levels of other worms that wiggled across the Internet this year.

"Although BadTrans.B seems to be out there in significant numbers, it does not at the moment seem to be spreading as fast as Nimda, Kournikova or the Love Bug," Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos Anti-Virus, said. "Calls to our technical support department are simply not coming in as quickly as they did with those earlier virus incidents."

The worm can infect computers running Microsoft's Windows operating systems and unpatched versions of Outlook, and is aimed at slackers who haven't stayed current with Microsoft's cavalcade of patches.

BadTrans.B is a retooled version of a worm that was first released in April. The new version has been reworked to exploit a known Microsoft vulnerability, which was also used by the Nimda worm, so that BadTrans.B may now be able to spread more effectively.

BadTrans.B exploits a previously patched hole in Microsoft's Outlook e-mail program, allowing the virus code to be executed simply by clicking to open and read an infected e-mail in Microsoft Outlook. It is not necessary to double click on an attachment, which may not even be visible to the user, to launch the malicious code.

Cluley said that once the virus is active on a system, BadTrans.B will e-mail itself to addresses contained in e-mail address books, Web cache and the "My Documents" folder.

If the virus sends itself to an e-mail address found on the hard drive rather than in the address book, then it will simply use the subject line "Re:".

If sent to an address culled from Outlook's address book, then the worm will generate a subject line by "reading" e-mail on the infected machine and "replying" to it, using the same subject line, thus "lulling the recipient into a false sense of security," Cluley said.

BadTrans.B also randomly generates a file name for the infected attachment, using a variety of different phrases.

Once active on a system, BadTrans.B activates a Trojan horse program that will attempt to monitor the infected system and record user names, passwords and other sensitive data and forward them to a designated e-mail address on free e-mail service MailandNews.com.

"The fact that BadTrans.B can log private details through keystrokes has huge implications for personal and corporate confidentiality, and underlines the recent advances in virus-writing techniques," Sunner said.

Whether the e-mail address that the private information is relayed to belongs to the worm's author is still unknown, Cluley and Sunner said. E-mails sent to the address have neither bounced back nor netted a reply from a recipient. The MailandNews service did not immediately reply to inquiries.

Antiviral companies such as Symantec and McAfee have posted removal information for the worm on their sites.

Taiwan Broadcast Rights Delayed Not Rejected Says Phoenix Satellite TV

Phoenix Satellite TV Holdings Ltd. explained that its application for the right to broadcast its infonews channel in Taiwan has been delayed and not rejected by Taiwan.

Phoenix Deputy Chief Executive N.K. Leung said it was untrue that the company’s satellite broadcaster's application had been denied because its programs are “unfriendly to the Taiwanese government.” Leung pointed out that the application has simply been “stalled” because Taiwan required more information from Phoenix. The market has been expecting Phoenix to receive formal transmission rights this year.

Leung described the situation as a consultation involving normal correspondence between Phoenix and Taiwan. Leung expects that rights won't be obtained before the year-end since both sides were still in talks at this late date. He estimated that the earliest time Phoenix would receive its license might be by the first quarter of 2002.

A factor in the lengthy negotiations was that various Taiwanese departments were busy preparing for the December legislative and mayoral elections, hence Phoenix’s application will not be “high priority in the relevant departments' agenda of things to discuss.”

Hong Kong's Chinese language media earlier reported that Phoenix had been given permission to broadcast its infonews channel last May this year, but hadn’t received an official license to carry its channel on the island's cable networks.

Australia’s News Corporation owns some 38 percent of Phoenix. Industry analysts believe that Phoenix’s close ties with mainland China might be worrisome to Taiwan and might be a major factor in the government’s decision to grant or refuse a broadcast license.

Taiwan is also concerned about Beijing’s recent order that foreign television networks to distribute their channels through a centralized broadcasting system beginning January 1, 2002. Phoenix said it would hold another round of talks with Beijing on details about migrating to the platform.

Market analysts said this move was intended to allow the Chinese government to tighten control on broadcasting activities by foreign TV broadcasters.

Although Phoenix broadcasts are already seen throughout China, the company has only recently been given official approval to broadcast in the southern province of Guangdong.

In China, licensed foreign broadcasters send their programming by satellite to a small market comprising hotels, high-end residential compounds and local cable companies.

(Craigs Comment, Pheonix Infonews is FTA off Asiasat 3 inside one of Stars transponders)

Only Local Investors Allowed in Indonesia Broadcasting Business

From satnewsasia.com

Only domestic Indonesian investors will be allowed to buy shares in television broadcaster Indosiar, according to the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).

IBRA executive Dasa Sutantio said the agency would abide by the law that forbids local broadcasting businesses from falling into foreign hands. Sustantio dismissed reports that Indosiar would be bought by ABS-CBN, the largest broadcasting company in the Philippines.

Sutantio, however, admitted that ABS-CBN had indicated interest in taking part in a tender to sell 49 percent of Indosiar. Sutantio revealed that seven prospective Indonesian investors have been shortlisted to take part in the tender.

Indosiar, a subsidiary of the Salim Group, is controlled by IBRA as part of a deal by Salim to pay its debt to the Indonesian government. Salim is Indonesia’s largest conglomerate.

TVB Unit to Launch Mandarin Entertainment Channel in Japan

From satnewsasia.com

TVBI Co. Ltd and Dai Fu Co Ltd will jointly launch a 24-hour Mandarin entertainment channel for the more than one million Chinese in Japan on December 1.

TVBI, a unit of Hong Kong-based Television Broadcasts Ltd. (TVB), said the channel would be called TVB Dai Fu and would be TVB's first 24-hour channel in Japan. The channel will be operated under a license specific to TVB content held by Dai Fu.

The new channel will be carried by direct-to-home (DTH) satellite system, SkyPerfect, which has a subscriber base of about three million households in Japan.

TVBI said a strategic alliance has been formed between TVBI and Dai Fu following a similar cooperation format for the CCTV Dai Fu channel in mainland China. Under the terms of the alliance, Dai Fu will be responsible for channel operation, sales and marketing, while TVBI will provide programs and marketing support.

TVBI is the worldwide operating arm of TVB, the largest producer and distributor of Chinese-language programs.

World's fastest Internet service crashes before Tongan liftoff

From http://www.it.mycareer.com.au/breaking/2001/11/23/FFX2ZV3UCUC.html

A plan by Tonga's bachelor crown prince to sell his kingdom the world's fastest Internet service has crashed, one of the key contractors confirmed today.

Eccentric Crown Prince Tupouto'a, 53, had swapped playing with toy soldiers to set up a wireless phone and Internet service which he had promised would be up to eight times faster than anywhere else in the world.

As part of the deal his local company, Shoreline Communications, signed a deal with Singapore's Datacraft Asia for more than $US10 million ($A19.5 million) to build a highspeed digital network.

But a spokeswoman for Datacraft in Singapore said today: "The project has been cancelled". They would not provide a reason.

The Tongan Government did not respond to requests for comment on the issue.

Tupouto'a, who is set to take the throne when ailing King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, 82, dies, has been engaged in an increasingly bitter commercial battle with his sister, Princess Pilolevu Tuita, who controls the satellite communications company Tongasat.

She recently revealed that Tongasat had moved from leasing out equatorial satellite slots to actually owning its own satellites.

Tonga has a colorful history of projects that failed even before they got off the ground. These included buying into a bogus Korean plant to turn seawater into natural gas, nuclear waste and old tyre storage and more recently, a failed multimilliondollar investment on insurance on terminally ill Americans.

That saw Tonga lose around $US20 million ($A39 million) in a scheme dreamed up by the king's official court jester, American Buddhist Jesse Bogdonoff.

He is also involved in Tupuoto'a Internet scheme although it is not entirely clear what he was doing with it.

Shoreline, Tupuoto'a and Bogdonoff were to have run a company called Tonfon which was to have run a wireless phone service in competition against the stateowned Tonga Communications Corporation.

Tupouto'a had sung the democratic potential of the Internet he was going to offer.

"It will provide liberation for the common man greater than that originally given him by the automobile."

Tonga, a chain of 45 inhabited islands north of New Zealand, has a per capita gross national product of $US1263 ($A2456) and is largely dependent on remittances from thousands of Tongans abroad and pumpkin exports to Japan.

An estimated 67,000 of the kingdom's 100,000 people live on the southern island of Tongatapu, which hosts the capital Nuku'alofa.

(Craigs comment not exactly Satellite related but interesting comment about Tongasat owning its own satellite?? hmm they have a website that dosn't say much http://www.tongasat.com/ )

Europe Plans to Compete With U.S. G.P.S Satellite Network

From http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nyt/20011126/tc/europe_plans_to_compete_with_u_s_satellite_network_1.html

Countries are building independent satellite navigation networks, troubled that the G.P.S. system is run by the United States military.

Around the world, countries are mobilizing to build independent satellite navigation networks, troubled that the Global Positioning System, the only functioning worldwide network, is run by the United States military and controlled by the government.

In the last decade or so, the continuous signals emitted by a constellation of orbiting satellites have allowed users to compute time, location and speed with high accuracy, calculations that play an increasing role in everything from firing missiles in Afghanistan to guiding ships at sea to flashing directions in rental cars. As the American technology becomes a worldwide standard, foreign governments are wary that that dependence raises issues of strategic and economic security.

The United States government sees its Global Positioning System, or G.P.S., as a resource freely available to the world. Even foreign militaries use it. It is managed by an interagency board, but is operated by the Defense Department, a fact that raises qualms around the world.

But other countries see the system as an American monopoly, intent on reinforcing its dominion. "Europe cannot accept reliance on a military system which has the possibility of being cut off," said René Oosterlinck, head of the navigation department at the European Space Agency, fairly summing up the emotions G.P.S. elicits abroad.

In response, Europe will spend billions assembling a civil satellite system called Galileo, scheduled to be in operation by 2008. By the end of this year, Europe is expected to have allocated 1.1 billion euros ($966 million) to Galileo, with another 450 million euros expected to be approved by the European Transport Commission next week.

China, which hopes to build an independent satellite navigation system within the next decade, launched two experimental positioning satellites last year. The Beidou navigation satellites, named after the Northern Ladle, or Big Dipper in Chinese, sit in an orbit over China. The government uses the systems for things like urban traffic control and earthquake monitoring.

Russia has said it will launch three satellites before the end of the year to resuscitate its ailing Global Navigation Satellite System, a military-operated system known as Glonass. It was first designed with 24 satellites when it went into operation in 1993, but aging satellites dropped out of service as Russia's economic health declined. Only six satellites are now running; new satellites would bring the total up to nine.

Galileo has the most momentum of the alternative satellite projects, and has sparked interest in countries outside Europe. Canada has been financially involved in the early stages of the project. Russia has lent technical expertise and is looking for a bigger role. China has shown a strong desire to participate. And other countries, including Israel, India, South Africa and Australia, have expressed interest.

The United States has promoted G.P.S. as a global standard. In addition to its military and transportation applications, G.P.S. is used because it provides a relatively inexpensive and highly accurate time signal for synchronization. The time synchronization is used in networks like power grids, telecommunications and banking. Disruption in G.P.S. would cause those networks to slow down, but not necessarily fail.

Galileo arose from Europe's concerns about falling behind the United States technologically. At an estimated cost of 3.6 billion euros (about $3.16 billion) for design and deployment, Galileo would be the most significant infrastructure project by the European Union to date.

In the long run, the European Union envisions Galileo as a private-public partnership. But some question the economic wisdom of spending billions of euros, expecting private support and then charging for a certified signal when the G.P.S. signal is free, reliable and a worldwide standard.

"Galileo is a very confusing system, at least to my American mind," said Pete Brumbaugh, a spokesman for Garmin International, which makes G.P.S. receiving equipment. "There is already this really equitable system. There are already receivers that provide incredible accuracy to users worldwide."

An independent study released by PricewaterhouseCoopers last week, however, predicted that Galileo would have considerable economic benefits. Europe also wants a larger share of the billions of dollars made in maintaining and making satellite navigation equipment. Right now that business is dominated by the United States and Japan.

The European Union says that the United States cannot guarantee the reliability and availability of the G.P.S. civilian signal, as United States national security needs could potentially trump any other needs. In contrast, Galileo proposals describe a free public signal as well as certified services available for governments or paying subscribers.

Analysts see an advantage to having a system separate for G.P.S. in case of any sort of disruption. "It provides a lot more accessibility, redundancy, robustness," said Glen Gibbons, editor of GPS World, a satellite navigation trade publication.

The emphasis on homeland defense since Sept. 11 has increased support for redundant satellite systems, Mr. Oosterlinck said.

The G.P.S. system, which gained prominence during the Gulf War, was originally developed for the United States military. The system was made available for public use in 1993, with a separate, intentionally degraded civilian signal that provided less accurate positioning as a built-in obstacle to anyone using the system for criminal or rogue purposes.

Last year, however, the United States stopped degrading the civilian signal because advances in technologies like jamming now allow the military to selectively interfere with signals wherever it wants to for instance, in arenas of armed combat like Kosovo or Afghanistan. On Sept. 17, the United States reiterated that it had no future intention of degrading the public signal. But these statements have only slightly soothed international concerns.

Minor friction has emerged between the United States and Europe over the development of Galileo, and American officials have expressed skepticism about the relative costs and benefits of the project.

As Galileo continues to move forward, the United States has voiced concerns about trade, security and technology standards. The last diplomatic meeting on Galileo and G.P.S. took place in late October. At the meeting, the two sides began serious discussions about the text of fundamental principles for Galileo, said Ralph Braibanti, head of the Galileo and G.P.S. negotiating team for the State Department.

Some officials in the Defense Department are concerned about an independent satellite system that could erode their military advantage. While it is cooperating in creating shared standards, the United States has insisted that Galileo not interfere with the parts of the spectrum used for American military signals.

In addition, the United States government fears Europe may impose regulatory restrictions that give European industry technological advantages over its American counterpart. As an example of such past regulations, American officials point to a proposed restriction on jet engine mufflers, called hushkits, which was seen as an attempt to protect European aviation industries by disproportionately affecting American aircraft and equipment manufacturers.

Another technology developed under the American military which has since passed into wide international use is the Internet. But whereas G.P.S. is strictly under American control, the Internet was intentionally designed with no central authority.

The ultimate implications of Galileo will only be sorted out in the minutiae of negotiations. Politicians, industry executives and trade representatives are wrangling over what type of institutions and structures should manage a dual-use technology that transcends borders and oceans.

"It really is a global utility and it's a new one," said Mr. Gibbons, of GPS World. "People are still trying to get their minds around what it all means."

26/11/01

Some interesting odds and ends for you all today. Some of you who are having virus trouble, I am sure they are not comming through the mailing list as I have disabled all attachments. Some virus scanners may be triggerd by the embedded html advert that the mailing list inserts but that should not be a problem. If you are not using a modern up to date scanner you only have yourself to blame for getting a virus. The main problem is people using older versions of Microsoft Outlook Express for emails this program has security fix/patches weekly thats how bad it is. I suggest anyone using an old version of this to upgrade to version 6 which has improved attachment handling. Or else use a different email program! %95 of most viruses come into the system via holes in Microsoft Outlook email client.

You can download the FULL Nortons antivirus 2002 from this site. (If you don't mind using a illegal version, If using Win XP I recommend only using the latest Nortons 2002 Antivirus older virus checkers do not work with XP!)

http://www.pulox.i-p.com/

Once there click "Mirror -1 U.S" down the bottom of the page

Several virus scanners available I recommend Number 6, Nortons Antivirus 2002

Click on it then you will have to click on mirror-1 on the next screen and it should start downloading (use a download util as its probably around 40 megs) Note its a RAR file so you may need winrar to unpack it.

After installing go through the options and set it up PROPERLY

SATFACTS PAGE updated

Article

Decoding Unencrypted Mpg 4:2:2 streams via the Nokia and your PC

1st If you don't already have a mpg 4:2:2 playback codec installed for Windows Media Player, install Ligos LSX-MPEG Player from http://www.ligos.com

2nd Use the well known "Dvb Recorder" Software and record the stream via scsii, (use the realtime mode). I recomend you shut any other open applications and have plenty of HD space to spare.

3rd When recording is finished playback using Windows Media Player! Newer version higher than Mediaplayer version 6.4 may already handle mpg 4:2:2 video, so try before installing the Ligos player

Note in this pic the stream was being played back scaled down to %50 (my current ancient video card chokes at anything higher) also the screengrab above has had a high amount of JPG compression applied (to compress for the site) but you can see the result a normally "unviewable" without expensive commercial 4:2:2 decoder can be examined and played back! there are limits though a very high SR, may not work this one was using SR 6110. Let me know if you have some success with this.

From my Emails & ICQ

From ANON

Unconfirmed report from a Tarbs installer:

Tarbs are currently having difficulties with their encryption system, resulting in (as we are already aware of), some channels being 'free' on C band for extended lengths of time.

Also unconfirmed at this stage, if you sign up for your 'language' you may be getting many more channels than what you are supose to be. This is being caused by problems with the encryption system, or as Tarbs put it in another polite way, "we are currently providing some extra channels at present, a sort of promotion if you like, just in case you should also understand Chinese, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Serbian, Greek, Turkish..................

How Kind and Sweet, we must all go and learn some more languages!

From Dave Ross

Palapa C2 3580 H Sr 26850 Fec 3/4

Its 12 channels from the MMBN network.
It is very week in Northern Aust.

This Transponder was used by Indovision, and was much stronger than MMBN signal.

(Craigs Comment, others report problems with this sat as well seems its on its last legs)

From Chris Pickstock 25/11/01

B3, Mediasat 12363V, Trotting from Kapunda, SA. Good signal, the power must be up again.

4.10 pm SA time

B3, 12336 V, "V8 Superstars" in 16:9 format

From the Dish

Optus B3 156E 12626 H TCM Australia has left..

Yamal 102 90E 3582 L "STS Ladya" has started , Sr 4295, Fec 3/4, Vpid 308 Apid 258.

NEWS

Maharishi channel to start Ku-band digital transmission next month

From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe20011126/con7.html

Maharishi Channel is switching over to Ku-band digital transmission, making it the first channel in India to use this technology. It will, however, continue to be a free-to-air channel.

The switchover to the Ku-band platform on EuropeStar satellite will be from December 15, sources said. The channel, however, will be available in the dual mode and cable operators will be allowed time to shift as it will continue on PanAMSat till February 28, 2002. The satellite covers India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

As broadcasters have not used Ku-band transmission in India, a lot of capacity is available. Though satellite providers are offering Ku band at reduced prices, broadcasters are reluctant to switch over as cable operators do not have the equipment. Earlier, government had banned Ku-band transmission. Broadcasters in India are currently using the C-band.

For a short time, Maharishi Channel is offering a special promotional price for a complete equipment package. Those who switch over to Maharishi’s Ku-band broadcast can receive a 25 per cent price reduction on digital satellite receiver, small dish antenna and LNB. All equipment comes with a full 12-month warranty for parts and service. The package includes a high quality digital receiver, Ku-band LNB, and 24-inch professional dish antenna. Maharishi Channel Cable Network is planning to start shipping equipment packages to cable operators.

The company plans to add new channels. Switching to Ku-band digital broadcasting will enable Maharishi Channel to expand the offerings. “Instead of offering just one channel, there will be a full bouquet of free-to-air channels,” the source said.

Ku-band transmission allows for very small dish antennas to be used for reception. “In America, Europe and Japan, these small dish antennas are especially popular with homeowners for their ease of installation and excellent reception. The highest power satellites in the world utilise the smallest dish antennas. In America, the dishes are 18 inches and Japan 14 inches. Maharishi Channel will be using dishes as small as 13 inches,” the source added.

Maharishi Channel is part of Maharishi Satellite Network, which broadcasts Maharishi’s vedic wisdom through a network of 10 satellites. It is available in 19 languages and reaches out to over 200 countries

T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 47/2001 November 25 2001 -

A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by Tele Satellite International

Editor: Branislav Pekic

Edited Apsattv.com Edition

A S I A

AUSTRALIA

ASIA GLOBAL CROSSING WINS SKY CHANNEL CONTRACT

Asia Global Crossing, the leading pan-Asian telecommunications services
provider, announced it will deploy an ATM service for Australia's National
Racing Broadcaster, Sky Channel. Sky Channel provides live and exclusive
telecasts of Australian and international horse and greyhound events using its
global broadcast network. Asia Global Crossing's ATM service will be delivered
using its dedicated global fibre network, enabling Sky Channel to provide
audiences with live transmission of Australian horse race meetings from its
premises in Frenchs Forest, Sydney to a re-broadcaster in Louisville, Kentucky
via a gateway in Los Angeles. Video, voice and data will be delivered on the
ATM backbone replacing Sky's traditional satellite delivery. The new dedicated
Sydney-Louisville ATM service replaces Sky Channel's satellite services which
are typically booked on an hourly rate and only offer simplex transmission
capacity. Dedicated fibre from Australia to the United States via Asia Global
Crossing is expected to reduce transmission costs and provide Sky with a
dedicated video duplex, audio and data transmission capability. Sky Channel
broadcasts approximately 41,000 live horse and greyhound races each year from
Australia. The new capability will launch in February 2002. Sky Channel
delivers its services within Australia via the Aurora platform on the Optus B3
satellite and a tailored service to domestic households via the pay-TV networks
distribution infrastructure. Sky Channel has international capacity on the
Thaicom 3 satellite to deliver its service across Asia, Europe, Africa and the
Middle East.

Internet - http://www.asiaglobalcrossing.com/index.htm

NEW ZEALAND

SKY SEEKS CABLE LINK-UP

Leading pay-TV operator Sky said it wants to utilize the country’s cable
networks to increase subscribers from their current 439,000. CEO John Fellet
told local press that telco Telecom will probably be one of Sky’s first
partners although no timescale was specified.

TAIWAN

PHOENIX DENIED BROADCAST LICENSE

News Corp.-backed Phoenix TV has had its application to broadcast its InfoNews
channel refused, according to local reports. The channel already airs on
Taiwanese cable networks and has been tacitly accepted by authorities, but they
are thought to be unhappy about the its content and Hong Kong-based Phoenix’s
links with mainland China. The DTH operator recently received approval to air
its Chinese Channel in certain parts of China.

A F R I C A

SOUTH AFRICA

CFN CLOSURE TO HIT DSTV SUBSCRIBERS

Carlton Food Network, DSTV’s popular food and drink channel, will no longer be
on local TV screens from the end of the month. The decision to terminate the
service came from the channel’s owners, Carlton Communications, said
Multichoice corporate affairs GM Lebogang Hashatse in an interview for
+usiness Day”. He said UK-based Carlton Communications was having “difficulty
with its business model” and the Food Network would cease broadcasting soon.
Hashatse added that many viewers were likely to be disappointed by the news
that the channel would no longer be broadcast. “It’s a very popular channel
with our subscribers,” he said. “We will be informing them of the changes
before the end of the month.”

25/11/01

More playing with my dish today managed to find PAS 8 ! Loaded up a whole lot of channels on H pol havn't got the V pol sorted yet. But I did have trouble with NTSC, my tv is NTSC compatible with both formats and works fine on Star Sports (Analogue receievr) but the Nokias NTSC output needs to drop way down the screen its quite scrunched up Perhaps I need to venture into the dreaded NTSC Expert menu. Loaing up the various channel muxs I can see I will have to do a lot of channel renaming.

From my Emails & ICQ

From "ZOR"

Some of the Arabic channels in the TARBS Asiasat 2 group (3640H)
are currently unencrypted:

ESC 1
Nile News
Nile Variety

From Chris Pickstock 24/11/01

1.10pm SA time

B1, 12326 H Sr 6980, BBC World currently showing
B1, 12317 H Sr 6980, CNN currently showing

Pas 8, 12726H Sr 28067 Thai TV5 is on FTA, Vpid 524, Apid 652

Chris

From Me 23/11/01

B3, 12336 V Mediasat Ocasional 2 "Kings Soccer match"

B1, 12357 V "EBU Oxford Falls" "NBL Basketball" MPG 4:2:2, Sr 6110 Fec 3/4 Vpid 308 Apid 256. This was in MPG 4:2:2 and yes I worked out how to show it on the Nokia!!! using scssi and streaming it off the pc!!!! more on this later!

From the Dish

Intelsat 701 180E 4086 L "RFO Tempo Tahiti, RFI" and the occasional feeds have left.(Looks like they havn't paid their Bills)

Agila 2 146E 3711 H "ABC 5" on (MPEG-2) is now fta.
Agila 2 146E 3736 H The test card has left (MPEG-2).
Agila 2 146E 3853 H "ESC 1" has started, S 3200, Fec 3/4, Vpid 4144 Apid 4145.
Agila 2 146E 4082 H "Ezmall Shopping" has started on, Sr 3200, Fec 3/4, Vpid 4144 Apid 4145.

Sinosat 1 110.5E 3720 V Occasional TVB feeds on Sr 5700, Fec 3/4.

Asiasat 2 100.5E 3640 H All TV channels here are currently .
Asiasat 2 100.5E 3994 V The occasional TVB feeds have moved here , Sr 5700, Fec 3/4.
Asiasat 2 100.5E 3951 H "The test card is now encrypted in Irdeto".

Insat 3B 83E 11575 H "Apnet"has started, SRr 2222, Vpid 4194 Apid 4195.(KU band use here is very new worth checking)

NEWS

Sky Channel speeds up live telecasts with ATM service

From indiantelevision.com

Asia Global Crossing (AGC) will deploy an ATM service for Australia's National Racing Broadcaster, Sky Channel.

The leading pan-Asian telecom services provider says the ATM network will deliver transmission at an access speed of 45 Mbps with a constant bit rate (CBR) of 8 Mbps. The new capability starts from February 2002.

Sky uses its global broadcast network to provide live and exclusive telecasts of Australian and international horse and greyhound events. The ATM service will enable Sky to provide audiences with live transmission of Australian horse races from its premises in French's Forest, Sydney to a re-broadcaster in Louisville, Kentucky via a gateway in Los Angeles. Video, voice and data will be delivered on the ATM backbone replacing Sky's traditional satellite delivery.

Sky Channel's satellite services only offer simplex transmission capacity. The new arrangement is expected to reduce transmission costs and provide Sky with a dedicated video duplex, audio and data transmission capability. Nearly 41,000 live horse and greyhound races are covered each year from Down Under on the channel. The company delivers its services within Australia to commercial customers through the Aurora platform on the Optus B3 satellite and offers a tailored service to domestic households via the Pay TV networks distribution infrastructure. It has international capacity on the Thaicom 3 satellite to deliver its service across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

AGC offers broadcasters uncompressed 270 Mbps television broadcast capability and provides transmission speeds up to 1.28 Tbps, while fully resilient hubs ensure automatic global re-routing capability.

EWTN channel to start on Pas 10, Q1 2002

From indiantelevision.com

Religious channels have been prospering on Indian television for the last couple of years. Aastha, Sanskar, etc Punjabi (with its Gurbani telecast), Maharishi Veda Vision and the MiracleNet are some of the channels which have made their debut. Now there's another waiting on the sidelines to make a foray: the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) Global Catholic Network. The channel's management has announced that it will launch a television service for India in the first quarter of 2002. As part of the launch, EWTN will also expand the reach of its television service currently available in Africa.

According to EWTN president Michael Warsaw, the Network has reached an agreement in principle with PanAmSat to move its current Africa channel from the PAS 3 satellite to the recently launched PAS 10 spacecraft. With this shift, Warsaw says this move will not only allow EWTN's content to be seen and heard by more than 99 per cent of the Catholic population on the African continent, but will also make both its radio and TV service available to more than 10,000 cable television systems in India.

"Like the Apostle Thomas, who first preached the Gospel in India two thousand years ago," Warsaw notes "EWTN will soon bring that same message to new television and radio audiences throughout this vast region."

In a related move, EWTN has signed an agreement with satellite radio provider WorldSpace Direct Media Service to bring EWTN's multimedia content to personal computers throughout Africa and Asia. Says Warsaw: "EWTN is extremely pleased to once again be working at the cutting edge of technology by being able to offer our Internet content directly to the end users of the WorldSpace system."

EWTN has been in existence for than 20 years and telecasts to more than 70 million TV homes accross the globe. Its founder Mother M. Angelica, a Poor Clare nun, set up Our Lady of Angels Monastery in Irondale, Alabama, and then started creating mini-books with religious teachings. As these gained in popularity, she created a video series of her talks taped at a local Birmingham television station and followed this up with a television studio on monastery property in Irondale. That small TV studio has now evolved into a state of the art audiovisual complex funded totally by gifts from individuals and groups, and visited annually by thousands of pilgrims.

In 1992, her vision ever expanding, with contributions from the late Piet Derksen couple, Mother Angelica established the world's largest privately owned short wave radio station on a mountain top 20 miles from EWTN. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day in English and Spanish to areas of the world including those remote places not reached by television.

The heart of EWTN TV Channel is its show, Mother Angelica Live, hosted by Mother Angelica, which is broadcast before a live audience every Tuesday and Wednesday night. In addition, EWTN offers several live programs including the Daily Mass from the chapel in Irondale, Life on the Rock, a teen and young adult show with host Jeff Cavins, The Journey Home with Marcus Grodi and The World Over with news anchor Raymond Arroyo. The network also airs documentaries, weekly series hosted by leading Catholic theologians, coverage of Church events in the U.S. and abroad, seasonal music specials, the Rosary and other devotional prayer segments.

EWTN will be a free to air channel.

24/11/01

Sorry no update today, just have not had time.

23/11/01

There is a delay with the Saturn channel Details on B1. Hopefully I will have them in the next couple of days. Not much happening newswise today.

For those in Thailand after the BBC News feed

Pas 2 3941 V "BBC 1 NEWS Feed " Sr 6620, vpid 1460 apid 1420 text 8191 pcr 1460, sid1, pmt 5001

From the Dish

Express 9 103E 3675 R "Radio Moscow" has started on : 7.92, 8.10, 8.65 and 8.82 MHz.New frequencies for Radio Junost and Radio Mayak: 7.50 and 8.28 MHz.

ST 1 88E 3632 V "CTS" has New PIDs Vpid 2081 Apid 2082.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3585 V "Star Vijay and Channel Nepal" have started on , Vpid 512 Apid 640 and Vpid 513 Apid 641, Asian beam.

NEWS

Aaj Tak to stay all-Hindi channel for now

http://www.business-standard.com/ice/news5.asp?menu=1

Television news channel Aaj Tak has decided it will stay an all-Hindi channel for the moment.

?We believe there is an opportunity in English programming. There is enough scope for improving on what rival channels are doing, but we do not have any plans right now. The stress is on getting more viewership for Aaj Tak in its present form,” executive director and CEO of TV Today Network Ltd, G Krishnan, told Business Standard.

TV Today, part of the India Today Group, owns the Aaj Tak channel.

Aaj Tak had recently attempted to shed its “only Hindi” tag by airing a ten part series 25 Incredible Years, both in English and Hindi.

Announcing the series on August 30, editor in chief of the India Today Group Aroon Poorie had said that the company was planning English and regional language channels as part of its growth strategy. However, he had also said that the company was yet to finalise the time-frame in which the new channels would come up.

On starting regional channels or programming on Aaj Tak, Krishnan said: “We are not even looking at it”.

Krishnan said the current focus of the company was to maintain its leadership and improve on its programming based on feedback from viewers.

?The effort is to augment our news coverage, improve graphics and presentation and sharpen editing,” he said.

Aaj Tak, the Hindi channel launched by the company less than a year ago, now accounts for nine of the top 10 news programmes as per the TAM figures for the week ended November 3, Krishnan said.

.ven in terms of the four-week average of TAM ratings, Aaj Tak recorded the highest viewership and reach and accounted for 45 per cent of news channel share among viewers. We now reach 20 million viewers,” he said.

On advertisers’ interest in the channel, Krishnan said Aaj Tak caters to a much wider range of advertisers and carries commercials of products ranging from mass consumption items such as `masalas’ and undergarments to automobiles. Keeping in mind viewers’ requirements, the channel has now decided to limit commercial time to 12 minutes per hour, he added.

Craigs comment, since this channel is the number 1 Indian news channel I wonder why they havn't hopped onto Asiasat 3 for better coverage.

22/11/01

Mediasat on B3 were running the Cricket for a while this afternoon. I really enjoyed it until they switched things off. Tommorow I should be able to post the channel details of Saturn running on B1.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Chris Pickstock

B1 12356 V, Sr 6110 has a Test Card up. Interestingly it is labelled "Mediasat" Vpid 1160, Apid 1120. The Pids on my Integra changed all by themselves from the usual 308, 256. I didn't touch it.

Mediasat on B3, 12363V currently have some trotting on, and the Integra keeps switching itself off and restarting. Only on this frequency. Any clues anybody? Last week it was reported that Mediasat were trying new software.

B1 12367V, Sr 6110 has a test card up saying "Globecast, Foxsport Basketball"

From the Dish

Nothing to report.

NEWS

Austar parent is in default

From http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,3294273%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

AUSTAR United's parent company has defaulted on an interest payment on debt used to partly fund its Austar stake, highlighting its precarious financial position.

US-based UnitedGlobalCom (UGC), which owns 81 per cent of the regional pay TV group, has told the US Securities and Exchange Commission it could not make the first interest payment of $US34.5 million ($66 million) on the senior discount notes which was due last Thursday.

The news comes as Austar continues negotiations to roll over its $400 million debt facility by the end of December.

But an Austar spokesman said the issue of UGC's bonds was unrelated to the local company's refinancing negotiations.

However, the default yesterday prompted ratings agency Standard & Poor's to downgrade the notes to D from triple C.

"At the same time the ratings are removed from credit watch where they were placed on August 22, 2001," the agency said.

UGC's local subsidiary United Australia/Pacific issued $US488 million in bonds from 1996.

UGC said the notes had begun to accrue interest from May 15 this year and the first payment was due last Thursday.

"The company does not have enough cash to make this interest payment. Accordingly, the company will not make this interest payment," UGC said.

In another filing, the 10K document, it said that if it did not pay the amount within "30 days or more" the trustee can declare the amount payable.

"The trustee ... could initiate bankruptcy proceedings against the company, sue to recover the amount of the notes or take any other action available to creditors," the company said.

"Based upon current market prices, the value of the company's assets is significantly less than the amount of outstanding principal and accrued interest.

"While the company has sought financing from United, at this point the company believes it is unlikely United will make such a contribution."

UGC said it had engaged legal and financial advisers in relation to the matter and had received a letter from the trustee of the indentures confirming it was in default.

UGC is now believed to have entered discussions with the bondholders in an attempt to restructure the debt.

The thinly traded notes hit a year high of $US1.30 last December and hit a year low of US15c last Monday.

Austar's shares have recently been buoyed by takeover speculation and rose yesterday 1.5c to 31.5c.

ESPN Star Sports makes inroads in south east Asia

From indiantelevision.com

ESPN Star Sports recently signed its first-ever terrestrial carriage deals in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar with national broadcasters LNTV, TV5 and Mywaddy TV.

The deals will run for three years and include an agreement to air the English Premier League and other sports programmes. ESS has also concluded a carriage agreement with Vietnam's terrestrial national network, VTV3. Under this arrangement, VTV3 will broadcast, in addition to the English Premier League, exclusive ESS programs like the Asian X Games Qualifier in Malaysia in February 2002, the US X Games, the world's richest 5-a-side international football event Tiger 5s, and the CGU Asian Bowling Tour.

ESS programming was earlier available in the region through a combination of hotel and cable platforms, mainly to expatriates and tourists.

The EPL season began on August 18 2001, carried live on ESS' two channels, ESPN and Star Sports. This season, football fans across Asia will see 165 live games and over 1000 hours of EPL programming. In addition, there is a line-up of support news programming seven days a week, with a comprehensive menu of pre- and post-game analyses, predictions and information.

According to an official release, a potential 9.2 million viewers have been added to ESS's distribution figures, taking it up to a total of 79 million households on ESPN and 56 million households on Star Sports.

Craigs comment, Mywaddy is FTA on Asiasat 2 so maybe football fans will be in luck.

Satellite TV beams into more Chinese homes

From http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/bw/2001-11-20/44463.html

Domestic satellite television stations are capturing bigger audiences nationwide as a result of better programming and wider coverage, according to new research.

The third nationwide survey on the audience ratings of China's satellite TV stations by China Mainland Marketing Research Co (CMMR) found that by the end of August 57.8 per cent of national viewers watched TV via national cable networks, while only 36.3 per cent used antennas. The remaining families watched TV by other means, such as through networks within their housing estates, according to the survey of nearly 7,000 families from 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

Fourteen national and regional television satellite TV stations, including China Central Television (CCTV) 1, CCTV-6, CCTV-7, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan, each have potential audiences of more than 100 million people.

Among them, CCTV-1 can reach 1.08 billion viewers, CCTV-6 700 million and CCTV-7 640 million. The three CCTV channels increase their coverage by 10 million viewers every year.

Zhejiang leads the regional satellite stations by reaching a potential audience of 660 million people. Sichuan, Guangdong and Guizhou can reach more than 450 million people.

Since gradually connecting with satellites networks in 1989, regional satellite stations have extended their influence far beyond their provincial borders, and have reached a national audience over the past decade.

About 80 per cent of CCTV viewers are happy with the reception they receive via satellite, while the figure for provincial viewers is 60 per cent.

Most people (81.4 and 60.7 per cent respectively) said they enjoyed programmes on CCTV-6 and CCTV-7, while programmes on all the 11 provincial TV stations received support from more than half of those surveyed.

Among the 209 programmes on the 14 satellite TV stations surveyed, 86 (41.1 per cent) attracted an audience of more than 50 million people.

21/11/01

The chatroom was a lot of fun lastnight, good to see many in NZ joining in. Well worth joinng in and picking up all the juicy gossip on whats happening. Did someone say 4 new FTA Iranian channels? "Jame Jame" was one mentioned and something about German football coverage which should please a few soccer fans. I did eventually hook the Nokia up to have a look at Palapa C2, RCTI had a huge signal and I could get Channel News Asia as well. Its raining today so no chance to get out and make furthur adjustments. Two service loaded but didn't show a picture one a freq for RCTI and the other CNBC Asia which is listed with Channel News asia. On the analogue side Tv5 and TVRI are there also. No sign of any Verticals but thats more to do with needing to adjust the feed alignment. Also today I picked up another Dish (FREE) for the holiday home a 76cm with Sharp LNBF. I measured up the one I have been using its actually 65cm not the 60cm I thought it was. I will compare them later on.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Chris Pickstock 20/11/01

B1, 12357 V "Rove" Sr 5632, Fec 3/4
B1, 12367 V "Channel V" bus feeds continue here

From the Dish

PAS 8 166E 12410 H "Venus-Eye" has started, Sr 4410, Fec 5/6, Vpid 33 Apid 34.(This is a Japanese porno channel! The fec will make this one tricky obviously they are trying to limit the coverage area, They are using the North East Ku Beam. which I think is a little dodgy. Please report if you find any sign of this service)

NEWS

Sorry none for today

20/11/01

Livechat tonight 8.30pm Syd time and from 9 P.M NZ.

I have spent the day trying to get the dish moving. The 1st problem was the actuator I wired it corectly but for some reason some smoke came out the end (Don't laugh) I unconnected it all and cut a bit of excess wire off it seemed fine after that. The 2nd problem is one I have known about all along when we lifted the dish onto the pole (with mount already on the pole) in the rush we got the mount opposite to what it it should of been. So we need to lift the dish and flip it over. Hopefully will get that done once I find enough helpers. I have left it on Palapa C2 at the moment so I will hook the Nokia up later and see if I can get the digitals. Sorry not much else for today.

Sky NZ are running some services FTA again the same services as last time this happend see below.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Chris Pickstock

Mediasat on 12397 H

On B1, 12397 H, sr 7200, Network 7's usual feed freq, a channel loads titled "Mediasat". Vpid 1160, Apid 1120. Currently showing a Test Card with the words "Parker U14". Could be for the soccer tonight I guess.

From the Dish

PAS 8 166E 12726 H "test card" on , Vpid 522 Apid 650, is now in fta.

Optus B1 160E 12608 V The following currently FTA on SKY NZ
Sundance, JTV, Prime, Sky Boxing preview (this one running Sky promos) Sky
Sports Extra (Running a replay of the Boxing PPV Fight from Sunday)

JCSAT 3 128E 3960 V FTV, Hollywood Movie Channel, ETTV Movie, CTS, CTV and TTV are encrypted again.

NEWS

Disney to launch 24-hour Hindi pay channel

From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe20011120/efetop1.html

Winnie the Pooh, House of Mouse, Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens....are all getting ready to speak desi lingo and make an entry into your drawing rooms. Walt Disney, one of the biggest media and entertainment groups in the world, is planning to launch a 24-hour Hindi pay channel in India soon, perhaps around the new year, according to sources. This TV channel is expected to showcase the Disney portfolio of products and programming in their full glory.

The channel is being set up through a 100 per cent fully-owned subsidiary in India. The immediate investment proposed to be made in the Indian channel is around $30 million, said sources. In Asia, India will be the third market to be tapped by the Disney group, the other two being Hong Kong and Japan.

Even as no fresh investment is being made in the media and the broadcasting sector at this point, Disney is viewing India as a lucrative market.

Interestingly, this project is said to be close to the heart of Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Ms Swaraj had recently visited the Disney Studios in the US, and deliberations on this channel had been initiated during that trip itself.

The Disney proposal, which is in the process of being cleared by the Indian government, envisages setting up a studio for animation products, a theme park and a publication business related to Disney, besides the TV channel.

The channel, sources said, is being launched individually and not on any other broadcasting platform. Disney is also eyeing the radio and movie business. The annual turnover of the group is around $25.4 billion. It has presence in 40 countries around the world and employs 1,20,000 people in its several offices.

19/11/01

Some interesting stuff today a few feeds, new TARBS stuff (BOO HISS) and news of a new Satellite for the Pacific region. The India vs South Africa cricket feed is on Pas 2 (see below). Meanwhile I have been getting instructions on how to wire up my actuator (Don't laugh I know its simple stuff, but it's not like I can pop to the local shop if I fry anything)

From my Emails & ICQ

From Chris Pickstock

On Pas 8, 12729 H, sr 28067, 13 TV channels and 13 radio channels now load. All are showing on my unit as "Encrypted" except for one ( "CH55", Vpid 522, Apid 650 ) which is showing, surprise, surprise, a TARBS Card. I suppose with all these channels they keep snapping up they have run out of room on existing transponders and needed to get another. This frequency is the one that "Boomerang" used to occupy.

Craigs comment , Lyngsat reports this one today at 12726 H, one wonders what Tarbs has planned for this transponder

From Rolly Whitehead

Re: Leonids shower

In Tairua NZ (175.0E 37.0S) today I saw about 25 before 5:00am 19/11. At
45' elevation South east travel to South West. Peak was 5 within one
minute. - Rolly

From the Dish

Pas 2 169E 4148 V "Hong Kong Jockey Club Races" Sr 24430 Fec 2/3
Pas 2 169E 3776 ? "Baseball" Sr 5632 Fec 2/3 (Unconfirmed)
Pas 2 169E 3785 ? "Baseball" Sr 5632 Fec 2/3 (Unconfirmed)
Pas 2 169E 3892 V "Tennis Masters Cup" From Australia, no other details.
Pas 2 169E 3961 V "Cricket Ind vs Saf" Sr 5632 Fec 3/4, Vpid 308 Apid 256

PAS 8 166E 12726 H "13 test cards have started", Sr 28067, Fec 3/4, Pids 512/640-524/652.(More Tarbs stuff)

Sinosat 1 110.5E 4088 V "Golden Shopping Channel" has started on , Sid 5, Vpid 650 Apid 651.

Asiasat 2 100.5E 3984 V "Macau Grand Prix Feed" Sr 6111, Fec 3/4

NEWS

Tiny Pacific Nation Planning its Own Satellite

From satnewsasia.com

The tiny Pacific island of Niue intends to launch a geostationary communications satellite that it hopes will earn millions of dollars for this country of only 1,600 persons.

Prime Minister Sani Lakatani said the satellite project is part of a grand plan to have American-based partners launch the satellite and station it in a position approved by the International Communications Union.

The five-year project is estimated to cost around US$300 million with funding from American investors. Lakatani said the project “will not cost Niue anything.” Call centers to be staffed by half the nation’s 400 civil servants would be established on Niue to receive satellite communications.

Lakatani said his IT adviser in the United States was talking to people about the project, and he was soon to receive a report from this as yet unnamed adviser.

He said the intention was to lease out the Niue satellite. Niue expects to receive 35 percent of the profit derived from the satellites use. Lakatani is confident about the scheme’s viability. Lakatani said his interest in Niue having its own satellite was heightened in 1999 when he met John Rex Wood, his adviser in Sydney

Craigs comment, Very interesting I wonder what location they will use and where they will beam.

Isro readies for Leonid meteor showers

From indiantelevision.com

They're streaks of lights in the sky which make for a pleasant sight. But meteor showers are known to damage manmade satellites in their orbits. Bearing this in mind, Indian space agency Isro has braced itself for the Leonid meteor showers expected to peak on Sunday, 18 November, during their ongoing passage through Earth's orbit.

The government agency has taken steps to ensure its satellites' wellbeing when the showers reach their zenith between 2.30 PM and 3.30 PM and again between 10.30 PM and 11.30 PM on the weekend. Isro will temporarily suspend camera operations and the camera steering mechanism for its remote sensing satellites (IRS) which help meteorologists predict weather through satellite images. Solid state recorders will be off for about 10 hours.

It is taking precautions for its communications and broadcast satellites as well. The solar arrays of the Insat series of satellites will be positioned so that they present minimum surface area to the showers. The Gyros on board these birds will be kept continuously on to detect any disturbances due to impact. In case of any disturbances, the satellites will be brought back to their proper orientation using reaction control thrusters on board. ISRO has also kept designers of the various satellite subsystems on alert to help in taking contingency measures in case of any incident.

Leonid meteor showers are a result of the dust and debris left behind by the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which passes through the inner solar system every 33.25 years. The debris is burned off the comet's nucleus by a wind of charged particles that stream outward from the Sun. Most meteoroids are no larger than a grain of sand, that vaporize when they zoom through Earth's atmosphere at 260 times the speed of sound.

While the visual spectacle is a treat, in the form of 'shooting stars' lit brilliantly by the constellation Leo, they also have the potential to create havoc to satellites by pitting solar cells, optical surfaces and mirrors. Equipment could get damaged and thus send satellites spinning out of their geostationary orbits. The satellite's microprocessors are sensitive to the meteoroids. The plasma cloud can cause elcetrical circuits and short fuses or even ruptures. Even the momentum of the impact can throw a satellite off course.

IRS satellites are in the near earth polar orbits. According to the Isro, the probability of meteors hitting the IRS satellites is about 0.013 per cent and for INSATs, it is around 0.035 per cent. ISRO currently has five satellites in operation (IRS-1C, IRS-1D, IRS-P3, IRS-P4 and TES) in the Polar sun-synchronous orbits and five satellites (INSAT-2C, INSAT-2DT, INSAT-2E, INSAT-3B and GSAT-1) in the geo-stationary orbit.

The last time Leonids produced what astronomers call a storm was in 1966 when only a handful of satellites orbited Earth. This time round, hundreds of satellites are at risk, providing services ranging from pagers and television to weather forecasts. Predictions for the number of meteors per hour during this year's peak on 18 November range from 1,400 to 15,000, with Asia slated to see around 8000 per hour.

In 1999, the last year that a strong Leonids meteor shower was predicted, satellite operators effectively put many of their spacecraft into hibernation (turning off or minimizing data collecting and sending operations) while still maintaining critical services here on Earth.

NASA Space Flight Center's Bill Cooke has told media that the odds of a satellite being damaged during the peak hours of the Leonid meteor shower are between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 1,000. Cooke has indicated that at least one satellite could be significantly damaged during the entire storm which spans several days. The risk this year is five to 10 times greater than in 1999, Cooke said.

Leonid showers: No effect on Indian satellites

From http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/191101/detNAT24.asp

The first peak of the Leonid meteor showers in the solar system passed by on Sunday with no impact on Indian satellites in orbit. An ISRO spokesperson told the Hindustan Times in Bangalore that the satellites passed by the meteor showers at 2.30 this afternoon. "There were absolutely no problems," the ISRO spokesperson said.

The first peak was at 2.30 p.m. while the second is around 11.30 on Sunday night. The chances of the showers affecting any satellite is extremely remote, the spokesperson said. Apparently, the chances of any impact are just around 0.34 per cent.

However, as a matter of caution, the cameras on board the Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) were switched off for the day while the solar panels of the INSAT communication satellites were aligned so that the showers were parallel to the surface of the panels. "This way, we reduce the probability of anything untoward happening," the spokesperson said. The effect of switching off the cameras is minimal while communication satellites for all practical purposes continue to function normally. Around the world, all countries take such precautionary measures routinely during this time.

Already, Indian satellites in orbit have passed by the showers twice - in November 1999 and November 2000 - without any hassles.

New TV channel likely to go into trial operation on Dec 16

From http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/nov/18/18112001mt.htm#A8

A new TV channel named Inquilab Television (ITV), with provision for both satellite and terrestrial transmission is expected to go into trial operation on December 16 coinciding with the Victory Day.

ITV Chairman AMM Bahauddin told The Independent on Friday their channel would be a modern news and entertainment medium of international standard. It would cover the whole world through five satellites.

Side by side with fulfilling the entertainment needs of viewers it would uphold the ideals of Bangladeshi nationalism and Islamic values, said Bahauddin who is also the Editor, The Daily Inquilab.

The channel would air all programmes, local and foreign, and maintain a high technical standard, he said.

ITV has contacted Mark Tully, former South Asia Correspondent of the BBC and of Sirajur Rahman of the BBC, Bangla service to enlist their services to programmes, he said. The channel would operate for 24 hours.

ITV’s Managing Director Salahuddin Shoaib Chowdhury said viewers in Bangladesh and the rest of the world would be entertained with the latest movies from Hollywood and TV serials from world class producers.

ITV authorities are now installing their equipment at the Inquilab Bhaban at RK Mission Road. They have hired technicians from USA to run and maintain those.

T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 46/2001 November 18 2001 -

A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by Tele Satellite International

Editor: Branislav Pekic
Edited Apsattv.com Edition

AUSTRALIA

TALKS ON PAY-TV ALLIANCE

According to local press reports, the country’s number two and number three
pay-TV platforms are in talks about an alliance. Austar CEO John Porter and his
Optus counterpart John Anderson are reported to be in discussions that could
see their respective regional and metropolitan operations unite in a move that
will undermine market leader Foxtel. Foxtel sells programming to Austar and the
two companies jointly own the XYZ content company that makes or distributes six
channels carried on both platforms. In addition the potential loss of Austar's
435,000 subscribers from Foxtel's 750,000 total would limit Foxtel's
negotiating position with the Hollywood studios. Optus has 225,000 pay-TV
subscribers.

INDIA

BOMBAY COURT RULES IN FAVOUR OF CABLE SUBSCRIBERS

In a ruling which will favour cable TV subscribers, the Bombay High Court has
barred TV channels from switching off TV signals in case of payment default by
cable operators. The Bombay High Court has held that TV channels are not
necessarily entitled to cut off signals of pay-channels in case of payment
defaults, keeping in mind the interest of consumers or cable TV subscribers.
The court's decision is aimed at safeguarding the rights of the average TV
viewer. The ruling is part of an arbitration petition filed by ESPN Software
India against Mumbai cable network 7 Star Satellite Network.

STAR TV TO INCREASE CABLE RATES

Star TV will hike cable subscription rates from Rs30 to Rs42 per connection
from January 2002. As a result, cable subscription rates across the country
will go up by at least Rs25 to Rs40 per cable home, according to a report
published in the “Times of India”. Sony TV has recently become a pay channel
charging Rs20 (for Sony, Setmax, CNBC and AXN) and the Zee bouquet costs Rs30
to the cable operator. Turner package costs Rs11 and ESPN-Star Sports Rs16 in
addition to the Rs15 entertainment tax levied by the government. According to
Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea, only 6 million subscribers in the country share
the cost of 38 million cable homes.

NEW ZEALAND

TVNZ OFFERS DIGITAL SERVICE VIA CABLE

Television New Zealand has struck a deal with telephone and television provider
Telstra Saturn to offer a digital television service by cable, according to
?The New Zealand Herald”. TVNZ also plans to offer a satellite-based digital
service as an alternative, with Telstra Saturn and Sky being mentioned as
potential partners, and a decision is expected by Christmas. Television New
Zealand has paid $6 million for a slot on Australian telecommunications company
Cable & Wireless Optus’ B1 satellite which be used to deliver digital
television across New Zealand.

SKY ADDS BBC WORLD

DTH operator Sky has added the BBC World international news and information
service to its offering, effective from January 2002. The 24-hour channel will
form part of Sky’s basic tier. The pay-TV operator also said that it now has a
total of 439,000 subscribers, 290,687 of which are digital.

QATAR

AL JAZEERA PREPARES ENGLISH LANGUAGE CHANNEL
The Al-Jazeera TV channel is planning to launch an English language channel
early next year. Currently broadcasting in Arabic, the channel is seen by an
estimated 15 million viewers in the Middle East and central Asia as well as by
satellite subscribers in the west.

SOUTH KOREA

NEW JAPANESE-KOREAN CARTOON CHANNEL

A number of Japanese and Korean toon and toy corporations have united to launch
a new digital satellite animation channel, AniOneTV, for broadcast across
Korea. Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai and Daiwon C&A Holdings, the South
Korean outfit who own the character licences to Pokemon, Digimon and Dragonball
Z, have inked a deal to establish Daiwon Digital Broadcasting. The company has
also attracted investment from four other Japanese animation studios, namely
Toei Animation, Shogakukan Productions, Tokyo Movie Shinsa Entertainment and
Sunrise, alongside Bandai’s Korean subsidiary. Investment for the venture runs
at 5 billon won, with two-thirds coming from Daiwon C&A Holdings, Gina World
(Korea) and Bandai Korea, with the other Japanese companies supplying the
remaining 33%. DDB, which will be carried by Korean satellite broadcaster
Skylife, will commence full-scale broadcasting in December 2001. AniOneTV will
broadcast new animation and classics as well as amateur toons in an effort to
appeal to mainstream fans and aficionados.

18/11/01

Well the Leonids are supposed to Peak early Monday morning can you imagine the chaos if B3 was taken out of action? a quick shift to a temporary sat would be out of the question imagine all those thousands of dishs to repoint. I think that almost as bad would be for Pas 8 to be damaged. Wouldn't that be a disaster to all those Tarbs viewers. I guess they could jump to Pas 2 KU nothing much there on the Australia beam nowdays...

From my Emails & ICQ

From Bob Cooper

"There will be a signal interruption to CNNI and CNNfn on 18 November 2001
within the period 1900 - 2000 GMT (most likely to start at 19:05 GMT - which
will be November 19th at 8:05 AM in NZ). A scheduled maintenance exercise at
the California uplink operator (to PAS-8) is the cause of the scheduled
outtage; the interruption should last no longer than 5 minutes." (Note for
future reference: Contact for Globecast uplinker in California is
1-310-845-3800)

From Andrew Harrison 18/11/01

Rahman vs Lewis Boxing

LIVE FTA Indosiar on Palapa C2, Sunday Afternoon

Live Rugby

Australia VS England

I701 (180 degs) 3769 RHC half time score 40 - 0 to the Aussies - coff coff.
3rd round advertised as same place same time next week, channel 1 this BQ.
Also this BQ is the best bet for the Boxing today 12-1pm. Costa Tzyu fight
was here on channel 2 last week.

Rgds,
Andrew Harrison.

Craigs Comment, Thanks for the report, 701 reports are very welcome, I think it must of been rugby 7's from Durban with that kind of scoreline.

From John Harrison (no relation) 18/11/01

For those that are Able to Receive
The Rahman v Lewis Fight

Optus Aurora Bouquet
BTV 3 @ 12.55pm aedt

From Chris Pickstock 18/11/01

10.25 am SA time

B1, 12367 V "Channel V are again doing a live cross. Setting up equipment at the moment.same as last night".

From Chris Pickstock 17/11/01

5.25 pm SA time

B1, 12367 V "Live feed for "Channel V".Sr 6110 I think its some music awards.
it's a boomer of a signal. Looks like its at a concert
somewhere.

Chris

Craigs comment this was a powerfull signal heaps stronger than Sky NZ

From the Dish

Optus B3 156E 12313 H The Austar promo is currently FTA.

Asiasat 3 105.5E 12447 H "ChinaCast TV" has started , Sr 9766, Fec 2/3, Vpid 41 Apid 42

Asiasat 2 100.5E 12245 V "TsingHua Education TV" has started on , Sr 4100, Fec 3/4, Vpid 4194 Apid 4196.(Asia only)
Asiasat 2 100.5E 3640 H "Future TV USA has replaced BK 063 Sat" on , Sid 6, Vpid 517 Apid 645.

Yamal 102 90E 3524 L "Yuzhniy Region" is still on , Sr 4285, Fec 3/4, Vpid 308 Apid 256.

NEWS

Sorry nothing for today

26/11/01

Some interesting odds and ends for you all today. Some of you who are having virus trouble, I am sure they are not comming through the mailing list as I have disabled all attachments. Some virus scanners may be triggerd by the embedded html advert that the mailing list inserts but that should not be a problem. If you are not using a modern up to date scanner you only have yourself to blame for getting a virus. The main problem is people using older versions of Microsoft Outlook Express for emails this program has security fix/patches weekly thats how bad it is. I suggest anyone using an old version of this to upgrade to version 6 which has improved attachment handling. Or else use a different email program! %95 of most viruses come into the system via holes in Microsoft Outlook email client.

You can download the FULL Nortons antivirus 2002 from this site. (If you don't mind using a illegal version, If using Win XP I recommend only using the latest Nortons 2002 Antivirus older virus checkers do not work with XP!)

http://www.pulox.i-p.com/

Once there click "Mirror -1 U.S" down the bottom of the page

Several virus scanners available I recommend Number 6, Nortons Antivirus 2002

Click on it then you will have to click on mirror-1 on the next screen and it should start downloading (use a download util as its probably around 40 megs) Note its a RAR file so you may need winrar to unpack it.

After installing go through the options and set it up PROPERLY

SATFACTS PAGE updated

Article

Decoding Unencrypted Mpg 4:2:2 streams via the Nokia and your PC

1st If you don't already have a mpg 4:2:2 playback codec installed for Windows Media Player, install Ligos LSX-MPEG Player from http://www.ligos.com

2nd Use the well known "Dvb Recorder" Software and record the stream via scsii, (use the realtime mode). I recomend you shut any other open applications and have plenty of HD space to spare.

3rd When recording is finished playback using Windows Media Player! Newer version higher than Mediaplayer version 6.4 may already handle mpg 4:2:2 video, so try before installing the Ligos player

Note in this pic the stream was being played back scaled down to %50 (my current ancient video card chokes at anything higher) also the screengrab above has had a high amount of JPG compression applied (to compress for the site) but you can see the result a normally "unviewable" without expensive commercial 4:2:2 decoder can be examined and played back! there are limits though a very high SR, may not work this one was using SR 6110. Let me know if you have some success with this.

From my Emails & ICQ

From ANON

Unconfirmed report from a Tarbs installer:

Tarbs are currently having difficulties with their encryption system, resulting in (as we are already aware of), some channels being 'free' on C band for extended lengths of time.

Also unconfirmed at this stage, if you sign up for your 'language' you may be getting many more channels than what you are supose to be. This is being caused by problems with the encryption system, or as Tarbs put it in another polite way, "we are currently providing some extra channels at present, a sort of promotion if you like, just in case you should also understand Chinese, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Serbian, Greek, Turkish..................

How Kind and Sweet, we must all go and learn some more languages!

From Dave Ross

Palapa C2 3580 H Sr 26850 Fec 3/4

Its 12 channels from the MMBN network.
It is very week in Northern Aust.

This Transponder was used by Indovision, and was much stronger than MMBN signal.

(Craigs Comment, others report problems with this sat as well seems its on its last legs)

From Chris Pickstock 25/11/01

B3, Mediasat 12363V, Trotting from Kapunda, SA. Good signal, the power must be up again.

4.10 pm SA time

B3, 12336 V, "V8 Superstars" in 16:9 format

From the Dish

Optus B3 156E 12626 H TCM Australia has left..

Yamal 102 90E 3582 L "STS Ladya" has started , Sr 4295, Fec 3/4, Vpid 308 Apid 258.

NEWS

Maharishi channel to start Ku-band digital transmission next month

From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe20011126/con7.html

Maharishi Channel is switching over to Ku-band digital transmission, making it the first channel in India to use this technology. It will, however, continue to be a free-to-air channel.

The switchover to the Ku-band platform on EuropeStar satellite will be from December 15, sources said. The channel, however, will be available in the dual mode and cable operators will be allowed time to shift as it will continue on PanAMSat till February 28, 2002. The satellite covers India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

As broadcasters have not used Ku-band transmission in India, a lot of capacity is available. Though satellite providers are offering Ku band at reduced prices, broadcasters are reluctant to switch over as cable operators do not have the equipment. Earlier, government had banned Ku-band transmission. Broadcasters in India are currently using the C-band.

For a short time, Maharishi Channel is offering a special promotional price for a complete equipment package. Those who switch over to Maharishi’s Ku-band broadcast can receive a 25 per cent price reduction on digital satellite receiver, small dish antenna and LNB. All equipment comes with a full 12-month warranty for parts and service. The package includes a high quality digital receiver, Ku-band LNB, and 24-inch professional dish antenna. Maharishi Channel Cable Network is planning to start shipping equipment packages to cable operators.

The company plans to add new channels. Switching to Ku-band digital broadcasting will enable Maharishi Channel to expand the offerings. “Instead of offering just one channel, there will be a full bouquet of free-to-air channels,” the source said.

Ku-band transmission allows for very small dish antennas to be used for reception. “In America, Europe and Japan, these small dish antennas are especially popular with homeowners for their ease of installation and excellent reception. The highest power satellites in the world utilise the smallest dish antennas. In America, the dishes are 18 inches and Japan 14 inches. Maharishi Channel will be using dishes as small as 13 inches,” the source added.

Maharishi Channel is part of Maharishi Satellite Network, which broadcasts Maharishi’s vedic wisdom through a network of 10 satellites. It is available in 19 languages and reaches out to over 200 countries

T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 47/2001 November 25 2001 -

A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by Tele Satellite International

Editor: Branislav Pekic

Edited Apsattv.com Edition

A S I A

AUSTRALIA

ASIA GLOBAL CROSSING WINS SKY CHANNEL CONTRACT

Asia Global Crossing, the leading pan-Asian telecommunications services
provider, announced it will deploy an ATM service for Australia's National
Racing Broadcaster, Sky Channel. Sky Channel provides live and exclusive
telecasts of Australian and international horse and greyhound events using its
global broadcast network. Asia Global Crossing's ATM service will be delivered
using its dedicated global fibre network, enabling Sky Channel to provide
audiences with live transmission of Australian horse race meetings from its
premises in Frenchs Forest, Sydney to a re-broadcaster in Louisville, Kentucky
via a gateway in Los Angeles. Video, voice and data will be delivered on the
ATM backbone replacing Sky's traditional satellite delivery. The new dedicated
Sydney-Louisville ATM service replaces Sky Channel's satellite services which
are typically booked on an hourly rate and only offer simplex transmission
capacity. Dedicated fibre from Australia to the United States via Asia Global
Crossing is expected to reduce transmission costs and provide Sky with a
dedicated video duplex, audio and data transmission capability. Sky Channel
broadcasts approximately 41,000 live horse and greyhound races each year from
Australia. The new capability will launch in February 2002. Sky Channel
delivers its services within Australia via the Aurora platform on the Optus B3
satellite and a tailored service to domestic households via the pay-TV networks
distribution infrastructure. Sky Channel has international capacity on the
Thaicom 3 satellite to deliver its service across Asia, Europe, Africa and the
Middle East.

Internet - http://www.asiaglobalcrossing.com/index.htm

NEW ZEALAND

SKY SEEKS CABLE LINK-UP

Leading pay-TV operator Sky said it wants to utilize the country’s cable
networks to increase subscribers from their current 439,000. CEO John Fellet
told local press that telco Telecom will probably be one of Sky’s first
partners although no timescale was specified.

TAIWAN

PHOENIX DENIED BROADCAST LICENSE

News Corp.-backed Phoenix TV has had its application to broadcast its InfoNews
channel refused, according to local reports. The channel already airs on
Taiwanese cable networks and has been tacitly accepted by authorities, but they
are thought to be unhappy about the its content and Hong Kong-based Phoenix’s
links with mainland China. The DTH operator recently received approval to air
its Chinese Channel in certain parts of China.

A F R I C A

SOUTH AFRICA

CFN CLOSURE TO HIT DSTV SUBSCRIBERS

Carlton Food Network, DSTV’s popular food and drink channel, will no longer be
on local TV screens from the end of the month. The decision to terminate the
service came from the channel’s owners, Carlton Communications, said
Multichoice corporate affairs GM Lebogang Hashatse in an interview for
+usiness Day”. He said UK-based Carlton Communications was having “difficulty
with its business model” and the Food Network would cease broadcasting soon.
Hashatse added that many viewers were likely to be disappointed by the news
that the channel would no longer be broadcast. “It’s a very popular channel
with our subscribers,” he said. “We will be informing them of the changes
before the end of the month.”

25/11/01

More playing with my dish today managed to find PAS 8 ! Loaded up a whole lot of channels on H pol havn't got the V pol sorted yet. But I did have trouble with NTSC, my tv is NTSC compatible with both formats and works fine on Star Sports (Analogue receievr) but the Nokias NTSC output needs to drop way down the screen its quite scrunched up Perhaps I need to venture into the dreaded NTSC Expert menu. Loaing up the various channel muxs I can see I will have to do a lot of channel renaming.

From my Emails & ICQ

From "ZOR"

Some of the Arabic channels in the TARBS Asiasat 2 group (3640H)
are currently unencrypted:

ESC 1
Nile News
Nile Variety

From Chris Pickstock 24/11/01

1.10pm SA time

B1, 12326 H Sr 6980, BBC World currently showing
B1, 12317 H Sr 6980, CNN currently showing

Pas 8, 12726H Sr 28067 Thai TV5 is on FTA, Vpid 524, Apid 652

Chris

From Me 23/11/01

B3, 12336 V Mediasat Ocasional 2 "Kings Soccer match"

B1, 12357 V "EBU Oxford Falls" "NBL Basketball" MPG 4:2:2, Sr 6110 Fec 3/4 Vpid 308 Apid 256. This was in MPG 4:2:2 and yes I worked out how to show it on the Nokia!!! using scssi and streaming it off the pc!!!! more on this later!

From the Dish

Intelsat 701 180E 4086 L "RFO Tempo Tahiti, RFI" and the occasional feeds have left.(Looks like they havn't paid their Bills)

Agila 2 146E 3711 H "ABC 5" on (MPEG-2) is now fta.
Agila 2 146E 3736 H The test card has left (MPEG-2).
Agila 2 146E 3853 H "ESC 1" has started, S 3200, Fec 3/4, Vpid 4144 Apid 4145.
Agila 2 146E 4082 H "Ezmall Shopping" has started on, Sr 3200, Fec 3/4, Vpid 4144 Apid 4145.

Sinosat 1 110.5E 3720 V Occasional TVB feeds on Sr 5700, Fec 3/4.

Asiasat 2 100.5E 3640 H All TV channels here are currently .
Asiasat 2 100.5E 3994 V The occasional TVB feeds have moved here , Sr 5700, Fec 3/4.
Asiasat 2 100.5E 3951 H "The test card is now encrypted in Irdeto".

Insat 3B 83E 11575 H "Apnet"has started, SRr 2222, Vpid 4194 Apid 4195.(KU band use here is very new worth checking)

NEWS

Sky Channel speeds up live telecasts with ATM service

From indiantelevision.com

Asia Global Crossing (AGC) will deploy an ATM service for Australia's National Racing Broadcaster, Sky Channel.

The leading pan-Asian telecom services provider says the ATM network will deliver transmission at an access speed of 45 Mbps with a constant bit rate (CBR) of 8 Mbps. The new capability starts from February 2002.

Sky uses its global broadcast network to provide live and exclusive telecasts of Australian and international horse and greyhound events. The ATM service will enable Sky to provide audiences with live transmission of Australian horse races from its premises in French's Forest, Sydney to a re-broadcaster in Louisville, Kentucky via a gateway in Los Angeles. Video, voice and data will be delivered on the ATM backbone replacing Sky's traditional satellite delivery.

Sky Channel's satellite services only offer simplex transmission capacity. The new arrangement is expected to reduce transmission costs and provide Sky with a dedicated video duplex, audio and data transmission capability. Nearly 41,000 live horse and greyhound races are covered each year from Down Under on the channel. The company delivers its services within Australia to commercial customers through the Aurora platform on the Optus B3 satellite and offers a tailored service to domestic households via the Pay TV networks distribution infrastructure. It has international capacity on the Thaicom 3 satellite to deliver its service across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

AGC offers broadcasters uncompressed 270 Mbps television broadcast capability and provides transmission speeds up to 1.28 Tbps, while fully resilient hubs ensure automatic global re-routing capability.

EWTN channel to start on Pas 10, Q1 2002

From indiantelevision.com

Religious channels have been prospering on Indian television for the last couple of years. Aastha, Sanskar, etc Punjabi (with its Gurbani telecast), Maharishi Veda Vision and the MiracleNet are some of the channels which have made their debut. Now there's another waiting on the sidelines to make a foray: the Eternal World Television Network (EWTN) Global Catholic Network. The channel's management has announced that it will launch a television service for India in the first quarter of 2002. As part of the launch, EWTN will also expand the reach of its television service currently available in Africa.

According to EWTN president Michael Warsaw, the Network has reached an agreement in principle with PanAmSat to move its current Africa channel from the PAS 3 satellite to the recently launched PAS 10 spacecraft. With this shift, Warsaw says this move will not only allow EWTN's content to be seen and heard by more than 99 per cent of the Catholic population on the African continent, but will also make both its radio and TV service available to more than 10,000 cable television systems in India.

"Like the Apostle Thomas, who first preached the Gospel in India two thousand years ago," Warsaw notes "EWTN will soon bring that same message to new television and radio audiences throughout this vast region."

In a related move, EWTN has signed an agreement with satellite radio provider WorldSpace Direct Media Service to bring EWTN's multimedia content to personal computers throughout Africa and Asia. Says Warsaw: "EWTN is extremely pleased to once again be working at the cutting edge of technology by being able to offer our Internet content directly to the end users of the WorldSpace system."

EWTN has been in existence for than 20 years and telecasts to more than 70 million TV homes accross the globe. Its founder Mother M. Angelica, a Poor Clare nun, set up Our Lady of Angels Monastery in Irondale, Alabama, and then started creating mini-books with religious teachings. As these gained in popularity, she created a video series of her talks taped at a local Birmingham television station and followed this up with a television studio on monastery property in Irondale. That small TV studio has now evolved into a state of the art audiovisual complex funded totally by gifts from individuals and groups, and visited annually by thousands of pilgrims.

In 1992, her vision ever expanding, with contributions from the late Piet Derksen couple, Mother Angelica established the world's largest privately owned short wave radio station on a mountain top 20 miles from EWTN. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day in English and Spanish to areas of the world including those remote places not reached by television.

The heart of EWTN TV Channel is its show, Mother Angelica Live, hosted by Mother Angelica, which is broadcast before a live audience every Tuesday and Wednesday night. In addition, EWTN offers several live programs including the Daily Mass from the chapel in Irondale, Life on the Rock, a teen and young adult show with host Jeff Cavins, The Journey Home with Marcus Grodi and The World Over with news anchor Raymond Arroyo. The network also airs documentaries, weekly series hosted by leading Catholic theologians, coverage of Church events in the U.S. and abroad, seasonal music specials, the Rosary and other devotional prayer segments.

EWTN will be a free to air channel.

24/11/01

Sorry no update today, just have not had time.

23/11/01

There is a delay with the Saturn channel Details on B1. Hopefully I will have them in the next couple of days. Not much happening newswise today.

For those in Thailand after the BBC News feed

Pas 2 3941 V "BBC 1 NEWS Feed " Sr 6620, vpid 1460 apid 1420 text 8191 pcr 1460, sid1, pmt 5001

From the Dish

Express 9 103E 3675 R "Radio Moscow" has started on : 7.92, 8.10, 8.65 and 8.82 MHz.New frequencies for Radio Junost and Radio Mayak: 7.50 and 8.28 MHz.

ST 1 88E 3632 V "CTS" has New PIDs Vpid 2081 Apid 2082.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3585 V "Star Vijay and Channel Nepal" have started on , Vpid 512 Apid 640 and Vpid 513 Apid 641, Asian beam.

NEWS

Aaj Tak to stay all-Hindi channel for now

http://www.business-standard.com/ice/news5.asp?menu=1

Television news channel Aaj Tak has decided it will stay an all-Hindi channel for the moment.

?We believe there is an opportunity in English programming. There is enough scope for improving on what rival channels are doing, but we do not have any plans right now. The stress is on getting more viewership for Aaj Tak in its present form,” executive director and CEO of TV Today Network Ltd, G Krishnan, told Business Standard.

TV Today, part of the India Today Group, owns the Aaj Tak channel.

Aaj Tak had recently attempted to shed its “only Hindi” tag by airing a ten part series 25 Incredible Years, both in English and Hindi.

Announcing the series on August 30, editor in chief of the India Today Group Aroon Poorie had said that the company was planning English and regional language channels as part of its growth strategy. However, he had also said that the company was yet to finalise the time-frame in which the new channels would come up.

On starting regional channels or programming on Aaj Tak, Krishnan