28/10/03

Livechat tonight 9pm NZ and 8.30pm Syd time in the chatroom, Hopefully a bit busier than last time. I think Eastern Aus has moved to Daylight savings time now?

From my Emails & ICQ

From John McDermot

B1 12348V Sr 6667 Australian Idol feed

From SIAMGLOBAL

Subject: INNOVIA

DEAR MR SUTTON,

THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THE INNOVIA TEST TODAY. SEEMS IT WAS A GOOD THING I EMAILED YOU / MR COOPER ABOUT THIS MODEL AT A TIME YOU ONLY KNEW OF THE COSHIP. I HAD BOUGHT THE BOX IN SINGAPORE FROM WAVELENGTH COMMUNICATIONS , SIM LIM SQUATE FOR A LITTLE OVER A S$100 ! THE MODEL TYPE THEY HAD WAS THE ASIAN ONE AND I RECOMMENDED A SKEW AND 12V CONTROL WHICH NOW SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ADDED.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY USING THE BOX WHICH IS A BOON FOR US IN ASIA PACIFIC. IT IS WORTH REMEMBERING THAT IN EUROPE SUCH BLIND SEARCH MODELS ARE OF VERY LITTLE INTEREST EXCEPT TO DX'ERS AS THERE ARE MANY MANY THOUSANDS OF CHANNELS AND FINDING A FEW MORE IS OF NO CONSEQUENCE. THAT IS WHY YOU WONT SEE THE INNOVIA OR COSHIP ADVERTISED IN WHAT SAT MAGAZINE. HERE IN ASIA PACIFIC IT IS A DIFFERENT STORY !

SINCERELY, SIAMGLOBAL

From Colin T

Thai TV Channel - Pas8 - UPDATE

It would seem that my ability to read Thai is not what I expected.

The 6 month contract is not in Thai Bhat but in Japanese yen!

So 20000 yen works out to be about $45.00 Australian dollars per month.

As for what is on offer, that is still a mystery.

My wife says that they are offering TGN, with an option for one or all of
the local Thai TV channels, at a cost. What that cost is, we don't know.

The service is aimed at Thai's living in Japan, as Craig surmised.

As for the validity of the venture, I don't know. My wife, Ravatip, said there is something on the signup form, about discounts, if they get enough
subscribers.

Clear as mud I know.

Regards
Col
(aka VK2TRC)

From the Dish

Optus B3 156E 12531 V "Radio Greece" has started , Fta APID 1822.

ST 1 88E 3459 V "The TBL TV" mux has left .

NEWS

Foxtel snares $550m digital war chest

From http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/27/1067233095722.html

Foxtel has answered concerns over how it plans to finance its digital television rollout, yesterday announcing a $550 million syndicated facility with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and ABN Amro.

The pay TV operator - which is 50 per cent owned by Telstra and 50 per cent split evenly between News Corp and Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd - said the arrangement would put it on track to launch digital cable and satellite services to subscribers before July next year.

That rollout does, however, have one more hurdle to overcome, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission yet to decide on what third-party access should be available to the new digital platform.

Foxtel's announcement follows a story in the The Australian newspaper yesterday that said the pay TV group had missed its mid-October deadline to arrange the financing and would have ask its three shareholders to fork out the money.

The story also asserted that Foxtel's digitalisation still needed approval from the ACCC over its content sharing deal with Optus. But a statement from Foxtel yesterday said that the content supply agreement had received approval in November last year.

Foxtel's head of corporate affairs, Mark Furness, said yesterday's deal ensured Australians would be watching digital TV in the first half of next year.

"We're a subscription business. What we're about is offering extra channels and interactivity to our customers," he said.

"The important thing today is that we've got that mandate from these two major banks to be able to do just that."

Foxtel has frequently stated the digital rollout would cost $600 million, a small amount of which has already been invested in new infrastructure.

The bulk of the new financing will be used to replace Foxtel's old analog set-top boxes with new digital ones, which will initially allow viewers to select from nearly 100 new channels. In addition, Foxtel needs to install a "return path" from each of their subscribers' homes to allow it to launch interactive TV services.

Part of the remaining finance will be used to build a digital television centre in Sydney.

Family defy council's satellite dish edict

From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyID=3531023

The Chen family, of Howick, have been told their free-standing satellite dish needs a resource consent or must be taken down.

The Chen family have a cure for homesickness - Chinese TV programmes.

Since moving from China to suburban Howick (Auckland, NZ) 15 months ago they have watched news, sport, entertainment - everything and anything as long as it's in their Mandarin language - beamed in via satellite from Mainland China and Hong Kong.

But their joyous television sessions are numbered. The big black satellite receiving dish in their backyard has landed them in trouble with neighbours and Manukau City Council.

The council is asking the Environment Court to force Keen Chen and his wife, Ye Fang, to get a resource consent for their free-standing dish or take it down.

Mounted on a mast, the dish of steel and mesh is 2.5m in diameter and about 4m high - enough to protrude above boundary walls with neighbouring homes.

It is one of a score that sprout from back lawns in the city's sprawling eastern suburbs.

At $1500 to $3000 each, the dishes are positioned to face west to pick up programmes via the satellites Palapa C2, Asia Two and Asia Three.

Dish installers say clients crave free-to-air screenings from their native China, Malaysia, India, Iraq, Iran and Egypt - and most are news junkies. But the big black dishes are a blot on the landscape to some.

The Chens' dish is raised on a mast to compensate for its level site. Most other dishes lie on an angle, so they are not so conspicuous above 2m-high fences.

Neighbours complained to the council when the Chens' dish appeared last year.

But consultant engineer Leo Sim, of Protocol Services, Pakuranga, said the firm obtained a building consent from the council before work began.

The council had said the dish would be treated as an "accessory building" for a building consent - as long as it was under 4m in height. Therefore, it would not need a resource consent.

Mr Sim said the council changed the rules when its District Plan was introduced in October. The change means big free-standing dishes are a "network utility device" which require a resource consent, the neighbours' blessing and screening of the dish with shrubs or fencing.

In January, the council told the Chens they needed to get a resource consent too - or remove the dish.

The dish remained on the Chens' back lawn, said Mr Sim, because the council was being unreasonable in changing its mind after saying a building consent was all that was needed.

Manukau City Council officer Dhirendra Singh said the need for a resource consent gave the council the opportunity to assess environmental effects and be satisfied accident hazards were properly considered. He confirmed the hearings committee had authorised legal proceedings against the Chens.

Keeping the dish was in breach of the District Plan requirements and did not comply with an abatement notice issued in January.

Mr Singh said the building consent was issued under the Building Act, but should also have met the District Plan resource consent requirement before installation occurred.

The council's lawyers believed enforcement action could be taken if the requirement to obtain a resource consent was not indicated on the building consent plans.

Mr Singh said no other owner of a similar size dish faced legal action.

(Craigs comment, I think the council have no show I bet the whole issue gets quietly resolved as is the usual with this type of thing, hmm I wonder if the Chen family would like my 3.7M ...)

Peter Griffin: One box to rule them all

From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=technology&thesubsection=&storyID=3531044

If the IT and telecommunications sectors have learned anything in the last decade it's that open standards and universal access increase the size of the pie for everyone. We've seen it in the PC market, where thousands of manufacturers and developers make thousands of hardware and software products that, by and large, talk the same language.

We've seen it in the mobile phone industry, where the universal backing of open standards for mobile network equipment and the corresponding handsets has seen the mobile phone become one of the most pervasive fashion accessories in the world. It's as simple as popping your Sim card out and buying a new one in your destination country, or taking advantage of international roaming agreements.

Where you go, your phone and PC can go too and a host of network operators, internet providers and application servers will be waiting for you, eager to take your credit card number.

Such universality is still missing from TV sets and DVD players. The TV world is divided into NTSC and PAL (the former an inferior standard backed by the US).

The DVD world is still carved up by zoning, which fulfils the copyright demands of the film industry, but will eventually disappear as the industry shifts increasingly to launching cinema and DVD releases at the same time worldwide to counter piracy.

The lack of open standards is a shame because the set-top box is the key to the future of home entertainment - the gateway to our viewing, browsing and listening pleasure.

In the next few years we'll discover that the set-top box will be the hub through which all of the electronic content we indulge in - television, movies, digital radio stations, high-speed internet, telephony and gaming - is delivered to us.

It will have a built-in hard drive for recording content, an electronic programming guide, a high-speed internet connection and wireless transceiver (possibly wi-fi) for talking to your computer and TV or other appliances in other rooms.

But the key advance is that it will be open to all-comers - so that the same box can be used to receive content from any number of pay TV operators or internet providers who will compete fiercely to win your subscriber dollar. Ditching your pay TV operator will be as easy as switching smart cards and cancelling your old subscription.

This already happens to some extent in Europe and the US. Set-top boxes are fairly standard things these days. After all, they have to communicate with the same set of satellites and terrestrial towers and decode broadcast content in a routine way.

But pay TV services are still characterised by commercial arrangements that lock users into a single-supplier relationship. That's especially true of New Zealand, where we have only one major pay TV provider - Sky.

More than half a million New Zealand homes already boast a TV set-top box provided by Sky. The box receives Sky and Sky only. About 6000 people own a third-party set-top box that, via digital satellite, can pick up TV One, 2 and a promo channel showing World Cup rugby games.

Sky has not yet agreed to have its content received on boxes supplied by third parties. It encrypts its signal to protect that happening. It's a monopoly on supply that Sky jealously guards.

But with New Zealand in the midst of deciding its path to digital television and a range of satellite operators eyeing New Zealand, the time is ripe for an open box to hit the market.

It might be a box you can pick up in Dick Smith or Harvey Norman, and set up yourself - similar to Telecom's "Jetstream-in-a-box" where you install your broadband modem and the phone line filters yourself, or the new self-install wireless modems from Woosh.

The issue with pay TV operators such as Sky TV is that we as customers never gain ownership of the box that receives the content from the satellite. In effect we are merely renting it from Sky.

That arrangement is going to change. As the digital gateway to the home, the set-top box will be coveted like the stereo or the DVD player. Users will want ownership of it and to be able to take their box with them as they switch pay TV operator.

Sign up to Sky if you wish. But also have the choice of sticking to a few free-to-air, publicly digitally broadcast channels instead. Or, through the same box, hook up to Austar or whoever else feels it worthwhile in the future to swing a beam over New Zealand and take on Sky's pay TV monopoly.

Shin Satellite said last week it would offer broadcasters transponder space alongside bandwidth for high-speed internet access, video-conferencing and voice over internet protocol - calls that can by-pass Telecom's network. It will invest $15 million in New Zealand setting up an earth station.

With open set-top boxes capable of picking up Sky content, new Sky converts would have the option of buying a Sky decoder or a universal box ready to receive anyone open for business in the terrestrial or satellite broadcast, or internet space.

There is no shortage of set-top box vendors itching to get into this market. Now the case for an open, universal set-top box has to be pushed and Sky has to come along for the ride - with regulatory prodding if necessary.

Invisible satellite dishes to preserve Athens skyline

From http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEMV8S7O0MD_index_0.html

Rooftop satellite receivers can look out of place with the historic surroundings of ancient cities. In the first-time participation with ESA, a Greek company is working to solve this.

The project is to develop a kind of satellite receiver known as a planar array. Unlike more commonly seen parabola-shaped dishes, planar arrays pick up less interference from other satellites. Another feature is their square, flat shape.

Low-visibility is a major concern in Greece; unsightly satellite dishes would sit uncomfortably alongside historical cityscapes and ancient Hellenic architecture. The first step to achieving this was to reduce the size of planar arrays to 36 cm in diameter.

The flat design means the antennas are easier to camouflage. The structure offers users the opportunity to apply colourful covers that help satellite equipment blend in to the surroundings. Designs being considered include house bricks, clouds or even a cat. The final product would be a suitable solution for areas where restrictions exist for satellite installation.

The company behind the new antenna design is Athens-based Attisat. Greece became a cooperating partner of ESA several years ago. The agreement means the country can submit projects and benefit from funding. Though not yet a full member state, the country would definitely benefit from satcom related activities.

Currently, mainly terrestrial networks are in use. This can be problematic as Greece has thousands of islands and a large portion of isolated mountainous areas, making land connections difficult to be implemented and maintained. Furthermore, the mainland is prone to earthquakes, often disrupting or destroying terrestrial networks.

The launch in July 2003 of Hellas-Sat, Greece's first satellite will do much to resolve these issues. Hellas-Sat is a high-powered satellite able to transmit to small antennas such as the one being developed by Attisat.

Though currently with much unused capacity, Hellas-Sat and projects such as Attisat's will help make more content available to Greek end-users. Current programming is geared mainly towards non-Greek speakers and tourists. With the Olympic games beginning in Athens in 2004, this content is going to be very important, but long-term satcom will require it to be Greek.

The design review has taken place this month and specifications for the project are currently under review.

Zee, Star take a lead on DTH

From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=254552

NEW DELHI: Zee group, that has invested heavily in its direct to home (DTH) service, and Star, expected to work out its Indian partnership with the Anand Bazar Patrika Group shortly, may get a lead start over Prasar Bharti’s project that is now expected to begin only next March.

This is mainly because the earth stations needed for the purpose are still in the process of being set up. STAR’s partnership deal to fufill foreign investment cap guidelines is expected to be tied up next month.

Sources in I & B ministry said the STAR proposal has been sent to the Union home ministry for security clearance. Pending DTH, Prasar Bharati still has some advantage in that the KU-band project will help it reach remote areas.

Through this mode, 20 Doordarshan and 10 private channels — which are available on the free-to-air mode — can be in operation, unlike private players like Zee — that will have pay channels as well. The government estimates a total capitalcost of Rs 53.80 crore, a revenue non-recurring expenditure of Rs 2.25 crore and a revenue recurring cost of Rs 108.30 crore for the DTH project, which will cover 20 % of remote areas that keep 10% of population outside the TV’s pale.

27/10/03

A Holiday today I wasn't going to do an update but I decided I needed to clear out a few items before they got "stale" As you can see from above I have been playing with adding a search to the site. I don't think its what I am after though as I think it only searches pages from my site that Google has already archived, so not very current! Also new on the left side menu is an Articles section. The first article is Roy Carmans review writeup about the new Innovia Blindsearch receiver. He has reviewed 3 Blindsearch units and called the Innovia the best of the 3. Speaking of Innovia mine should turn up Tuesday or Wednesday.

If you don't see the Articles link on the left, try holding CTRL and click on refresh in your browser.

Tarb's under investigation for Broadcasting the Al-Manar channel? link below.

http://www.aba.gov.au/tv/investigations/projects/al-manar/terms_ref.pdf

Newly updated Coship units coming soon???

From my Emails & ICQ

From Bill Richards 26/10

Asiasat 2

0825 UTC

3946V SR 6110, FEC 3/4, Vpid 308 Apid 256 SID1 "Asian Reuters Feed AFC Asian Cup China 2004"

FTA

Regards
Bill

From Steve Hume

GLOBECAST AUCKLAND Feed

Panamsat 2
3955v
6620KS/s
3/4

Looks like yet another 4.2.2. feed. Lets hope someone comes up with a 4.2.2. STB soon.

NEWS 24x7
Steve Hume

From Me 26/10

B1, 12367V Sr 6620 Fec 3/4 "NBL Basketball" feed

From Colin T

RE Thai TV Channel - Pas8

Hi Craig...

From my limited Thai, it looks like the Thai TV Channel is going to be a
subscription service, offering TGN, Channels, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, ITV, and The
Nation Channel (English I think).

The price for subscription is pretty high, around $150.00 Australian per
month (6 month contract).

I'll show the flyer to my wife, who is Thai, and see if she can tell us
more.

Regards and Sawadee Krup Khun Craig

Col
(aka VK2TRC)

(Craigs comment, from what I heard of it this will be a Thai channel for Thais living in Japan)

From the Dish

PAS 8 166E 12393 H Occasional KTV feeds on , SR 4410, FEC 3/4.

JCSAT 2A 154E 12436 H "A JCSAT 2A test card" has started, Fta, SR 3100, FEC 3/4,PIDs 32/33.
JCSAT 2A 154E Occasional Keirin feeds on 12318 V and 12331 V, SR 4820, FEC 3/4.

JCSAT 1B 150E 12473 H Occasional AGN feeds on , SR 5273, FEC 3/4.

Sinosat 1 110.5E 4106 V "Dragon TV has replaced SBN", Fta, SR 6200, FEC 2/3, PIDs 1110/1211. (Can be received in Australia on good dish,also via Asiasat 2)

AsiaSat 2 100.5E 4020 V A Dubai Al-Quran Al-Kareem info card has started Fta, PIDs 32/33.

NSS 6 95.5E 11543 V A New Skies promo has started, Fta, PIDs 1537/1538.
NSS 6 95.5E 12688 VA New Skies promo has started Fta, PIDs 1537/1538.

Yamal 102 90E NTV (+0h) has left 3532 L, replaced by an Altai test card.

Intelsat 709 85.2E33 Test cards have started on 11486 V, 11542 V and 11610 V, SR 36000,FEC 1/2, mainly Videoguard, PIDs 512/650-524/662, Hong Kong beam. (Craigs comment, this could be a good DX target with a low Fec rate and spot beam that's sure to cover more than Hong Kong.)

Insat 2E 83E 3918 V "Occasional DD feeds" on , PIDs 513/660.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3585 V "SS Music" has left , replaced by a test card.

NEWS

Telecom quits SkyTV

From http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

Independent Newspapers' takeover for Sky TV opened on Friday and Telecom immediately accepted the cash and shares offer for its 10 per cent stake.

But Sky's independent directors, John Hart and Barrie Downey, advised minority shareholders not to sell until they considered the report of independent adviser Deloitte Corporate Finance, which would be mailed on Wednesday.

INL is offering $3.35 in cash for each Sky TV share, plus three INL shares for every 10 Sky TV shares.

INL executive chairman Ken Cowley said the offer would close on December 5.

After buying the Telecom shares, INL owns 78.2 per cent of Sky TV.

Foxtel bank talks falter

From http://finance.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7679717%255E462,00.html

PAY-TV group Foxtel has missed its mid-October deadline to arrange the $600 million financing of its digital rollout, raising the likelihood of its shareholders funding the new technology.

Foxtel, 50 per cent owned by Telstra and 25 per cent each by Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd and News Limited, had told investment bankers it wanted the non-recourse deal closed by mid-October.

The pay-TV company, which has held talks with the Commonwealth Bank and ABN Amro, was hoping to secure the funds which would be used to upgrade its service from analogue to digital pay-TV transmissions.

That was expected to spark a major overhaul of the business, with the channel line-up initially expanding to 120 channels and the provision of new services such as video on demand and greater viewer interactivity.

Apart from haggling over the financing terms, issues being cited for the delay include doubt that digitising Foxtel will ensure its profitability, and the banks' wariness of non-recourse financing after Telstra was accused of bullying syndicate banks over the terms of a refinancing deal on a $US1.5 billion ($2.15 billion) loan to its Asian subsidiary, Reach.

If the non-recourse financing is not agreed - non-recourse means the banking syndicate wears all the liability - Foxtel's shareholders will have to stump up the funds.

That would oblige 50 per cent owner Telstra to spend an extra $300 million over the three-year rollout period, and $150 million each from PBL and News (publisher of The Australian).

A spokesman for Foxtel declined to comment on the issue.

In August, Publishing & Broadcasting chief executive Peter Yates said that negotiations were well advanced.

While the deal had not yet been completed, "within the next few weeks we're likely to make a statement about the progress", Mr Yates said at the time.

Further complicating proceedings in the negotiations is the fact that Foxtel still requires final approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for its content-sharing deal with Optus.

Foxtel has said its digitisation is contingent on final approval of that deal, and in particular gaining an exemption to the Trade Practices Act's access pricing regulations.

Earlier this month, the ACCC issued a draft report on the issue, saying some changes were required.

Submissions on that report were due on Friday, but have yet to be made public.

But The Australian has learnt that the ACCC has obtained a second extension of the time required to make a decision.

In July, it warned Foxtel's shareholders that it could not decide the issue in the legislated six-month time frame and sought a three-month extension.

But two days after releasing its draft report earlier this month, it notified shareholders that it had gained another three-month extension.

That could theoretically mean Foxtel will not have a final decision until January.

But ACCC general manager of telecommunications Michael Cosgrave said that the ACCC "hoped to be making a decision before then".

He said the decision was taking longer than expected as it was the first to be made under the act's new access exemption provisions.

China pushes toward digital TV

From http://news.ninemsn.com.au/Sci_Tech/story_52702.asp

AP - Pushing digital television, China plans to end traditional analog broadcasts in 33 major cities by the end of 2005 and start delivering 120 digital channels by satellite, a news report said Monday.

China's government has been trying to encourage the development of digital television, driven in part by hopes of creating its own technology that can be sold abroad.

Beijing has already launched three digital cable channels on a trial basis, the China Daily newspaper said, adding that 33 cities have been designated as test sites for digital broadcasts.

The report didn't specify which cities would be affected, or how analog TV users would be accommodated when analog broadcasts end.

Traditional analog television uses radio wave signals, but digital TV uses the language of computers, allowing for sharper pictures and sound.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television plans to create 30 digital pay-TV channels this year, the newspaper said, citing Zhang Haitao, the administration's deputy director.

The agency hopes to sign up 30 million digital subscribers by 2005, the newspaper said.

However, the report said the target date for the end of analog broadcasts might be extended, due to China's slow pace of digital television development.

"The timetable for closing analog television broadcasting is likely to be prolonged," it quoted He Gongming, an official in charge of Beijing's digital cable development, as saying.

T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 41/2003 26 October 2003 -

A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by TELE-satellite International
Editor: Branislav Pekic

Edited Apsattv.com Edition

A S I A & P A C I F I C

EBU RENEWS LONG-TERM SATELLITE LEASE

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has renewed long-term lease agreements with Asia Satellite Telecommunications (AsiaSat) to use C-band capacity on AsiaSat 2. The EBU uses the AsiaSat 2 capacity to transmit regular and ad hoc live video contribution feeds for its members and customers between Asia, Australasia and Europe through its Eurovision Network.

ARAB SATELLITE TV CHANNELS LOSS MAKING

The Arab world remains mostly tuned to free to air satellite TV channels broadcasting mainly from Egypt, UAE and Lebanon, according to a specialist report published October 23. Satellite pay-TV is still a niche market with no more than 1.5 per cent of Arab households subscribing, said the Arab Advisors Group (AAG), a telecom and media consultancy based in Jordan. Although 50 per cent of the Arab satellite stations are loss making, according to Jawad Abbassi, president of AAG, the four pay-TV operators in the region compete for an estimated $160 million in subscription revenues. "Free to air satellite television has been a boom for the satellite audience because they have a major choice and it has become cheaper, but the profitability of satellite stations is in doubt, especially news-based ones," Abbassi said. The bulk of the market is shared by Showtime and Orbit, with the remainder split between ART and ADD, according to Abbassi. The major audience comes from North Africa, followed by the Gulf, and the Levant, with the majority of advertising focused on the Gulf market. Gross advertising revenue in the region does not exceed $250 million, according to Abbassi, and as a result companies are trying to diversify into telecom-based revenues, mostly mobile short messaging services.

BBC WORLD VIEWERSHIP UP BY 15%

The seventh Pan Asia Cross Media Survey (PAX) has found that BBC World experienced an increase of 15 per cent in its audience within Asia, the fastest growth for any international news or business channel. BBC World claims to be nearly 60 per cent ahead of CNBC in terms of reach among business decision-makers. The channel has enjoyed particularly large growth in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hong Kong and Taipei. Findings show that more than 24,000 'top management' in Asia tune in to BBC World either every day or almost every day, according to an official statement from the BBC. Among the ten largest international channels in Asia-Pacific, BBC World's audience includes the highest proportion of frequent business travellers (34 per cent), business decision-makers (27 per cent) and business opinion formers (35 per cent).

CHINA HONG KONG

NDS TO DELIVER DIGITAL TV NATIONWIDE

NDS Group on October 21 announced that the NDS VideoGuard conditional access system passed the final acceptance test procedure (FATP) of CCTV China Satellite Television Transmission Center (CSTTC), and the system is in operation to deliver digital and encrypted TV broadcasts from CSTTC to China's provincial and regional headends. The successful test proved the NDS conditional access (CA) system met all of the rigorous standards set down by CSTTC. The FATP is a major milestone in the contract between NDS and CSTTC, signed in February 2002. NDS VideoGuard replaces the previous system with a DVB compliant, open standards system. As utilized by CSTTC, NDS VideoGuard CA enables reception and viewing of a bouquet of CCTV channels. Using NDS technology the viewing cards have been authorized and will be distributed to over 95% of China's provincial and regional headends who broadcast to over 200 millions viewers. NDS VideoGuard is uniquely able to support such a large-scale broadcasting network. The CCTV channels included in this encrypted broadcast include CCTV 3, 5, 6 and 8 as well as the CCTV news channel.

Internet - www.cctv.com

http://www.nds.com/

SHANGAI PLANS NEW ENGLISH TV CHANNEL

According to the “South China Morning Post”, Shanghai plans to set up an English-language television station, probably late next year. The move is part of reforms to the city's tightly controlled media sector. The Shanghai Media Group, the city's near-monopoly television broadcaster, is believed to have started seeking more staff in anticipation of the launch, although it has yet to announce a formal plan. Industry officials said on October 23 that moves towards setting up the station had faced some opposition from state broadcaster China Central Television, which operates the mainland's only nationwide English channel, CCTV9. Shanghai's English station could bring more competition for both advertising revenue and viewers, depending on the geographical scope of its broadcasts. The group aims to beam the English channel nationally and even internationally. Shanghai Media Group has just rebranded its satellite channel, Shanghai Broadcasting Network, which previously aired some English-language programming. The group launched the new Dragon TV channel recently. Shanghai started its 24-hour satellite channel in 1998. Dragon TV said on its web site that its programming could now be seen domestically as well as in Japan, Australia and Hong Kong, with plans to expand to North America. Some English programming will still be carried on Dragon TV before the launch of an independent English channel under the group. Shanghai Media Group owns the city's two major broadcasters, Shanghai Television Station and Shanghai Oriental Television.

FASHION TV ON HK BROADBAND

The International fashion-dedicated TV channel, Fashion TV has now begun its operation on Hongkong cable and broadband TV. The channel that broadcasts in over 132 countries will now welcome an additional 300,000 new homes in the strategic fashion and trading center of Asia. FTV will focus further on the development of models and fashion in Asia. With a reach over 500 million viewers, Fashion TV is the first and unique channel dedicated to fashion, beauty and lifestyle.

DIGITAL TV TRIALS LAUNCHED

In line with plans announced a short while ago, a digital television channel featuring fashion, cosmetics and etiquette will start a nationwide trial operation on 11 November in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province. Another seven pay channels based in Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, and in Liaoning and Shangdong provinces will start at the same time. China plans to sign up 30 million digital TV subscribers by 2005 and stop providing analogue signals by 2015. It is also expected that high-definition TV programmes of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics will be transmitted to the world. China now has 370 million TV sets and more than 1.2 billion TV viewers. At present, most Chinese TV stations are only capable of transmitting a maximum of 50 TV channels simultaneously. Digital TV will be able to provide up to 500 channels.

INDIA

DISH TV SIGNS UP 15,000 SUBSCRIBERS

ASC Enterprises, India's first company to launch DTH service Dish TV, has signed on 15,000 subscribers in less than three weeks. The KU-band service is being offered for $87 for the equipment, including a set-top box, and $2.2 a month for a basic bouquet of 48 channels comprising group company's Zee and free-to-air channels. The network recently launched Premier Cinema for new Hindi films, Smile TV - a comedy channel, and Care TV. The company is planning to target viewers in rural and semi-urban Indian households where only state-owned terrestrial network Doordarshan is available on account of the absence of cable television.

IRAN

IRIB BECOMES ABU MEMBER

The Voice and Vision Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran [Islamic Republic Broadcasting, IRIB] has been elected as the deputy chairman of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union at the ABU’s meeting in Istanbul. The meeting also awarded a special prize to IRIB for its good coverage of the developments in Iraq. The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, ABU, has 104 members including various radio and television broadcasting stations.

MALAYSIA

RTM IN DIGITAL FROM MID-2004

Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) has set the middle of next year as the target date for the digital broadcasting of its radio and television networks. Malaysia’s Deputy Information Minister, Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai, said the state broadcaster had appointed a consultancy firm to look into the cost and logistics involved in the project. “We expect to get the result before the end of the year for submission to the cabinet. If the cabinet gives its approval, we hope to start the project in the middle of next year," he said. He also said that in Japan, it would cost US$3 billion to implement digital broadcast and all TV stations would share the cost. "Digitalisation is time-consuming because it involves upgrading of equipment and system. RTM expects its own digitalisation project to take 10 years to complete. But it will be worth it, considering the high quality of broadcast," the minister said.

NEW ZEALAND

SKY TV DIRECTORS REJECT INL TAKEOVER

The independent directors of pay-TV operator Sky Network Television said on October 24 that they have decided a takeover offer from Independent Newspapers isn't fair. Under the offer, Independent Newspapers is offering NZ$3.35 cash for each Sky share and three Independent Newspapers shares for every 10 Sky shares. Independent Newspapers had a 66.25% stake in Sky before the offer opened. Independent directors Barrie Downey and John Hart said in a statement that the offer isn't fair for Sky's minority shareholders. The directors will be sending Sky shareholders a formal response including a report received from the independent advisors, Deloitte Corporate Finance, on offer. Telecom Corp. said on October 24 it has sold its 12% stake in Sky to Independent Newspapers.

TVNZ TO COVER ATHENS SUMMER OLYMPICS

The Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union (ABU) has chosen TVNZ to provide coverage for its members of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. TVNZ will manage the service on behalf of the ABU and participating broadcasters. TVNZ will produce 8 separate channels of coverage of Olympic events for distribution to the ABU, to other broadcasters and to TVNZ itself. The co-operative arrangement will enhance the scope of production and will enable production and distribution costs to be shared. The agreement utilises TVNZ resource as a producer of sports content and provider of satellite services. TVNZ will use the Intelsat satellite 709 at 85ºE for delivery of the Olympic service, primarily because of the reach, which in a single footprint covers Africa to Sydney on Australia’s east coast. The satellite service will also be enhanced by the ability to deliver the signal into smaller receive antennas than was possible for Sydney 2000. In territories where rights are shared by more than one broadcaster the live multi channel-delivery approach allows each organisation to make its own programming choices. The winners are the viewers who rather than having a single coverage option made available, have the opportunity to view a range of Olympic events that may be occurring simultaneously.

SAUDI ARABIA

SATELLITE TV PIRACY WIDESPREAD

Housing compounds, hotels and clubs in Saudi Arabia are said to be illegally distributing satellite pay-TV channels. According to satellite TV broadcasters, managers of housing compounds and hotels pay one subscription and then distribute pay-TV channels illegally to their villas or hotel rooms through their own networks. “What is happening is essentially the theft of pay-TV signals, which is a copyright infringement,” Maj. Gen. Khaled Al-Soleiman, operations director in the Kingdom for Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAA), said in Jeddah earlier this week. The new anti-piracy law, enacted on June 9, becomes effective December 9. “It sets out different types of violations and includes stiff penalties of up to six months imprisonment and fines of up to SR25,000 for violators,” Al-Soleiman told Arab News. The director said that those engaged in illegal distribution of pay-TV channels should instead “get a legal license directly from the broadcasters.” But Scott Butler, CEO of the Dubai-based AAA, said it was for the Ministry of Information to conduct raids and arrest criminals. AAA has stepped up its campaign against piracy in coordination with the MOI and has furnished details of violations so that the ministry can take action. He did not name the violators but said “most housing compounds and hotels” were guilty of piracy. Another problem for the organization in the Kingdom was the sale and distribution of MultiChoice Africa smart cards. “This is as illegal as the rebroadcast of all channels on the MultiChoice Africa pay-TV platform, including SuperSport,” Frikkie Jonker, MultiChoice Africa’s anti-piracy enforcement expert, said. “MultiChoice Africa is vigorously pursuing the unauthorized distribution of smart cards because we are obliged to protect our international broadcast licenses, which do not include the Middle East,” he said

A F R I C A

ANIMAL PLANET IN MULTICHOICE AFRICA PACKAGE

Discovery Networks Europe has secured a deal with pay-TV platform Multichoice Africa to launch Animal Planet in 42 countries across the African continent. Multichoice will carry the cable channel on its South African and pan-African feeds beginning this month, and then into Western Africa in 2004. Animal Planet joins sister channel Discovery on Multichoice, which has been in the region since 1996. Multichoice reaches almost 940,000 digital subscribers on the African continent and Indian Ocean islands through the DStv bouquet.

KENYA

STATE BROADCASTER TO BE RESTRUCTURED

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) will be restructured to ensure its relevance and viability in the market, the government announced on October 17. Transport and Communication Permanent Secretary Gerishom Ikiria said the amendments shall be made to the KBC Act to re-position the organization as public broadcaster for both radio and television and divest the licensing power hitherto exercised by the broadcaster. Ikiria said as national public broadcasting station, KBC shall be expected to broadcast in English, Kiswahili and other Kenyan languages to ensure realization of broad government social and cultural objectives as part of universal service obligations.

GOVERNMENT TO VETO TRANSFER OF TV OWNERSHIP

The government is to vet the transfer of broadcasting stations from one owner to another. This would minimise complaints about the concentration of licences in particular individuals, said Information and Tourism minister Raphael Tuju. The scrutiny is to be done by the ministry and the Communications Commission of Kenya. There are 40 channels for TV and 22 for radio in Nairobi alone.