30/9/01

NRL final on tonight, I think a 16x9 feed will might be on Mediasat 6.30pm Syd time. As usual a message will go out on the mailing list if its sited FTA anywhere. Lots of interesting items in the News section today.

Tony Drexal from FTA Sat services, South Australia has sent some Digital pictures of the South Pacific Region Satellite and Cable Show that was held in Melbourne last week. He also adds that he has had over 70 phone calls from customers about Antenna switching off on Pas 2. SPRSCS Photos


From the Dish

Sinosat 1 110.5E 4106 V "Shanghai People's Radio" has started, Sid 3, Apid 1214.

Express 6A 80E 4125 R7 TV has replaced RTM, Sid 5, Vpid 164 Apid 96.

LMI 1 75E 3433 H "The TV Lanka tests and test card have left".

NEWS

T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 39/2001 September 30 2001 -

A weekly roundup of global TV news sponsored by Tele Satellite International
Editor: Branislav Pekic

Edited Apsattv.com Edition

Internet - www.idp.fr

GERMANY

ARD AND ZDF PREPARE GLOBAL TV SERVICE

German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF are launching a satellite channel for
German viewers based outside the country. The channel will begin broadcasting
during the first quarter of 2002 and will air general entertainment, news and
current affairs with additional programming supplied by state run Deutsche
Welle. The channel will be called German Television, will have a budget of DM60
million and is expected to breakeven by 2007.

A S I A

ARAB LANGUAGE BROADCASTERS IN COMMON PROJECT

Four Arabic satellite television stations have united in an attempt to make the
Arab voice heard abroad and balance what Arabic countries regard as reporting
with an Israel bias. The four stations, Middle East Broadcasting Corporation,
Arab Radio and Television, Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International and
Future Television, will launch the Arab Media Research Centre (AMCR) from Cairo
later this week. AMRC's goal is to co-operate with Western media to clarify the
Arab point of view on international developments, according to LBCI Chairman
Pierre Daher. Daher has also said this is a private sector venture separated
from efforts by the Arab League Information Ministers to launch a joint media
campaign to counter the perceived Western bias towards Israel. The AMCR will
feature documentaries and television programmes, which would be financed by the
centre and sold to international media outlets. Moreover, there are discussions
going on regarding a launch of a satellite channel in English and possibly
other foreign languages to better explain to the world the Arab point of view
in international events.

AUSTRALIA

CHANNEL 7 COULD JOIN OPTUS PAY-TV

Seven Network’s pay-TV arm C7 is reportedly close to securing carriage on the
Cable & Wireless Optus pay-TV platform. The two parties have been struggling to
reach agreement over the renegotiation of a 10-year A$30-40 million per year
deal signed in 1997. However, Optus has denied a long-term deal has been agreed
although it confirmed it will carry the channel for the short term.

BANGLADESH

EKUSHEY TV STOPS BROADCASTING

The Bangladesh high court has ruled that the country’s only independent
terrestrial TV broadcaster, Ekushey Television, must temporarily stop
operating. The court said the station did not have proper documentation to
broadcast. The ruling comes at a sensitive time, because general elections in
Bangladesh are due to be held on Monday amid rising political tension
throughout the country. It means that state run Bangladesh television will be
the first to broadcast the results of Monday’s general election, because only
it has access to the central vote counting centre in Dhaka.

BURMA

MRTV-3 IN ENGLISH THREE DAYS A WEEK

The MRTV-3 English Programmes for foreign countries will be telecast three days
a week - Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday - as of the first week of October.
There will be no change of broadcasting time and technical data. The MRTV-3
English-language television service began test transmissions on August 1, and
commenced regular broadcasts on August 19. It is carried on the domestic
Burmese terrestrial TV network as well as on satellite. According to a report
in the Burmese New Light of Myanmar newspaper, the new TV service is aimed at
?projecting Myanmar’s true image abroad more distinctly and more attractively”.

Craigs comment this one on Thaicom 3, global beam

CHINA - HONG KONG

GOLD TV AGREES TO ASSET AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENT DEAL

GOLD TV, a leading home shopping and general entertainment broadcaster in Asia,
announced on September 28 it has entered into an agreement for an share -equity
investment based upon the injection from Sun TV. Sun TV will acquire
approximately 23 per cent of GTMM under this agreement. In this agreement Sun
TV will inject equity with an estimated value of $4 million dollars. The
investment includes: Airtime on their Premier channel which holds the
distribution rights for A&E, History Channel for China, Hong Kong and Taiwan
and reaches 20 million homes. Sun will inject around 30,000 hours of a film
library along with the rights to broadcast. Gold TV will rebroadcast using its
own format that will enfold home shopping merchandising with the programs.
Additionally under this agreement GOLD TV will have access to utilise the state
of the art broadcasting studio owned and operated by Sun TV for the production
of the company's home shopping and general entertainment programs. Under this
agreement, GOLD TV® will add to its current home shopping programs a bouquet of
general entertainment and educational programs to attract and maintain the
interest of the current home shopping format. Sun TV has the rights to operate
two satellite TV channels China wide and broadcasts additionally to 500,000
households in Hong Kong via (iCable TV) and 4 million households in Taiwan
through the (Knowledge Cable Channel).

INDIA

NEW RULES FOR DIGITAL BOXES COULD DELAY LAUNCH OF TV SERVICES

According to a report in the Electronic Engineering Times, government broadcast
rules that require the use of set-top boxes based on “open architectures” will
delay broadcasters and satellite providers in launching digital TV services
here. The rules mean broadcasters like News Corp.’s Star TV network and
satellite carriers like EuropeStar, Americom Asia Pacific and Eutelsat must
change their proprietary encryption and conditional access features in order to
comply. As a result, interest in providing direct-to-home satellite services in
India has diminished. Citing consumer protection and technical issues, the
government issued the rules to ensure that subscribers are not tied through
boxes to just a few channels and that they would have access to as many
satellite broadcasts as possible.

NEW ZEALAND

TVNZ REPORTS FIRST HALF RESULTS

State-owned broadcaster and market leader Television New Zealand has declared
an after-tax profit for the year ending June 30 of almost NZ$30 million, down
from NZ$43.1 million a year earlier. Revenue edged higher to NZ$481.1 million
from NZ$473.4 million, but increased programming costs, both for foreign fare
and increased local content, pushed expenditures to NZ$435.5 million from
NZ$385.4 million. Declining advertising revenue cut TV and media income by
almost NZ$22 million to NZ$335.6 million but was offset by increased revenue
from transmission arms TVNZ Australia and Satellite Services.

PAKISTAN

INDIAN CHANNELS BANNED

Pakistan on September 24 banned telecast of all India-based TV channels in the
country, Radio Pakistan reported. The decision was taken by the cable operators
of Pakistan because of “anti-Pakistani propaganda’’ by these channels. All
cable operators have been directed to suitably adhere to the ban. Following the
ban, Asian DTH broadcaster Star TV has been forced to alter its Pakistani feed
and replace Indian content with general entertainment. Indian broadcasters
Doordarshan and Zee have also had to pull channels.

SOLOMON ISLANDS

BBC WORLD TO REMAIN FREE FOR HONIARA CITIZENS

Television viewers in Honiara will continue to enjoy the free-to-air BBC World
television service being provided by Solomon Telekom. British High Commissioner
to Solomon Islands Brian Baldwin says a temporary television licence will be
issued to Solomon Telekom to enable the company continue broadcasting the
service. This follows consultations he has had with the minister for transport,
works and communications and the general manager of Solomon Telekom.
Mr Baldwin says there are issues over licence which need not affect the
broadcast of BBC World Service, and he is grateful to both parties for reaching
an agreement. The British High Commission in Honiara is financing the provision
of the BBC World Service to Solomon Islands.

SOUTH KOREA

TARIFFS FOR DIGITAL TV EQUIPMENT EASED

The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) on September 18 decided to
ease import tariffs on digital television equipment to help broadcasters cope
with high initial investment costs. The move comes in conjunction with the
commercial launch of land-based digital television. Under cooperation with the
Ministry of Finance and Economy, the MIC will designate 87 items that are
technically difficult to manufacture here, and they will then enjoy lower
tariffs. “Three terrestrial broadcasters plans to import a total of 466.3
billion won worth of digital broadcasting equipment over the next three years,
said an MIC spokesman, adding that those companies could save 37.1 billion won
in tariff exemption. The country’s major television stations will officially
launch digital TV in November, ending the test-run period in the capital. Last
month, the MIC finally granted licenses to four broadcasters - KBS, EBS, MBC
and SBS - for five digital TV channels. State-run KBS has two channels. The
government plans to expand the service to six metropolitan cities by 2003,
provincial capitals by 2004, and all cities and counties by 2005.

TAIWAN

LORAL SKYNET SIGNS EASTERN DTH

Loral Skynet, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications, on September 27
announced that it has signed a multi-year, multi-transponder agreement with
Eastern DTH, a leading direct-to-home television service provider in Taiwan.
Eastern DTH will increase its current Ku-band capacity on Loral’s Telstar 10
satellite in order to distribute additional family entertainment, movies, news,
music, and documentary programming. Based in Taipei, Eastern DTH is a leading
provider of Chinese and English language programming via satellite, carrying
over 30 programmers including Taiwan Television, China Television, Formosa TV,
Chinese TV System, Power TV (formerly the Chinese Television Network), HBO, the
Golf Channel, and Cinemax. Its recent merger with Pacific Digital Media Corp.
increased Eastern DTH’s customer base by approximately 40 per cent to over
80,000 subscribers. Telstar 10, located at 76.5 degrees East, is equipped with
28 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders. The C-band payload provides coverage of
Asia, Australia, parts of Europe and Africa. The Ku-band payload covers Korea
and China, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Craigs comment Telstar 10??? Apstar 2R they must mean.

29/9/01

Antenna on Pas 2 has now gone, what are the odds on Alpha on Thaicom 3 being next? I think some dealers will be getting a lot of phone calls Monday morning about it.

Complaints about the loss of Antenna should be sent to webmaster@antenna.gr?Subject=Feedback

Some more activity on B3, this time on 12313 H

Tony Drexal from FTA satellite services has sent in some pictures of the SPRSCS show in Melbourne, I will put them up Sunday.If anyone else took some pictures you are welcome to send them to my email address.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Me 29/9/01

2.20pm Syd time "Ocassional 2" on B3, has the AFl grand final.

From Dave

On B1,12397 H Sr 7200, Fec 3/4 Has a AFL feed comming from a crowd somewhere in
brisbane watching the AFL on a large screen.

From Chris Pickstock 29/9/01

11.30pm Sa time

B3 12313 H, Sr 30000, 3 channels load

FYI Vpid 37, Apid 38
aDemo Vpid 45, Apid 48
aHome Vpid41, Apid 42

All are encrypted, so can not say what is showing.

12658 v is back to a test card again. Can anybody check 12489 V on B3. My unit is showing 20 - 24% signal strength but needs 50% to lock. SR was anywhere between 5600 and 8000

Chris

From John Kahler

I reloaded this package. It loads 21 channels. Most are Open TV interactive programs.
You need a receiver capable of running Open TV programs to see them.


John

From John Harrison

I loaded up this freq (12313H) and inserted my austar card in to the humax, it comes
up with an Austar channel with competitions and other stuff, tech talk etc.
this channel does not load on the austar decoder so must be testing it

From Roy Pangallo

g`day Craig,

I just want to let you know
that there`s teletext on the Dubai channels on Asiasat 2 with tv schedule on all channels
including the dubay sport channels all in english,

I use a nokia receiver.

Roy.

Craigs comment, thanks for the tip Roy.

From the Dish

PAS 2 169E 3836 V "Antenna Pacific" has left, replaced by "JSC - Al Jazeera Satellite Channel"Complaints to the address listed up the top of the page. Sid 1 Vpid 512 Apid 650

Optus B3 156E 12658 V "An Optus test card" has started, Sr 30000, Vpid 2560.(other test happening also here)

Palapa C2 113E 3621 H "News Radio 68H Jakarta" Sr 6000, 3/4 Apid 1211

Asiasat 3 105.5E 3760 H "A PCM test card" has started, Sid 2, Vpid 1020 Apid 1021.
Asiasat 3 105.5E 3960 H "TCM Asia" has left
Asiasat 3 105.5E 4065 H "This being listed now in Stars NIT, with Sr 20000 may be new freq they will use."
Asiasat 3 105.5E 3980 V "The 2 Espn's that were listed in here, have gone. Fox News still FTA here

PAS 10 68.5E 3836 H "B4U Movies India has replaced B4U Entertainment",Sid 105, Vpid 2560 Apid 2520.

NEWS

Turner ends pact with SABe TV

From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe20010929/news2.html

Turner International is terminating its distribution contract with SABe TV for non payment of dues.

Sources said Turner has served a termination notice as it has not received payment from SABe TV for the last six months. According to the agreement, Turner was to receive payment every month from SABe TV for distributing the Hindi entertainment channel. “It was a monthly payment contract,” the source added.

Friction between the two companies, sources said, started a few months back. Turner was not aggressively pushing the distribution of the free-to-air Hindi channel because of the uncertainty over payments and treating it as an appendage in its distribution business. Though no formal notice was communicated, the feeling was that the two partners would separate.

Nobody in Turner International was willing to speak on the issue. When contacted, the company’s spokesperson refused to deny or affirm the report. “No comment,” he said.

Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network vice chairman Markand Adhikari denied the report. “Nothing has gone wrong with us. Turner International is distributing our channel,” he said.

Though Turner is distributing the channel as of now, sources confirmed that the company had sent the termination notice. Turner was responsible for seeding the boxes and increasing the reach of the channel in the country. The agreement between Turner International and Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network for distributing SABe TV was for a period of two years. But there was a clause for cancellation of the contract.

SABe TV had turned to Turner for enhancing the reach of the channel by 100 per cent. Besides, it added a brand value association. For Turner, it was an opportunity to get associated with a Hindi general entertainment channel. Turner distributes its own channels like CNN and Cartoon Network. SABe TV was the only channel in its bouquet which did not belong to it.

Sources said distributors had more incentives to distribute the Turner-owned channels than SABe TV boxes. With SABe TV being free-to-air, they could not get a share of the subscription revenue but a one-time commission.

Turner, Adhikari Brothers break off distribution deal for SABe TV?

From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k1/sep/sep68.htm

Turner International India, which had a tie-up with Sri Adhikari Brothers Television Network to distribute the Hindi entertainment channel SABe TV in the country, has broken off the alliance, sources say.

SABe was the first local channel in the Turner distribution bouquet which includes CNN, HBO and Cartoon Network.

The alliance included packaged advertising, trade promotion, distribution and marketing of SABe TV. SABTNL, however, had its own ad sales team.

Zee bouquet to see programme revamp

From http://www.timesofindia.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=1464243927

Zee TV channel's revamp programme, which kicked off in the end of August, will be followed by a restructuring of programmes on Zee News and Zee Music. Kanta Advani, director, Zee TV, said at a press conference here that in the next six months, programming on the Zee bouquet of channels will be revamped.

Among Zee TV's 24 new programmes are Aap Jo Bolein Haan To Haan.., Kohi Apna Sa, Sarhadein, Dollar Bahu and Niilaamghar, which cover the segments of interactive programming, game shows, serials and soap operas.

Zee TV, the flagship channel of the Zee network, unleashed a new ad campaign a few weeks ago, which tries to capture the young, fresh face of Zee, Advani said. The channel has attempted to have dedicated programming across all the time slots during the day, she added.

28/9/01

Some activity today on B3, 12658 V keep and eye on it. Perhaps ABC and ABC Kids will turn up. As of 4pm Syd time the test labled R.R Test had gone" I hope they don't switch to Australia only Beam.

The site www.digisatnz.tv is no longer offering satellite products, some of you may have read about there new Irdeto/nds box in the last Satfacts magazine or even enquired about one. this is what is up at their website.

"A notice to all DigiSat Limited customers.

We have decide to suspend business operations until TVNZ either launches
or cancels there free-to-air digital satellite TV service for New Zealand.

We once again apologise for this inconvenience."

Digisat were offering Offering Irdeto1/2 box upgradeable to also handle NDS, with internal HD etc. (Well it did sound to good to be true)

From my Emails & ICQ

From Mahmoud

Complete system for sale (Melbourne)

Complete system for sale - located in Melbourne

1- Paraclipse 2.6 mesh dish with manual
2- C-Band LNBF (15' bought last year)
3- SuperJack 24" heavy duty actuator (still in warranty) with box, manual
and receipt.
4- SuperJack positioner (still in warranty) with remote control, box,
manual and receipt.
5- Strong Analog receiver with remote control and manual.
6- Prosat digital receiver with remote control, box and manual.

The system is installed (and working). Buyer can see it working and has to
uninstall it and ship it. Price is $800 AUD for everything. Contact

hashishm@hotmail.com

Contact Mahmoud Hashish

From Chris Pickstock

On B3 an Optus Test Card has appeared at 12658 V, Sr 30000, Vpid 2560, no Apid loads. Channel is labelled "CH62" This is where "Zee was located, so maybe some more channels coming soon within Aurora. Test Card is FTA.

Craigs Comment, Some video on there now. 3 services..3.30pm Syd time

"CH 62" V 2560 A (None) PCR 2560 Sid 701 PMT 44
EPG says "No broadcast on this channel Optus Aurora B3 (156 E) Last TV Channel"
Service has video of ABC? but no Audio

"RR.Test" V 1537 A 1540 PCR 1537 Sid 6 PMT 1536

This one is encrypted..

"IP Pids" TXT 2401 Sid 777 PMT 44

From the Dish

Optus B3 156E 12658 V "Various test happening here see above"

NEWS

Pakistan blacks out Indian news channels

From http://www.adageglobal.com/cgi-bin/daily.pl?daily_id=5872

NEW DELHI - The All-Pakistan Cable Operators'Association is to impose a countrywide `ban' on the airing of the five Indian TV news channels, considered to be "propagating against Islam and Pakistan."

The blocked channels are Zee News, Rupert Murdoch-owned Star News and Star Plus, Jain TV and the Indian state-owned channel Doordarshan News.

In a strong statement, Tahir Ali Khan, general secretary of the All-Pakistan Cable Operators' Association in Karachi, says if any cable operator violates the decision, it will be considered as "anti-Pakistan and [an] Indian agent." Mr. Khan alleges that Indian channels have been "ruining" Pakistan's religious, cultural and social traditions.

The Indian Information & Broadcasting ministry has still to verify the existence of the ban and is not expected to give a formal reaction until it has a first-hand report from the Indian mission in Pakistan. Earlier, representatives of the Indian news media were denied visas by Pakistan.

The Pakistan government has also reacted strongly to the news coverage and analysis of foreign TV networks. It recently objected to CNN airing footage about terrorist camps run in Pakistan.

A report in Jang Group's Pakistan daily The News comments: "Stampeding foreign journalists, converged on Pakistan, are, at times, falling prey to rumor mongering, gossiping and sensationalism."

News channels ride on tech to catch action live

From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe20010928/con7.html

Had it not been for the state-of-the-art technology, TV coverage of the terrorist attack on the US and its aftermath would not have been half as exciting. Particularly channels such as CNN and BBC, which have been giving us live reports from wherever their correspondents could reach, including in Pakistan and Afghanistan, have shown that it’s technology that has made it possible.

CNN, for instance, is using cutting-edge technology such as satellite, satellite flyaway dishes, videophones and phone beepers to transmit news, CNN managing editor Bruce Dover said. Remember CNN correspondent Nic Roberston’s reports from Afghanistan? He sent his reports around the world using a discreet videophone.

In the case of BBC coverage of the US attack, BBC Technology is playing a crucial role in backing the UK-based broadcaster for all its telecommunication and internet support services, according to a BBC spokesperson.

Talking about the recent changes in technology that’s helping CNN like never before, Mr Dover says: ‘‘We can transmit pictures without the need of a fixed feed point.’’ He adds: ‘‘Our coverage from Kabul in the last few days shows just how valuable these new developments are.’’

While CNN’s investment in technology is considerable, Mr Dover points out that the channel is not just buying new technology but is also developing it.

BBC, the spokesperson says, is drawing on its resources already in place around the world to cover the stories from wherever it’s happening. ‘‘Our budget has a contingency fund to take into account big news events and we are using that fund,’’ adds the BBC spokesperson.

Mr Dover says: ‘‘By using such equipment, our crews have a lot more flexibility. They can transmit live from just anywhere, for example we were able to get close to the devastation in New York and transmit live using a videophone.’’

And if you’re wondering how much CNN or BBC would have spent on transmitting a three-minute news, say from northern Afghanistan to the Atlanta or the London centre, respectively, here’s the answer. It costs around $8 a minute to use a satellite phone and because you need two lines to transmit the audio and video signals, it comes to about $16 a minute.

Bin Laden's TV choice

From http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,66-2001334364,00.html

The Arabic mouthpiece for Muslim radicals has broken a few taboos

Osama bin Laden’s reply to President George Bush’s “call to arms” against terrorism was sent by fax to Al-Jazeera, an Arabic satellite television channel that is favoured by Arab and Muslim radicals and can now be seen in Britain.

Thanks to the presence of a strong body of radical Palestinian and Syrian journalists working at the station, extremist groups such as Hamas and al-Qaeda always send their press releases to Al-Jazeera. The network was also the first to be given an exclusive video of the destruction of the two Buddha statues last year by the Taleban.

A picture of the fax message carrying bin Laden’s rare autograph, which called upon Muslims to fight America, was splashed on the front page of most of the world’s press. The Qatar-based network welcomed this scoop as much-desired free publicity. With the exception of one or two radical newspapers — which also receive frequent messages from bin Laden — Arab papers, whose readers are also potential Al-Jazeera viewers, did not print the picture, thanks to covert pressure from conservative Arab governments.

Exploiting the unexpected free coverage, Al-Jazeera re-transmitted an exclusive interview with bin Laden conducted in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan in 1998 by its correspondent in Pakistan, Gamal Ismail.

World television networks queued up, and paid handsomely, for pictures of bin Laden’s interview, according to Muftah Al-Suwaidan, the chief executive of the channel’s London bureau, one of 35 bureaux worldwide.

Arabic speakers in Britain and elsewhere in Europe can from this week watch Al-Jazeera free on BSkyB (in which News International, owner of The Times, has a 37.5 per cent stake) after a deal was struck this month. Viewers with analogue equipment can receive it, also free of charge, on the W2 satellite.

Al-Jazeera was launched in November 1996 from the small, independent, oil-rich Gulf state of Qatar after the 43-year-old Crown Prince, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995.

As part of Sheikh Hamad’s attempt to modernise his tiny nation and raise its international profile, he set up the network. Unlike other Arab TV stations, most of which are controlled by ministries of information, Al-Jazeera was innovative in broadcasting live talk shows.

The channel benefited from the misfortune of the BBC. Its disastrous venture of Arabic Service TV, financed by the privately owned Saudi Orbit channel, collapsed because of cultural differences over journalistic standards and practice. Al-Jazeera quickly recruited the experienced but jobless BBC Arabic staffers.

The staff — the majority of whom are Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese, with the occasional Egyptian — have tried hard to plant what they learnt at the BBC in a hostile Arabic soil. Some, such as the Egyptian-born Yousri Fouda, have emulated BBC programmes successfully. His version of Panorama, the investigative Top Secret, which appeals to Arab viewers’ firm belief in conspiracy theories, has become a household name.

Al-Jazeera’s claim to have 35 million viewers is hard to verify, since viewer surveys are virtually unknown in the government-controlled environment of Arab countries.

Its claim that “impartial news and current affairs — including controversial topics such as women’s rights and peace with Israel — has earned it a global reputation” can definitely be taken with a pinch of salt. The reporting of news about Israel’s clashes with Palestinians is always partial in Arab television, and Al-Jazeera is no exception, with its characterisation of Palestinian suicide bombers as “martyrs” and regular debates on how to defeat Israel.

So far, no reports have been broadcast on human rights abuses in Qatar or neighbouring friendly Gulf states, or the appalling conditions endured by “guest workers” and domestic staff from the Far East and the Indian subcontinent in Gulf states.

However, putting it in its historical context, Al-Jazeera represents an important milestone as it has broken a few taboos in Arab TV. As well as having live debates, it begins bulletins with real news rather than reporting what the head of the state did that day.

But it remains to be seen whether programmes such as Top Secret can succeed in truly tackling taboo subjects.

Craigs comment this channel is FTA on Pas 2, in the California Bouquet

27/9/01

The SPRSC show in Melbourne started today, I have not heard anything yet from anyone attending it. Maybe someone will check in later and say hows things are going. The freq mentioned yesterday that I found on Asiasat 3 is actually 4044 H not V, Sr 4997 Fec 2/3 is correct though just appears to be data. It loads 256 services on the Nokia so who knows what it could be? Something is also testing on 3760 H so keep an eye on Asiasat 3. The new Apsattv chatroom has now been set up and should be working.

From my Emails & ICQ

From George

Craig some more news from the far east!


-Insat 2E-3B

3615 V JayaTv
3525 V Vijay TV have started digital transmissions in with Sky Bangla

-Asiasat3s

3760H mux SR26000
CH-1 NOW TV
CH-6 Tech TV
CH-8 TAS TV

a new test card has been added comes up as CH-2 Bloomberg (but only color bars for now.)
this means Bloomberg on PAS-2 or Thaicom 3 could be switched up here.

-Pas2

3744 V SR 21800 "BBC World"

(increase in power of signal by 20%) very great signal before this sat as it is low in my area of reception could not get signals from it during rain downpours but now I can get BBC on 3744 V fime

3798 V SR 26470 "Fox mux"

very weak signal getting breaks in the picture my reciever can't lock on to the signal for but a few seconds.
surprisingly it is still on 3992 V SR 26470 which I already reported to lyngsat but haven't sen them correct it ?
and I will add a very strong signal also can lock on to it ina few seconds as strong as the BBC

3901 H SR 30800 "Californian Mux" losing its strength the past weak it would make sense if they are going to use the BBC world feed on 3744 V as with the increse in power. and move Bloomberg to Asiasat 3S and the TARBS channels (TV Chile and NITV to Thaicom 3) as the rest are just color bars and NAPA test cards.

Finally I thought CNN would finally relent their decision on scramling all their signals as FOX did but oh well that's that. By the way I wuld like to praise FOX for unscrambling they are great. I even wrote a Thank You E-mail to them.

Well thanks you again to read my mail and I hope Craig that you keep bringing great sat news to the Asia-Pacific
and hope for the WTC victims that justice and freedom will rise from the ashes

God Bless them
and you and Everyone
my the world live in peace.

George
THAILAND

From the Dish

Agila 2 146E 3736 H ESC 1 has left, replaced by a test card.

Bsat 2A 110E "not available in Asia Pacific region but unconfirmed reports that control over this satellite has been lost with Bsat1B that is co-located taking over the services that were using it"

Asiasat3 105.5 E 3760 H "Test on channel labled Bloomberg" Sr 26000, Fec 7/8

NEWS

Foxtel deal with Global

From http://www.theage.com.au/business/2001/09/27/FFXYQYQ02SC.html

Foxtel is sharpening its plans for AFL coverage next year, announcing a five-year deal with Global Television for outdoor broadcast services during the 2002 season.

Global, the production business of Television & Media Services, has already secured exclusive contracts with the Nine and Ten Networks to provide outdoor facilities for AFL matches.

Nine, Ten and Foxtel, which recently unveiled plans for a 24-hour AFL channel on its pay TV network, snatched the AFL rights from the clutches of the Seven Network earlier this year. Nine's parent, Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd, and Ten are major TMS shareholders.

Overall, the contract for facilities for AFL coverage is believed to be worth about $7 million.

Global, which produces TV shows such as Rove Live and Neighbours at its Nunawading studios, signed an agreement earlier this year to supply outside broadcast services for Foxtel's National Rugby League coverage and indicated it would need to invest an additional extra $10 million if it won the AFL rights.

Chief executive Bruce Fink said TMS would beef up its equipment, adding two outside-broadcast vans to its current stable of nine. "What we really wanted was exclusive contracts with all AFL broadcasters so we could cover all of the games," he said.

TMS shares edged up three cents to 51 cents yesterday.

Austar tumbles on debt doubts

From http://australianit.news.com.au/common/storyPage/0,3811,2933802%5E442,00.html

REGIONAL pay-TV group Austar United's share price hit another record low yesterday, tumbling 21 per cent in its largest one-day drop in a month.

The share price closed 5c down, at 18.4c, having earlier hit 16.5c amid continuing market concern about the group's ability to renegotiate its debt facilities.

Austar has been trying to roll over $400 million in debt that is due by the end of the year, and raise a further $150 million to take it to break-even by 2004. It has enough cash to last it until June 2002.

The group has employed its former chief financial officer Rob Birrell as a consultant to facilitate negotiations with the banks.

Despite the company's confidence, the apparent lack of progress has plagued the share price. It has fallen from a high this year of $4.80, having peaked at $9.65 in March last year.

Austar's parent United-GlobalCom (UGC), which owns 81 per cent of the stock, earlier this year soaked up most of a $201 million rights issue to maintain the company's funding.

Analysts yesterday said such an option was unlikely this time because UGC's European cable subsidiary, United Pan-Europe Communications (UPC), would this week list the telephony business Priority Telecom.

As part of that process, UPC has indicated it would contribute |150 million ($280 million) on top of |90 million already committed. If it doesn't list the business, UPC faces a $US200 million ($408 million) penalty to Priority's former owners.

US-based UGC's price last closed at $US2.20, from $US16.90 in May. Amster-dam-listed UPC's price is down from a year-high of |24.20 to close last at |27c.

On the positive side, UGC and major shareholder Liberty Media are planning to combine some of their cable systems.

Zee Telefilms calls off plans to acquire UTN channel

From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe20010927/con4.html

Zee Telefilms has called off its plans to acquire Urdu Television Network (UTN) as it found the Urdu channel incompatible with its current business plan. “We won’t be acquiring UTN. We didn’t find the channel viable,” said Zee Telefilms chief executive officer (corporate) RK Singh.

Meanwhile, UTN has gone off transmission. The channel was moved to AsiaSat-3 to occupy transponder space vacated by Zee TV, when it converted from analogue to digital mode.

?We won’t be putting UTN on the Zee platform. The Urdu channel is supposed to pay us lease charges,” said Mr Singh. For carrying a single channel on the satellite, the cost is around Rs 10 crore a year. “UTN doesn’t have that kind of money to support the costs on AsiaSat,” said a source close to the company.

Zee’s move may be governed by the need to tighten its finances, as it comes in the wake of the company’s decision to streamline operations and shed off subsidiaries which have very few operations. For this purpose, ZTL’s subsidiary PATCO (Programme Asia Trading Company Ltd) is exploring ways to merge its operation with El Zee Television. Incidentally, El Zee is a subsidiary of PATCO. “ Zee didn’t want to burden itself further by acquiring a channel that would take time to provide revenue inflows and be profitable,” said a financial analyst.

ZTL’s plan was to bring UTN under the Alpha brand. The acquisition would have given Zee a channel, spread across states where the Urdu-speaking population was concentrated. It would have been the only language channel in the bouquet to have a wider reach across the northern, southern and western regions.

BSkyB forfeits 100,000 analogue subscribers

From http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,558574,00.html

BSkyB will cut off its analogue signal tomorrow, losing 100,000 subscribers in the process.

The satellite broadcaster has lost patience with the small group of consumers who refuse to convert to digital and will terminate their signal at midnight tomorrow.

A spokesman for BSkyB said it had tried everything possible - including a direct mail campaign and on-air promotions - to shift the analogue users to a digital platform.

"No matter how many inducements we make, some of the subscribers need the short, sharp shock of a switch-off to make them come over to digital," he said.

However, the stubbornness of BSkyB's 100,000 analogue subscribers suggests the government may encounter problems when it enforces the nationwide analogue switch-off, due to take place before 2010.

BSkyB now has 5.3m digital subscribers in the UK against ITV Digital's 1.14m and the cable industry's 1.5m.

The group has sunk £2bn into its digital service by subsiding the cost of its set-top boxes.

BSkyB has set a target of 7m subscribers by 2003 and hopes to generate £400 annually from each user by 2005.

26/9/01

Sorry about the chatroom last night. Nothing we can do about the chat server host going down. I checked www.ncbi.com who run the free chatroom, their site is down also. They may have gone offline for good as they were having financial trouble. In the meantime I have signed up with another chatroom provider that uses the same Parachat chat software. I am waiting on a email from them to send me the code to activate the room then we should be back in business.

I was planning on holding the chat again tonight, but the new chatroom isn't runnng yet either.

I found a signal on Asiasat 3 last night after setting the Nokia to 4060 V it locked onto a signal down on 4044V Sr 4997 Fec 2/3. It might be data I don't know yet as the signals to weak to get a proper lock on whatever is there. Let me know what you find there. It maybe on 4042V or try Sr 5000 as well

From the Dish

Asiasat 3 105.5E 4044 V " unknown service" Sr 4997 Fec 2/3 (Someone please tell me whats here, I found this one while playing with the Nokia last night)

Asiasat 2 100.5E 4028 H "Feeds reported" Sr 6110 Fec 3/4


NEWS

Ownership Shuffles In iTV Industry

From http://australia.internet.com/r/article/jsp/sid/11082

The past couple of weeks have been a busy time in the interactive television (iTV) industry with a number of key acquisitions and ownership shuffles.

This week, West Australian based New Tel announced a takeover bid for Cable & Telecoms (CAT), which has an 80% interest in interactive television provider Total Television.

Total Television is a joint venture company with Yes Television, a broadband solutions provider for interactive television based in the United Kingdom (UK). Total Television has a licence agreement exclusive to Australia and New Zealand to deploy the technology services and selected content of Yes Television. To date, Total Television's main business milestone has been the joint agreement with infrastructure provider TransACT to offer the company's customers video on demand (VOD).

The option has an exercise price of 50c and an expiry date of December 31, 2004. The offer is subject to a 90 per cent minimum acceptance and other standard conditions.

"This transaction is expected to deliver New Tel significant scope in the developing telecommunications and media convergence by enabling the company to immediately offer a comprehensive range of telephony, data and media services," New Tel outlined.

The company will strengthen their bundling strategy as a result of the acquisition. "With national, international, local, mobile, internet and data services currently provided by New Tel," CEO Peter Malone says, "the company will now offer customers the innovative and unique Total Television product, as well as the use of video teleconferencing facilities available via the Yes platform, through New Tel's national telecommunications carrier network facilities."

New Tel's acquisition follows a number of key changes for fellow WA company, Burdekin Pacific. The former mining company has lifted it's 40 percent stake in ICE Interactive to full ownership and has upped their stake in Two Way TV Australia to 34.5 percent. Sam Chisholm, former managing director of UK's BSkyB is a major shareholder and chairman of Two Way in addition to being a director and chairman of Foxtel.

Two Way TV has the rights to interactive TV (iTV) games, sporting and betting applications from another of its major shareholders, Two Way TV UK. The games are already seen on the Austar and Optus pay TV services.

Under the agreement, Burdekin will acquire an initial 20% of the company for $3.25 million payable by 30 September 2001, and a further 7.5% for $1.75 million payable in installments between 28 February and 30 April 2002. In addition, Burdekin has agreed to provide a $1 million loan, convertible to Two Way equity at Burdekin's election. Burdekin will become the company's largest shareholder.

Two Way and ICE Interactive have agreed in principle to enter into a services agreement under which ICE is required to make available technical and other personnel to assist Two Way with the roll-out of its applications under present and anticipated contracts with pay TV operators in Australia. Under the agreement, ICE would receive a minimum of $500,000 in fees per annum for a minimum of two years and be a preferred supplier of support services to Two Way.

The key customers of Two Way TV in the UK are BSkyB, the UK market leader in digital satellite pay and interactive TV, NTL and Telewest, the two principal cable operators and On- Digital, the UK's digital terrestrial operator.

According to Burdekin, the acquisition allows the company to control many aspects of the iTV production chain. Chief Executive, Gino Vitale, says, "Two Way TV has built a powerful suite of technologies that can be operated across any television delivery platform and interactive TV middleware. The core components consist of patented production, scheduling and monitoring tools, transmission management and game/score processing systems, and an engine for handling real-time messaging and score process management."

Additionally, Two Way has a portfolio of game forms and relationships with content providers, as well as distribution contracts in place with Austar and Optus Vision Interactive.

ICE will remain an approved, but independent developer on the Liberate platform, and a customer and re-seller of Oracle software. Oracle and Liberate were co-shareholders in the ICE Interactive venture. Burdekin details, "the company will also continue to develop interactive TV applications on multiple middleware platforms including OpenTV and Multimedia Home Platform, the standard platform for Australia's free-to-air broadcasters.

Reminiscent India Television to offload 20% equity

From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe20010926/efetop1.html

Reminiscent India Television, which runs the Lashkara and Gurjari channels in the country, plans to offload a 20 per cent equity stake through private placement. For this purpose, the company has appointed Ernst & Young to value its television software, brands, distribution and business proposition for three years. Ernst & Young is expected to submit the valuation report by October-end.

&#ter Ernst & Young’s valuation, we plan to dilute our stake by 20 per cent,” said RITV managing director Subhash Menon.

RITV’s estimated valuation of its assets is Rs 50 crore. “The brand of Lashkara, Gurjari, Miss Lashkara and Lashkara Music Awards is estimated to be valued at Rs 25 crore. The 2,000 hours of TV software will be worth Rs 10 crore. The property assets will account for the balance of Rs 15 crore,” said Mr Menon.

RITV is also going in for private placement of preference shares to raise Rs 10 crore. The shares, which will carry 12 per cent interest rate, will be bought back by the company after 3 years. “We are in the final stages of raising the funds. We have tied up the individuals and should be able to complete the process by December 15,” said Mr Menon.

Of the total funds, Rs 2 crore will be utilised to set up post production facilities, Rs 3 crore for additional software, Rs 3.5 crore for uplinking expansion and Rs 1.5 crore for interior location. RITV will pump in another Rs 5 crore. The company is constructing an additional 25,000 sq ft of office space in Andheri, Mumbai.

RITV will start supplying 30 per cent content for the urdu channel Anjuman, which is run by the UK-based Reminiscent TV.

Plans are also on to launch the channel in India. “We will start the software supply from December,” said Mr Menon. RTV has licensed its brands to RITV to market and distribute in India for 25 years.

B4U Movies launches 2 October; plans to go pay in January at Rs6.50 sticker price

From http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k1/sep/sep56.htm

Sticking to a schedule laid out at the end of July, B4U Entertainment Channel becomes B4U Movies on 2 October 2001, it was announced today.

In a new avatar 13 months after B4U Entertainment was launched on 3 September 2000, CEO Ravi Gupta and his team will be hoping to leverage what is B4U's main strength - its library of movies (over 2,000 films) that it holds the rights to, both current hits and blockbusters and old classics.

And wasting no time, the plan is to encrypt B4U Movies by November, Debashis Dey, chief distribution officer, B4U Television Network Ltd, says. According to Dey: "The proposed date for going pay is sometime in January '02. We feel that two months will be a reasonably good period for viewers to sample the channel." However, sister channel B4U Music will remain free-to-air a la MTV.

"After going pay in January the average rate per subscriber per month is proposed at Rs. 6.50p. We also feel that our channel will be a refreshing change, as it is not clustered by a bouquet of unwanted content, which currently the operators are forced to subscribe to," says Dey.

As for the programme line-up, current titles include - Lajja, Devdas, Suno Sasurji, Pyaar Deewana Hota Hai, Baas Itna Sa Khwab Hai, Daraar, Silsila Hai Pyaar Ka, Mohabbat, Beti No 1, among others, apart from hit films like Taal, Josh, Jungle, etc and old classics.

B4U Movies will telecast three hits per week - a Friday premiere, a Saturday blockbuster and a Sunday classic. In addition a super-hit 'Movie Of The Month' will be screened, says Dey.

"In between films we intend to showcase a host of Bollywood based shows, highlighting film shooting, the studios and the classic films attached with them, Bollywood masala, gossip, behind the scenes, raw cuts, countdowns, market, flops, hits, comedies, super stars, and many more unique programmes in innovative formats," Says Dey.

Among the shows that are planned are:

Lehren - A Bollywood video magazine. The long running and popular 'Lehren', will provide updates on Bollywood and the stars.

Studio Beat - A weekly round up from the studios in Mumbai. Using archival footage and interviews with old timers, stories around the studios that made the industry what it is today.

Superhit Hungama - A weekly countdown show set in exotic locations. Money Talkies - An update of the industry that throws light on the losers and the winners.

Box Office - A weekly update on collections and performance, reviews and analyses from trade pundits.

Shot Cut - Full length films cut down to half an hour, keeping only key scenes intact.

Director's Cut - Interviews with directors.

Stardom - profiles the stars.

Riot - The show presents some of the most hilarious scenes in Hindi movies. Countdown Café - The Indipop countdown that brings to you the best 10 tracks of the week. Ghazals, Punjabi Pop, Remixes and more.

South Side Story - Film update and news from southern India.

The Preview - Previews of the movies to be telecast on B4U.

Rushes - Daily updates on recent events in Bollywood.

The B4U Network is promoted by steel magnate L M Mittal, Kishore Lulla and Gokul Binani, all based in the UK. Lulla is also the promoter of Eros International LTD, the largest overseas film distributor and the first to take Hindi movies to the UK and the US.


Craigs comment, B4u is currently FTA on Pas 10

25/9/01 9.39 NZT

It seems the chatroom Parachat server is down, will have to give the chatroom a miss for tonight perhaps try again Wednesday night.

25/9/01

Live chat tonight in the chatroom, 8.30pm Syd time and from about 9pm NZ onwards. Might be a chance to arrange to meet some other Apsattv readers at the show this weekend in Melbourne. There isn't a lot else to report today.

There is a newer beta version of DVB2000 beta, listed in ULI's "Hardcore" ftp directory, this file is 20k bigger than the last release, its only minor changes, bug fixes and new scssi stuff thats been added so no need to get it unless you are having troubles with the current release. http://home.t-online.de/home/ulli.herrmann/hardcore/

From my Emails & ICQ

Screenshots added for Fox News and Bharathi on Asiasat 3

From the Dish

LMI 1 75E 3433 H NID/TID and SIDs for the Lankese mux,: 102/12 and 2-3.

Intelsat 902 58.5E Test carriers seen on 3665 L, 3745 L and 3905 L, NW zone beam.(any Australian reports of this one?)

NEWS

Pakistan bans India-based TV channels

From http://www.news.sify.com

Pakistan today banned telecast of all India-based TV channels in the country, Radio Pakistan reported.

The decision was taken by the cable operators of Pakistan because of ''anti-Pakistani propoganda'' by these channels.

The operators said it is in the best interest of the country to stop telecasting programmes of India-based channels in view of the fluid political and security situation in the region.

All cable operators have been directed to suitably adhere to the ban.

Reuters launches web TV channel

From http://www.netimperative.com/media/newsarticle.asp?ArticleID=12430&ChannelID=2&ArticleType=1

International news agency Reuters is to launch a new streaming video service carrying its news reports online.

The RTV service, which will operate via Reuters website, will aim for the financial and business sector, carrying information from the floor of the main trading markets, interviews and a full schedule of daily programmes.

The news service hopes to use its network of business contacts to secure exclusive interviews with major figures in world markets, alongside broadcasts of keynote speeches and addresses.

A global network of studios, camera crews, and trading room cameras will also cover the events from the trading floors around the world.

The move will put it in even more direct competition with news service Bloomberg which runs its own TV channel focusing on business issues.

The RTV stream will be available using both Real Player and Windows Media, and on offer for 56k, 128k and 300k speed modems.

The service is being rolled out in two phases with the first – launched this week – will see the video stream running on the site, while the second, which will be implemented later this year, will include the addition of a multimedia box in which Reuters journalists will provide running summaries of live content.

Craigs comment go here and check it out, http://www.reuters.co.uk

CNBC takes a ride on Hong Kong buses

From http://www.adageglobal.com/cgi-bin/daily.pl?daily_id=5834

HONG KONG - Business news network CNBC Asia/Pacific has extended its reach in Hong Kong by broadcasting programs on public buses. A densely-packed urban area with limited parking facilities, Hong Kong is home to an extensive public transport network widely used by the territory's white collar workers.

Those commuters can now watch five-to-eight minute executive lifestyle segments from CNBC shows such as "Lo & Company" and "Generation E" on 2,600 buses and 200 public light buses that are equipped with a multi-media on-board system managed by RoadShow Holdings, a Hong Kong-based out-of-home media sales company.

While CNBC's dedicated Hong Kong channel reaches more than 420,000 homes, mostly via Hong Kong Cable TV, "globally, we've noticed an increase of viewers watching CNBC outside of the home, at the office, the gym or even at pubs, which is no surprise given the unique nature of our programming. With RoadShow, we've come up with an innovative way to reach our viewers in Hong Kong as they commute to and from work," explains Alan Hodges, CNBC Asia/Pacific's VP-distribution in Singapore.

CNBC Asia/Pacific is jointly managed by Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Co. and NBC, the broadcasting unit of General Electric Co.

24/9/01

Not much to say up here today other than NZ beat Australia in the Basketball...In other sports news the Davis Cup Tennis is on Pas 2 Adhoc 2.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Scott Bare 23/9/01

Davis Cup tennis, Pas 2, Adhoc 2, 3901, 10 pm nz time (8pm Syd) ...

cheers Scott Bare
Puhoi , NZ

From the Dish

Apstar 1A 134E 4072 V "Shandong TV" has left..

JCSAT 3 128E 4160 V "The Japanese mux has left" Can someone confirm?
JCSAT 3 128E 4180 H "The Japanese mux has left" Can someone confirm?

ST 1 88E 3550 V "The C Sky Net mux has left again."

Insat 2E 83E 3525 V "Vijay TV" has started regular transmissions, Sid 24613,Vpid 273 Apid 274, zone beam.
Insat 2E 83E 3615 V "Jaya TV "has started regular transmissions, Sr 3255, Fec 3/4, Vpid 4194 Apid 4195, zone beam.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3515 V "Occasional PTV feeds", Sr 3333, Fec 3/4.
Thaicom 3 78.5E 3585 V "A test card has started" Vpid 522 Apid 650.

LMI 1 75E 3433 H "TV Lanka tests and a test card have started" Sr 5750 Fec 3/4, Vpid 1160 Apid 1120, Vpid 1260 Apid 1220

NEWS

CSIRO: Aussie Satellite Dishes Set Up in Europe

From satnewsasia.com

Three Australian designed MultiBeam earth station antennas have been installed at the satellite control center of SES-Astra in Luxembourg.

SES operates Astra, the leading satellite system for direct-to-home reception in Europe.

The antennas were designed by CSIRO especially for this contract and were produced by an Australian company, Sydney Engineering (Sales) Pty Ltd. The new design is based on an earlier prototype that was successfully demonstrated almost 10 years ago.

Unlike existing antenna systems, each MultiBeam antenna can receive and transmit from up to 19 satellites at one time.

One antenna will replace many other systems, so that fewer antennas are required. This will also reduce the amount of space necessary for satellite teleports.

SES-ASTRA selected the CSIRO antenna because it is a smaller, more compact and flexible antenna solution than others currently available, and especially because of its high performance. The MultiBeam antenna provides a unique capability of combining a wide field of view with a transmit and receive capability.

Nickelodeon, Austar to Launch Interactive Channel

From satnewsasia.com

The world famous children’s TV channel, Nickelodeon, and Austar will provide interactive children's television to Austar subscribers beginning late October.

At no additional cost, 300,000 Austar satellite subscribers will have access to the interactive children’s service. Another 100,000, who have a telephone line connection, will be able to send messages and their own ideas to Nickelodeon.

Since Austar's network is closed and is not linked to the Internet, subscribers can only access family friendly content.

*ustar's children's viewing channels, like Nickelodeon, offer a world of fun and learning in a safe environment,” said Dana Strong, Managing Director of Austar United Broadband.

She said that interactive TV (iTV) adds a new dimension to pay TV, and helps increases take up and improves retention of the service.

?This is especially so on channels such as Nickelodeon where parents see their kids discovering a whole new way to learn and have fun,” said Strong.

The iTV service will allow children to send messages to friends, family and Nickelodeon via the TV and learn more about their favourite Nickelodeon characters, among other advantages.

Austar's interactive services include T-Mail (e-mail on your television), HOME (an interactive guide and services menu), QuickShop (shopping while watching the Lifestyle channel) and GameSpace (free and subscription games).

APT Satellite Announces 2001 Interim Results

From satnewsasia.com

APT Satellite Holdings Ltd, one of Asia’s leading satellite services providers, said both its revenues and net profit for the first half of 2001 improved compared to the same period in 2000.

Revenues grew 15 percent to US$23.7 million while net profit improved 79 percent to US$6.7 million.

APT Group Chairman Liu Ji Yuan said the company was pleased to see growth in turnover and net profit “amidst unfavorable external economic conditions.”

?The average lease out rate for both Apstar I and Apstar IA satellites was approximately 62.65%, and 100% for Apstar IIR. Though we foresee a continued slow down of economy, we endeavor to achieve our objectives for this year,” said Liu.

APT intends to launch a fourth satellite, Apstar V, in mid-2003. The satellite will cost about US$230 million and will replace Apstar I, whose design life ends in mid-2004. Apstar V will be built with 38 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders.

APT began accepting tender offers for a fifth satellite, Apstar VB, last July to hedge against possible failure by Apstar V.

The company has also begun construction of a US$25 million Satellite Control Center Phase 2 for the operation and control of Apstar V.

In its satellite television broadcasting business, APT has added four more TV channels to its single channel. An APT subsidiary, APT Satellite Telecommunications Ltd (APT Telecom), will begin providing bandwidth to clients via the C2C and APCN2 submarine cable projects by the second quarter of 2002.

Group President Chen Zhaobin said APT’s plans call for establishing a “Hotbird” effect by strengthening its core transponder leasing business through service expansion and developing its satellite TV broadcasting services.

Hong Kong-based APT will also target new satellite-related businesses such as Internet backbone and data broadcast to beef up its value-added services and shift towards end users.

Chan said the Group was very sound financially with cash in hand of over US$200 million for future development plans.

It sees tremendous business opportunities in China’s membership in the WTO and the 2008 Olympic Games hosted by Beijing.

APT currently operates three in-orbit geostationary satellites with a total capacity of 76 C-band transponders and 16 Ku-band transponders. The Group expanded into the telecommunication services business in June 2000.

Government Ruling Seen to Delay Indian Satellite TV Services

From satnewsasia.com

Controversial government broadcast rules that require the use of “open architectures” set-top boxes will delay the launch of digital TV in India.

Critics said the rules will force broadcasters like Star TV network and satellite carriers like EuropeStar and Americom Asia Pacific to change their proprietary encryption and conditional access features to comply with the rules. This may diminish investor and customer interest in DTH.

The rules also require broadcasters to provide the set-top boxes, which cost about US$400 each, at a lower cost. Broadcasters would have to absorb the initial loss and recover their losses from subscribers over time.

Since broadcasters must bear part of the cost of the boxes to gain viewership, they do not want competitors to have access to those subscribers through their set-tops and are thus against open architecture.

The government's open architecture requirement and a decision allowing limited foreign equity ownership in satellite broadcasters has effectively stopped DTH service offerings in India.

Government officials have, however, hinted that the open-architecture policy may be reviewed, prompting broadcasters such as Star TV to remain optimistic.

China Plans to Boost Use of Satellites in Telecom Sector; Calls For Liberalization Aired

From satnewsasia.com

China intends to increase its use of communications satellites to provide better telecom services to its poor interior provinces.

This welcome move will expand telecom services in China's west, which is much poorer than its southern and eastern coast. The focus on western China is part of a huge government push to increase public and private investment in the region.

Vice-Minister Lou Qinjian of the Ministry of Information Industry said the government would make full use of satellite communications and construct and improve the satellite communications network. He also said China will develop satellite phones to reduce access costs in rural areas.

Satellite communications are appropriate for isolated rural areas where the cost of laying a phone line is very high.

Government's plans for the satellite industry also include developing new businesses such as direct-to-home satellite broadcasting.

China plans to put in place a common platform for satellite communications that will develop high-capacity DTH satellites and related applications.

The planned satellites will weigh between 600 and 800 kilograms and will have a life cycle of 15 years.

Despite China’s push for satellite telecommunications, both Chinese and foreign businessmen agree that only widespread liberalization will make this industry profitable.

China’s satellite industry is effectively a government monopoly and reforms are desperately needed.

Qi Caiyun, general manager of privately-owned China Eastern Satellite Network Corporation said that because of this government monopoly, China’s satellite market is still lagging behind that of Europe and America.

?We don't have our own direct broadcasting satellite in China yet after so many years, that shows that we have to have reforms in terms of the national policies from the central government,” Qi said.

She urged the government to lower the entry threshold, allowing more players to come in as competitors so that China’s satellite industry can develop faster.

China's satellite companies are protected from foreign competition by government restrictions on investment. These restrictions, however, will gradually be lifted with China’s membership in the World Trade Organization.

Compared with foreign satellite companies, Chinese operators are small, with just a few satellites each, and have high capital costs. They do, however, have a cost advantage: China's transponder costs are typically 60-70 percent of average world prices.

China launched 30 satellites from 1991-2000, more than any other Asian country except Japan, which launched 31.

This impressive number, however, has not led to a corresponding boom in the fortunes of China’s satellite communications firms.

Satellite services make up less than one percent of China's telecom industry revenue, compared to three to four percent in the U.S,

Analysts said tight government control were part of the industry's problems, and made it difficult for Chinese satellite companies to respond quickly to market conditions.

23/9/01

Not much for today, I have updated a few of the satellite pages, Intelsat 902 is testing at 58.5E it should be visable in Western Australia let me know if you see the test signals.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Chris Pickstock 23/9/01

10.30 am SA time

C7 Sport is currently showing on the ABC feed freq on B!. (12326 H, sr 6980) NZ v Aus Basketball on now.
CNN is showing on B1, 12397 H sr 7200


Chris

From Brian

Hi Craig

I appreciate receiving 'From the Dish' type info from the apsattv site

For Golf Lovers

Last 2 mornings ESPN feed to Foxsports Australia? on
[Channel 3] PAS 2 169E 3798 V Sr 26470 Vpid 1360 Apid 1320
approx. 4.30am to 7.30am Pennsylvania USPGA

Regards
Brian

From the Dish

Asiasat 3 105.5E 12595 H "Macau Five Star Satellite TV" has left, replaced by a testcard.(this one can be received in Australia)

Asiasat 2 100.5E 3951 H "Macau Five Star Satellite TV" has left, replaced by a testcard.

Intelsat 902 58.5E Test carriers seen on 4135 R, 4166 R and 4189 R, global beam (This one is NEW reports please).

NEWS

T S I C H A N N E L N E W S - Number 38/2001 September 23 2001 -

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

Edited Apsattv.com Edition

Editor: Branislav Pekic

A S I A

AUSTRALIA

SEVEN NETWORK TO BOOST FOOTBALL COVERAGE

Seven Network has announced it will broadcast more football, in a bid to tempt
sports fans away from rival Nine and Ten Networks’ coverage of Australian rules
football, won from Seven earlier this year. Seven plans to air certain National
Soccer League games in full a day after they are played and will produce a new
highlights show. The network also plans to cover games featuring the Australian
national team.

CHINA - HONG KONG

PROFITS DOWN AT PHOENIX SATELLITE TV

Heavy start-up costs for two new channels cut profits at Phoenix Satellite
Television Holdings to HK$53.98 million for its fiscal year ending in June
2001. The company, which is 37.6 percent owned by Rupert Murdoch’s Star TV DTH
platform, reported earnings of HK$97.6 million for the first half of the year.
But the launch of the Phoenix InfoNews Channel and the North American Chinese
Channel produced heavy loses in the second half of the year. Revenues increased
39.6 percent to HK713.68 million. Advertising revenue fell 12 percent in the
second half of the year compared to a 44 percent decline in the first half of
the year. Phoenix invested $13 million in its last fiscal year in the two new
services and expects to pour another $25 million into the channel next year.
Phoenix is one of the few foreign channels allowed in China, where it is
received in about 40 million cable homes.

INDIA

DOORDARSHAN DROPS NEWS CHANNEL

Indian public broadcaster Doordarshan is dropping its 24-hour news channel as
part of its current rebranding. The channel will now be split between kids
programming, health and the arts. However, Doordarshan pointed out that
flagship channel DD National will feature eight hours of news coverage daily.

THAILAND

BANGKOK TV GETS READY FOR LAUNCH

Shin Satellite Plc, Siew-National Co Ltd, Samart Corp and TPI Polene Plc have
joined forces to support a new free TV channel, “Bangkok Television” (BTV),
which will target viewers in Bangkok. BTV, to be operated by PL Television Co
Ltd, is one of three free TV channels to be set up with concessions awarded by
the Public Relations Department. Of the four main backers, Shin Satellite will
support BTV through its Thaicom satellite while Samart will supply antennae.
The new channel is scheduled to begin transmission on 1 October on a 24-hour
basis. To attract viewers, the new channel will allocate 20 per cent of its
viewing time to police-related activities covering crime and drug problems as
well as traffic information. The remaining 80 per cent will be allocated to
independent TV programme producers including Grammy Television, JSL, RS
Promotion (1992) Co Ltd, Kantana Group, Ror Sor 219, Matching Studio and Work
Point Entertainment. However, unlike the programmes that the producers produce
for existing free TV channels, the programmes to be aired on BTV will be
re-runs.

22/9/01

The U.S Government has appropriated an Australian ISP's frequency on Pas 2. This will shut down the providers regional ISP operation from Oct 15th for the ISP concerned. It might be worth keeping an eye on Pas 2 for increased activity. Especially on the data tranponders.

I will have a tidy up on the satellites pages later tonight.

From my Emails & ICQ

From Me

4pm Syd B3 12363 V "AFL" is on..

From Chris Pickstock

10.35 am SA time

B1, 12397 H, Sr 7200, on now. "America: A Tribute to Heroes" This is a two hour telethon style show with lots of top performers. It will be rebroadcast on Network 7 on Sunday night.

Chris

From the Dish

PAS 8 166E 3812 V "Lakbay TV has left", moved to 3880 V.

Optus B1 160E 12305 V "Mystery signal here" let me know if you can latch onto the settings.

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3551 H "SCT" has left again.(Like I said this freq tends to be a short term test one)

LMI 1 75E 3410 H "The TV Lanka tests and test card have left"

NEWS



Sorry nothing for today

21/9/01

There should be feeds of the "AMERICA: A TRIBUTE TO HEROES " Telethon on Saturday, 11a.m Syd time probably on the Adhoc Pas 2 channels, also on Fox News (Asiasat 3 and Panamsat 2). Also screening with a 1 hour delay on ABC Australia. I have found out the trouble connecting to the Asian satellite related sites is due to another cable being cut.

According to some a few naughty viewers have managed to decrypt the SCT channel on Thaicom 3

From my Emails & ICQ

From Nick

Hello Craig,

Brisbane 7am EST.I'm watching
Intelsat 701 180*W (new French ch.M6) 11610H SR 30000 3/4 Vpid179 Apid156

Regards to all your readers
Nick

From the Dish

Intelsat 701 180E 11610 H "M6" Sr 30000 Fec 3/4 Vpid 170 Apid 156

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3430 H "Alpha News" (Radio) has started on , Apid 257.

NEWS

SET expects to reach full subscriber base within a month

From indiantelevision.com

Sony Entertainment Television, which joined Star India and Zee TV as a completely pay-driven bouquet when its flagship channel became fully encrypted on 1 September, expects to reach a subscriber base of 26 million viewing homes within the next 30 days.

According to Shantonu Aditya, senior V-P franchise channels and distribution, Sony has already achieved a subscriber base of 20 million after the rollout of over 4,500 set top boxes in the A and B centres across the country. Distribution was going on across other centres at a fast clip, Aditya said.

Aditya said that due to the improved yield that had been achieved (yield is defined by the average number of subscribers that the cable operator declares per box) SET had significantly reduced estimates on the number of boxes that would be required to reach a subscriber base (26 million) equal to that existing pre-encryption. Aditya said he hoped to achieve his target with the rollout of 6,000 boxes but added that at the end of it all that figure might reach as high as 7,000.

That is still far lower than the original estimate of a 10,000 box requirement for full rollout.

20/9/01

The nets still running slowly due to the Nimda Virus, I have already had 1 copy sent to me which my virus scanner picked up. I suggest updating your virus scanner every time you log on. It was also the reason why the site was down the host server was being attacked. Many of the overseas satellite sites I check for news are not working that is why there is a lack of news.

VOA / Worldnet on Asiasat 2 will be moving to digital on Oct 10th new parameters will be 3880H Sr 20400 Fec 1/2, services currently on 3765 H will also move to 3880 H. That is the last Analogue channel to leave Asiasat 2. But it means more higher quality audio services on the new digital service!

From my Emails & ICQ

From George (Thailand)

Dear Craig

Some intersting news from up here in Thailand

last night around 22:00 Bangkok time CNN put up their CNN Headline News channel 3940 H SR 27690 mux wonder did anyone see it besides me?

headlinenews.cnn.com

(very intersting since I was telling you about how many people up here aren't very happy about the encryption of CNN International.) they were testing for about 6 hours and they weren't feeds.

NHK New York, CBS New York seen in the 3901 H SR 30800 mux on PAS 2 on the Adhoc Channels

The religion channels are also unencrypting like Maharishi Veda Vision does that mean a war is near?

From the Dish

PAS 2 169E 3960 H "Feed" Sr 1724 Fec 2/3

PAS 2 169E 4044 V The TVB mux with TVBS Asia and TVBS Newsnet is back/still on, Sr 6620, Fec 3/4, SIDs 1-2, PIDs 33/34-35/36.
PAS 2 169E 4148 V "Power TV" and the occasional feeds have left. There are now test cards on PIDs 1160/1120-1460/1420.

PAS 8 166E 12686 H "JET TV" has started regular transmissions on Vpid 2010 Apid 2020

Optus B1 160E 12349 V "Occasional feeds" Sr 6110 Fec 3/4.

Optus B3 156E 12313 H "The Austar promo" has left

Palapa C2 113E 3880 H "TVRI" has started,Vpid 512 Apid 650.

Asiasat 2 100.5E 3640 H "Nile Drama and ESC 2" are encrypted again.

Insat 2E 83E 3979 V "DD 8 - Andhra Pradesh" has started regular transmissions, Sr 5000, Fec 3/4, Vpid 512 Apid 640, zone beam.

NEWS

CNN asked to leave Afghanistan

From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/today/20tech05.htm

AFGHANISTAN'S ruling Taliban has asked CNN to leave the country, the US television news channel said on Wednesday.

Nic Robertson, reporting from the Taliban headquarters of Kandahar, is one of the last remaining western journalists in Afghanistan which is braced for possible strikes from the United States after last week's attacks on New York and Washington.

'We understand now that the ruling has come from the supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Omar, that absolutely no exception can be made at this time...our time has come,' Robertson said.

The station said it was petitioning the Taliban for permission to stay. (Reuters)

DD to wind up News Channel

From http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/sep20/n2.htm

Just over two years after it was launched with great fanfare, Doordarshan’s 24-hour news channel - DD News - is being wound up and the news and current affairs programmes are to be moved to the national channel, DD One, in fulfilment of its mandate of being a public service broadcaster.

Prasar Bharati sources admitted to UNI that the decision to merge the news channel and DD One was related in part to the fact that DD News had failed to garner adequate commercial revenue since it commenced on August 15, 1999.

However, a new niche channel will take place of DD News with telecast of programmes for children, adolescents, and lovers of dance, music and culture. This still-to-be-named channel will have about six hours of programming for children, four hours based on health care, fitness, diet, nutrition and different systems of medicine, and about six hours based on good quality music, dance and fine arts.

With an almost total reach over the country, DD One will thus increase its public service broadcasting content from the present ten per cent to just over 33 per cent.

The sources said this channel would thus become the main face of Doordarshan for discharging the role of a public service broadcaster as it had the highest reach in rural areas. However, it will continue to devote one-third of its time to programmes for the family in the entertainment genre which will be taken on normal commercial considerations.

Although Prasar Bharati formally came into existence when the Prasar Bharati Act was implemented from September 1997, Doordarshan has been accused of failing to live up to its role as a public service broadcaster.

The problem for Prasar Bharati to become self-supporting was further compounded when the Government announced in February 2000 that it was to be funded as a full-fledged autonomous body with effect from April that year and was to receive a grant-in-aid to cover the gap in its resources in meeting its revenue expenditure.

DD Two (DD Metro) will thus become a totally entertainment-based channel with operations to be run purely on commercial considerations. Prasar Bharati sources said that about 93 different programmes were in the offing for this channel which will provide complete and wholesome entertainment.

Sing & dance with DD news

19/9/01

Lots of activity in the last day or so Mega encrypting, TVBS leaving Pas 2 etc. I will have to have a cleanup on the weekend and do some updating of the satellite pages. My internets bad today so I can't get through to a number of the usual websites to find news. Hopefully it will improve tommorow

From my Emails & ICQ

From Tony Drexal (FTA Satellite Services)

Hello Craig,

Mega Cosmos was encrypted as at 9.15am CST Tuesday the 18th Sept 2001, after being free for all Greeks for a couple of years.

This is probably part of the TxxxS buy it and make people pay plan.

The list of channels that have been free for years and suddenly turning into money making ventures for a few, is growing.

I wonder if this 'trend' was to continue that one day SBS, the ABC, and all currently free networks may require a "fee" to be able to watch them.

My guess is that as greed takes over mankind, we may also find one day that having a wind mill or a solar panel is not fair on the electricity companies, and a tax payment required before you can 'take a walk in the park'.

Who is next on the list of "acquisitions"?

BTW. The contact number to voice your opinions about the encryption of LBC on pas 2 is Sydney 1800 700 506.

They are adopting a 'wait and see' approach, to find out the number of people who a) have a domestic dish, and b) would those people be willing to pay to have it back.

Money is so important in this society, pity that happiness is starting to take a back seat.

Kind regards,
Tony Drexel
Free to Air Satellite Services

Craigs comment, It's very disapointing to see a popular channel encrypt, I suggest people send their complaints to the following email addresses for Mega, let them know they have lost a viewer also let them know the outrageous price Tarbs will be charging.

publ_rel@megatv.com
mktg@megatv.com

From Chris Pickstock 18/9/01

1.30 pm SA time
On B1, 12349 V Sr 6108, "ASTRALINKS SNG For SKY Bundaberg Races"

Colour Bars at the moment. As Craig reported the other day this frequency comes through with the strongest signal I have ever had. Does anyone else receive it as such a strong signal, and if so where are you?

From David Nolan, in Northern Australia

Apstar 2R Report

Channel News Asia 3705 V Sr 6111 4 channels
strong up here. Good to hear Aussie commentary.

3720 H Sr 29265 Adventure 1 channel or National Geographic in clear.
3823 V 3570 Channel 1 strong signal.
3846 H Sr 10200 5 Chinese channels.
3976 V Sr 5000 Chinese.

Solar Outage this arvo for 20mins.

3705 the best on current affairs I have found for this region.

From the Dish

PAS 2 169E 4044 V "TVBS Asia and TVBS Newsnet" have left.
PAS 2 169E 3744 V "BBC mux increased power?"
PAS 2 169E 3872 H "Soccer feeds seen here" Sr 6620 Fec 2/3 (reports please if you see anything)

Optus B3 156E Zee TV Australia, Zee Cinema Australia, Zee Music, SET Asia, Alpha TV
Punjabi and Asianet Bharathi have moved from 12658 V to 12532 V, Sids 505-510, Vpids 2048/2049-Apids 2128/2129.

Yamal 102 90E 3645 L"TV 6 Moskva" still on , Vpid 201 Apid 202
(G Hermosa)

Thaicom 3 78.5E 3640 H "Mega Cosmos" is now encrypted.

Apstar 2R 76.5E 3796 V "DD North-East" has new pids Vpid 4096 Apid 4100.

LMI 1 75E 3410 H "A test card has started" , Sid 3, Vpid 1260 Apid 1220.

PAS 10 68.5E 3932 V "Maharishi Veda Vision" is now fta

NEWS

Nickelodeon & Austar to launch interactive channel

From http://www.austarunited.com.au/press.asp?action=show&record=1

Nickelodeon and Austar to launch Australia’s first interactive children’s channel

Children in Austar homes in regional Australia will be first to experience the excitement of interactive children’s television thanks to an agreement between Nickelodeon and Austar to turn Nickelodeon interactive on Austar’s digital satellite service.

From late October, while watching Nickelodeon, kids will be able to:

- send messages to friends, family and Nickelodeon via the TV;
- find out about Nickelodeon events, promotions and programs;
- learn more about their favourite Nickelodeon characters; and
- find out about other things to do like fun ways to recycle.

Later in the year viewers will be able to click through to a special Nickelodeon game in Austar’s Gamespace.

For no additional cost, 300,000 Austar satellite households will have access to the service, while just over 100,000, who have a telephone line connection, will be able to send messages and their own ideas to Nickelodeon with the chance for them to appear in the enhancement.

Austar's networks is closed and not linked to the internet so parents can be sure that Kids will only get access to the high quality family friendly content that has made Nickelodeon one of the most trusted children's brands in the world.

"Austar's children's viewing channels, like Nickelodeon, offer a world of fun and learning in a safe environment," said Dana Strong, Managing Director of Austar United Broadband. "Interactivity adds a whole new dimension to that experience.

"Kids love to interact when they are playing or learning. They know about it from the computer in the classroom, library or at home and from playing electronic games. Now they can further interact with their favourite TV programs on Nickelodeon.

?iTV adds a new dimension to pay TV, which we know from international experience increases take up and improves retention of the service. This is especially so on channels such as Nickelodeon where parents see their kids discovering a whole new way to learn and have fun,” said Ms Strong.

?The Austar Nickelodeon experience will give kids the opportunity to further interact with the channel they love. Our philosophy is to connect to kids with entertaining experiences. Therefore, the Nickelodeon channel enhancement will give kids new interactive experiences whilst watching Nickelodeon, like communicating with each other and with Nick, or finding out more about the Channel,” said Ian Fairweather, Nickelodeon’s General Manager.

Austar's interactive services include T-Mail (e-mail on your television), HOME (the interactive guide and services menu), QuickShop (shopping while watching the Lifestyle channel), GameSpace (free and subscription games) and channel enhancements on the Weather Channel, Channel V and now Nickelodeon. More services and channel enhancements will be launched in the coming months.

Austar has been investing in digital technology from the day it launched its satellite service making iTV available quickly and easily to most of its customers. Services such as the Nickelodeon channel enhancement will come as part of the basic service at no cost to customers.

The Nickelodeon channel enhancement is the result of work being done by the channel with leading digital media companies Massive Television and Victoria Real, coordinated by Austar Interactive TV.

Massive and Austar provided the template channel enhancement application that Austar is adapting to suit various channels on its service. Victoria Real is providing creative direction and production for the Nickelodeon channel enhancement, and completing production of the Nickelodeon games.

News rivals CNN, Fox offer different styles on crisis

From http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/monday/features_b35ad91371c520940072.html

His voice quickening as file footage of Osama bin Laden played on-screen, Fox News Channel commentator Bill O'Reilly made clear his thoughts about the suspected World Trade Center terrorism mastermind Friday night.

"I'm telling you my feelings right now," O'Reilly stated vehemently. "I think the man does not deserve to live."

The next morning, bin Laden was also the dominant topic on CNN. But location was key. Reporter Tom Mintier, live in Pakistan, handed off to reporter Nic Robertson, live in Afghanistan.

Tuesday's terrorist attacks set off a week in which it sometimes felt as if the same horrific images and anguished commentary were playing on a continual loop on every available TV channel. Yet for Fox and CNN --- already locked in a struggle for 24-hour news channel supremacy --- covering a real (if undeclared) war has further underscored the differences between them.

Neither network's reporting has been error-free, especially in the earliest hours of the crisis, when numerous events were unfolding on many fronts. (Shelling of Afghanistan's capital shown live Tuesday on CNN turned out to be unrelated to the American crisis; Fox reported a hijacked plane headed for the U.S. Capitol that never materialized, although Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday that that may have been the goal of the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.) CNN and Fox joined most networks in carrying a false report --- initially confirmed by New York police, CNN said --- of five people pulled from the WTC rubble in a sport-utility vehicle.

Generally, though, media experts say that both networks have done well at covering an unprecedented, constantly developing story. Yet early ratings suggest that when it comes to viewers, CNN's deep reporting bench and somewhat more straightforward approach to the news seems to be winning out over Fox's big-hitter personalities and more gut-level delivery.

According to Nielsen figures, CNN's average rating for the period between 8:45 a.m. Tuesday and 3 a.m. Friday was 3.7, or some 3.1 million households tuned in. Fox achieved a 2.2 rating (1.5 million households). Both networks' ratings soared during prime time, when CNN averaged 4.7 and Fox 3.3.

"People all over the world know that CNN is going to be there," Eason Jordan, president of newsgathering for the CNN newsgroups, said Saturday. "So CNN is held to a different standard. We have to be where the news is, in potential hot spots."

Neither Jordan nor Fox News Channel's network executive producer, Bill Shine, wanted to discuss ratings over the weekend.

"I've gotta be honest, I watch the competition some," Shine said Friday night from New York. "But when you've got the president coming in for a memorial service, planes crashing into buildings and whatever else, it's not what I'm focusing on."

With so much going on and with the networks sharing footage Tuesday, much of the initial coverage could seem virtually indistinguishable.

"What we were seeing was not a lot of jockeying for future position, but a bunch of news organizations trying to stay on the air and do good journalism," said Robert Thompson, head of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television.

But the differences between CNN and Fox have become more apparent as the sense of immediate crisis has gradually given way to watchful waiting for war, and as the broadcast networks have begun to return to regular programming.

"Fox has staked its newfound success in personality programming," notes Matthew Felling of the Center for Media and Public Affairs. That means comprehensive news reporting, as well as anchors and reporters who can veer into commentary during broadcasts. (Shepard Smith concluded a report on people who would consider it "un-American" to sell stock today with a fervent "Let's hope so!")

It also meant two live broadcasts (up from the usual one) of Fox's wildly popular "The O'Reilly Factor" on Friday night. A skilled interviewer, O'Reilly extracted interesting details from Rudi Dekkers, whose flight school two of the suspected hijackers attended, as well as Dekkers' vow to fax information on any such future applicants to the FBI. A vocal conservative commentator as well, O'Reilly also promised that he'd "blast anyone" who tried to push President Bush to act prematurely.

Larry King, arguably CNN's best-known personality, has been in his usual 9 p.m. spot. Meanwhile, Aaron Brown has anchored so much coverage on a New York rooftop alongside ex-Foxer Paula Zahn that Felling predicts "Brown will be this war's Arthur Kent," a reference to NBC's "Scud Stud" during the Gulf War.

Yet to Jordan, what matters most is being wherever the story developments are before they happen. CNN, which now has more than 30 foreign bureaus (to Fox's three), was the only network in Iraq when the Persian Gulf War started in 1991.

"And now it's 2001 and we're the only ones in Afghanistan," said Jordan, who thinks CNN's "unparalleled" international presence will pay off even more. "If we take President Bush at his word, and we certainly do, there is going to be very strong, fierce retaliation. Clearly, we're going to have more focus there."

New Thai Television Channel to Carry Public Service Programmes

From http://hoovnews.hoovers.com

While an investigation continues into the legality of its concession, World Thai Star TV Co plans to launch a new channel officially next month.

However, the channel has been subcontracted to P.L. Television Co, which will broadcast under the name of Bangkok TV or BTV.

It will introduce itself to media and advertising agencies on Wednesday with a plan to start transmission on Oct 8, said Jaisingh Narula, an executive of Thai Television (TTV), the station name of World Thai Star TV.

Mr Jaisingh said BTV would initially carry public-service programmes made by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the National Police Office.

An informed source at TTV said the company would not charge the subcontractor for airtime. Instead, it would pay it 30 percent of the revenue.

The source conceded that the ratio was high, compared with the 50/50 basis of established free-to-air stations.

Some potential investors in the project, including entertainment celebrities Thoon Hiranyasap, and former Thai Airways International president Dhamnoon Wanglee, decided to cancel their plans after failing to negotiate better terms, the source said.

Aside from the sub-contractor receiving 30 percent of the revenue, which observers said was a low figure, uncertainty about the concession is a major deterrent to investors.

The Public Relations Department granted a concession to Thai Star TV Co on May 30, 1996 although the only two bidders were from the same business group.

The concession fee offered by Thai Star TV was also low by industry standards as it amounted to 400 million baht throughout the 25-year contract.

In October 1999, the Public Relations Department allowed the company to rename itself as World Thai Star TV Co, even though the new firm had different shareholders and management from its predecessor.

Information from the Commercial Registration Department shows that World Thai Star TV and Thai Star TV are different entities. Therefore, the concession was in effect re-granted to a new firm, although the Public Relations Department insists otherwise.

Another anomaly is that the concession was originally granted to a pay-TV station, but World Star TV intended to operate a free-to-air service and run commercials which are not allowed on pay channels.

Somsak Thepsuthin, the Prime Minister's Office minister who oversees the Public Relations Department, appointed a committee on Aug 30 to investigate the case, demanding the findings within 30 days. The move prompted World Thai Star TV to ask BTV to handle the launch.

P.L. Television was established on March 29 this year with registered capital of five million baht. According to the Commercial Registration Department, its stated business objectives are to provide services in music, entertainment, shows, plays and recording.

The company's chairman is Pol Gen Yongyuth Thepjumnong, a retired police officer. The company's board consists of Suphavadee Thaptimthongchai, Napong Kamolsilp and Vice-Admiral Narong Kamolsilp.

A company spokesman refused to disclose any details of the station's programmes, saying the information would be announced on Wednesday.

Zee News inks content-sharing deal with CNN

From http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/today/18tech03.htm

ZEE News has entered into a strategic alliance with CNN for content sharing, which will give the former access to all newsbreaks from CNN, and provide reciprocal benefits to the US media major.

The alliance is initially valid for a year and could be extended up to three years, said senior Zee News officials, adding the arrangement envisaged royalty payment by Zee to CNN.

When contacted, Zee News CEO Sanjay Pugulia declined to comment on the deal. CNN's distributor in India Turner International's Anshuman Mishra was also not available for comments.

The deal, signed late last week, comes at a time when American networks, including CNN, have launched blanket 24-hour coverage after the terrorist strikes in New York and Washington and the possibility of US retaliation on Afghanistan. (PTI)

N.Y. High-Definition Future Unclear

From http://www.mediaweek.com/mediaweek/daily_news/print/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1056550

Not only did New York television stations lose their antennas when the World Trade Center crumbled after last week's gruesome terrorist act, but five outlets -- WABC, WNBC, WPIX, WWOR and WNET -- also lost millions of dollars' worth of digital broadcast equipment. The catastrophe sets New York back months, if not years, in the transition to high-definition TV broadcasts. The May 2002 deadline set by the Federal Communications Commission for commercial stations to have HDTV offerings up and running will now be difficult for the effected stations to meet (noncommercial stations like WNET have until 2003). Only three New York stations -- WCBS, WNYW and WNYE -- have their digital transmission facilities on the Empire State Building.

"If this isn't an extenuating circumstance for making the deadline, I don't know what is," said one Washington lobbyist, who requested anonymity.

Deadline aside, it won't be easy or cheap for the stations to replace their digital signals. Most insurance companies do not cover losses from terrorist acts. Then there is the challenge of finding another location that is high and strong enough to support the heavier digital equipment. Station deals to lease space on the World Trade Center took months. WABC and WNBC had completed construction only late last year.

Now the process has to start all over again. Choices are severely limited. With the Empire State Building at full capacity, one option stations are looking at is the Armstrong Tower in Alpine, N.J., the site of the first experimental FM radio station. Named after Edwin Armstrong, the inventor of FM radio who eventually committed suicide after a protracted fight with RCA's David Sarnoff (who wanted to prevent FM from encroaching on AM), the tower sits atop the Palisades, one of the highest points in New Jersey.

All that pales, however, in comparison to the deaths of five engineers from WCBS, WNBC, WABC and WPIX, who were monitoring their stations' transmitters at the top of the WTC when the attacks came last week.

Channel V to exclusively air Jackson’s new video

From http://www.financialexpress.com/fe20010918/news6.html

STAR India will focus on Channel V this year and is going to premiere Michael Jackson’s new video exclusively on the music channel.

The King of Pop will rock on Channel V for the first two days of his launch of his new video on September 21 and September 22. Mr Jackson’s single ‘You Rock My World’ from the album that took almost six years in the making - Invincible - will be premiered exclusively on the channel simultaneously with the global launch of the video.

Technology arrangements are being done by Channel V’s Hong Kong telecast centre who will take in the feed direct from the US, when Mr Jackson gives his first video for airing. Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records have announced the worldwide release. The album will arrive in-store internationally on October 29 and in the US and Canada on October 30. Sony has associated with Channel V for the premier of the new single.

18/9/01

Live chat tonight in the chatroom 8.30pm Syd time onwards and from about 9.15pm NZ. Dwelle and TV5 Asie have been relabled on Mediasat Msat 6/7. Good to see Fox News back FTA hopefully CNN will follow.

Has anyone checked for Pas 5 at 155 W? yes this one may be visable in the Asia Pacific region.

Can someone with a Nokia check around 12305 V on B1, i think there is a signal there, maybe Data but my Nokia can't get a lock onto it to get the SR and Fec and pids off it

From my Emails & ICQ

From George (Thailand)

Can anyone help me confirm if TVB mux (4044V SR 6620 / with TVBS Newsnetwork and TVBS Asia) transponder 11 on PAS 2 has ceased or changed symbol rates? And confirm ifthe Fox Mux on 3798V is still there? Cant seem to get it up here, while all other transponders are coming in fine from PAS 2.

Fashion TV will be encrypting on Asiasat 2 on the first of November says on their channel yesterday what a sad lost just thought you would like to know.

From the Dish

Pas 8 166E 3850 H "New FTA services here???, labled music 1-22?, someone please check what loads" Sr 13240 Fec 3/4

Optus B3 156E 12336 V "Msat 6" on Vpid 1660 Apid 1620 Sid 6 (Encrypted)
Optus B3 156E 12336 V "Msat 7" on Vpid 1760 Apid 1720 Sid 7 (Encrypted)

Optus B3 156E 12532 V "Zee Mux", new Pids
Optus B3 156E 12532 V "Zee Tv