From: rdickel@cs.strath.ac.uk (Robert A Dickel IE91)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Subject: Satnews 076
Date: 13 Apr 92 12:09:56 GMT
Organization: Comp. Sci. Dept., Strathclyde Univ., Glasgow, Scotland.
Originator: rdickel@simpson-04

SSSSSSSS AAAAAAAA TTTTTTTT NNNNNNNNN EEEEEEEEE WWWWWWWWW SSSSSSSS 
SS    SS AAA  AAA T      T N  NNN  N E       E W  WWW  W SS    SS 
S  SS  S AA    AA TTT  TTT N   NN  N E EEEEEEE W  WWW  W S  SS  S 
SS  SSSS A  AA  A TTT  TTT N    N  N E EEEEEEE W  WWW  W SS  SSSS 
SSS  SSS A  AA  A TTT  TTT N  N    N E     EEE W  W W  W SS  SSSS 
SSSS   S A      A TTT  TTT N  NN   N E EEEEEEE W   W   W SSSS  SS 
S  SS  S A  AA  A TTT  TTT N  NNN  N E EEEEEEE W   W   W S  SS  S 
SS    SS A  AA  A TTT  TTT N  NNN  N E       E W  WWW  W SS    SS 
SSSSSSSS AAAAAAAA TTTTTTTT NNNNNNNNN EEEEEEEEE WWWWWWWWW SSSSSSSS 
 
                    incorporating TV Briefly 
 
:----------------------Electronic Edition-----------------------: 
:                                                               : 
: Issue: 076 :--------:Published Weekly:-------: Date: 13/04/92 : 
:                                                               : 
:--------------(C) Copyright 1991,92 Darren Ingram--------------: 
:                                                               : 
:-------------------------------------------:-------------------: 
: SATNEWS is published weekly by Darren     : HOW TO CONTACT US : 
: Ingram Media Services and is Copyright (C):                   : 
: 1991-92 Darren Ingram/Darren Ingram Media : FIDONET           : 
: Services. It is distributed on various    :   2:252/333 (ZMH) : 
: electronic computer networks. Selected    : INTERNET          : 
: reproduction is permitted as long as the  :      Satnews@cix. : 
: copyright holder and title is credited.   :   compulink.co.uk : 
: Contributions and solicitations for use   : FACSIMILE         : 
: in Satnews are welcome. Please contact    :   +44 203 717 418 : 
: the editor before uploading Satnews onto a: TELEX             : 
: new information source. Rights Reserved   :   94026650 DBRI G : 
:-------------------------------------------:-------------------: 
: Editor/Publisher: Darren Ingram           : Contact Satnews   : 
: Contributors    : Dave Plumb              : for details on a  : 
:                 : Dr. Helmut Vahlbruch    : special Internet/ : 
:                 : Robert Smathers         : CIX access deal   : 
:                 : And others              : that saves money! : 
:---------------------------------------------------------------: 
 
IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION: 
 
* CNN ON ASTRA 
* CRICKET SCORES MASSIVE BOOST FOR BSKYB 
* LA CINQ: BYE BYE 
* BSKYB AND BBC WORK IN UNISON 
* DIAMOND CABLE PLACES FIRST TELEPHONE CALL 
* JSTV ENCRYPTION 
* BACK TO BACK SELLING GUIDE 
* MORE PLAYERS FOR EUTELSAT 
* SATELLITE: THE BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION 
* CHRISTIAN MONITOR CLOSEDOWN 
* CNN OVERBLOWN 
* INTELSAT INTRODUCES IBIS-TV 
* SPY SATELLITES LAUNCHED 
* DIRECTV SIGNS UP CLI FOR IMAGE COMPRESSION 
* AMERICAN CABLE 
* BT SIGNS PAGING NETWORK CONTRACT 
* NEWS IN BRIEF 
* EUROPEAN SIGHTINGS 
* NORTH AMERICAN NEWS 
 
 
CNN ON ASTRA 
Live  relays of CNN International have appeared on Astra 1B  over 
the last few days, although nobody knows why it is there, or  how 
long will it last. 
 
     The service is being relayed on 11.627Ghz, with CNN Radio at 
7.92Mhz.  Programme audio is at 6.50Mhz.  It is a well known fact 
that CNN were considering taking an Astra 1B transponder, but the 
channel found the high transponder leasing costs prohibitive. 
 
     At the time of going to press, the broadcasts were  continu- 
ing,  although nobody at CNN International or SES (the owners  of 
the Astra satellite) could comment on the new service. 
 
     There are two possible theories presently.  One is that  CNN 
International will launch the new service on Monday at the  Cable 
and  Satellite Show in London.  CNN has felt its European  market 
share being eroded by Sky News, and may be keen to readdress  the 
balance. 
 
     The  other theory is that CNN  is testing the channel for  a 
new venture with Turner Broadcasting Systems, to offer a  general 
entertainment channel for Europe. 
 
     Satnews hopes to bring further details in next week's issue. 
 
Since Satnews 076  has gone to  press, it has been confirmed that
CNN has  launched  its news service  aboard Astra.  A full report
will appear next week. 

CRICKET SCORES MASSIVE BOOST FOR BSKYB 
Ninety-four thousand Astra satellite dishes were installed in the 
U.K. during March, according to the monthly FT satellite monitor. 
 
     The  survey  now says that there are  2,372,000  dishes  in- 
stalled in the U.K., with a further 2,200,000 households express- 
ing an interest in acquiring satellite television. 
 
LA CINQ: BYE BYE 
A French court has ordered La Cinq to cease broadcasting on April 
12, although employees are optimistic of a last minute reprieve. 
 
     According  to  the  court, La Cinq has debts  in  excess  of 
US$720 million, which "destroys all chances of success for whoev- 
er would like to continue the company." 
 
     The Association for the Defence of La Cinq, a support  group 
set up by La Cinq employees, has urged viewers to send in letters 
saying that they would purchase a US$45 share in the company. 
 
     At the time of going to press, it was not possible to deter- 
mine  the level of viewer support, or the number of  letters  re- 
ceived by the station. 
 
BSKYB AND BBC WORK IN UNISON 
British Sky Broadcasting and the British Broadcasting Corporation 
are attempting to negotiate joint broadcast rights to cover games 
from the new U.K. Premier League. 
 
     Details  of the arrangement are scarce, but it  is  believed 
that  the BBC would have the rights to show some live games,  and 
all  pre-recorded games. BSkyB would show the games live  on  its 
Sports Channel service. 
 
     Full Time Communications, a start up company which hopes  to 
show  24-hour  football, may be forced out  by  the  arrangement, 
unless it can out-bid BSkyB and the BBC. 
 
DIAMOND CABLE PLACES FIRST TELEPHONE CALL. 
The  cable-telephone  service operated by Diamond Cable,  a  U.K. 
franchise  owner,  has been inaugurated at Comms '92,  a  British 
Communications exposition this week. 
 
     Diamond Cable, based in Nottingham, is the first U.K.  cable 
operator  to  provide a telephone service by  switching  its  own 
calls on its network.  A GPT System X telephone exchange  is used 
on the network. 
 
     GPT is pleased with the new service, and believes that other 
cable-telephony operators will watch Diamond Cable's service with 
interest.   Diamond  Cable says that the System X  switch  allows 
their network to be flexible, and offer the best  value-for-money 
service. 
 
JSTV ENCRYPTION 
Japanese  Satellite Television (JSTV) is to encrypt its  European 
distributed service.  But the introduction of encryption will  be 
a gradual change. 
 
     JSTV  will  use the Videocrypt encryption system,  which  is 
rapidly  becoming  a de-facto for PAL  transmissions  aboard  the 
Astra  satellite.   An initial "membership fee" of L100  will  be 
levied, with a L30 per month subscription fee. 
 
     The  limited number of potential subscribers is  responsible 
for the relatively high subscription rates, according to JSTV. 
 
BACK TO BACK SELLING GUIDE 
Astra Marketing has launched a "step-by-step" guide to  marketing 
satellite television in the U.K. 
 
     The  guide,  known  as Route One, is designed to  act  as  a 
training guide to retailers.  Astra Marketing launched Choice One 
after  it  discovered that many potential  customers  were  being 
bamboozled  by  retailers  reeling off a  list  of  products  and 
prices, instead of ascertaining the customers' requirements. 
 
     Jonathan  Hart, managing director of Astra  Marketing,  says 
that the new guide is likely to increase sales, as it  encourages 
sales staff to focus on the broadcasts the customers want so see. 
 
MORE PLAYERS FOR EUTELSAT 
Eutelsat,  the  European  satellite  co-operative,  has  received 
requests for membership from Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, 
the  Czech  and Slovak Federative Republic and  the  Republic  of 
Hungary. 
 
     The  applications  were approved last week at a  meeting  of 
Eutelsat Signatories. 
 
     Armenia  will  use Eutelsat's satellites  for  international 
telephony and television distribution.  Azerbaijan will construct 
an earth station for telephony. Hungary and the Czech and  Slovak 
Federative  Republic plan to use Eutelsat for EBU/television  and 
telephony communications. 
 
SATELLITE: THE BRITISH GENERAL ELECTION 
Satellite capacity in Europe was stretched to the limit last week 
with  the demand for  television coverage of the British  General 
Election. 
 
     British  Telecom  were managing over 400  outside  broadcast 
links for broadcasters around the world.  Other satellite provid- 
ers were similarly swamped with transmission requests. 
 
     Transponder  capacity on 11 satellites was used by  BT  (see 
separate item in European Sightings).  A satellite link over PAS- 
1 to the U.S. was used.  BT created a Director Interrupt  Reverse 
Talkback  system so that ITN and BSkyB could relay  cue  instruc- 
tions to over 120 reporters at OB locations. 
 
CHRISTIAN MONITOR CLOSEDOWN 
The  Christian Science Church's Monitor Channel is set  to  close 
soon unless a buyer can be found. 
 
     Weekly  operating losses of US$4 million are  troubling  the 
channel.  Over six million viewers in North America tune into the 
channel. 
 
     A decision to sell the channel was taken after a  "shake-up" 
in the internal organisation and finances of the church. 
 
CNN OVERBLOWN 
According  to Stephen Claypole, head of news at the  news  agency 
Visnews, the claims about CNN's global influence are "overblown." 
 
     Claypole, speaking at the Wilton Park conference on war  and 
the media, said that it was a myth that CNN has a massive  world- 
wide audience. 
 
INTELSAT INTRODUCES IBIS-TV 
Intelsat broadcast services customers are likely to benefit  from 
a new computerised scheduling system called IBIS-TV. 
 
     IBIS  (Integrated  Booking  and  Information  System  allows 
customers  with  a PC-compatible computer  to  access  Intelsat's 
master  scheduling  system.  Real time updates on  space  segment 
reservations  can now be accessed by signatories  and  authorised 
users. 
 
SPY SATELLITES LAUNCHED 
The  U.S.  Air Force has launched a  NAVSTAR  Global  Positioning 
Satellite (GPS) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. 
 
     This  launch is the 13th launch of a McDonnel Douglas  Delta 
rocket carrying a NAVSTAR GPS satellite. 
 
     The  French government announced this week that  its  latest 
generation of spy satellites, known as "Cerise" would be launched 
in 1994. 
 
DIRECTV SIGNS UP CLI FOR IMAGE COMPRESSION 
Thomson Consumer Electronics has signed up Compression Labs  Inc. 
to  develop and manufacture a compressed digital  video  encoding 
system for the DirecTV DBS service. 
 
     US$5 million has been assigned for research and  development 
until 1993. 
 
AMERICAN CABLE 
Millions  of American cable television customers now  face  lower 
bills,  following  legislation passed in the  American  House  of 
Representatives. 
 
     A  House  subcommittee approved measures  to  regulate  over 
11,000  cable systems in the U.S.  The bill will  place  restric- 
tions  on pricing, as well as forcing companies to  offer  cable- 
only programming to satellite and microwave broadcasters. 
 
BT SIGNS PAGING NETWORK CONTRACT 
BT  Visual  and Broadcast Services has provided the  new  network 
infrastructure for a brand-new paging venture in the U.K. 
 
     Hutchinson Paging recently awarded BT a L3 million  contract 
to  provide 400 VSAT terminals, which will relay paging  data  to 
Hutchinson's paging transmitter sites. 
 
     A  9.6  kbits/second data channel will be used,  aboard  the 
Eutelsat II F2 satellite at 10 degrees east longitude. 
 
NEWS IN BRIEF 
Eutelsat,  the European satellite co-operative, saw  its  profits 
rise by 55 percent to ECU21.7 million in 1991, compared to  ECU14 
million the previous year. Eutelsat says that the rise in profits 
is  due to the expansion of Eutelsat services, and the high  take 
up  of transponder capacity in the Eutelsat II F1 and  F2  satel- 
lites. 
 
     United Airlines has chosen a Collins satcomms system for its 
new fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft. Satcomms equipment will also be 
installed in its fleet of 767 and 747 planes.  Each plane will be 
fitted with a voice and data transmission service. 
 
     IDB Broadcast has signed a long-term lease for 13  transpon- 
ders  aboard Hughes Communications' Galaxy II and VI  satellites. 
IDB  will  use the transponders for  programme  distribution  and 
occasional use transmissions. Terms were not disclosed. 
 
     Logica has delivered a control and monitoring system to  the 
U.K.'s  National Transcommunications Limited (NTL). NTL will  use 
the system to monitor its terrestrial television and radio trans- 
mitters. 
 
     Mobil  has signed a sponsorship deal with  Screensport/TESN, 
covering  the 1992 World League Football season.  In a  different 
move,  Screensport has signed up Reebok as sponsors for a  season 
of marathon races from around the world. 
 
     TV  Answer Inc. has signed a contract with  Sequoia  Systems 
Inc.  to  provide  a fault tolerant computer system for  the  new 
interactive  television  network. The new  computer  system  will 
register transactions and subscriber data for the network. 
 
     Hachette,  the French media group which held a stake in  the 
troubled La Cinq television station, has been forced to  restruc- 
ture  its finances to due to the large losses experienced by  the 
station, which closed down recently. 
 
     Visnews  is continuing with its legal action  against  Super 
Channel for alleged unpaid bills totalling L400,000. A claim  for 
damages  following the early termination of the contract will  be 
made. 
 
     Pearson,  the publishing and industrial group which holds  a 
share  in British Sky Broadcasting, has seen its profits fall  to 
L173.8 million - a fall of 21 percent over the previous year. 
 
     Data  from  the  Landsat earth  imaging   satellite  is  now 
available  on a Exabyte 8mm data cartridge.    Exabyte says  that 
the new arrangement will be welcomed by scientists using  desktop 
computers. 
 
     Brightstar has been awarded satellite operating licences  in 
France and The Netherlands. The EC has ruled that countries  must 
de-regulate their satellite services by January 1, 1993. 
 
     MTV Europe has concluded a deal with the Italian  television 
station Rene Unico, bringing a further 1.5 million households on- 
stream for the MTV Europe service for six hours a day. 
 
     Richard K. T. Fong has been elected chairman of the Inmarsat 
council  for the coming year.  Fong is currently the vice  presi- 
dent of mobile communications at the Singapore PTT. 
 
     The   Indian   government  has   began   restructuring   its 
terrestrial television network in a bid to fight off  competition 
from the growing cable television market. 
 
     BBC  World  Service Television is set to expand  into  South 
Africa  and will transmit 11 hours of programming daily  over  an 
Intelsat satellite to the region. 
 
     Kuwait TV is to have a new satellite channel, according to a 
report in the Gulf Times. 
 
     MTV  Europe  is  preparing plans to launch  its  service  in 
Portugal later this year, through a terrestrial broadcaster. 
 
     In a separate move, MTV Europe now says that 35.066  million 
homes can receive its signal, including 500 in Bulgaria! 
 
     Arianespace  has  been awarded a launch  contract  from  NTT 
Corp. to place two satellites in orbit in 1995. 
 
EUROPEAN SIGHTINGS 
Swiss  Radio  International (SRI) has began broadcasting  on  the 
Astra  1A Teleclub transponder (7.20Mhz audio). Radio Sweden  are 
now broadcasting on The Comedy Channel transponder (audio 7.74Mhz 
audio). 
 
     Deutsche Welle Television is transmitting daily on  Eutelsat 
II  F1  (13 degrees east longitude). Eurosport's Eutelsat  II  F1 
feed  has test tones on 7.74 Mhz and 7.92 Mhz (Raymond Ian  Wood- 
ward/Fidonet). 
 
     BBC World Service TV went in the clear on 10.995 Ghz  Verti- 
cal  on 27.5 West throughout the night of April  9.  Interesting, 
they  have a similar teletext service to Ceefax,  called  BBCfax. 
Programmes are on P601 with 602 giving detailed information.  The 
page is headed "WSTV". 
 
     The  British General Election saw a lot of news  feeds,  re- 
ports  Dave  Plumb. BBC were using a transponder  on  27.5  west, 
11.095  Ghz Horizontal used varying power levels  from  different 
sites ranging from watchable to barely perceivable. 
 
     There were good pictures on 27.5 West on 11.515 Ghz Horizon- 
tal,  from  the Scottish National Party Headquarters.  A  further 
feed was noted on 11.478 Ghz Horizontal. 
 
     Meanwhile, on 16 degrees east, 11.550 Ghz Horizontal, anoth- 
er BBC feed channel from Dumfries in Scotland was observed. Sound 
was on 6.60MHz. 
 
     On 13 degrees east, a feed on 11.591 Ghz Horizontal  relayed 
a  solid signal from outside Paddy Ashdown's house for  ITV.  The 
bars for this feed displayed "SNG ASHDOWN HSE". 
 
     Also  on 13 degrees east, 11.612 Vertical, nondescript  hall 
showed  people  counting  votes  -  it  was  athlete  Seb   Coe's 
constituency. 
 
     Dr. Helmut Vahlbruch is on holiday. 
 
NORTH AMERICAN SIGHTINGS 
By Robert Smathers 
 
HBO,  a  U.S.A. premium movie channel, has  announced  that  they 
will  make  their multiplex channels available to the  home  dish 
owner  starting in June.  The multiplex channels allowed  HBO  to 
show movies on 3 channels in a time-staggered format to try to be 
more convenient to a HBO viewer. 
 
     The USA Network has acquired the Sci Fi Channel.  The Sci Fi 
channel has been attempting a launch for the last two years,  but 
the channel did not have enough financial backing to launch until 
the  USA Network stepped in.  The Sci Fi Channel is scheduled  to 
launch in Fall 1992. 
 
     Hughes Communications recently announced the channel assign- 
ments  for the new Galaxy 5 satellite.  Galaxy 5 goes into  serv- 
ice at  12:01 am EDT on Friday May 8, 1992. 
 
The lineup: 
 
1  Disney Channel - East           13 CNBC 
3  Trinity Broadcasting            14 ESPN Secondary and blackout 
                                      feed 
4  Sci Fi Channel                  15 HBO East 
5  CNN                             16 Cinemax West 
6  TBS                             17 TNT 
7  WGN                             18 The Nashville Network 
8  HBO                             19 USA Network - East 
9  ESPN Primary feed               20 Black Entertainment TV 
11 The Family Channel              21 Mind Extension Univ. 
                                   22 CNN Headline News 
                                   23 Arts and Entertainment 
                                   24 Viacom Service - To be 
                                      announced at a future date 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
SUPPORT-SATNEWS:  SATNEWS is released into the public domain  for 
use  in a non-commercial environment.  If you have  enjoyed  this 
copy  of Satnews, and/or other copies, please consider  making  a 
donation   towards  the  large  costs  of  production  and   news 
acquisition.  SATNEWS Electronic Edition is not commercially sold 
nor  is  a  profit-making venture. Please  mail  cheques/cash  in 
convertible  currency  (English  Sterling  preferred)  to  Darren 
Ingram, Satnews, Darren Ingram Media Services, 24 Yelverton Road, 
Coventry, CV6 4AH United Kingdom. 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
SATNEWS-AVAILABILITY:  SATNEWS  is  available  for  Fidonet  file 
request  from  the SATNEWS SUPPORT HUB 2:252/21  under  the  name 
SNEWSxxx.ZIP,  where xxx is the current issue number. SATNEWS  is 
also distributed in the UK SATELLITE echo. It can additionally be 
found in the IBMEUROPE and HAMNET forums on Compuserve;  SATEL_TV 
conference  on  Compulink, UK GT-Satellite  conference,  Radio  & 
Electronics forum on GEnie, Usenet newsgroup  rec.video.satellite 
and  other online conferences.  Satnews may also be  acquired  by 
Internet      anonymous     file     transfer     (FTP)      from 
power.eee.ndsu.nodak.edu.  Further  details will be posted  at  a 
later date. (New network distributors welcomed). 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
SATNEWS-LETTERS: Letters for possible publication within  Satnews 
should be sent to the editor Darren Ingram, by one of the methods 
listed  at the start of this edition.  Letters may be edited  for 
clarity or brevity.  Please mark letters FOR PUBLICATION.  If you 
cannot  contact Satnews, please route your message  through  your 
network distributor. 
----------------------------------------------------------------- 
-- 
  /          /   Robert Dickel, University of Strathclyde, aka
 /__  ___   /__  rdickel@cs.strath.ac.uk, caa309@ccsun.strath.ac.uk
/__/ /__/  /__/ "de de dah de de de dah" (honest I didnt steal the lyrics)