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SAT-MidEast 98.03.06
WELCOME TO SAT-MIDEAST !
A news release from Cairo, Egypt, located at 31.15 East - 30.3 North,
sponsored by TELE-SATELLITE INTERNATIONAL, Europes Satellite Magazine
_____________________________________________________________________
WHAT YOU'LL FIND HERE:
- Events and News interesting to the Middle Eastern SAT-viewer
- Satellite and Transponder Observations in C- and Ku-Band,
- Everything commented from the Middle Eastern perspective
_____________________________________________________________________
WHERE TO GET MORE INFORMATION:
- SAT-MidEast maintains a web site with relevant Middle Eastern
- satellite information, and a regular updated, satellite based,
- archive of observations, features & news for the Middle East.
SAT-MidEast: http://www.sat-net.com/sat-mideast/
____________________________________________________________________
HOW TO CONTACT SAT-MIDEAST:
Send relevant infos, interesting news, and creative comments to :
hcroom@intouch.com
Upon your request are forwarded messages kept anonymous
_____________________________________________________________________
THE HEADLINES IN THIS 98.03.06 REPORT:
(New brooms sweep cleaner: that's why people get fired !)
-- Editorials
-- Launch Information
-- Transponder Infos
-- Bits & Pieces
-- SAT-MidEast Intern
HEZBOLLAH ON SATELLITE
----------------------
The Iranian-backed Shiite Moslem Hezbollah militia has proposed setting
up a Hebrew-language satellite television channel with the help of the
Lebanese government in an attempt to influence Israeli public opinion.
Hezbollah spearheads efforts to forcefully expel Israeli soldiers from
Israel's self-declared "security zone" in southern Lebanon. The chief of
Hezbollah's information department, Nayef Krayyem, said in a statement
that he met with Lebanon's Information Minister Bassem Sabeh to discuss
the project. "The proposal intends to create a satellite television
channel in Hebrew aimed at the enemy society to develop an additional
means of pressure for forcing a retreat from the occupied regions," the
statement said.
Sabeh has reportedly accepted the proposal. The statement announced that
"very soon a co-operative program will be set up with existing
television stations in Lebanon and abroad which are broadcasting by
satellite and daily programs will be broadcast in Hebrew."
Copyright 1998, Peter C Klanowski
http://www.lynet.de/~pck/
http://www.sat-net.com/pck/
ARABSAT IN THE BLACK
--------------------
According to its director general Saad Abdel-Aziz, the Arab satellite
organisation Arabsat has for the first time recorded profits in 1997.
He was quoted as saying that "We began to cover our debts in 1995
because we decided to apply commercial criteria to our operations,"
which led to profits of US$55 million last year. Other financial details
were not available. Arabsat board members blamed the organisation's
member countries for initial losses. While expected to utilise Arabsat
transmission capacity, the stayed on other satellites.
Abdel-Aziz said that in March next year Arabsat will launch the first of
its third generation of Ku-band satellites which carries 20 transponder,
each able to carry eight TV channels using digital data reduction.
Arabsat will lease a transponder on Eutelsat's HOT BIRD 4 to broadcast a
bouquet of Arab networks at Europe, using a relay station in Tunisia.
The Arabsat board is studying ways to further promote Arabsat services,
which cover the Arab world, sub-Saharan Africa, southern Europe, and
western India.
Arabsat satellites currently used by 20 member states of the Arab
League, while CNN and French TV5 lease Arabsat capacity to distribute
their programs across the Arab world. Arabsat, headquartered in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia, was set up by the Arab League in 1976 .
Copyright 1998, Peter C Klanowski
http://www.lynet.de/~pck/
http://www.sat-net.com/pck/
EURONEWS MAKEOVER
-----------------
Euronews will be revamped with more hard news coverage and in-depth
reports from Britain's Channel Four, following the recent acquisition of
editorial control of the station by Independent Television News.
ITN has labelled the existing output as "Europudding", and wants to
introduce longer ITN-produced features during the afternoon and
primetime schedule to compete against CNN, Sky News, and CNBC, and BBC
World. It will also increase sports coverage to 7 days a week, and
reduce the number of magazine programs.
(SME, source: ITN)
MC HELLAS PACKAGES
------------------
Multichoice Hellas announced that smart cards finally will hit the
market in mid-March. Officially they will be available only in Greece,
so whoever is interested and lives outside the country has to find
relatives or friends to do send a birthday present....
The cards will be sold separetely and it is not nessecary to buy the
whole package on offer (IRD, card and dish).
The receiver will be a Panasat model, re-named "Nova", featuring a Greek
Menu and Greek subtitling capabilities. Up to now prices and release
dates have not been announced yet.
(SME, source: Sat-Corfu)
LAUNCH INFORMATION, http://www.satcodx.com/launches.shtml
------------------
Hot Bird 4 was succesfully launched with Ariane V106 on 28 February at
00:38 CAT, and has reached in between a geo-synchron orbit.
Here the transponder plan with confirmed channel allocations:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Not named channels are either S or W / A or D / F or C]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
tp#, freq#, S/W(Super/Wide beam), A/D(Analog/Digital), F/C(Free/Coded)
Vertical S/W A/D F/C Channel
------------------------------------------------------------------------
110: 10.719 W D C
112: 10.758 W D C
114: 10.796 W D C
116: 10.834 W D C
118: 10.873 W D C
120: 10.911 W D C
122: 10.949 W D C
096: 12.635 W D C
098: 12.673 W D C
100: 12.713 W D C
Horizontal S/W A/D F/C Channel
------------------------------------------------------------------------
111: 10.727 W D C
113: 10.775 W D C
115: 10.815 W A F Duna TV
117: 10.853 W D C
119: 10.892 W D C
121: 10.930 W D C
095: 12.616 W D C
097: 12.654 W D C
099: 12.692 W D C
101: 12.731 W D C
Bandwidths:
All transponder (exept three) are 33 MHz
Transponder 111 is 47 MHz
Transponder 121 and 122 are both 36 MHz
One transponder is leased to the Arabsat Organization
(SME)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SME Comment: Read an interesting story around the disputed
ASTRA/EUTELSAT 28/29 degrees Eastern slot on:
http://www.go-ariane.com/main/feat/feat_35.shtml
The launch of Ariane L503 is scheduled for 15 July, with a possible
client: Hot Bird 5. A final decision has not been taken bij the Eutelsat
consortium to accept the offer bij Arianespace to take the ride for a
half-prized ticket either for the Hot Bird 5 DTH satellite or the W2
Telecommunication satellite.
Besides that it has to be expected that the launch will be delayed for a
considerable period of time, possibly through September 1998.
(SME, SATCO-DX)
PANAMSAT BUYS THAICOM-4 ?
-------------------------
There is another satellite being considered for a Ariane 503 launch.
(SME: however with only a slight chance of becoming a fact.)
This is the THAICOM-4 craft whose construction by Aerospatiale had
nearly finished when its Shinawatra Satellite Plc. customer in Bangkok
deferred the order last October because of severe financial
difficulties. Negociations have subsequently taken place to sell the
satellite to the PanAmSat organisation for a rapid launch this year by
Arianespace.
PanAmSat already has two launch contracts with Arianespace. The launch
of PAS-7 was originally set for end '97; it was postponed to first
quarter '98, then "mid-98" and now looks like being pushed further back,
in part because of construction difficulties encountered by prime
SS/Loral.
PAS-9 (the first Hughes HS 702 to be orbited by Arianespace) now appears
to be slated for an Ariane 5 launch in 1999.
(SME, source: go-Ariane)
Intelsat 806 was successfully launched with Atlas AC-151 on 28 February,
at 02:21 CAT, after a delay of 25 minutes due to high altitude winds.
(C Lyngemark)
ASIASAT 1, 105 East, http://www.satcodx.com/asia1.shtml
---------
Star Sports on transponder 54, 3.860 GHz, V, and Star News will use
digital transmission from May 1st.
Star Plus on transponder 58, 4.020 GHz, V, will move to Asiasat 2 on
June 30th, and reappear in MPEG-2.
Star Movies on transponder N5, 3.880 GHz, H, will move to Asiasat 2 on
May 1st and use MPEG-2.
Viva Cinema will require a new decoder box by May 30, 1998 due to
change of encryption.
(SME, source: Salim S. Khan)
PANAMSAT 2, 169 East, http://www.satcodx.net/pas2.shtml
----------
JET TV (Japan Entertainment Television) will have interruptions in its
transmission at several times starting Friday, March 06, 00:00 to 06:00
a.m. Singapore time. The interruptions will not be affecting commercial
breaks.
NHK is currently providing programs on a 54 MHz transponder 12, 4.037
GHz, for 18 hours daily via the Pacific rim beam. Commencing on April
1st, 1998 it will change transmission from the present unscrambled
analog signals to a digital MCPC format.
The digital transmisson procedures will already be tested on March 4, 5,
and 6, between 16:00-18:00 JST.
(SME, source: Salim S. Khan)
THAICOM 3, 78.5 East, http://www.satcodx.com/thai78.shtml
---------
NTU-TTN test card on 3.600 GHz, H, PIDs 0204{516}/0290{656}.
A test card appeared temporarily on 3.688 GHz, H, NTSC, with audio from
Worldnet on 6.60 and 7.00 MHz.
Reuters TV feeds on 3.636 GHz, H, MPEG-2/clear, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, PIDs:
0200{512}/0280{640}.
(SATCO-DX)
The VTV frequency 3.650 GHz, H, PAL, displays in transmission free
periods a test card with the text "LLK TELEPORT".
APSTAR 2R, 76.5 East, http://www.satcodx.com/apstar2r.shtml
---------
Taiwan Channel has started in a package with the Middle East Channel on
3.880 GHz, H, MPEG-2/encrypted, PIDs: 08D4{2260}/08AC{2220}.
(SME)
ZJTV - ZheJiang TV temporary left 3.760 GHz, H, PAL, but is back in full
glory, including the audio subcarriers.
(SME)
TVB-8 testcard on transponder 14B, 4.189 GHz, was replaced on March 6th
for a couple of hours, by a four channel encrypted MPEG-2 service: SR
13.237, FEC 3/4,:
0488{1160}/0460{1120} CHANNEL ONE
04EC{1260}/04C4{1220} CHANNEL TWO
0550{1360}/0528{1320} CHANNEL THREE
05B4{1460}/058C{1420} CHANNEL FOUR
Loading of the package effectively overwrites the FrontRow package from
Sirius-2, 5 East, 12.303 GHz, H, on a MediaMaster 9200 with FTA 1.0
software.
Any inquiry to the service can be made to:
Mr. Stanley Tang
Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting Ltd.
Fax: (852) 2358 3227
(SME)
PANAMSAT 4, 68.5 East, http://www.satcodx.com/pas4.shtml
----------
SuperSport Olympic Channel in the Multichoice Africa package on 3.743
GHz, V, PIDs: 0205{517}/0285{645} has been replaced by "The Soap
Channel" (Mon-Fri) and "The Movie Magic 2" (Sat-Sun).
(SME, SATCO-DX)
RAI International has started for South Africa on 12.664 GHz, V,
MPEG-2/IRDETO, channel 47.
(SATCO-DX)
SHOWTIME added SET - Sony Entertainment TV - as of Thursday evening on
their frequency 11.584 GHz, H, SR 19638, FEC 7/8.
0202{514}/028C{652} SET (Sony Entertainment TV) encrypted.
0203{515}/028D{653} FUT1 (Future, renamed from FUT2) encrypted.
0204{516}/028E{654} ONTV (Listing Channel)
Last August, SHOWTIME acquired the rights to broadcast the soccer games
of the English Premier League, to be shown on, probably, TV-Land. The
games were only broadcast in the Middle East by Orbit Network, who now
are having a major setback for what they can show for sports.
INTELSAT 703, 57 East, http://www.satcodx.com/i703.shtml
------------
Bop TV in PAL,IRDETO, has left 3.728 GHz, R and can be seen now from
Intelsat 605, at 27.5 West, 3.884 GHz, L.
(SME, SATCO-DX)
ARABSAT 2A, 26 East, http://www.satcodx.com/arab2a.shtml
----------
Channel 13, MCM-Euromusique, has been dropped from the 1stNet Bouquet at
12.563 Ghz, H, without proper explanation. It is alleged that some video
clips have prompted the Arabic proprietors of the package to kick MCM
out.
(SME, source: Mark Barkey)
The colour bars test card on 12.536 GHz, V, has ceased.
(SATCO-DX)
INTELSAT 801, 25 East, http://www.satcodx.com/i801.shtml
------------
Intelsat 801 is presently on the move from 64 East to 31.5 West, and was
lately reported at around 25 degrees East.
(SATCO-DX)
EUTELSAT II-F3, 16 East, http://www.satcodx.com/e2f3.shtml
--------------
Afro-Caribbean Satellite Television will start broadcasting to Europe
from April. It intends to broadcast from Eutelsat II-F3 for two hours
every evening, most probably using transponder 37, 11.575 GHz, V, where
lately various channels have ceased transmission.
(SME)
The analogue version of HRT on 10.986 GHz, H, will end transmissions 31.
März, instead of earlier announcements of a ceasure to the end of
February.
EUTELSAT II-F1, 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/e2f1.shtml
--------------
Sima-yeh Moghavemat (Vision of Resistance) started March 3rd on 11.658
GHz, V, PAL/clear, 19:00-20:00 CAT, in Farsi.
Transmissions on Eutelsat II-F3 have ceased.
(SATCO-DX)
HOT BIRD 1, 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/hb1.shtml
----------
Eurotica Rendez-Vous has started on transponder 4, 11.283 GHz, V, in
D2-MAC/Eurocrypt, from 01:10 - 06:00 CAT, following the closing of BVN.
They are still on Eutelsat II-F1 transponder 39 and Hot Bird 3,
transponder 78, but should be exclusively on transponder 4 soon.
Daytime colour bars are displayed, uplinked by PTT Telecom of the
Netherlands, to secure 24-hours Wereldomroep Radio on 7.38 and 7.56 MHz.
(SME, source Eutelsat-D)
Radio Nederland has started behind PolSat on 11.431 GHz, H, at an audio
subcarrier of 7.56 MHz. (Update from earlier report).
BVN TV has been temporary without TeleText. Services are presently fully
restored.
(SATCO-DX)
SME Comment: Wereldomroep TV on 11.283 GHz, V, had been renamed recently
to "BVN TV" - (het) Beste Van Nederland TeleVisie. This will however
change again soon. After the official start of the Flamish participation
to the programming contents it will be "BVN TV": [het] Beste [van]
Vlaamse [en] Nederlandse TeleVisie.
(SME)
HOT BIRD 2, 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/hb2.shtml
----------
A "Happy Channel" promo has started on 11.958 GHz, V, MPEG-2, PIDs:
00A5{165}/0064{100} in the D+ package on the superbeam.
Regular transmissions are expected to start at 08:00 CAT on 8 March.
(SATCO-DX)
A "Barre" test card on transponder 56, 11843 GHz, V, superbeam,
MPEG-2/clear, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, PIDs: 0065{101}/0066{102}.
(SATCO-DX)
Polonia 1 left 11.977 GHz, H, on 4 March, and was replaced by a digital
transmission of unknown nature and origine. Anybody any comments ?
(SATCO-DX)
HOT BIRD 3, 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/hb3.shtml
-----------
HRT TV 2 and HRT TV 3 on 12.303 GHz, V, will be encrypted in VIACCESS
from 15 April. HRT TV 1 and the Croatian radio channels will remain free
to air.
Croatians living abroad are able to subscribe for 1.000 Cona (around USD
170) to the channels using following address:
HRT - Mrs.Ivana Matanic
Prisavlje 3
CRO-10000 Zagreb
Tel: +385(0)1 - 616 3657
Fax: +385(0)1 - 616 3692
E-Mail: ivana.matanic@hrt.hr
(SME, source: Eutelsat-D)
Some new and some changed radio channels appeared in the Swiss package
on 12.399 GHz, H, VIACCESS, SR 27500, FEC 3/4:
0062{098}: Swiss Light
00C7{199}: SRI Francais (French)
00C8{200}: SRI Euroope
00C9{201}: SRI Intercontinental
00CA{202}: SRI America
00CB{203}: SRI Asia
(SATCO-DX)
HR-Net "Mreza Sat", PIDs: 6B{107}/6C{108}, sometimes switches to soft
encryption by inverting the picture.
The "SLO Test" inert, PIDs: 00CD{205}/00CE{206}, also carries TeleText,
as do all other HRT and SLO channels.
(SME, source: Mark Barkey)
HOT BIRD 4, 13 East, http://www.satcodx.com/hb4.shtml
----------
The satellite has reached the geo-stationary orbit and is presently on
its way to the Eutelsat slot at 29 East.
Any appearing carriers and so-called "regular broadcasts" of the well
known Eutelsat promotional videos, please with the mentioning of used
receiver, LNB-noise, dishsize and location of the observator, to the
SAT-MidEast or SATCO-DX mailbox.
Hungarian channel Duna Television is starting April 1st on transponder
115, 10.815 GHz, H. Their transmissions on Eutelsat II-f3 will cease
after a suitable switch-over period.
(SME)
EUTELSAT II-f2, 10 East, http://www.satcodx.com/e2f2.shtml
--------------
A new test card appeared on 11.575 GHz, V, MPEG-2/clear,
0618{1560}/05E0{1520}.
O-Sat (Austria) has started on 11.678 GHz, H, MPEG-2/clear, SR 5632, FEC
2/3, PIDs: 0456{1110}/04B1{1211}.
(SATCO-DX)
SIRIUS 2, 5 East, http://www.satcodx.com/sirius.shtml
--------
BET on Jazz was interupted for more than a day on 12.380 GHz, H.
(SME)
In the FrontRow MPEG-2 package appeared Thursday on "NTL Sirius OU",
PIDs: 067C{1660}/0654{1620} a colorbar test card with a vertical rolling
text "NTL Winchester Teleport"
Two more test cards can be found in this package: a over-illuminated
pink "NTL Sirius", PIDs: 06E0{1760}/06B8{1720} and pink/green/grey
striped sample for the "Cartoon Net_I", PIDs: 0744{1860}/071C{1820}
(SME)
INTELSAT 707, 1 West, http://www.satcodx.com/i707.shtml
------------
On March 2nd, at 01:59 CAT, TV5 Afrique ceased, as earlier announced, on
3.841 GHz, R. Viewers are requested to switch to the African Hotspot:
Intelsat 803, at 21.5 West, 4.016 GHz, R.
(SME)
INTELSAT 803, 21.5 West, http://www.satcodx.com/i803.shtml
------------
Canal Select has started on 3.650 GHz, R, MPEG-2/Mediaguard, SR 26666,
FEC 3/4.
TV Channel line-up: Canal + Horizons, CFI, TV 5 Afrique, MCM Africa, AB
Cartoons, La Cinquieme, ARTE, EuroNews and Planete.
Radio Channel line-up: Radio Nova and RFI.
The package is identical with the transmission from Intelsat 605, 27.5
West, 3.650 GHz, R, where it's said to cease in April.
(SME, SATCO-DX)
INTELSAT 605, 27.5 West, http://www.satcodx.com/i605.shtml
------------
BOP TV has returned to this satellite and started on 3.884 GHz, L,
PAL/IRDETO, South East beam. Reception is good in Cairo, Egypt with 240
cm solid dish, MC 115 & 0.7 LNB.
(SATCO-DX)
SATCO-DX INTERN, http://www.stacodx.com/
---------------
From March 1st, all PIDs on SATCO DX Satellite Chart are presented in
decimal instead of hexa-decimal notation !
The reason of this change is the fact that more and more new softwares
only deal with decimal PIDs. In case you want to get the hexadecimal
PIDs, please use the "mouse-over" feature in the STACO-DX charts and
find them at the bottom of your browser window.
SME Comment: In the SAT-Mideast issues I will presently continue to use
the double featured format: vpid-hex{vpid-dec}/apid-hex{apid-dec}.
SAT-MIDEAST INTERN, http://www.sat-net.com/sat-mideast/
------------------
This has been the first actual edition of the SAT-MidEast Report after a
two month break, due to a scheduled re-location. While the relocation in
the end not took place, I did loose my daily job and am looking now for
any suitable consulting work in the field of broadcast satellites for a
national or commercial broadcaster; in order to secure at least the
internet/telephone costs for this service in the near future. Any help,
eventual temporary, would be appreciated.
Please contact my usual e-mail address: hcroom@intouch.com
Best regards,
Henk C. Room / Sat-MidEast / Cairo - Egypt
____________________________________________________________________
- SAT-MidEast maintains a web site with relevant Middle Eastern
- satellite information, and a regular updated, satellite based,
- archive of observations, features & news for the Middle East.
SAT-MidEast: http://www.sat-net.com/sat-mideast/
____________________________________________________________________
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