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SAT-ND, 1.6.96

Sat-ND 96-06-01 - Satellite and Media News

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"(c) Copyright 1996 by Sat-ND, http://www.sat-net.com/pck/"
Please send any contributions and comments regarding Sat-ND to
Peter C. Klanowski, Fax +49-451-5820055, pck@LyNet.De

This issue is sponsored by TELE-satellite, Europe's Satellite Magazine 
Have a look at their homepage! >> http://www.TELE-satellit.com/ <<

Final countdown
The European Space Agency (ESA) has confirmed the launch date June 4 for its
new Ariane 5 rocket following a launch readiness review last Wednesday and
Thursday. Ariane 5 will be moved onto the launch pad on Monday and is
expected to take off on Tuesday between 1135 and 1335 UTC. Four identical
CLUSTER research satellites will be put into orbit. According to Dr Dish,
live coverage of Ariane 5's debut flight can be expected on TELECOM 2C (3oE),
12.606 GHz v.

Summer TV launched (but where's the summer?)
As expected, Wereldomroep Zomer TV was launched today at 2000 CEST on ASTRA
(19.2oE, 10.773 GHz h.) It didn't come as a total surprise that the channel,
which is targeted at Dutch tourists abroad, also appeared on EUTELSAT II-F3
(16oE, 11.638 GHz h) as tests had been carried there before. On this
transponder, Zomer TV was accompanied by the teletext from public broadcaster
NOS that also supplies most of the channel's programming. At least today,
ASTRA transponder 53 still carried the Racing Channel's teletext.
http://www.rnw.nl/tv/

Dr Dish to meet Jonathan Marks
With a little luck, you can get some additional information about Zomer TV on
June 14 when Radio Netherland's Jonathan Marks will (hopefully) be on
drdish@tv. Other topics include SCPC-Reception, Software (Satmaster Pro),
European Satellites in Brazil, Transponder-Watch, Space-News, and Media-News.
Please note that drdish@tv will already begin at 2000 CEST, 1900 UK time, or
1800 UTC respectively.  You can watch it by simply pointing your dish at DFS
2 on 28.5oE and tuning into 11.675 GHz h, audio subcarrier 6.65 MHz.
http://www.sat-net.com/drdish

Everything you wanted to know about Bremen (but were afraid to ask)
US media company Viacom is suing the independent media authority of Germany's
smallest partial state, Bremen, for not allowing their German version of
children's channel Nickelodeon onto local cable systems. Instead, the rival
channel planned by the country's public networks ARD and ZDF was given
priority. Claiming to be treated unfairly, Nickelodeon now wants the channel
allocation to be reviewed in court -- by no means an unusual move for
broadcasters trying to get access to the hopelessly overcrowded cable systems
in Germany. But in this case, station managers and company executives had
better kept some basic facts in mind. While there are over 16 million cable
households in Germany, just 218,000 of them are located in Bremen. And what's
more, Nickelodeon claims to reach already 13 million German cable households.
Much ado about nothing?

...get a tan from standing in the English rain
"The British weather is one of the most changeable in the world," knows
Patrick Scott, managing director of the Weather Channel. Obviously, that's
why the country needs two weather channels. US-based Weather channel is
available to 22,00 cable subscribers in the Andover, Oxford, Coventry,
Stafford and Salisbury areas as from today, while the Canadian Weather
Network started broadcasting for 2,200 cable households on Jersey. Both
channels aim at being available nation-wide and have therefore contacted
BSkyB about satellite distribution. While the Weather Channel co-operates
with the Meteorological Office, the Weather Network has teamed up with the
Weather Department, which is forecasting the weather for six regional ITV
stations. Both channels expect to take up regular service by autumn. Until
then, pilot programmes are shown instead.

Good-bye, TV3 Norge
TV3 Norge on ASTRA 1B (19.2oE, 11.671 GHz h) will be replaced by a home
shopping channel on June 15, according to an insert seen on the channel. The
other three transponders of Scandinavian media company Kinnevik on ASTRA (TV3
Sweden, TV3 Denmark, TV 1000) will be taken over by BSkyB on August 1.
(Norbert Schlammer/pck)

ADR News
So-called test transmissions from Luxembourg's satellite company SES on
10,964 GHz h, usually consisting of just a test tone, have ceased. German
pubcaster ARD still uses two mono channels in ASTRA Digital Radio format for
networked programming distributed via their Frankfurt/Main central node.
Today, the soccer friendly Germany/France was covered for ARD radio stations
on channel B (11.494 GHz h, subcarrier 6.12 MHz.) Channel A is regularly used
from 1700 UTC for foreign language programming, targeted at guest workers in
Germany, but occasionally also for nation-wide classical music programming at
night. (Stefan Hagedorn/pck)

Monitor Radio goes WWW
The Christian Science Monitor has officially opened is Web site. For some
years, Christian Science Monitor Radio has been available in Europe on
shortwave with their professionally made, unbiased news programmes. Apart
from that, programming partly is also carried on many local radio stations in
the USA. You can get all those frequencies you need on their Web site, but of
course you can also listen to the channel with Real Audio, at least
partially. Should you prefer to get your news in written form, no problem -
there's plenty of them, too. An interesting and well done alternative to all
that general news sites, and you definitely do not have to be a Christian to
access it.
http://www.csmonitor.com/

Re: Mystery Signals (Sat-ND, 31.6.96)
The signals that you mention at or around 36 degrees east cannot be GALS. As
far as I know GALS transponder frequencies start at 11804 MHz. I too have
seen the TV6 Moscow signal on 11525 MHz. The frequency would suggest that
this may be from an old GORIZONT (maybe ex-40 degrees east).
Regarding the other signals seen around 36 degrees east recently, NTV and ACT
from Russia, these are more likely to be from a GALS craft. However, here in
southern England there has been no sign of these two stations (even with
using a 10 metre dish!!) 
mike@miti.demon.co.uk

According to NASA, there's GORIZONT 17 around 34oE (33.9oE on May 30.)
However, this bird -- launched more than seven years ago -- is not only
heavily inclined (4.7o) but also seemed to be moving between 34.5oE and
33.8oE during the last 30 days. Unless anyone comes up with a better
explanation, this still seems to be the best guess.
As far as GALS reception is concerned: It's a DBS satellite that uses very
clearly shaped beams ought to be readily received with very small dishes in
their target areas, in this case obviously some part of Russia. That also
means that the field strength outside this area deteriorates dramatically the
farther you go West, and it actually becomes unpredictable then. A few miles
can make the difference between seeing at least something or seeing nothing
at all. On the continent, reception of these channels mentioned has been
confirmed by at least three independent sources -- although admittedly it's
more or less just an accident that enthusiasts with big dishes can receive
them here.


Thanks to our contributors --
Stefan Hagedorn: DXStefan@aol.com 
Norbert Schlammer: 100415.3560@compuserve.com

========================================================
Alle Angaben ohne Gewaehr. Copyright 1996 by Peter C. Klanowski,
pck@LyNet.De. All rights reserved.
Einsender erklaeren sich mit Bearbeitung und Veroeffentlichung einverstanden.

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