Sat-ND, 24.8.97

• from: owner-sat-nd@tags1.dn.net
• Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 23:13:48 GMT

 

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DELAY OF THE DAY

USAF is Fisherman's Friend

U.S. Air Force officials rescheduled today's launch of a Boeing Delta II launch vehicle with NASA's Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE ) on board.

Sounds funny, but it has happened before: The Air Force cancelled the launch due to safety concerns for the crews on two fishing vessels that were within the safety limit lines during the terminal countdown.

Officials rescheduled the launch for Monday, Aug. 25. The 25-minute launch window opens at 10:39:53 and closes at 11:04:53 a.m. EDT.

ACE will conduct studies on samples of space matter, including the solar corona and galactic matter. ACE also has the capability of monitoring solar winds, which can kill satellites, disrupt communications and electrical power on earth.

NASA TV (GE-2, 85 geg. West) will carry the launch live starting at 9 a.m. EDT on transponder 9C. Unless there are any fishing vessels around the safety zone, that is.

LAUNCHES

Lewis launched with LMLV1

A Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle (LMLV1) successfully launched the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Lewis satellite into sun-synchronous Orbit.

Lewis, built by TRW Inc., is the first of NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Initiative (SSTI) satellites. Lewis' three instrument payloads, which feature hyperspectral radiometers, are the first such instruments in space.

Six more LMLV launches are scheduled through 1999. The next LMLV launch will be the first launch of an LMLV2, a three-stage vehicle that can launch satellites weighing up to 4,350 lb. Its launch is currently scheduled for late 1997, carrying NASA's Lunar Prospector, built by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space.

LEO Long March with smart dispensers

Following the recent successful launch of a Filipino satellite, China Great Wall Industry Corp. thinks its launch business could skyrocket, as the "China Daily" reported.

The paper claimed that "industry insiders" thought Wednesday's flight as well as three successful launches since last October have restored public confidence in Chang Zheng (Long March) launch vehicles. As reported, news agencies have quoted other experts who said that this was not the case.

Anyway, China also follows the latest trend and plans to take on low- and medium-orbit business. About 600 or 700 lower-orbit satellites will be launched world-wide by 2006, creating great opportunities for China's Long March rockets. The LM-2C/SD launch vehicle has been developed for low earth orbit (LEO) launches and will, for instance, be used to launch Iridium satellites. "This new device evolves from the LM-2C with new smart dispensers," China Daily said according to Xinhua.

CHANNELS

Auntie Beeb's repackaging operation

The British Broadcasting Corporation plans to launch analogue pay television channels in the UK this autumn as part of its joint venture with U.S. controlled programme supplier Flextech.

Agreements have been reached with cable companies to carry the channels, BBC Deputy Director General Bob Phillis told reporters. He added that the BBC was also in talks with satellite broadcaster BSkyB but has yet to strike a deal.

The lion's share of the financing is supplied by U.S. cable monolith TCI, which owns a controlling stake in Flextech. In a separate deal, the BBC is developing international pay-TV channels under a deal with Discovery Communications, a company in which TCI also is a large shareholder.

"The very notion of subscription television is that people do pay to subscribe to more themed, specialised programming," Phillis said -- even though the subscription channels contain more or less just repackaged BBC repeats.

While the BBC still cashes in £3.2 billion in license fees annually, it aims at increasing revenues from its commercial operations (£73 million last year.)

Another UK channel to go global?

BBC world-wide? The rest of the world has somehow got used to that thought, although it's a bit unclear what qualifies the BBC (or any other entity for that matter) as a global programme provider. Now, what about ITV world-wide?

ITV (Independent Television) is a federation of 15 regional commercial TV licensees spread across the United Kingdom, using the country's third terrestrial transmitter chain ("Channel 3") to air local as well as a common programming during prime-time. Its federal structure stems back from the 1950s. On the financial side, four large companies since then have taken control of most of the licenses: Granada Group Plc, United News & Media Plc, Carlton Communications Plc and Scottish Media Plc.

Anthony Fry, head of global media at bank BZW, told a session of the Edinburgh International Television Festival that ITV "must in time become a single entity in terms not only of operations but ownership." He added that "we need a powerful Channel 3 to compete in an increasingly global marketplace."

Sponsored Pride

According to the South African Mail and Guardian, a satellite-delivered radio channel for the country's gay and lesbian community will be launched soon.

Pride Radio, as the channel will be called, will offer a 24-hour music and talk format with programming "as diverse as possible." However, as satellite reception equipment is not easily affordable to everyone in the target audience, Pride Radio hopes for sponsors that will provide black gay clubs with satellite dishes.

RUPERTWATCH

By Dr Sarmaz

Rupert once more big in Japan

Japan's PerfecTV and Rupert Murdoch's Japan Sky Broadcasting (JSkyB) have reportedly agreed upon a common digital platform for their rivalling DTH services.

According to sources quoted by news agency Kyodo, both will use common antennas, receivers and viewing cards. The companies reportedly expect the tie-up to help increase the number of viewers of their broadcasts.

Satellite dishes and integrated receiver/decoders are planned to be marketed by next spring when JSkyB, led by Mr Murdoch, plans to launch its 150-channel service. The price of the reception equipment is expected to be about ¥10,000 higher than those being marketed now.

PerfecTV has been on the air since last autumn. DirecTV Japan, another digital satellite broadcaster, plans to launch a 100-channel service this December.

Rupert gives cable operators a wink

According to Kelvin Mackenzie, managing director of Mirror TV, several UK cable companies refuse to pay a new monthly charge for Sky Sports 2.

So far, Sky Sports 2 was free to subscribers to Sky Sports 1, the original sports channel of Mr Murdoch's BSkyB. Last week, however, BSkyB said that beginning in September subscribers would have to pay an additional £3 per month for Sky Sports 2.

Mackenzie said BSkyB has 'blinked' at the refusal to pay extra for the channel and noted that the satellite broadcaster, which is 40 per cent owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., is afraid to cut the channel from cable packages due to European Union and UK regulatory investigations into the company's competitive practices.

Mirror TV operates the cable channel L!ve TV and also owns a 20 per cent stake in ITV licensee Scottish Media Group (cf. "Channels.")

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