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Sat-ND, 26.-8.97

Sat-ND, 26.08.97 -- Tomorrow never knows


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SATELLITES
Mexico sells Morelos, Solidaridad
DIGITAL
Yet another digital revolution [yawn]
Telstar transponder shuffling
RUPERTWATCH
Rupert in New Zealand
Rupert in Japan
FEEDBACK
The porn ferry affair revisited (20.8.97)
Politicians in space (25.8.97)



SATELLITES

Mexico sells Morelos, Solidaridad

Once again, there's news on Mexico auctioning off its satellite network Satmex, but it's fragmentary as usual.
The current situation looks something like this: six companies -- four from the U.S., two from Mexico -- are bidding for a 75 percent stake of Satmex. However, the number of bidders might soon be cut by half according to recent reports. Hughes may join forces PanAmSat (a Hughes subsidiary anyway) and Mexican Grupo Bal, Mexican Telefonica Autrey is expected combine its bid with that of Loral. That would leave GE Capital as the third bidder (and without a partner.)
The decision is expected on October 31. The winner will gain control over Mexico's three geostationary satellites (Morelos 2, Solidaridad 1 and 2) as well as four licenses. One for each of the existing satellites and another one for a commercial public telecommunications network.
The auction obviously has got nothing to do with the fact that Mexico is also trying to sell DTH satellite slots to U.S. companies.


DIGITAL

Yet another digital revolution [yawn]

C-Cube Microsystems Inc unveiled a microchip that it said was the first that could both record and play back video in digital format.
Other companies such as IBM and Intel have announced similar chips, but C-Cube will be the first company to enter the production stage. Some applications such as digital VCRs and camcorders are obvious, but C-Cube chief executive Alex Balkanski expects that the new DVx chip "will create brand new markets in consumer electronics." According to C-Cuber, Satellite TV equipment maker Scientific-Atlanta Inc and consumer electronics giant Victor Company of Japan Ltd. (JVC) are testing C-Cube's chips for possible products. [As usual: there's no consumer demand whatsoever, just a technology -- and now they figure out who might need that stuff.]
Because I don't really feel like going into detail I suggest you point your browser at http://www.c-cube.com/ where you can get all the information you'd possibly want.

Telstar transponder shuffling

The transponders on Telstar IV and V, formerly occupied by the deceased digital TV service AlphaStar, have created a pile-up of would-be users. Among them is a company that didn't get hold of a DTH license anyway but plans to offer just that.
Just don't ask me how it works, but it probably has got something to do with the fact that the new service is just using "medium power" broadcast satellites. One year ago, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission turned down Telquest's application to use high-power DBS birds in Canadian orbital slots for a DTH service.
TelQuest Satellite Services LLC, the latest offspring of TelQuest Ventures, now plans to beam a 48-channel digital bouquet to two large wireless cable operators when they launch digital video systems this autumn. CAI Wireless Systems Inc. (Boston) and CS Wireless Systems Inc. (Dallas) have signed up to use the feed.
"It's basically us taking control of our own destiny, rather than leaving it to others like [EchoStar chairman] Charlie Ergen and [TCI president] John Malone," said Jared Abbruzzese, chairman-CEO of CAI Wireless, chairman of CS Wireless and [that explains it] a major investor in TelQuest.
TelQuest's full DBS service is expected to begin in autumn 1998 after the company gains 15 transponders on Telstar VI. Currently, TelQuest has leased six transponders on Telstar V. But AlphaStar's old Telstar IV transponders are also up for grabs, and TelQuest is bidding for some of them (just as ten other companies reportedly do.)
Designed to be the wireless cable equivalent of PrimeStar, TelQuest's DBS service would consist of at least 150 digital channels that can be received with 53-centimetre dishes. TelQuest affiliates would market and brand the medium-power service as an alternative to cable and high-power DBS providers.


RUPERTWATCH

by Dr Sarmaz

Rupert in New Zealand

Sky Network TV is New Zealand's largest pay-TV operator. So, Australian Rupert Murdoch can't be too far.
For quite while (the first mention of this in Sat-ND was in last October,) Rupert Murdoch has tried to gain some influence on the company that is half owned by a consortium of U.S.-based telecommunications companies such as Bell Atlantic, Ameritech, Time Warner and Tele-Communications Inc.
Now, Ameritech has agreed to sell its 12.5 percent stake in Sky Network Television Limited of New Zealand to Mr Murdoch's Independent Newspapers Limited. Ameritech originally acquired its interest in Sky TV in May 1991 -- the company has grown significantly in the six years since then. Today, the satellite pay-TV company has more than 300,000 customers, up from 50,000 in 1991.

Rupert in Japan

Rupert Murdoch did not reveal any secrets when he told Tokyo's Yomiuri Shimbun in an interview that his JSkyB service was crucial to his goal of insuring guaranteed outlets for Fox programming world-wide.
He sems to have learned from mistakes in the past, especially from his digital TV disaster in the U.S. where he had to swap valuable assets such as satellites and licenses for a non-voting stake in PrimeStar. "We were too late. We should have been four or five years earlier with the satellite network."
Mr Murdoch's JSkyB won't be the first DTH service in Japan. Officials of his News Corp. separately denied reports that JSkyB was considering a merger with PerfecTV, the only existing digital service. However, it looks as though both will use the same hardware and conditional access system for subscribers.
Mr Murdoch was prepared to admit that JSkyB, modelled after his successful U.K. venture BSkyB, would provide him with sufficient leverage to tell competitors "We'll distribute your products, but you must distribute our products."
Very funny, because his UK strategy is somewhat different. It goes like this: "We'll distribute your products, but you have to pay for it" -- not necessarily in cash but by giving BSkyB a controlling stake in niche channels that intend to use his de-facto monopolist analogue pay-TV platform.


FEEDBACK

The porn ferry affair revisited (20.8.97)

Sotires Eleftheriou wrote in to tell me that Dieppe is actually in France. That geographical fact had already been unveiled yesterday, but here's even more:
"The ferry from Newhaven (about 10 km from Brighton) goes three times a day. I have often seen satellite TV on ferries. It is usually Sky News, Sky Sports or Cartoon [Network.] They must use some kind of auto-stabilising and tracking system. The signal stays perfectly locked during the normal rocking of the boat (I haven't checked in winter time on a really rough sea) but gets lost for about 10 seconds when the boat does a sharp turn such as manoeuvring into harbour. Apart from that, I totally agree that there is no way porn material could have got onto the tape accidentally. Someone on the boat must have a smart card for such a channel and recorded it on the kids tape during the night."

Politicians in space (25.8.97)

Michael Herr commented on the story about a Russian statesman going to space from a U.S. perspective:
"Don't forget our own space politician -- Senator 'Barfing' [?] Jake Garn. I think there was another congressman who flew but not as memorable."
Well, I suppose that this is a trend that will find strong public support in many countries. Politicians should not just go to space, they should visit the Moon or Mars and stay there as long as possible ;-)


Copyright 08/97 by Peter C. Klanowski, pck@LyNet.De. All rights reserved.
TVs and PCs are not going to converge. They're not going to become one box.
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