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Sat-UK #200 19.02.98: News from UK Satellite Control

Sat-UK Report #200:
- Flextech Considers Taking On BSkyB With Its Own Service
- "Sky's The Limit" For Scottish Soccer TV Deal
* Internal
thursday 19th february 1998
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Email: dsedghi@TELE-Satellite.com OR dominic@bigrp.demon.co.uk
Sat-UK Web: http://www.sat-uk.com/
UK Satellite Control: http://www.sat-net.com/uk-satellite/
And now the news:


The Sat-Media-UK (Sat-Birmingham) mailing list unfortunately was forced
to close recently. All news from UK Satellite Control can now once again
be seen, however, on the Sat-UK mailist list! Here is the first batch.
Oh, and in case you didn't notice, this is issue TWO HUNDRED on Sat-UK!


---------- Flextech Considers Taking On BSkyB With Its Own Service
(source: UK Satellite Control, copyright UK Satellite Control)
 With service possibly beginning this fall, Britain's Flextech will take
on British Sky Broadcasting with its own digital satellite offer,
reportedly with the backing of Microsoft and Turner Broadcasting.
According to London-based Observer, Flextech - which owns distribution
rights to several BBC channels as well as the Discovery Channel and
Living - is negotiating an agreement with BSkyB to put its channels on
Sky. But sources close to the company say that if negotiations with
BSkyB fail, Flextech may move ahead with its own satellite offering.
While carrying programming from Turner Broadcasting and interactive
services from Microsoft, Flextech would seek BSkyB's premium film and
sports channels.

---------- "Sky's The Limit" For Scottish Soccer TV Deal
(source: UK Satellite Control, copyright UK Satellite Control)
 Scotland's top 10 soccer clubs were given the OK to break away from the
Scottish League at the end of the season and form their own Premier
League, an effort that could bring big bucks from top broadcasters. The
big clubs, led by Glasgow Rangers and Celtic, want to control their own
sponsorship and television cash. Both said they have a TV contract in
the works that is better than existing deals, and could be carried to
the other eight clubs. The current deal with British Sky Broadcasting,
BBC Scotland and Scottish TV is worth about 11 million pounds over four
years. It is due to expire this summer. News Corp.-controlled Sky has a
670 million pound deal with the English leagues.

********** Internal
 I have recently completed updating the Sat-UK-Web charts to the new
format, and have decided to try something else out. I propose to
eliminate the logotypes for digital package owners (eg, DF1, CSN...) and
instead simply use a single line of text to display the name, symbol
rate, forward error correction, standard and CAM. Furthermore, I want to
increase the size of the logotypes for the channels in the packages;
before they had a width:height ratio of 33:20 - I want to make give them
a ratio of 50:30 like all the other logos. The problem was they were
very difficult to make out! Anyway, I have created a test page for Astra
1F, and you can view it at http://www.sat-uk.com/sats/astra1fx.html .
Thanx.  Dom.


All contents (C) 1998 Dominic Sedghi, except where indicated. All
rights reserved. Contents may be reproduced providing the following
is included: "Provided by Sat-UK - www.sat-uk.com/".
Information is subject to change and/or may be incorrect.

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  WANT TO ADVERTISE HERE? YOUR ADVERT COULD REACH
A POTENTIAL 800 CUSTOMERS OR MORE!!! FOR MORE INFO,
      CONTACT ME AT dominic@bigrp.demon.co.uk
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