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TELE-satellit News - 24 March 1996

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TELE-satellit
EUROPE'S SATELLITE MAGAZINE
International Satellite Broadcasting News
Number 94, Week ending 24 March 1996
By Martyn Williams
News Desk : Internet martyn@twics.com  or CompuServe CIS:martynw
(c) TELE-satellit Magazine


CHINA - HOMES, MILITARY BASE DESTROYED BY ROCKET
  TEL AVIV, Israel (TS) -- Israeli TV showed at the weekend pictures 
taken by a scientist that showed the devastation caused by the falling 
wreckage of a recent Long March rocket failure.
  In contradiction with the official Chinese news agency report that 
six people were killed and 80 homes destroyed, the Israeli scientist's 
film showed dozens of destoyed buildings, many said to be part of a 
nearby military installation.
  China has been critisised many time since the incident for its lack 
of down range safety at rocket launches.


FLEXTECH, BSKYB DISCUSSING MERGER - REPORT
  LONDON, England (TS) -- The Independent Newspaper in the UK has 
reported that Flextech and BSkyB have discussed a possible merger of 
their respective pay TV channels.
  Flextech owns and operates thirteen satellite channels including UK 
Gold, UK Living, TCC and the Family Channel. It is half owned by TCI 
of the US and operates TCI channels in Europe including Discovery 
Channel, Learning Channel, Country Music TV and Bravo.
  The two companies already have close relationships with Flextech 
using BSkyB for all of its UK subscription management.


GERMANY TO GET FIRST TASTE OF EURO DIGITAL TV
  BONN, Germany (TS) -- Germany will be the first nation to get a 
taste of the new digital TV package being planned by Bertelsmann AG, 
Canal Plus, News Corp and Havas.
  The service will launch a preview service later this year and give 
many Germans their first taste of pay television and special interest 
channels.
  Currently much TV in Germany is free to air and general 
entertainment of interest programming.
  The Bertelsmann and Canal Plus developed SECA digital TV set top box 
would be used the company also confirmed.


UK EXTENDS SATELLITE BROADCASTING LAWS
  LONDON, England (TS) -- The British government has extended laws 
governing satellite TV programming uplinked from the UK. Under 
previous laws, programming beamed from the UK to Europe had to conform 
to British broadcasting laws but programming heading to other regions 
of the world escaped the licencing.
  This made it possible to establish a TV channel in the UK and 
broadcast to an area outside of Europe with no licence and no need to 
conform to British regulations.
  The new rules now cover all nations of the world.


CARLTON TO LAUNCH NEW CHANNEL
  LONDON, England (TS) -- London's Carlton Communications is to launch 
a new satellite TV channel targeted at India. TV India will be the 
fourth such international channel operated by the broadcaster.
  Main shareholder in the venture will be The Hindustan Times with a 
30% stake, Asia Pacific Fund II will hold 25% with the remaining 45% 
being split equally between Carlton, Pearson and Hong Kong's TVB.
  Programming on the general entertainment channel will include 
original India-produced Hindi programming.  
  The new channel will broadcast on PanAmSat's PAS-4 Indian Ocean 
Region satellite. It will be transmitted from Hong Kong over the PAS- 
4 C-band South Asia/Middle East beam, which provides coverage to more 
than 100 million households throughout south Asia.  The broadcast 
partnership initially intends to focus the TV service on the Indian 
subcontinent, where the channel will be distributed via PAS-4 to cable 
systems serving more than 15 million households.


EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON COPYRIGHT
  BRUSSELS, Belgium (TS) -- The full text of a recent European 
Commission press release follows:
     EUROPEAN DOCUMENT RESEARCH - March 20, 1996
     The European Commission has invited the Council to sign the 
"European Convention relating to questions on copyright law and 
neighbouring rights in the framework of transfrontier broadcasting by 
satellite."
     The Convention, which is annexed to the Commission's proposal, 
defines transmission broadcasted by satellite and states that authors 
have the exclusive right to authorise the broadcasting of their 
protected works in accordance with the provisions of the "Berne 
Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistics Works" (Paris 
Act, 1971), and lays down the rules regarding collective agreements 
concluded between collecting societies and broadcasting organizations.
     The Convention furthermore contains provisions for the minimum 
protection for holders of neighbouring rights based on the Rome 
Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms 
and Broadcasting Organizations (1961). None of these provisions would 
prevent countries that are party to the Convention from providing a 
more favourable protection for the right-holders concerned.
     The Convention would also provide for a transitional period to 
enable existing contracts to be adapted to the new rules, particularly 
in the case of international co-productions.
     Ref: COM(96) 6 final, January 31, 1996 EDR 169/x
     This document is available immediately from European Document 
Research on our normal terms. For further information and for copies 
of EC documents, please contact EDR at Rue de Treves 61, 3eme etage, 
B-1040 Brussels, Belgium. Telephone (322) 230 8814, fax (322) 230 
8965.


CNN ANCHOR LEARNS ABOUT SATELLITE FEEDS
  SAN FRANCISCO, California, USA (SHOPTALK) -- CNN and Novell Inc. are 
at odds following an appearance by CNN Business Day co-anchor Deborah 
Marchini at Novell's Brainshare Conference this week.
  CNN executives claim that her appearance there violated the 
network's conflict of interest policy when her session (without her 
knowledge) was made available, via satellite, to news organizations.   
According to Lou Dobbs, a CNN executive vice president (and Marchini's 
boss), Marchini was only allowed to accept the Novell engagement on 
one condition--that Novell promised in writing not to videotape or 
audiotape the session.  Following a 1992 incident, in which Dobbs was 
reprimanded by the network for doing paid video work for Wall Street,  
any CNN employee must have paid speeches approved by a CNN executive.  
Marchini "is going to feel terrible about his," said Dobbs, who 
wouldn't disclose just how much she was paid for the appearance.
  "It seems apparent that Novell had an internal communications 
problem and that one department didn't know of the restriction 
agreement. This appears to be an innocent mistake."  (Wall Street 
Journal via Shoptalk)


INTELSAT INCREASES DIGITAL CAPACITY
  WASHINGTON, DC, USA (INTELSAT) -- Intelsat recently completed 
testing live digital two-way transmissions between Canada and the UK 
at a rate of 155 Mbit/s.
  These tests were carried out with Teleglobe and BT, INTELSATs 
respective Signatories. The 155 Mbit/s rate is a new rate of 
transmission for Intelsat and is an important element of the 
Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) of rates now established for use 
in modern telecommunication networks. This higher transmission rate 
and greater flexibility will open up a new range of satellite-based 
applications to customers.
  Transmissions at 140 Mbit/s within INTELSATs global system have 
been handled for a number of years.  Almost all such transmissions are 
undertaken on a temporary basis, in order to restore international 
services lost due to undersea cable failures.  The significance of the 
step up to 155 Mbit/s lies in a new family of applications which are 
likely to emerge within SDH-based networks.  


PAS-2 UPDATE
  MELBOURNE, Australia (IRMA) -- International Radio Monitors noted 
the following uncoded transmissions on Panamssat's PAS-2 as of 21st 
March:
  3967  6.80  Vert  CNNI
  4111  6.60  Hori  CNBC
  4030  6.60  Vert  NHK
  4000  6.20  Vert  CNN NEWSOURCE & AUDIO (NOT 24HRS TX)
  3905  6.20  Hori  TEST PATTERN SYLMAR,CA
  3930        Vert  REUTERS & OTHER OCCAS. FEEDS
  12415 6.20  Vert  STRONG COLOR BAR PATTERN
  The channels were viewed from Melbourne on Australia's East Coast 
with a 2.4 meter mesh dish, dual ku/C band fee, LT-8500 receiver. 
Coded transmissions have been omitted.
  International Radio Monitors (Australia), irma@tbsa.com.au


INDIA LAUNCHES PSLV
  SRIHARIKOTA, India (PTI) -- The successful launch of PSLV-D3 has 
brightened the prospects of India entering the launch business before 
the end of this decade.
  It has also given India the confidence to launch its remote sensing 
satellites in future and quicken the pace of producing  the indigenous 
Geostationary Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
  Indian space research organisation (ISRO) chairman, Dr K 
Kasturirangan, who was present at the launch site, declared there 
would be no more dependence on other countries for launch of 
indigenous remote sensing satellites. each of the three remote sensing 
satellites launched so far has cost the country 30 million us dollars 
apiece.
  ISRO will offer its PSLV for commercial launches after one more 
launch. However, the schedule for the next launch named 'PSLV-C1' 
(Continuous-1) will be finalised only after the analysis of today's 
flight data.
  IRS-P3 is the first indigenously launched remote sensing satellite 
whose  data will be distributed globally through the american  eosat 
company under a 10-year contract  signed with ISRO's corporate wing, 
ANTRIX corporation, last year.
  The contract is expected to generate over one billion dollars for 
ISRO. EOSAT is already receiving data from IRS-1B and IRS-1C.
  Today's launch has also validated some of the technologies and 
systems  which are common with the GSLV which could be launched as 
early as 1998, according to Dr Kasturirangan.
  Many of the control systems, liquid and solid stages and strap-on 
motors of PSLV will find their way into GSLV with or without changes. 
  GSLV will use the indigenous  liquid vikas engine for its second 
stage, which has been found to work well in all the three PSLV
launches.
  Cryogenic engine for the third stage   is  expected from the Russian 
space agency, Glavkosmov, by next year. (S.Ramani on Usenet)


MTV ANNOUNCES BIG INTERNATIONAL PLANS
  LOS ANGELES, California, USA (MTV) -- Music Television MTV will 
significantly expand its international operations in Europe, Asia and 
Latin America it was announced last week.
  The company will take full advantage of new technologies, such as 
digital compression, by introducing new services within its European, 
Latin American and Asian networks as well as increasing the amount of 
regionalized programming it produces around the world, including 
Japan.
  MTV Europe, which currently reaches 52 million homes in 36 countries 
is refining its programming and playlist so that it is further 
customized to local tastes in its key European territories. Using 
digital compression technology, the network will tailor music 
playlists and will produce regionally specific programming on top of a 
core of new pan-European shows. The major components of the expansion 
are the addition of more live-programming and long-form shows that 
will be created and produced in Europe. The amount of live programming 
will be tripled, there will be at least two new long-form series and 
up to five additional short-form shows added to MTV Europe's 
programming.
  MTV Asia  As part of MTV's international expansion plans, MTV Asia 
has added a third service -- MTV India. In January 1996, MTV India 
launched as a 24-hour satellite feed for the  subcontinent which will 
have five hours a day of India-specific programming produced locally 
by MTV India's Bombay staff by the end of the year.  In addition, MTV 
India will significantly expand its sales and marketing operations 
with offices opening in New Delhi, Bangalore and Calcutta in 1996. 
Similarly, MTV Mandarin will greatly increase its local production and 
programming and add local marketing and sales offices throughout its 
regional offices in Taipei, Hong Kong and Beijing. MTV Asia will 
continue to provide South East Asia with 24 hours of music programming 
that serves Brunei, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and the 
Philippines and is headquartered in Singapore.
  MTV Latin America and MTV Brasil, which currently reach more than 21 
million homes, will split into three services -- one targeted to the 
Northern territory including Mexico, Central America and the 
Caribbean, one targeted to the Southern cone including Argentina and 
Chile, and the already-existing MTV Brasil.  This initiative builds on 
the overwhelming success of MTV Brasil -- already a regionalized 
service.  The split is scheduled to take place in the third quarter of 
1996. The network's investment will allow MTV to tailor the music mix 
to appeal to the tastes of each territory, including time-shifting the 
services to respond to the difference in time zones, custom-tailoring 
voice-overs for bumpers and interstitials and increasing Spanish 
language programming.  In addition, there will be significant 
investment in on-the-ground productions. The headquarters for the 
Northern service will be located in Mexico City, while the Southern 
feed will be headquartered out of MTV's existing office in Buenos 
Aires, Argentina with local staff increasing in each regional office. 
MTV Latin America will continue to base its main headquarters in 
Miami.  MTV Brasil will continue to be based in Sao Paulo.
  In addition to increasing its investment in its pan-continental 
channels, MTV will also continue to commit growing resources to MTV 
Japan.  In Japan, where the cable industry is in its nascent stages, 
MTV will create more programming tailored specifically to the Japanese 
market. MTV Japan has provided its viewers with a 24-hour Japanese 
language service since 1992.


DMX CANADA IS DENIED
  CALGARY, Alberta, Canada (DMX) -- Shaw  Communications' Heather 
Shaw, president of DMX Canada, last week expressed disappointment that 
the federal government decided to refer DMX Canada's license back to 
the CRTC.
  "Shaw Communications was committed to creating a unique world-class 
pay audio service for Canada," said Ms. Shaw.  "The federal government 
has, for the third time, decided to hold back digital pay audio 
services from Canadian consumers. In our estimation this will 
effectively stop the development of a Canadian pay audio service and 
allow U.S. grey market services to enter into Canada without featuring 
Canadian musicians."
  Shaw Communications received a license in December 1995 for DMX 
Canada to provide pay audio service to subscribers via cable or 
satellite.  DMX Canada is 80 percent owned by Shaw Communications with 
the remaining 20 percent held by DMX Inc.
  "DMX Canada was prepared to create jobs in Canada.  We will no 
longer be able to create those jobs or to feature Canadian artists on 
the DMX international service," said Ms. Shaw.


INTELSAT LOOK FOR NEW SATELLITES
  WASHINGTON, DC, USA (INTELSAT) -- The 109th meeting of the 
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) 
Board of Governors, which met in Bangalore, India, 14-19 March, 
approved the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a 
competitive procurement of two new, high capacity satellites 
designated as FOS II (Follow-On-Satellites).
  The two satellites will be deployed over the Indian Ocean Region 
where they will replace INTELSAT VI spacecraft beginning in 2002.  
INTELSAT currently has 24 satellites in orbit, five of which provide 
service in the Indian Ocean Region.  


INTELSAT ANNOUNCES LAUNCH CONTRACTS
  WASHINGTON, DC, USA (INTELSAT) -- The Board authorized the award of 
a contract to Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, Inc. for the 
launch of two INTELSAT VIII/VIII-A  spacecraft using two Atlas IIAS 
launch vehicles subject to successful negotiation and conclusion of 
contract terms. 
  The Board also authorized the termination of two contracts with 
China Great  Wall Industry Corp. for the launch of the INTELSAT 804 
and 805 spacecraft.  
  This termination is without prejudice to INTELSAT's consideration of 
the use of the Long March launch vehicle in the future.


IN BRIEF
- Latest news from Russia points to an April 9th launch date for the 
Astra 1F satellite. It will be carried into space by a Russian Proton 
rocket.
- The next Asiasat satellite, Asiasat-3, will be launched in 1997. The 
satellite will broadcast across Asia with coverage similar to Asiasat 
2 and the addition of three high powered ku-band transponders.
- JS-TV, not to be confused with London based Japanese broadcaster 
JSTV, is to launch soon. JS-TV is a service of the UK supermarket 
chain J Sainsbury and will broadcast a closed circuit program for 
staff and managers to watch in the company's premises in the UK.
- AT&T has announced it will begin selling consumer receivers for the 
American DirecTV and USSB digital DBS systems.
- An Arabic radio broadcaster is being heard in the evenings on 
Eutelsat 2-F1 at 11.638 h. On subcarriers 6.60 and 7.20 MHz the 
program was heard closing at 2200 CET with the message, "Simayeh 
Azadi wishes a happy new year" (Stefan Hagedorn via Sat-ND)
- Lunchtimes have seen a new broadcast on Intelsat K. The frequency is 
12.703 v and a testcard in NTSC has been seen (Stefan Hagedorn via 
Sat-ND)


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CREDITS,

Reports in TELE-satellit news are from our worldwide network of 
reporters and sources. In particular we would like to thank :

Curt Swinehart for keeping us up to date with all parts of the 
satellite industry.

Don Fitzpatrick of DFA in San Francisco for providing permission to 
reproduce articles from Shoptalk, the TV news industry's daily news 
and information magazine.

OMRI material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media Research 
Institute, a nonprofit organization with research offices in Prague, 
Czech Republic. For more information on OMRI publications, please 
write to: info@omri.cz

Reproduction in part of Jonathan's Space Report was maded possible by 
kind permission of Jonathan McDowell. To read the full edition see 
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/QEDT/jcm/space/jsr/jsr.html or 
ftp://sao-ftp.harvard.edu/pub/jcm/space/news/news.*

News from Radio Sweden is made possible by Geroge Wood, presenter of 
Sweden Calling DXers/MediaScan,  the world's oldest radio program 
about international broadcasting. Radio Sweden has presented this 
round-up of radio news, features, and interviews on Tuesdays since 
1948. It's currently broadcast on the first and third Tuesdays of the 
month. http://www.sr.se/rs
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