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TS News - Transponder News

TELE-satellit News, 21 July 1996

Reader Questions - Answers !

In response to a question from reader Alan Firth who asked: 
> 1. Why do BBC broadcast 'BBC Prime' and 'BBC World' from 2 different
> satellites, at very different positions (obviating the 'dual-feed'
> possibility), in Western Europe (13 degress East and 27 degrees West)?
> Surely viewing figures would be increased if both channels were broadcast
> from the same satellite source.

We received the following replies:

From Tamas Nyitrai <defiant@mail.datanet.hu>:
BBC Prime now transmits from Eutelsat II F1 as well in digital compresson 
on the same transponder as BBC World. Probably BBC World will also join 
the digital world soon. We do not have to wait for long.

Charles A. Ross <beednet1@beednet.net>
Analysis of individual footprints for the Ku Band beams will
give you a specific understanding of what target markets are being addressed
with each bird's beam(s). That is both a technical question of 'what is
available to buy now, when we want to buy' and a marketing question of 'what
target populations are available from a particular bird on a particular
beam'. There is also the issue of unspoken redundancy, in
that if one bird or the particular transponder on that bird were to fail
totally, then there would still be a BBC service 'getting out there'
somehow, even if not the full service of both channels.

From us:
And our ideas, BBC have broadcast on Intelsat at 27.5W for years and years.
This was originally BBC 1/2 Mix, then BBC TV Europe and now BBC Prime. There
are many cable networks focused on this bird and it gives better coverage of
Scandinavia than HotBird. BBC World, on the other hand, is aimed at
competing with CNN and needs home on a satellite that will deliver it many
viewers, especially because it is in the clear. With BBC Prime being
encrypted there are few viewers who don't subscribe because of the satellite
but if BBC World was way out there many people wouldn't watch. 

Transponder News

INTELSAT 703, 57.0E
- The NEPC channel found on this satellite is part of Worldnet says Michael
Cookson <mike@dvert.com> in South Africa, "This is Worldnet. NEPC is one of
the numerous channels carried by Worldnet IOR when they are not flighting
C-SPAN. Worldnet have recently moved from 66 degrees East to the new
INTELSAT 703 which replaced INTELSAT 510 at 57 degrees East - 4.050 GHz LHCP."

UNKNOWN SATELLITE, 26.0E
- The mystery about the testcard on transponder 12.506 Ghz v around 26 E
continues. According to Christian Lyngemark, the testcard isn't the same
satellite that FilmNet Hellas and occasional news-feeds use on 11.175 Ghz h.
In fact: EUTELSAT I-F4 (25.5 E) is in the inclined orbit, but the
black-screen and testcard is on around the clock from the same position - a
very stable bird! Well, I think, it's the ARABSAT 2 A satellite: a very big
surprise! 7 days ago after the start comes a strong test-signal on the
definitive position 26 degrees E. The reception is possible in Europe and in
the UK too with a 100 cm-dish! (Stefan Hagedorn)

EUTELSAT II-F3, 16.0E
- Radio Marocco comes now on transponder 7.38 MHz (transponder 25, 10.972
Ghz v; owner is RTM Morocco). (Stefan Hagedorn)
- Peoples Revolution TV Lybia comes every friday after 12.00 CET (11.080 Ghz
h). Normally, the start is 16.00 CET. (Stefan Hagedorn)

EUTELSAT II-F1, 13.0E
- AB Channel 1 has left transponder 11.676 Ghz h! Between 11.00 to 17.00 CET
the french entertaiment-channel broadcasted in PAL in the clear after a long
absence from analogue. However, audio wasn't present. I think, it was a test
for the analogue come-back - probably in August? For a few months you can
see Channel 1 in the AB Sat digital-package (via satellite: 12.522 Ghz h and
11.638 Ghz h and in the cable-networks in Switzerland). (Stefan Hagedorn)

EUTELSAT II-F2, 10.0E
- Summer-holidays for "Europe by satellite": between August 2th to September
2th the EU-channel on 11.080 Ghz h will be unavailable. That's reported by
Karl-Heinz Garadt. (Stefan Hagedorn)

INTELSAT 707, 1.0W
- The announcement for the start by NRK 2 broadcast on 11.485 Ghz h
currently in D2 MAC clear. After a short break you can seen the testcard
unencrypted - from August 31 NRK 1 and NRK 2 will scramble the signal in
eurocrypt. (Stefan Hagedorn)

TDRS, 47.0W
- Last day or two has seen activity on this new TDRS location, currently an
NTSC signal at 4.12Ghz, apparently from Atlanta. (Ian Waller)


(c)TELE-satellit 1996. All rights reserved.
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