TS News - AlphaStar To Launch Digital In Canada

• from: owner-ts-news@tele-satellit.com
• Date: Mon, 03 Mar 1997 22:34:27 +0900
• From owner-ts-news@tele-satellit.com Mon Mar 3 09: 08:35 1997

TELE-satellit News, 3 March 1997

AlphaStar To Launch Digital In Canada
  MONTREAL, Canada, 97/03/03 (TS) -- AlphaStar won a licence from the
Canadian government to offer broadcast and pay-per-view programming by
direct broadcasting satellite last week, something that will make it the
first digital DTH service in Canada. The network is starting right away,
said officials, "We have begun shipping digital set-top receivers and
satellite dishes to dealers across Canada,'' said David Lewis, President of
AlphaStar Canada, ``and customers will be able to access up to 45 channels
as soon as their equipment is installed."

  AlphaStar Canada is a sister company of AlphaStar Television Network,
which has been broadcasting in the United States since July 1996 and has
almost 40,000 subscribers. In a company statement, David Lewis, president
of AlphaStar Canada, commented, "We're absolutely delighted that the CRTC
has given us the mandate to proceed. Like the CRTC, we think Canadians have
waited long enough for digital DTH - especially the 1.2 million Canadians
living in non-cabled areas."

  Initial programming, to begin at the end of March, will include a lineup
of 75 channels (35 video, 30 audio, and 10 pay-per-view), including both
English and French services. By mid-summer, when the network begins
broadcasting from AT&T's new Telstar 5 satellite, up to 120 channels will
be available. The video broadcast lineup will include all major Canadian
television networks, as well as most approved American services and several
international networks. Dish prices are expected to be around C$499 at
launch with an annual subscription of C$300.

(c)TELE-satellit 1997. All rights reserved.

• Prev: TS News - DirecTV Japan Places Broadcast Center Orders
• Next: TS News - First Intelsat 8 Launched
• Index: TS-news mailing list