
This news is provided free of charge to on-line users by TELE-satellit 
magazine and TS News Service GB. IT IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. It may not be 
reproduced for commercial reasons by any means what so ever. If you wish to 
reproduce this news or redistribute it for non commercial use please contact 
the email address below.

Der TS Nachrichtendienst ist ein Service fuer die Freunde von TELE-satellit 
und TS-TV und ist nur fuer persoenliche infromation freigegeben.


TELE-satellit
EUROPE'S SATELLITE MAGAZINE
International Satellite News
Number 40, Week ending 26 February 1995
By Martyn Williams
News Desk : Internet martyn@euro.demon.co.uk  or CompuServe 100025,1637
(c) TELE-satellit Magazine


Digital TV by 1997 - NTL
NTL, the commercial company responsible for transmission of terrestrial 
commercial TV in the UK said it will be investing heavily over the next three 
years to ensure that 12 digital TV channels will be available nationwide by 
the end of 1997.
The 12 channels can be carried in the space of one conventional TV channel but 
will require the allocation of precious terrestrial transmission frequencies 
by the UK government. The space was to be given over to a fifth network, 
Channel 5, but that service has always been in doubt ever since the original 
franchise bid caused hardly any interest.
NTL, who have partnered with Pace a year ago to form Pace NTL, put the price 
of set top receiving equipment at around GBP 300.


EBN launches 27 February
EBN:European Business News launches on Monday. The channel will broadcast via 
Intelsat 601 at 27.5 degrees West. Originally a launch had been planned on 
Eutelsat's Hot Bird but since that's still on the ground reserve space was 
taken on Intelsat. EBN will swtich to Eutelsat when the satellite becomes 
operational in late April.


Deutsche Welle plan expansion
ADN/BBC Monitoring via Radio Sweden
Dieter Weirich, director of Deutsche Welle Radio and TV International, 
announced at the Intersat 95 trade fair in Frankfurt that Deutsche Welle will 
launch a 24 hour international TV channel in German, English, and Spanish from 
July 1, 1995. (apparently expanding the current Deutsche Welle TV in those 
three languages, and squeezing the USIA's Worldnet off the transponders, just 
as France's TV5 did a couple of years ago).


News from Asia
More news from Asia in the wake of the Apstar 2 satellite launch failure. The 
loss of Apstar 2 has forced NBC to drop a petition lodged with the FCC in the 
US over ownership of Rupert Murdoch's Fox TV network. The reason ? - NBC needs 
good distribution for it's two Asia channels, NBC Super Channel Asia and Asian 
Business News and it just so happens that Murdoch's Star TV has a free 
transponder. The combined NBC service will launch in the second half of this 
year and be encoded.
NBC had been challenging Rupert Murdoch's ownership of the national Fox TV 
network under foreign ownership regulations. Murdoch became an American 
citizen to qualify for the regulations.


Also this week, The Discovery Channel Asia announced a one year deal with 
Singapore Telecom for uplink facilities for it's Chinese language version to 
Apstar 1. Singapore Telecom currently holds to contract for carriage of 
Discovery's service on the Palapa B2P satellite.
Proving that the Asian market is worth all the fuss over the passed  month 
after the Apstar failure, HBO Asia announced that subsribers in the region 
have more than doubled. The network now counts over 600,000 subscribers to 
it's movies channel.


Israel expands TV broadcasting
Radio Sweden
Israel TV's channel 3 began full-time broadcasting on satellite and cable on 
January 22. It can now be received in most of the Middle East, the Gulf, and 
North Africa. (BBC Monitoring) Presumeably the satellite in question is 
Intelsat 702, which carries three Israeli television channels. Channel 3 is 
listed on 11.023 GHz.


More TV for Australia
A busy week in Australian TV has seen the announcement of no less than three 
new TV ventures.

CNN announced late this week that it would cooperate with the national ABC 
network on a 24 hour news channel called TNC - The News Channel. CNN's part in 
the venture will be in supply of certain programming as well as CNN Newssource 
- the networks global newsfeed operation that supplies other broadcasters with 
coverage of news events.

The latest addition to the Australis pay TV line up will be a channels 
dedicated to children and the whole family focused on non violent programming. 
The encrypted service will begin broadcasting next month according to an 
announcement made earlier this week in Sydney.

Meanwhile proving that it never rains but pours Nickelodeon announced the 
launch of its second international network, Nickelodeon Australia, an 
entertainment channel for children.
The network will be a joint venture with Australian Information Media Pty 
(AIM), which is majority owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corp.  The 
channel will provide children's programming during the day, and a combination 
of high quality documentary drama and general entertainment in the evening, 
featuring ABC and international productions.  The service is expected to begin 
broadcasting later this year and will be distributed to subscribers 
Australia-wide, on all major pay-TV delivery systems, cable and MMDS.
"We're thrilled to partner with  the Australian Broadcasting Company," 
Geraldine Laybourne, President, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, said in making the 
announcement.  "Australia is a particularly attractive market for Nickelodeon 
because the attitudes and sensibilities of Australian kids are in tune with 
the innovative approach of Nickelodeon.  We believe Australia will love 
Nickelodeon and we know Nickelodeon will love Australia." Sumner Redstone, 
Chairman of Viacom Inc., said "Viacom's mission is to deliver our products, 
our brands, and our franchises to new audiences around the world. We have 
pursued this mission with a passion and the creation of Nickelodeon Australia 
is an important extension of that mission."
Kim Williams, the head of AIM, said, "Nickelodeon is the premier children's
channel in the U.S. and represents a wonderful opportunity for Australian 
kids. The strength of NICKELODEON'S library and the library of the ABC make us 
uniquely qualified to serve the viewing interests and demands of the 
Australian audience. We couldn't be more excited about this venture."


Canada / CMT dispute continues
Satellite Dealers Association
The dispute between Nashville's Country Music Television and
Canada's New Country Network could precipitate a broadening trade
war between the United States and Canada.  CMTV has been forcibly
removed from the cable systems in Canada to make way for NCN.  CMTV
believes that this is a violation of the North American Free Trade
Agreement.  CMTV took this to Canada's Supreme Court, but the court
ruled in favor of the ban.  Now CMTV has removed all Canadian
country music artists from their play list and the US government
may be looking into other possible retaliatory actions.


Media Council established in Slovakia
Sharon Fisher, OMRI, Inc.
The Slovak cabinet named at its 21 February session the members of the 
government's new council for mass media, which will be an advisory organ 
without decision-making powers. Deputy Premier Katarina Tothova will serve as 
council chairwoman, and Minister of Culture Ivan Hudec will be deputy 
chairman. Aside from the two government members, the 20-member council 
includes three parliamentary deputies from the Movement for a Democratic 
Slovakia; the directors of Slovak TV, Radio and the state news agency TASR; 
and four members of the Association of Slovak Journalists (formerly known as 
the Club for a True Picture of Slovakia). Only one member of the Slovak 
Syndicate of Journalists is represented, Sme reports. Still, Tothova said the 
members represent "a wide spectrum of experts." The cabinet also approved the 
creation of a new Ministry of Construction and Public Works, which was pushed 
forward by the Association of Slovak Workers. Jan Mraz of the ASW was 
appointed minister in December. The Ministry of Transportation, 
Communications, and Public Works will be changed to the Ministry of 
Transportation, Post, and Telecommunications, Narodna obroda reports.


Neue Produkte
Petra Huether, TS Munich

Phone The World With INMARSAT B
NERA GmbH is one of the leaders in maritime and mobile applications of the 
INMARSAT satellite telephone standards A, B, C and M. Now they have turned out 
another very handy portable INMARSAT B system called NERA Staturn Bt. It 
offers digital voice calls with 16 KB/s compact design with security coding, 
digital fax with 9.6 KB/s and - as provided by the earth stations - also data 
transfer with 9.6 KB/s. Next to an integrated multi function phone it also 
offers five transmission modes for communicating with terrestrial networks. 
All services can be accessed via individual INMARSAT numbers and the 
approaching Hannover Cebit fair will give you an opportunity to touch and try 
this gadget live at their stand.
Info Fax: +49-711-1328599

Satellite Technology At A Close View!
This is the motto of Sky Vision/Arcon`s road show, which is meant to introduce 
the possibilities of satellite reception to traders and other interested 
parties. From March to May, the road show will hit eleven cities, where the 
brandnew `95 model series of sat receivers and outdoor units plus a broad 
range of innovative accessories are presented. Including the Arcon Sweety, a 
mini satellite dish which has already smacked a few gobs in the trade. With a 
diameter of 43 cm, it applies professional Cassegrain technology that make it 
as efficient as a regular 55 cm offset dish.
With the Arcon Partner Shop System, dealers are introduced to a new concept 
warranting their trade territory and offering further advantages. Traders will 
also be offered some feasible advice to profit from today`s market 
opportunities.
Info Fax: +49-5303-666


TELE-satellit Magazine
This news is from the English language news service of TELE-satellit, a 
monthly satellite magazine edited in Munich, Germany. It consists of 132 
pages, full colour with tables, charts and news with many off-screen photos of 
the satellite channels plus an informative technical section. Subscriptions 
are available for DM 120, Europe surface mail; DM 144, Europe airmail and DM 
192, ROW airmail. Orders for subscriptions and more information should be sent 
to : TELE-satellit Customer Service, Silheimer Str. 6a, D-89278 Nersingen, 
Germany, Fax +49-7308-919001

Where to find satellite news :
TELE-satellit News, English :
CompuServe UK Forum (UKFORUM) - Windows Write / ASCII version, library 19
CompuServe European Forum (EURFORUM) - Windows Write version, library 5
CompuServe Deutschland on line (GERLINE) - Windows Write version, library 15
CompuServe Telecommunications Forum (TELECOM) - Windows Write version
fax on demand +49-8282-81003
fax on demand +49-2163-81744
fax on demand +49-7308-919009
NBC Super Channel - NBC Text page 171
alt.satellite.tv.europe newsgroup on Usenet
World Wide Web : http://xan.esrin.esa.it:2602/satellite.html
Fidonet SAT.028
Fidonet SATELLITE.FR
Fidonet RU.SAT
Fidonet SATELLIT_R23.PUB
Maus Net : tv.grp
America On Line - from the "ham radio" area in the General file library.
Anonymous FTP to : ftp.funet.fi /pub/dx/text/satellite/telesatellit
CIX Skyguide/telesat conference
SAT NET BBS network
SweDX BBS, Swedish DX Association. +46-8-53034727 / Fidonet 2:201/339
Short Wave Paradise BBS, online 24 hours a day ! USA 616-383-4979

TELE-satellit News, German :
CompuServe Deutschland on line (GERLINE) - ASCII version, library 15
CompuServe Der Spiegel Forum (SPIEGEL) - ASCII version, library 11
fax on demand +49-8282-81003
fax on demand +49-2163-81744
fax on demand +49-7308-919009
SAT 1 Text - page 513
SAT NET BBS network

Other reliable sources of satellite news :
 Radio Sweden Mediascan. 1st and 3rd Tuesday, 20 minutes into the English 
programme via Astra, Shortwave, Mediumwave 1197 kHz and the World Radio 
Network.
Text and audio files of Mediascan can be found in the SCDX directory on 
ftp.funet.fi
 Radio Netherlands Media Network, Thursday, 23 minutes into the English 
programme via
shorwave and The World Radio Network
 World Wide Web users can access TS News and the electronic journals above 
and more information via the European satellite home page, URL 
http://xan.esrin.esa.it:2602/satellite.html
 The ProShow. Every Sunday night starting at 9:00 pm EST on the Omega Radio 
Network - Galaxy 3, Transponder 17, 5.80 MHz.



-- 
Martyn Williams                    | Internet : martyn@euro.demon.co.uk
                                   | CI$      : 100025,1637
Tell the US Congress NO to S.314   | Nifty    : PXQ00623
                                   | GEnie    : NB.LON2
                                   | The views above are my own, I think

