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TELE-satellit
EUROPE'S SATELLITE MAGAZINE
International Satellite Broadcasting News
Number 70, Week ending 24 September 1995
By Martyn Williams
News Desk : Internet martyn@twics.com  or CompuServe 100025,1637
(c) TELE-satellit Magazine


TURNER AND WARNER BROS TIE THE KNOT !
By Don Fitzpatrick, Shoptalk
  NEW YORK, USA (SHOPTALK) -- After weeks of speculation, Time Warner 
and Turner Broadcasting Friday announced agreement on terms to merge 
their companies. 
  The 7.2 billion dollar deal will create the world's largest media 
and entertainment company with combined revenues exceeding 18 billion 
dollars. Those figures make the new company larger than the previously 
announced mega-merger between Capital Cities/ABC and Disney which had 
combined revenues exceeding 16 billion dollars. 
  Negotiations to close the deal were complicated somewhat by working 
out Ted Turner's role in the new company -- he'll become vice-chairman 
of Time Warner and will retain control of TBS plus Time Warner's Home 
Box Office. But the single biggest hurdle was placating TBS 
shareholder, cable magnate John Malone. 
  The TCI chief controlled some 21 per cent of Turner stock. He was 
said to have wanted several concessions -- foremost among them 
guarantees of preferential fees for his cable company to carry TBS 
properties like CNN, TNT, and the Cartoon Network. 
  Because of current Telecommunications law, Malone will become a 
passive shareholder in Time Warner with non-voting stock pending a 
change in federal law. Meanwhile, the scope of the new company is 
tremendous. Between them, Turner and Time Warner own the world's 
largest film libraries with Warner Bros. and MGM film classics which 
include "Casablanca", "Gone With the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz." 
  Time Warner magazines Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and Fortune 
may enter into a synergistic partnership with CNN, while the Warner 
Bros. cartoons will join Turner's Hanna-Barbera in adding extra muscle 
to the Cartoon Network. 
  The new company will also include cable's Cinemax, Turner Classic 
Movies, Headline News, Turner Network Television, and Turner Pictures. 
Turner also owns the Atlanta Braves baseball team and basketball 
outlet, the Atlanta Hawks. 
  At least one final stumbling block remains: lawyers for Denver-based 
telephone company U S West filed suit today to block the merger. The 
baby bell holds a 2.5 billion dollar stake in Time Warner's 
entertainment division and contends it has veto power over the deal, 
(which Time Warner disputes). (Turner Entertainment Report via 
Shoptalk)


TELSTAR 402R LAUNCHED
By Curt Swinehart
  KOUROU, French Guiana (TS) -- T402R was successfully launched 
Saturday night by Arianespace at the opening of the launch window 
(8:06 p.m. ET), and sent into orbit.  
  The satellite telemetry all appears to be nominal, and if all goes 
well T402R will be fully operational from the 89 degree West orbital 
position on December 1st.
  The launch had originally been delayed by telemetary problems on the 
previous night. "While we are disappointed by this turn of events," 
said Mary Jane McKeever, vice president and general manager, SKYNET 
Satellite Services, the group that manages AT&T's domestic satellite 
business, "we're confident that our satellite will still be fully 
operational in the fourth quarter, as scheduled."
  The Telstar 4 series was designed and manufactured by Lockheed 
Martin in consultation with AT&T Bell Laboratories. The satellites are 
equipped with state-of-the-art systems to provide the clearest, most 
interference-free broadcast video and data communications 
transmissions available today according to AT&T.


SCI-FI ANNOUNCES EUROPEAN LAUNCH
  LONDON, England (TS) -- After over a year of promises, the European 
version of the American Sci-Fi Channel is to launch on November 1, 
1995 across the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and Benelux.
  A press release from the channel earlier this week indicated the 
type of programming to be offered but gave no details on the satellite 
to be used fuelling speculation that a deal with BSkyB over space on 
Astra may still be undecided.
  The Sci-Fi Channel Europe will offer viewers a programming line up 
similar to its counterpart in the United States. This format will 
include a wide variety of science- fiction, fantasy and classic-horror 
programming, as well as science-fact programming covering such topics 
as current developments in space exploration, contemporary literature 
and events within the science-fiction culture.
  The Sci-Fi Channel will be available via cable and satellite in 
European countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, 
Norway, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. 
  The service will be availble 24 hours a day to cable subscribers on 
systems in the United Kingdom, including Bell Cablemedia, Comcast, 
General Cable, IVS, LCL, NYNEX, SBC Telewest an Videotron. On the 
continent, the Sci-Fi Channel will be available via cable systems and 
potentially on a DTH basis as well.


BSKYB TIES WITH NINE NETWORK FOR NEWS CHANNEL
  SYDNEY, Australia (TS) -- BSkyB has formed an alliance with 
Australia's Nine Network to begin a 24 hour news channel in the 
country.
  The two companies will jointly share the service which will be 
offered to all Australian satellite and cable TV operators on a non 
exclusive basis. Already Optus Vision and Foxtel have agreed to carry 
the service which is tipped to become the top news channel in 
Australia.
  The domestic and international news will be provided, in part, by 
Sky News in London, and Nine Network's news resources.
  

NETHOLD ANNOUNCES EURO DIGITAL PLANS
  AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands (TS) -- NetHold announced at the IBC show 
this week that it will locate the technical centre for its European 
digital television operations in Holland. 
  Contracts worth $ 20 million have been signed with PTT Telecom 
Netherlands and the UK-based technology company NTL for provision of 
NetHold's uplink, multiplexing and digital compression infrastructure.
  NetHold will launch its European digital service in the Benelux and 
Nordic countries before the end of this year. 
  The currently planned package will include local channels, premium 
pay-television services, international thematic channels, near 
video-on-demand and pay-per-view events, as well as transactional 
services such as home shopping and interactive games.
  PTT Telecom Netherlands will uplink this package of multiplexed 
channels and services to the Astra satellite system from its new 
ground station near Hilversum, Holland, using equipment supplied by 
NTL. Contributions from local countries will be received in Hilversum 
via Intelsat and the near video-on-demand services will be originated 
from NetHold's play-out facilities in Hoofddorp.
  NetHold will launch digital television in the Benelux, the Nordic 
countries, Africa and the Middle East before the end of this year, as 
well as Central Europe during 1996. It has booked a total of 24 
transponders on the various Astra, Eutelsat and PamAmSat satellites.


OBITUARY - RENE ANSELMO
  GREENWICH, USA (TS) -- Founder and Chairman of PanAmSat, Rene 
Anselmo, died on Wednesday, he was 69.
  Anselmo founded and personally financed PanAmSat in 1984 to see the 
company become the world's only private, gloabal satellite system.
  Between 1963 and 1986 he was the the founding shareholder and 
president of the SIN Television Network, which later became Univision, 
America's top Spanish language television service.
  In 1980, Anselmo won approval to install a television transmitter at 
the World Trade Center by holding a hunger strike.


BAHRAIN BANS SATELLITE RECEPTION
  LONDON, England (TS) -- Bahrain has become the latest country to ban 
reception of satellite television and radio.
  A government decree, which offered no explanation, was published in 
newspapers on Thursday and banned importation of foreign equipment and 
locally made systems.


ASTRA RECEIVES LOAN FOR EXPANSION
  BETZDORF, Luxembourg (TS) -- Societe Europeanne des Satellites has 
agreed with banks for a multi million ECU loan to finance new 
satellites.
  The loan, ECU 175 million, was arranged by Dresdner Bank Luxembourg 
amongst a consortium of 16 other banks. The money will be used to 
finance expansion of the multi satellite system.


ROMANIA PLANS INTERNATIONAL TV SERVICE
  BUCAREST, Romania (TS) -- Concerned that around 10 million ethnic 
Romanians in Europe, outside of their home country, are being deprived 
of news and cultural information about Romania, the Romanian 
Parliament has directed TVR to develop programming for broadcast 
across Europe and the Mediterranean area.
  As part of the new program, TVR has contracted Scientific Atlanta to 
supply an earth station for th service.
  The contract calls for Scientific-Atlanta to install a 7-meter 
satellite earth station antenna to transmit analog television signals 
via the Eutelsat II F-2 satellite. In addition, Scientific-Atlanta 
will provide the Ku-band transmission and receiving systems, and 
provide installation, testing , commissioning, and training for TVR. 
The earth station is also configured for upgrade to digital 
transmission in the future.
  The relationship between TVR and Scientific-Atlanta began in 1993 
when the U.S. company provided the television transmission and 
receiving earth station that provided TVR's access to the European 
Broadcasting Union (EBU).


EU HALTS DUTCH TV VENTURE
  STRASBOURG, France (TS) -- The EU has stopped a proposed alliance 
between three powerhouse companies in the Dutch TV sector.
  The deal would have brought together Endemol, the largest 
independent Dutch television producer, and TV channels RTL4 SA and 
Veronica. The European Commission decided the deal would harm 
competition in the Dutch market and eventually lead to a worse service 
for Dutch viewers.
  There is now a three month period for the three to re-submit a 
propsal which would be re-assesed. "An acceptable solution is in 
sight, I don't think it will take three months to find it." said 
Competition Commissioner Van Miert


GERMAN TV BATTLES CONTINUE
By Don Fitzpatrick, Shoptalk
  MUNICH, Germany (SHOPTALK) -- The battle over Germany's airwaves 
continues.  A critical article in Bertelsmann AG-owned magazine, "TV 
Today," so outraged the TV station Pro-7 that it has stopped providing 
the publication with information on its programs.  
  In addition, Pro-7 has vowed to prevent the magazine from getting 
the schedules elsewhere.  "You perfectly demonstrated the effect of 
cross-ownership in the media, the deliberate use of opinion power 
against competitors." Pro-7's managing director Georg Kofler wrote to 
"TV Today." (Wall Street Journal via Shoptalk)


MTV EUROPE HIT WITH BIG FINE
  LONDON, England (TS) -- MTV Europe has been hit with three fines 
totalling GBP 60,000 for it's programming which was described by the 
UK watchdog authority the Independent Television Commission as 
"smutty".
  A GBP 30,000 fine was handed to the station for an episode of MTV's 
"The Worst of Most Wanted" which asked guests about thier sex lives - 
a program unsuitable for young viewers said the ITC.
  A "Safe'n'Sexy" broadcast, which included sections on sado-masochism 
and anal sex, also caused problems with the ITC which fined the 
station GBP 15,000 for the broadcast.
  The final fine was for a Pepe Jeans commercial which, the ITC said, 
appeared to condone theft and wrecking by a teenage boy of his 
father's car.
  MTV Europe's Peter Einstein, president and business director of the 
London based network, said, "MTV Europe is most worried by the ITC's 
ruling on the programme Safe 'n Sexy. This is a carefully produced 
programme which provides essential information on the risks of HIV and 
AIDS for MTV Europe's young adult audience. 
  "MTV Europe is very concerned that a programme -- broadcast after 
the 9pm watershed -- which aimed to promote greater responsibility and 
safer sex practices, is considered by the ITC to have been scheduled 
appropriately."


FEATURE : RIMSAT / RUSSIA DISPUTE
By Jean-Phillipe Donnio, TS France
  PARIS, France (TS) -- Rimsat, Ltd., Fort Wayne, Ind. is a US company 
which leased the use of 2 satellites to Informcosmos. Those satellites 
are customized Gorizont: Gorizont 29 (#41) launched on 18 Nov 1993 and 
located at 130 deg East, and Gorizont 30 (#42) launched on 20 May 1994 
and located at 142.5 deg East. 
  Those 2 slots were leased to the Kingdom on Tonga and are now also 
known as Statsionar-R1 & Statsionar-R2.
  The dispute between Rimsat and several Russian agencies is fairly 
complex. First of all let's say that the 2 satellites were 
manufactored by NPO-PM, the prime contractor for the Informkosmos 
agency. Intersputnik is the operator of the Raduga, Gorizont, Gals & 
Express Russian satellites on
behalf of Informcosmos. Those agencies are dependant of the Russian 
Space Agency (RSA).
  Apparently the first agreement between Rimsat and Informcosmos was 
to built and launch the 2 satellites already stated. This contract was 
honored and paid for. The things get mixed up because Rimsat had also 
an agreement with Informcosmos for the built and launch a new 
generation satellite (possibly in the Express series) and several 
others with Intersputnik for the lease of aged satellites.
  From the Rimsat point of view: Rimsat stopped paying for the built 
of the new satellite in May 1994 because Informcosmos was unable to 
give details on the build & launch dates. Rimsat also didn't claim for 
the late delivery of the 2 Gorizont satellites already stated. Added 
to this statements that a leased satellite wasn't made available in 
mid-1994 by Intersputnik although it was payed for.
  After a while and obscure negotiations, Informcosmos decided to take 
over the 2 Rimsat satellites (Gorizont 29 & 30). This was blocked by 
NPO-PM's refusal. This leaded the RSA to get involved... which decided 
that Informcosmos licence underwhich Rimsat operated was revoked, and 
was passed over to Intersputnik!
  On 21 August 1995 Rimsat's clients were ordered to make payments to 
Intersputnik otherwise they would lose service by midnight August 31. 
The US Federal Court blocked the seize on 30 August and US Senators 
protested
against the Russian action.
  Meanwhile Intersputnik agreed with the Kingdom of Tonga for the use 
of the orbital slots... Since Intersputnik in now authorized by both 
the satellite owner and the slot owner it claims to be the operator of 
both Gorizont 29 & 30.
  Rimsat now requests for arbitration through the Stockholm Chamber of 
Commerce.
  ***This special feature is reprinted from TELE-satellit's TSE 
mailing list, a weekly update of satellite launches, movements and 
plans. To subscribe send a message to majordomo@tnet.de with with 
message "subscribe ts-tse".


TLI GETS BBC DIGITAL RADIO DEAL
  LONDON, England (TLI) -- Teleport London International announced at 
the International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam that it has 
signed a ten-year contract with BBC World Service to distribute 
multiple digital radio services from the UK.
  The TLI service, which commences on 1 October 1995, will involve the 
supply of uplink services and satellite capacity on the Intelsat 702 
satellite. 9MHz of satellite transponder capacity will be required to 
relay programming to the BBC's planned Asiasat 2 uplink in Cyprus, and 
for broadcast in the Middle East and Africa.
  The footprint of the Intelsat 702 East Hemi beam gives coverage of 
the whole of Europe and Africa, the Middle East and as far east as 
Bombay in India, making this satellite an important part of BBC World 
Service's distribution strategy. TLI was able to identify the only 
remaining suitable capacity on the satellite and acquire it for the 
BBC.


UK SATELLITE SALES REMAIN FLAT DESPITE OFFER
  LONDON, England (GFK) -- New figures released by GfK Marketing 
Services show that growth in the number of households with satellite 
TV dishes in Great Britain has been declining for the fourth 
consecutive month. This confirms earlier suggestions that the special 
offers for a dish and receiver which started in April have not had any 
significant impact on the market.
  "Our research indicates that the recent price cuts and special 
offers which reduced the cost for a dish and receiver below GBP 100 
for the first time have yet to boost the market. We understand that a 
number of retailers did not take part in the promotion until May, but 
figures for May, June and July show the lowest growth since last 
September," comments John Binks, GfK's spokesman.
  The number of households in Great Britain with satellite TV dishes 
grew by 15,000 in July to 3,113,000 following an increase of 22,000 in 
both May and June, or a total of 59,000. This compares to an increase 
of 73,000 during the same period last year.
  Since the beginning of 1995, the 'satellite universe' grew by 15 
1,000 homes, which compares to a growth of 189,000 during the same 
period in 1994 -- down 38,000.


EURO ASIAN LINK VIA TLI BEGINS
  AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands (TLI) -- Teleport London International 
and Hongkong Telecom have signed an agreement to establish a permanent 
satellite transmission link between London and Hong Kong using the 
Columbia TDRSS satellite system.
  The first customer for this service is APTV, the video news service 
from the Associated Press, which had been dependent on a temporary 
service for Hong Kong until the permanent service could be arranged.
  TLI has provided under long-term contract packaged compressed video 
transmission services for APTV, spanning three continents, since late 
1994. "Now with a permanent TDRSS earth station facility in Hong Kong 
for the APTV service, TLI expects to provide additional turnkey 
transmission services between London and Hong Kong using the TDRSS 
satellite system. Many customers are attracted to this satellite path 
between London and the Far East because it provides simultaneous 
coverage of North America" said TLI Commercial Consultant Kris Miller.


WEATHER CHANNEL HITS 60 MILLION VIEWERS
  ATLANTA, Georgia (TWC) -- The Weather Channel announced that it had 
surpassed the 60 million subscriber mark. Reaching this milestone 
means that The Weather Channel can be seen in 93 percent of all homes 
with cable TV and 63 percent of all homes with television. This 
information is based on data collected by Nielsen Media Research.
  "There are only about a dozen cable networks with distribution as 
high as 60 million," said Michael Eckert, CEO of The Weather Channel. 
"We have worked hard to meet viewer demands and feel that this is our 
reward. We continue to offer exciting original programming and 
valuable information to our audience. We intend to become the world's 
primary source of weather information, and we will maintain our 
dedication to our audience to achieve that goal."
  Other networks in the 60-million-plus range include CNN, Discovery, 
ESPN, TBS, TNT, MTV and Lifetime.


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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.

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. A temporary web site exists at 
http://www.abc.se/~m8914/media.html


