GLOBAL
RUPERTWATCH
Global media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp operates satellite TV
companies in China, has made a thinly veiled attack on Tibet’s spirtual
leader the Dalai Lama in a rare interview. In the October issue of “Vanity
Fair” Murdoch says “I have heard cynics who say he’s a very political old
monk shuffling around in Gucci shoes”. Murdoch admits he may be influenced
by “propaganda” from the Chinese government, but says he thinks the quality
of life is better in Tibet now than before the Dalai Lama fled from the
Chinese occupation in 1959. Murdoch’s Star Television broadcasts a number of
channels to China. (Reuters)
Murdoch has previously admitted that he removed BBC World from the North Asia beam because its news about China offended the authorities in Beijing. The Dalai Lama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent campaign on behalf of his occupied homeland.
NORDIC MEDIA NEWS
QUESTION
Felix Dobias in Germany asks when Sirius 3 is to moved to its proper
position with the other Sirius satellites at 5 degrees West. It’s been more
than a year since it was co-positioned with Astra 2A at 28 degrees East, and
it was only supposed to be there a year.
SatcoDX writes that the transfer will not be on October 1 as planned, but in November instead, possibly leaving Astra operator SES with a missing back-up at 28 degrees East. (“Satco DX Updates”)
Sirius 3 was supposed to be replaced by Astra 2B, which according to Astra’s website is still scheduled for launch with Ariane during the third quarter of this year, but the Ariane website does not list Astra anytime before the end of this year. SatcoDX says no launch date is yet known for Astra 2B. LyngSat lists the launch in the year 2001. (HoweverAstra 2D is supposed to launch to the same position some time during 2000.)
Felix also wonders if Sweden’s TV4 has plans to switch to digital satellite relays. We haven’t seen any indications of this, but perhaps one or more of our subscribers knows more?
CORRECTION
Bertil Andersson points out that in the Broadband item in the last edition,
the consultancy company should be called “Stelacon” and the source for that
story is, of course, “Dagens IT”. Sorry about the typos.
BUDGET
The Swedish government’s new budget bill gives SEK 100 million (around 12
million dollars) in extra support to public broadcasters Swedish Television,
Swedish Radio, and Swedish Educational Broadcasting. In addition, Swedish
Television gets an additional SEK 75 million (just under 10 million dollars)
for improvements in program production, while SEK 10 million (around 12
million dollars) goes to Swedish Radio to increase program diversity. (TT)
TV4
In the beginning, there was just non-commercial public television in Sweden,
with first one, then two channels. Then the satellites came along, and
cable, and commercial channels began broadcasting from London, outside the
reach of the Swedish government. So the ruling Social Democrats, with a big
push from the right wing opposition, gave in to the inevitable, and licenced
a single over-the-air private and commercial TV channel.
The requirements were tight….no commercial breaks in the middle of programs, and absolutely no commercials aimed at children. The licence went to TV4, which ever since has been trying to get the terms of its agreement changed. Over the years there have been many complaints from viewers, and several times the broadcast authorities have upheld these.
Last week things sort of came to a head….TV4’s boss publicly announced he wanted to renegotiate the terms of the agreement with the state two years before licence renewal. And the Broadcast Authority told an Internet magazine that the complaints against TV4 continue to roll in..since the channel can only put commercials between programs, it creates short curtain-raisers that even the channel boss calls “pretend programs”, to give it an excuse to shove in more commercials.
While TV4 wants Sweden to adopt the rules on television advertising found in
other European countries, the Swedish government continues to try to change
the EU rules to fit the Swedish model. (TT, “Dagens Nyheter”)
CANAL DIGITAL
We’ve reported a lot about the progress of digital television here. Sweden
has Europe’s, and possibly the world’s, most advanced digital cable network.
And it’s a distant second in Europe in terrestrial digital TV, far after
Britain, where the decoders are given away for free.
But digital satellite TV is nowhere as developed here as in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, or Spain. This despite what is now called Canal Digital being around for a couple of years, with a very low profile, and even less marketing.
That seems to have changed now, as the system has launched what is describes as a powerful offensive to attract new subscribers. This includes many new channels, and free dish antennas. The new channels are: Discovery Sci Tek*, Discovery Civilisation*, Discovery Travel and Adventure*, Sky News, Manchester United TV*, Dot tv*, National Geographic, Hallmark, and BBC World (items marked * are new to Scandinavia). (Canal Digital)
I called up Canal Digital’s Deputy Managing Director, Michael Fors, and
asked about their new campaign. You can hear the interview in today’s
program. What you don’t hear in the interview is his answer to my question
about how the pending merger between Swedish public telecom company Telia
and its Norwegian counterpart Telenor might affect Canal Digital? After all,
Telenor is a part owner of Canal Digital, and Telia is a competitor,
operating Sweden’s largest cable network, now upgraded to digital. The
reason that answer got the axe was because Michael Fors said that it wasn’t
for him to say.
TELIA/TELENOR
The pending merger has run into a major obstacle. Probably alone in the
OECD, Sweden’s former monopoly phone company is also the country’s by far
largest cable operator. That means that, while cable operators in Britain
and the US and other countries can offer telephony over cable as an
alternative to the phone company, in Sweden there is no such option. The
European Commission’s primary condition to allow the merger is that Telia
divest itself of its cable operations. This the company is steadfastly
refusing to do, which means that unless some kind of spin-off can be
negotiated, the deal is likely to fall through. (“Dagens Nyheter”)
On the other hand, that might save a lot of embarrasment, considering the name that high-priced British designer Interbrand came up for the merged entity. Spurning the obvious Telianor, and the would be Managing Director’s favorite Telaris, the proposal is the improbable “People of Scandinavia”. This would be shorted to “PS” in such contexts as “PS Mobile”, “PS Cable” etc. (“Dagens Nyheter”, TT) Considering its critics often refer to Telia as “Felia” (“fel” is Swedish for “fault”), it seems inevitable “PS” would soon turn into “BS” (for the non-native speakers in the audience, this is English slang for “bullshit”). A Swedish company might have made this blunder, but it’s hard to understand why anyone with English as a native language would open their client to such a possibility.
BROADBAND
Swedish broadband technology company Bredbandsbolaget (B2) has complained to
Swedish and European Union antitrust authorities that Telia is abusing its
dominant position. B2’s Chairman Jonas Birgersson says it is wrong for Telia
to “wildly mix broadband services with ordinary telephone services in the
network they themselves own…They’re taking profits from their protected
businesses and using the money to invest in broadband services”. The dispute
may affect the Telia-Telenor merger. (Reuters)
MTG
Canal Digital’s analog competition, MTG, otherwise known as Viasat or
Kinnevik, steadfastly refuses to enter the digital satellite world, but has
added a new channel to its stable. As we reported last time, MTG has bought
80 percent of the business news and documentary TV8. This has insured the
channel’s survival, but MTG is firing all but 10 of the 35 employees, and
the programming department is moving to London, where MTG keeps several of
its satellite channels, to keep them ungoverned by Swedish media
legislation. (“Dagens Nyheter”, “Pressens Tidning”, TT)
DTT
TV8 there is one of the few channels broadcasting in the new digital
terrestrial network here (virtually all of the others belong to public
broadcaster Swedish Televison). But MTG has threatened to pull the plug
saying digital transmissions through the airwaves are no longer a high
priority. MTG’s TV3 also has a digital licence, but has yet to start DTT
broadcasts. Earlier it was to start September 1st. MTG blames the lack of
viewers, but in this chicken and egg scenario, the current lack of channels
to watch is the main reasons there’s so little viewer interest in
terrestrial digital. (“Dagens IT”) It’s possible MTG is stalling because the
day it joins the terrestrial package TV3 will have to follow Swedish law,
losing its London loophope on advertising.
Ironically, MTG has applied for all five of the allocations in the new
digital package due to start next year. Among the 37 applicants are foreign
channels Discovery, Eurosport, and Norway’s NRK. (“Resume”)
ANALOG/DTT
The Swedish government may decide as early as this spring on the close-down
date for analog television here, says Conservative MP Ola Karlsson, a member
of the government’s Digital TV Committee. It’s been expected that the analog
plug would be pulled sometime between 2005 and 2010. Making the decision
soon would speed up the development of DTT, which is largely regarded as a
fiasco here. (“Dagens IT”)
(See “ANALOG/DTT” under Europe, below, where Britain, with more channels and many more DTT subscribers, plans to follow approximately that same schedule.)
Aftonbladet TV columnist Frank Östergren dismisses DTT as “Messed up, naive, ignorance, but above all a belief that authority can once again control the ether media market has meant that millions have been thrown away for no purpose…” (“Aftonbladet”)
DAB
We reported recently that the first private channels had joined Swedish
Digital Audio Broadcasting, as Radio Rix and Mix Megapol joined public
broadcaster Swedish Radio for test broadcasts in Gothenburg. But now comes a
report that no sooner than the transmissions started, than they may be
turned off. Apparently the next step in the tests would involve the channels
transmitting text or images. It’s a bit unclear, but either the two stations
are unwilling to make the extra step, or they are giving into pressure from
the association of private radio stations, which wants to wait until the new
law governing commercial radio is introduced later this year. (“Dagens IT”)
NORWAY
Norwegian authorities have stopped commercial channel TV2’s attempt to buy
the rest of TV Norge. As recently as this summer TV2 was allowed to increase
its holding in its obstensible rival from 33 to 49 percent.
The other 51 percent is held by Disney’s SBS. But complete control, the
authorities say, would give TV2 far too dominant a role in the Norwegian
market. (“Pressens Tidning”)
SIRIUS
Ireland’s Radio Limerick One has ceased relays on Sirius 2 (5 degrees East)
on 12.111 GHz. The problem is said to be technical, but that is often heard
when the cause is economic. (Richard Karlsson in “Aftonbladet”)
Canal Sur Venezuela has replaced BET on Jazz on Sirius 2, 12.380 GHz. Canal Sur also continues on Hot Bird 2 on 12.092 GHz. (Richard Karlsson in “Aftonbladet”)
The Dutch version of Cartoon Network has closed on Astra 1H (12.168 GHz). Dutch sound for Cartoon Network is now on Sirius 2 on 12.303 GHz. (Richard Karlsson in “Aftonbladet”)
Travel has journeyed from Sirius 1 (12.015 GHz) to Sirius 2 (12.322 GHz) in Eurocrypt M encoded D2-MAC. (“LyngSat Updates”)
The Discovery Channel has started on Sirius on 12.453 GHz in clear MPEG-2. (“SatcoDX Updates”)
THOR
A new Norwegian TV channel called Metropolitan has begun broadcasts on Thor
3 (1 degree West) on 12.456 GHz. It is in Conax encoded MPEG-2, and
subscriptions will only be sold in Norway. (Richard Karlsson in
“Aftonbladet”)
EUROPE
ANALOG/DTT
The British government on September 17 set a timescale of 2006-2010 for
switching off analog television signals as the country gears up for the
digital revolution. But Culture Secretary Chris Smith said old-style analog
would be unplugged only once the industry has provided comprehensive access
to digital TV at affordable prices. (Reuters) (See ANALOG/DTT above for news
of Sweden’s analog phase-out.)
KOSOVO
With the help of European Broadcasting Union, Radio Television Kosovo
started broadcasts from Pristina on September 19. As we reported last time,
RTK will initially broadcast in both Albanian and Serbo-Croatian for two
hours a day (17:00-19:00 hrs UTC). Signals are carried by Eutelsat W2 (16
degrees East) in PAL on 11.489 GHz, as the terrestrial network was destroyed
by NATO bombing in April. (“satelitv”, EV1, “LyngSat”)
ASTRA
TCM Spain has started on Astra 1G on 12.168 GHz in clear MPEG-2. Bloomberg
TV Spain has started on Astra 1H on 12.610 GHz in clear MPEG-2. (“LyngSat
Updates”)
EUTELSAT
RDP Radio Timor has started on Hot Bird on 11.727 GHz, audio 7.56 MHz.
(“SatcoDX Updates”)
A test card from RTV Montenegro has started on Hot Bird on 12.380 GHz in clear MPEG-2. (“LyngSat Updates”)
Channel 7 Europe has begun broadcasts in PAL on Hot Bird 5 on 11.556 GHz. (Richard Karlsson in “Aftonbladet”)
The Jewish J-Channel has started on Hot Bird in MPEG-2 on 11.026 GHz. (Richard Karlsson in “Aftonbladet”)
During the recent IFA show in Berlin, pop station Spreeradio 105.5 began broadcasts on Hot Bird 12.476 GHz. The German-language WRN3 and Radio Canada International are testing in the same multiplex. (Richard Karlsson in “Aftonbladet”)
(“LyngSat Updates”)
Eurotica Rendez-Vous has left 11.010 GHz on Hot Bird 5, moving to Hot Bird 1 11.280 GHz, in Eurocrypt S2 encoded D2-MAC. (“LyngSat Updates”)
TELECOM
The French-language TV5 Europe has begun broadcasts on Telecom 2B satellite
(5 degrees West) in PAL on 12.648 GHz. (“Lyngsat” via “Aftonbladet”)
AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST
PAS
Multichoice South Africa has started on 11.010, 11.050, 11.090, 11.130,
11.554, and 11.594 on PAS-7 (68.5 degrees East). Bop TV has started in clear
PAL on 11.474 GHz on this same satellite. SABC 1 has replaced Bop TV on
PAS-4 (same position) in PAL on 12.544 GHz. (“LyngSat Updates”)
ASIA/PACIFIC
SOUTH KOREA
Koresat 3 was successfully launched with Ariane on September 4. It will be
located at 116 degrees East. (“LyngSat Updates”)
NORTH AMERICA
MOTOROLA
Motorola plans to take over General Instruments, a leader in cable and
satellite decoders. The deal would give Motorola a more powerful position in
the growing broadband market. (“Dagens Nyheter”)
SONY/CABLEVISION
Cablevision Systems and Sony have joined forces to develop a digital system
allowing viewers to watch movies, play video games, and send e-mail, all
from one set-top box. The system is expected to launch in the New York area
in a year’s time, and reach an estimated three million homes. Cablevision is
the sixth largest cable operator in the US, with 3.4 million subscribers.
(Reuters)
ORION
BVN TV has started on Orion 1 (37.5 degrees West) on 11.909 GHz in clear
MPEG-2. (“LyngSat Updates”)
LAUNCHES
ARIANE
Europe*Star 1 is scheduled to launch during the second part of 2000 at the
latest. (“satelitv”)
ATLAS
The launch of Echostar 5 has been rescheduled for September 22, with a
launch window between 1:08 and 3:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time. It will be
carried live on Galaxy 6, trasponder 5 (C-band 3.800 GHz), with test signals
beginning about half an hour before scheduled launch. (Curt Swinehart)