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Satellite news 30.03.05
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<blockquote data-quote="Satdude" data-source="post: 62363" data-attributes="member: 175600"><p>Satellite news 22.09.04 </p><p></p><p>News </p><p></p><p>UK </p><p></p><p>OFCOM SETS ANALOGUE SWITCH-OFF DATE </p><p>The countdown to analogue switch-off could begin as </p><p>early as 2007 and terrestrial broadcasters must turn </p><p>off analogue signals by the end of 2012, media and </p><p>communications regulator Office of Communications </p><p>(Ofcom) said on September 14. About half the United </p><p>Kingdom's 22 million homes currently have some form of </p><p>digital television, but the announcement means that </p><p>second and third sets in many of these homes, as well </p><p>as the 11 million or so homes that have yet to adopt </p><p>any digital technology, will have to complete the </p><p>changeover process within seven years. "Progress has </p><p>been made in discussion between the government, Ofcom </p><p>and the public service broadcasters on the timing for </p><p>digital switch-over. ... 2012 may be the most </p><p>appropriate date for switch-over completion. This </p><p>could mean beginning the switching sequence as early </p><p>as 2007," Ofcom said in a statement. </p><p></p><p>BS*yB HANDS OVER MUSIC CHANNELS TO CHART SHOW </p><p>BS*yB said on September 14 that it had handed over the </p><p>running of its three branded-music channels to a rival </p><p>in a bid to reduce costs. Indie-themed Amp, rock </p><p>channel Scuzz and pop network Flaunt will now be </p><p>managed by music channel specialist Chart Show </p><p>Channels, following a review of the struggling brands </p><p>by S*y Networks program head Dawn Airey. CSC, which </p><p>operates pop channel Chart Show TV, retro channel the </p><p>Vault and Bollywood network B4, will manage editorial </p><p>content and the day-to-day running for the S*y </p><p>channels, but ownership will remain with the satellite </p><p>broadcaster. </p><p></p><p>BBC CRITICISED OVER TOO MUCH U.S. MOVIES </p><p>The BBC has come under attack for spending less than </p><p>£10 million on buying British films - out of a total </p><p>movie budget of more than £70 million. Film-makers on </p><p>September 14 accused the corporation of being biased </p><p>in favour of US movies over homegrown releases. In the </p><p>last financial year, out of 912 films shown on BBC1 </p><p>and BBC2 only 180 of them were British, of which </p><p>two-thirds were more than 25 years old. Producers are </p><p>also calling on the BBC to increase its funding of </p><p>British feature films through its BBC Films arm, run </p><p>by Alan Yentob. The corporation spent around £10 </p><p>million on UK film investment in the year to April </p><p>2004 - less than 0.4% of its licence fee income. The </p><p>BBC spent £9.9 million buying UK films in the 12 </p><p>months to April 2004, down from £13.8 million in the </p><p>previous 12 months, according to research commissioned </p><p>from David Graham & Associates. Spending on American </p><p>films rose by more than 50% over the same period, from </p><p>£39.3 million to £61.5 million. Spending on films from </p><p>the rest of the world amounted to £1.8 million. </p><p></p><p>ITV SIGNS UP FOR ASTRA TRANSPONDERS </p><p>SES ASTRA has clinched an important two-transponder </p><p>deal with ITV, the UK's biggest commercial television </p><p>network. ITV, which already has three ASTRA </p><p>transponders, will use the additional capacity to </p><p>expand its digital offer including more regional and </p><p>interactive services. The agreement demonstrates the </p><p>strong UK demand for the 28.2 degrees orbital slot and </p><p>confirms SES ASTRA and Britain's position as the key </p><p>players in the European satellite market. ITV is the </p><p>biggest commercial television network in the UK and </p><p>ITV1 is Britain's most popular commercial TV channel </p><p>with an average weekly audience of 45 million. ITV1 is </p><p>also the UK's regional channel, broadcasting more than </p><p>6000 hours of original programming each year and </p><p>around half of this output is made outside the M25. </p><p>ITV2 is the company's younger entertainment channel </p><p>and in 2003 it was the UK's fastest growing digital </p><p>channel. </p><p></p><p>NTL BROADCAST TRANSMITS THE MOVE CHANNEL </p><p>NTL Broadcast has signed a five year deal with The </p><p>Move Channel to provide an end-to-end channel </p><p>management package that includes space segment on </p><p>Eurobird, providing access to S*y Digital. The Move </p><p>Channel therefore becomes NTL Broadcast's first </p><p>customer for it newly acquired Eurobird 1 </p><p>direct-to-home capacity. The contract includes offices </p><p>and play out from NTL's Broadcast Media Centre, fibre </p><p>connectivity to the company's Winchester teleport, </p><p>uplinking and space segment. The new channel started </p><p>broadcasting on September 13. The Move Channel, a </p><p>venture of The Move Channel TV, will be a property </p><p>information channel on digital satellite, catering for </p><p>people needing information about properties and </p><p>related services. NTL Broadcast announced in June that </p><p>it had secured a transponder lease on the Eurobird 1 </p><p>satellite located at the popular 28.5 degrees East </p><p>slot, enabling the company to offer competitive </p><p>end-to-end services to new channel entrants on the S*y </p><p>Digital platform. NTL Broadcast already operates </p><p>shared multiplexes on Transponders 13, 18, 22 and 37 </p><p>on Astra 2A, and Transponder 17 on Astra 2B. In total, </p><p>the company provides full-time transmission for around </p><p>160 TV channels, increasingly adding play out and </p><p>other services from its Broadcast Media Centre at </p><p>Feltham in west London. </p><p></p><p>SCOTTISH BORDERS PREPARE FOR ANALOGUE SWITCH-OFF </p><p>Hundreds of thousands of residents of the Scottish </p><p>borders are to lose their normal TV service after </p><p>media watchdog Ofcom earmarked the region as the first </p><p>in Britain to have its analogue signal switched off </p><p>completely. It means that the regular over-the-air </p><p>analogue services will be phased out and only those </p><p>who are connected to digital services on satellite, </p><p>cable or the terrestrial digital service, Freeview </p><p>will be able to watch TV. The area - which covers the </p><p>western area of the British Isles from the north of </p><p>the Lake District in England to southern Scotland and </p><p>also includes the Isle of Man - has a population of </p><p>just 450,000 and includes just one major city, </p><p>Carlisle. Several areas had previously been mooted as </p><p>potential test beds for the switchover, including the </p><p>Channel Islands and south London. The border region </p><p>has almost certainly been chosen as the first to be </p><p>pencilled in for switchover because of its small </p><p>population and the fact that it is covered by distinct </p><p>transmitters that don't "bleed" into other regions. A </p><p>pilot project in Wales will see the residents of two </p><p>Carmarthenshire villages, Ferryside and Llansteffan, </p><p>become the first in Britain to have analogue </p><p>terrestrial transmissions switched off and replaced by </p><p>digital signals in Spring next year. The trial numbers </p><p>only several hundred houses and all those not </p><p>converted to digital sets will receive a Freeview </p><p>set-top box free of charge. </p><p></p><p>TALKSPORT TO LAUNCH TV CHANNEL </p><p>TalkSPORT is planning to launch a national TV service </p><p>on S*y Digital as radio stations continue their </p><p>migration onto the small screen. Kiss FM, Radio 1 and </p><p>other stations are fixtures on S*y and Freeview, but </p><p>only as audio services. TalkSPORT, the national AM </p><p>station owned by the Wireless Group, said it was in </p><p>talks with BS*yB to launch a TV channel by the end of </p><p>next month. Kelvin MacKenzie, chief executive of the </p><p>Wireless Group, said TalkSPORT TV will broadcast in a </p><p>daily six-hour slot initially, but hopes to launch a </p><p>24-hour service in the new year. The channel will cost </p><p>no more than £500,000 a year to run, reflecting a </p><p>stripped-down service that will broadcast live footage </p><p>of TalkSPORT presenters and pundits in the studio. </p><p>MacKenzie downplayed the company's TV ambitions, </p><p>describing the move as "a marketing tool". </p><p></p><p>CHANNEL 4 BUYS TWO TRANSPONDERS FROM ASTRA </p><p>SES ASTRA has further strengthened its position as the </p><p>UK's leading direct-to-home (DTH) satellite company </p><p>with a major two-transponder contract with Channel 4. </p><p>It is SES ASTRA's first direct deal with the British </p><p>terrestrial channel, and the transmission capacity </p><p>will be used across a variety of Channel 4's digital </p><p>channels as well as its extensive range of associated </p><p>interactive TV applications. Channel 4 was created by </p><p>Act of Parliament in 1982 and broadcasts across the </p><p>entire UK with the exception of some parts of Wales, </p><p>which are covered by the Welsh language S4C. It is </p><p>available on all digital platforms - terrestrial, </p><p>satellite and cable - and via conventional analogue </p><p>transmission. In addition to Channel 4, the Channel </p><p>Four Group runs a number of pay channels including the </p><p>E4 entertainment channel, E4+1 and three film </p><p>channels. </p><p></p><p>NTL GETS FIRST ASTRA TRANSPONDER </p><p>SES ASTRA has announced its first transponder contract </p><p>with the Broadcast division of communications giant </p><p>ntl. The agreement gives ntl additional capacity in </p><p>the rapidly expanding UK market for small channel </p><p>launches. The deal allows ntl to offer a seamless </p><p>one-stop-shop solution including studio facilities and </p><p>play out services from its Broadcast Media Centre at </p><p>Feltham, contribution links, and the ASTRA 28.2 </p><p>degrees East satellite uplink and downlink. It will be </p><p>of particular interest to new broadcasters and </p><p>satellite channel start-ups. ntl's Broadcast division </p><p>uplinks around 150 services from three teleports in </p><p>London and Hampshire. </p><p></p><p>FREEVIEW VIEWERS UP 2% </p><p>Communications watchdog Ofcom has updated its digital </p><p>penetration figures for Q2 2004, with the overall </p><p>digital uptake rising 2% since the previous quarter to </p><p>55% of all UK homes. Digital TV is now in 13.7 million </p><p>homes, with 630,000 new households buying into the new </p><p>technology in the three months to June 30. Combined </p><p>with the 4% of homes still using analogue cable, </p><p>multichannel penetration stands at 59%. Platform-by </p><p>platform, uptake of free-to-air DTT service Freeview </p><p>increased by 12.1%, with the total number of </p><p>households receiving the BBC-backed service now </p><p>estimated to be around 3.89 million. Furthermore, the </p><p>number of free-to-air digital users rose to 4.2 </p><p>million, an increase of 13.4% from the previous </p><p>quarter. </p><p></p><p>Regards Satdude. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big Grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Satdude, post: 62363, member: 175600"] Satellite news 22.09.04 News UK OFCOM SETS ANALOGUE SWITCH-OFF DATE The countdown to analogue switch-off could begin as early as 2007 and terrestrial broadcasters must turn off analogue signals by the end of 2012, media and communications regulator Office of Communications (Ofcom) said on September 14. About half the United Kingdom's 22 million homes currently have some form of digital television, but the announcement means that second and third sets in many of these homes, as well as the 11 million or so homes that have yet to adopt any digital technology, will have to complete the changeover process within seven years. "Progress has been made in discussion between the government, Ofcom and the public service broadcasters on the timing for digital switch-over. ... 2012 may be the most appropriate date for switch-over completion. This could mean beginning the switching sequence as early as 2007," Ofcom said in a statement. BS*yB HANDS OVER MUSIC CHANNELS TO CHART SHOW BS*yB said on September 14 that it had handed over the running of its three branded-music channels to a rival in a bid to reduce costs. Indie-themed Amp, rock channel Scuzz and pop network Flaunt will now be managed by music channel specialist Chart Show Channels, following a review of the struggling brands by S*y Networks program head Dawn Airey. CSC, which operates pop channel Chart Show TV, retro channel the Vault and Bollywood network B4, will manage editorial content and the day-to-day running for the S*y channels, but ownership will remain with the satellite broadcaster. BBC CRITICISED OVER TOO MUCH U.S. MOVIES The BBC has come under attack for spending less than £10 million on buying British films - out of a total movie budget of more than £70 million. Film-makers on September 14 accused the corporation of being biased in favour of US movies over homegrown releases. In the last financial year, out of 912 films shown on BBC1 and BBC2 only 180 of them were British, of which two-thirds were more than 25 years old. Producers are also calling on the BBC to increase its funding of British feature films through its BBC Films arm, run by Alan Yentob. The corporation spent around £10 million on UK film investment in the year to April 2004 - less than 0.4% of its licence fee income. The BBC spent £9.9 million buying UK films in the 12 months to April 2004, down from £13.8 million in the previous 12 months, according to research commissioned from David Graham & Associates. Spending on American films rose by more than 50% over the same period, from £39.3 million to £61.5 million. Spending on films from the rest of the world amounted to £1.8 million. ITV SIGNS UP FOR ASTRA TRANSPONDERS SES ASTRA has clinched an important two-transponder deal with ITV, the UK's biggest commercial television network. ITV, which already has three ASTRA transponders, will use the additional capacity to expand its digital offer including more regional and interactive services. The agreement demonstrates the strong UK demand for the 28.2 degrees orbital slot and confirms SES ASTRA and Britain's position as the key players in the European satellite market. ITV is the biggest commercial television network in the UK and ITV1 is Britain's most popular commercial TV channel with an average weekly audience of 45 million. ITV1 is also the UK's regional channel, broadcasting more than 6000 hours of original programming each year and around half of this output is made outside the M25. ITV2 is the company's younger entertainment channel and in 2003 it was the UK's fastest growing digital channel. NTL BROADCAST TRANSMITS THE MOVE CHANNEL NTL Broadcast has signed a five year deal with The Move Channel to provide an end-to-end channel management package that includes space segment on Eurobird, providing access to S*y Digital. The Move Channel therefore becomes NTL Broadcast's first customer for it newly acquired Eurobird 1 direct-to-home capacity. The contract includes offices and play out from NTL's Broadcast Media Centre, fibre connectivity to the company's Winchester teleport, uplinking and space segment. The new channel started broadcasting on September 13. The Move Channel, a venture of The Move Channel TV, will be a property information channel on digital satellite, catering for people needing information about properties and related services. NTL Broadcast announced in June that it had secured a transponder lease on the Eurobird 1 satellite located at the popular 28.5 degrees East slot, enabling the company to offer competitive end-to-end services to new channel entrants on the S*y Digital platform. NTL Broadcast already operates shared multiplexes on Transponders 13, 18, 22 and 37 on Astra 2A, and Transponder 17 on Astra 2B. In total, the company provides full-time transmission for around 160 TV channels, increasingly adding play out and other services from its Broadcast Media Centre at Feltham in west London. SCOTTISH BORDERS PREPARE FOR ANALOGUE SWITCH-OFF Hundreds of thousands of residents of the Scottish borders are to lose their normal TV service after media watchdog Ofcom earmarked the region as the first in Britain to have its analogue signal switched off completely. It means that the regular over-the-air analogue services will be phased out and only those who are connected to digital services on satellite, cable or the terrestrial digital service, Freeview will be able to watch TV. The area - which covers the western area of the British Isles from the north of the Lake District in England to southern Scotland and also includes the Isle of Man - has a population of just 450,000 and includes just one major city, Carlisle. Several areas had previously been mooted as potential test beds for the switchover, including the Channel Islands and south London. The border region has almost certainly been chosen as the first to be pencilled in for switchover because of its small population and the fact that it is covered by distinct transmitters that don't "bleed" into other regions. A pilot project in Wales will see the residents of two Carmarthenshire villages, Ferryside and Llansteffan, become the first in Britain to have analogue terrestrial transmissions switched off and replaced by digital signals in Spring next year. The trial numbers only several hundred houses and all those not converted to digital sets will receive a Freeview set-top box free of charge. TALKSPORT TO LAUNCH TV CHANNEL TalkSPORT is planning to launch a national TV service on S*y Digital as radio stations continue their migration onto the small screen. Kiss FM, Radio 1 and other stations are fixtures on S*y and Freeview, but only as audio services. TalkSPORT, the national AM station owned by the Wireless Group, said it was in talks with BS*yB to launch a TV channel by the end of next month. Kelvin MacKenzie, chief executive of the Wireless Group, said TalkSPORT TV will broadcast in a daily six-hour slot initially, but hopes to launch a 24-hour service in the new year. The channel will cost no more than £500,000 a year to run, reflecting a stripped-down service that will broadcast live footage of TalkSPORT presenters and pundits in the studio. MacKenzie downplayed the company's TV ambitions, describing the move as "a marketing tool". CHANNEL 4 BUYS TWO TRANSPONDERS FROM ASTRA SES ASTRA has further strengthened its position as the UK's leading direct-to-home (DTH) satellite company with a major two-transponder contract with Channel 4. It is SES ASTRA's first direct deal with the British terrestrial channel, and the transmission capacity will be used across a variety of Channel 4's digital channels as well as its extensive range of associated interactive TV applications. Channel 4 was created by Act of Parliament in 1982 and broadcasts across the entire UK with the exception of some parts of Wales, which are covered by the Welsh language S4C. It is available on all digital platforms - terrestrial, satellite and cable - and via conventional analogue transmission. In addition to Channel 4, the Channel Four Group runs a number of pay channels including the E4 entertainment channel, E4+1 and three film channels. NTL GETS FIRST ASTRA TRANSPONDER SES ASTRA has announced its first transponder contract with the Broadcast division of communications giant ntl. The agreement gives ntl additional capacity in the rapidly expanding UK market for small channel launches. The deal allows ntl to offer a seamless one-stop-shop solution including studio facilities and play out services from its Broadcast Media Centre at Feltham, contribution links, and the ASTRA 28.2 degrees East satellite uplink and downlink. It will be of particular interest to new broadcasters and satellite channel start-ups. ntl's Broadcast division uplinks around 150 services from three teleports in London and Hampshire. FREEVIEW VIEWERS UP 2% Communications watchdog Ofcom has updated its digital penetration figures for Q2 2004, with the overall digital uptake rising 2% since the previous quarter to 55% of all UK homes. Digital TV is now in 13.7 million homes, with 630,000 new households buying into the new technology in the three months to June 30. Combined with the 4% of homes still using analogue cable, multichannel penetration stands at 59%. Platform-by platform, uptake of free-to-air DTT service Freeview increased by 12.1%, with the total number of households receiving the BBC-backed service now estimated to be around 3.89 million. Furthermore, the number of free-to-air digital users rose to 4.2 million, an increase of 13.4% from the previous quarter. Regards Satdude. :D [/QUOTE]
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