Focus: Broadcasting

[Satellite Today 07-08-08] Arianespace has launched the ProtoStar 1 and BADR-6 satellites, the company said July 8.     This is the fourth launch Arianespace in 2008 and is a boost to both ProtoStar, which has aspirations of being a major force in Asia, and Arabsat, which hopes the BADR-6 satellite will boost its position in...

[Satellite Today 07-07-08] SES New Skies signed a capacity deal with GlobeCast to extend the use of a pair of transponders on the NSS-806 satellite, SES New Skies announced July 7.     Under the five-year contract, GlobeCast, a subsidiary of France Telecom, continues to use the capacity on the NSS-806 satellite, located at 319.5° East,...

[Satellite Today 07-07-08]  Thales Alenia Space signed a contract with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Ltd., to supply components for the Amos-4 satellite, Thales Alenia announced J uly 7.     Thales Alenia will supply RF communication assemblies for the communication satellite, which is being manufactured by IAI for Spacecom Ltd., which received a contract valued at...

[Satellite Today  07-03-07] A bill introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives would end the state’s satellite TV tax.     House Bill 599, the "Ohio Video Tax Fairness Act," would drop the satellite TV sales tax initiated in 2003 for Ohio’s estimated 980,000 satellite TV customers. Sales taxes collected from the state’s satellite subscribers total...

[Satellite Today – 07-03-08] Unitymedia, a relatively small player in the German satellite pay-TV market, is making a big impact as it begins to challenge well-established Premiere.     Unity is a prime example of a new phase of competition and choice being introduced in major markets throughout Europe, where low-cost digital/pay-TV alternatives are beginning to...

[Satellite Today – 7-02-08] Measat Satellite Systems signed a capacity deal with Fox International Channels, Measat announced July 2.     Under the agreement, Fox International Channels, a fully-owned business unit of News Corp., will see its Foxcrime and FX channels distributed on Measat-operated satellites to pay-TV operators throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa.    ...

I have discussed the basic business models for direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting (wholesale and retail) and the implications of these models for the structure of the organization that provides them. I also have noted that in order to provide DTH directly to consumers an organization must have an infrastructure to deal with issues like billing and...

Satellite technology has played a key role in the globalization of sports and entertainment, as formerly regional events have been elevated to global status. Now with consumers demanding more and more services while attending these events, the people behind the shows are looking to satellite technology to meet these needs. Sporting events have changed dramatically...

[Satellite Today – 7-01-08] SES New Skies signed a capacity deal with one of India’s largest media companies, SES New Skies said July 1.     SES New Skies signed a multi-year, multi-transponder agreement with the Essel Group for C-band satellite capacity to support the digitalization of India’s cable infrastructure. The Essel Group is one of...

[Satellite Today – 7-01-08] Intelsat confirmed that its Galaxy 26 satellite suffered a partial failure June 29, losing 15 watts out of its possible 37-watt capacity.     Slightly more than half of the satellite’s payload was lost, Dianne Van Beber, Intelsat spokeswoman, told Satellite Today. “We do not expect to recover what was lost,” she...