Focus: Broadcasting

[Satellite Today – 4-16-08] Viasat will launch direct-to-home (DTH) services in Ukraine at the beginning of next week, its parent company Modern Times Group (MTG) announced April 16. Viasat Ukraine is the first licensed digital premium satellite operator in Ukraine, and the initial offering will consist of three pay-TV packages –Viasat Family, Viasat Popular and...

[Satellite Today – 4-16-08] IP-Prime has signed 12 new high-definition (HD) programming agreements with local telephone operators in the United States, the company announced April 16.     Among the twelve operators who recently signed IP-Prime HD-4 contracts are Chibardun Telephone Cooperative in Wisconsin, Home Town Cable in Florida and Manti Telephone in Utah. The telephone...

[Satellite News – 4-15-08] SES has confirmed the worst-case scenario for the AMC-14 satellite, declaring the spacecraft a total loss April 11. The loss is a blow to SES, but will create more problems for EchoStar, which had been banking on AMC-14 to help boost its high-definition (HD) strategy in the United States.     AMC-14,...

[Satellite News – 4-15-08] In the month since the World Teleport Association (WTA) named Globecomm Systems President Kenneth Miller Teleport Executive of the Year, the company has been awarded more than $16 million in contracts by the U.S. government.     Over the past year, Globecomm has entered the mobile solutions market with SatCell, a service...

[Satellite Today – 4-15-08] The Broadcasting Satellite Systems Corp. (B-Sat) has awarded Lockheed Martin the contract to build BSAT-3b, Lockheed Martin announced April 15.     BSAT-3b, the second consecutive satellite built by Lockheed Martin for B-Sat, will provide high-definition (HD) direct broadcast services throughout Japan. BSAT-3b will comprise 12 130 W Ku-band channels (8 operating...

[Satellite Today – 4-15-08] Arqiva’s Satellite Media Solutions division is partnering with GE subsidiary SAT-GE to provide an Asia Pacific satellite-based high-definition (HD) video platform, Arqiva announced April 15.     The new platform will enable broadcasters to distribute and contribute HD and Standard Definition (SD) channels to Asian-Pacific broadcasters and cable headends. The new HD...

[Satellite Today – 4-15-08] Greek telco Forthnet has acquired Netmed, which owns satellite pay-TV companies Netmed Hellas and Multichoice Hellas, Forthnet announced April 14.     Forthnet acquired Netmed from Myriad International Holding (MIH), a subsidiary of South African company, Naspers. Forthnet is spending 490 million euros ($772.8 million) on the acquisition.     Netmed Hellas is...

[Satellite Today – 4-14-08] Intelsat Ltd.’s IPTV platform has been chosen as a distribution platform for programming to cruise ships in the Americas, Intelsat announced April 11.     SeaMobile Enterprises subsidiary Wave Entertainment Network will provide content via Intelsat’s platform to the ships.     “Wave Entertainment Network is the first to serve the cruise industry...

[Satellite Today – 4-14-08] Dish Network Corp. is forming Dish Digital Media Services, which will provide digital signage platforms for retail customers, Dish announced April 14.     The new service will combine Dish Network’s fleet of satellites with its national installation network, uplink centers and teleport fiber points-of-presence to provide commercial and private business with...

[Satellite Today – 4-11-08] Arianespace has been selected to launch the BSAT-3b satellite, Arianespace announced April 11.     This will be the seventh satellite Arianespace will launch for Japanese operator Broadcasting Satellite System Corp., and will provide direct-to-home broadcasts from geostationary orbit to subscribers throughout Japan.     “We are proud and honored to once again...