105.5 degrees E
Asiasat-3S
A. Sahara TV, an Indian channel with studio facilities in Bombay (Mumbai) and Delhi, is to lease a 36 MHz C-Band transponder here to relay its general entertainment programming. The channel will be free-to-air and is expected to launch in March.

75 degrees E:
LMI-1
A. The craft has begun to produce some video signals. 3980 MHz vertical was noted to be relaying the Russian channel Ostankino TV (ORT) in clear Secam two weeks ago. However, this has been replaced by Malagasy TV from the island of Madagascar. The channel, which previously used Gorizont space segment on its craft at 50 degrees East for afternoon broadcasts, is now broadcasting in clear Secam for much of the day here with programming in French. A TVM logo is displayed in the bottom right of the screen. TV audio is available via the 5.80 MHz subcarrier. Despite the satellite reportedly being stationed at 75 degrees East, acceptable signals have been confirmed to have been received on the south east coast of England with a dish size of just 1.2 metres. The elevation of the satellite in this corner of England is less than 1 degree. Good signal strengths are also making it into Australia giving LMI-1 overall excellent coverage possibilities. So far there is no sign of Radio Malagasy, which used to accompany the TV service when it was relayed from the Gorizont satellite.

68.5 degrees E:
PAS-4 & 7
A. Cyprus based Sat7, the Arabic language Christian channel, continues to use Ku-Band space segment here for its Friday-only two-hour transmissions. The channel uses 11168 MHz horizontal in clear Pal with audio at 6.60/7.20 MHz for the broadcasts which air from 1430-1630. This programme is repeated on Saturdays via Eutelsat-W2 at 16 degrees East, 11178 MHz vertical in clear Pal from 1430-1630. On January 24 at 0800 a live cricket feed was being relayed on feed transponder 3932 MHz horizontal in clear Pal with audio at 6.80 MHz. BBC World continues to use 3864 MHz horizontal in clear Pal and Sony Entertainment can be found on 3907 MHz horizontal with audio via the 6.20 and 6.80 MHz subcarriers. CNNI uses 4087 MHz horizontal in free-to-air Pal. These last three channels can all be received in the south east of the UK, albeit noisily, on a dish size of just 1.2 metres. PAS-4 lies at around 5.2 degrees elevation from this location, directly overhead a spot to the east of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.

62 degrees E:
Intelsat-602
A. On January 21 at 1600 a feed for India News Day was fed over 4166 MHz RHCP in clear Pal with audio in Hindi via the 6.60 MHz subcarrier. Traffic on both feed transponders, 4166 MHz and 4188 MHz RHCP has declined markedly of late possibly suggesting that the bulk of it is now carried elsewhere using digital compression.

53 degrees E
Gorizont-32
A. Russia’s ORT continues to broadcast here 24 hours a day on 3675 MHz RHCP in clear Secam. Depending on the time of day the signal can be fairly well received in south east England on a dish size of 1.2 metres plus.

42 degrees E:
Turksat-1C
D. The Turkish channel Prima has returned to 10985 MHz vertical, SR 3332, FEC 3/4, VPID 512, APID 650 in clear MPEG-2 after a short break. Star Active Cinema has started regular programming within the StarDigital package on 11469 MHz vertical, VPID 1536, APID 1537. The channel is encoded in Nagravision.

40 degrees E
Gorizont-31
A. RTR, the Russian channel continues to be the sole analogue occupant here. RTR, or Russia’s TV as it is sometimes known, use 3675 MHz RHCP for its 24 hour free-to-air output.

36 degrees E:
Gals-1/2, Most-1, Eutelsat-II-F3
D. Euro Mediterraneo is new on 12571 MHz horizontal, SR 2498, FEC 2/3, VPID 4194, APID 4195; EPG: "Tadiran Scopus", in clear MPEG-2. The channel is also available via Hotbird capacity. CFN, or Class Financial Network from Italy, has launched on 12568 MHz horizontal, SR 2170, FEC 3/4, VPID 940, APID 942 in free-to-air MPEG-2 with a promo video loop. Belgacom is using 11163 MHz and 11172 MHz, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, for occasional feed traffic in clear MPEG-2. On January 14 at 1050 11038 MHz horizontal, SR 5630, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256, was active with colour bars overlaid with "RTV UKI 511 SKY DSNG". 11163 MHz horizontal, SR 5630, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 carried live horse racing from Haydock Park for Channel 4 Racing during the afternoon of January 22 in free-to-air MPEG-2. There is a new interactive/IP service from VSATNET Inc. operating on 10964 MHz horizontal, SR 6111, FEC 1/2.

30.5 degrees E:
Arabsat-2B
A. The ASBU feed transponder at 3967 MHz RHCP was active on January 22 from around 1000 with a feed from Muscat for Oman TV in clear Pal.

28.5 degrees E:
Kopernikus-DFS2
D. German news channel n-tv is encoded once again in Conax on 11687 MHz horizontal via PIDs V32, A43. This cable headend feed was free-to-air for several days prior to this. Feed traffic relating to a financial scandal involving the CDU party was sighted on 11533 MHz, 11578 MHz, 11589 MHz, 11600 MHz and 12590 MHz vertical, SR 6111, FEC 3/4 during the evening of January 20. The feeds were for several German channel such as Phoenix, ARD and ZDF. All were free-to-air.
A. 11595 MHz vertical was used on January 21 at 1610 to feed a live report from a German political meeting for NDR in clear Pal.

28.2 degrees E:
Astra-1D & 2A
D. Simply Money is still testing at 12129 MHz vertical in readiness for its launch later this month. The channel has just started to air a promo video back to back throughout the day. The other new channel in the same genre, The Money Channel, which is due to launch in February on 12070 MHz horizontal has not yet appeared in the Sky EPG. General Rock, one of the Music Choice audio channels at Ch.852 in the EPG, has changed name to Alternative Rock. The Sky Box Office channels on 12226 MHz horizontal are once again moving in and out of encryption. At times these channels are in the clear for several days at a time. Sky Digital Info Channel Ireland appeared briefly on 12480 MHz vertical, VPID 2305, APID 2306. It has now been replaced by Sky Sports 2. Travel Shop Direct has launched on the Travel stream at 12051 MHz vertical, VPID 2320, APID 2322 in free-to-air MPEG-2. The new channel airs from 0800-1200 daily. Supermarket giant ASDA has announced that it is to join the ever expanding line up on Open TV. To start with though, deliveries will only be offered to addresses within the M25 boundaries. Talk Radio on 12324 MHz vertical, APID 641 has been renamed in the Sky EPG as Talk Sport. Zee TV’s Bangla service on 11973 MHz vertical is now encoded. However, the main service of Zee TV is still free-to-air despite the channel’s announcement that it would be encoded from January 15. Ideal World is the title of a new mail order home shopping channel which is to join the Sky Digital line up in April. ScreenShop has started on EPG Ch.112, sharing with Living. ScreenShop airs from 0000-0600, when Living is off the air. Ailing UK Arena, which has been struggling to keep viewers recently, is to be relaunched from March with a new name, UK Drama, and a new, more mainstream, programme line-up. Five Sky Sports cricket streams have joined Sky Sports 2 on 12460 MHz horizontal. At present they have not started any kind of programming but are presumably for interactive viewing. They are titled Sky Sports Cricket Menu (V2307, A2312), Sky Sports Cricket (V2308, A2313), Sky Sports Cricket Highlights (2309, A2314), Sky Sports Cricket Scorecard (V2310, A2315) and Sky Sports Cricket Statistics (V2311, A2316).

26 degrees E:
Arabsat-2A & 3A
D. Morico TV, a home shopping channel in the Arabic language, has launched on 11747 MHz vertical, V2860, A2820 in free-to-air MPEG-2 (see also Nilesat-101 at 7 degrees West). Apparently the disappearance of Abu Dhabi TV from 11767 MHz horizontal here plus 4044 MHz RHCP (Pal) and 11840 MHz horizontal (Pal) in addition to the channel’s Hotbird digital outlet was due to a planned outage to allow the channel to be revamped with a brand new look. All of the above frequencies are showing a caption in Arabic stating that they will be back on January 30 at 1000.

19.2 degrees E:
Astra 1A-C & E-G
D. Liberty TV is testing with a promo video on 12611 MHz vertical, VPID 941, APID 942 in clear MPEG-2. The channel has also started on Hotbird. Austria TV (ATV), which was previously known as Wien 1, has launched on 12090 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 1535, APID 1536. The channel is encoded in Betacrypt but will be made available free of charge to German Premiere World subscribers. Wien 1 was up to now only relayed on Eutelsat-II-F4 at 10 degrees East in MPEG-2/PowerVu. Canal Club is stream sharing with MCM Africa on 12207 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 162, APID 88 within the Canalsatellite Numerique digital platform. Canal Club airs from 0530-1600 and MCM is available for the rest of the time. MTV Espana appears to have left 12168 MHz vertical. The parameters for Canal Canarias have changed. They are now SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 514, APID 662. The channel is still free-to-air. Shopping channel Quantum 24 has started on 12012 MHz vertical, VPID 162, APID 88 in clear MPEG-2, encoded in Irdeto.
A. EuroMax Deutsch, the second in the European Radio Network stations from WRN has launched on the 7.38 MHz audio subcarrier on the back of MTV Germany at 11612 MHz horizontal. EuroMax stations in the French and English languages are due to launch later this year.

16 degrees E:
Eutelsat-W2
D. A political meeting from Andalucia, Spain was fed over 11133 MHz horizontal, SR 5630, FEC 3/4, VPID 33, APID 34, EPG: "Service 1", in clear MPEG-2 on January 15 at 1220.

13 degrees E:
Eutelsat Hotbirds 1/2/3/4/5
D. MTV Switzerland has started regular programmes on 11242 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 169, APID 116. The channel is encoded in Cryptoworks. Belgacom has started to air a promo video on 12476 MHz horizontal, V941, A942 extolling their virtues. The Israeli radio service, Kol Israel, has launched on 11027 MHz horizontal via APID 2083. Liberty TV has commenced test transmissions on 12476 MHz horizontal, V941, A942 in free-to-air MPEG-2. There are currently just three channels left in the Greek OTE package on 12188 MHz vertical. They are OTE Promo (V512, A650), ERT Sat (V513, A660) and Kanali Voulis (V2945, A2946). New channel Euro Meditterraneo has started regular programming on 12520 MHz vertical, VPID 510, APID 511; EPG: "Tadiran Scopus". Ultra Blue, a hardcore channel which was due to launch on January 15 will not now start until February 15 according to the channel’s owner. Programmes will be encoded in Irdeto and Viaccess. No frequency details have been announced. Radio Limerick One TV seems to have left 12597 MHz vertical. RLO has been missing for several days. A Vicenza Oro testcard has appeared within the Telespazio multiplex on 12111 MHz vertical via PIDs V230, A231 in clear MPEG-2. Also from this platform, Moroccan channel 2M has launched in MPEG-2 on VPID 260, APID 261. The channel is using partial encryption in Syster. 2M will be familiar to C-Band watchers as the channel has been available via the Intelsat craft at 53 degrees West (3766 MHz RHCP in Secam), partly encrypted, for several years. Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN) is temporarily off the air on 10722 MHz, SR 29900, FEC 3/4. A caption states that the channel had to stop transmissions whilst it would for "final European government authorisation" to use Hotbird capacity. The Greek version of MTV, MTV Hellas, has launched on 11242 MHz vertical, VPID 164, APID 96, encoded in Cryptoworks. On January 14 at 1140 12580 MHz horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 33, APID 34, was displaying an ASBU testcard. Interestingly, the video was using the primitive upside down/inverted type of encryption usually found only on Arabsat feeds. The EPG data read "SATLINK MILLENIUM".
A. Venus TV, with its endless stream of ads for sex chat lines, has replaced Joy TV on 11280 MHz vertical in clear Pal

10 degrees E:
Eutelsat-II-F4
D. Wien 1 has been renamed Austria TV on 11014 MHz vertical. A Spanish soccer match between Orense and Barcelona was fed over 11090 MHz horizontal, SR 23865, FEC 3/4 during the evening of January 20. The feed was encoded.
A. Turkish radio station Radyo Pop left the 7.56 MHz subcarrier behind NTVI on 10987 MHz horizontal for several days last week but had returned by January 21.

5 degrees E:
Sirius-1/2/3
D. All of the signals previously supplied by Sirius-1 capacity have been switched over to Sirius-3. The History Channel has entered a stream share with Bloomberg UK and Sweden’s TV8 on 12245 MHz vertical. History airs from 1700-2000 daily.
A. As above, The History Channel has joined TV8 and Bloomberg UK on 12437 MHz vertical in D2MAC/Eurocrypt.

3 degrees E:
Telecom-2C
A. A discussion programme by "Campus Electronique" with a phone-in for university students was fed over 12598 MHz vertical in clear Pal on January 14 at 1015.

4 degrees W:
Amos-1
D. The new Israeli Yes pay-TV package is still in the process of testing on 11056 MHz, 11474 MHz, 11510 MHz and 11641 MHz vertical, Middle East beam. Channels to be included in the platform are Middle East TV, IBA Channels 1-3, EuroSport, Fashion TV, MCM Europe, Muzzik, MBC, Al-Jazeera TV, RAI Uno, Due and Tre, DWTV, Nile TV, BBC World, BBC Prime, La Cinquieme, CNNI, ESC1 (Egypt), JRT1 (Jordan), arte, Polonia 1, ERT Sat (Greece), TV5 Europe and LBC Sat (Lebanon). The Hungarian version of Nickelodeon has started on 11330 MHz horizontal, V1360, A1320 in MPEG-2/PowerVu using Amos’s central European beam. The parameters for the Romanian bouquet on 11326 MHz horizontal have changed. They are now SR 9777, FEC 3/4. The current line up is: Atomic TV (V1160, A1120), Tele7 (V1260, A1220), Nickelodeon (V1360, A1320), Radio 21 (A1122) and Mix FM (A1222).

5 degrees W:
Telecom-2B/D
D. "MIRE 4.2.2" over colour bars was observed on January 20 at 1230 on 12585 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 122, APID 132 in free-to-air MPEG-2. The EPG info was "OCC1 TC2B".

7 degrees W:
Nilesat-101
D. The Dubai Business Channel has launched on 11881 MHz horizontal via PIDs V1006, A1207 in clear MPEG-2. This new outlet is in addition to the channel’s existing relays here. Emirates Dubai TV has also appeared here on VPID 1008, APID 2011. Morico TV has started on PIDs V1001, A2001, also on 11881 MHz horizontal with programming in parallel with its Arabsat-3A outlet. Arab News Network replaced Al-Andalus TV temporarily last week on its two streams at 11823 MHz vertical and 12014 MHz vertical. Al-Andalus returned after around 36 hours.

15 degrees W:
Telstar-12
D. The UPC TV package on 11141 MHz horizontal remains free-to-air despite suspicions that it would encode this month. Reality TV, which is one of the platform’s occupants, airs mostly real life programmes many of which have been sourced from the BBC and ITV, such as Jimmy’s and 999.

18 degrees W:
Intelsat-705
A. A live report from Washington for Kuwait TV was fed over 4166 MHz RHCP in clear Pal on January 21 at 1710. Feed facilities were provided by Reuters Washington.

21.3 degrees /21.5 degrees W:
NSS-803 & NSS-K
D. Occasional Spanish soccer feeds are using 11677 MHz vertical, SR 13595, FEC 3/4 in clear MPEG-2. Reuters World News Service is to move from 11559 MHz horizontal to 11567 MHz horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4 from February 7. The service will be dual-illuminated on both old and new frequencies for a while to allow subscribers to make the switch over. Last week regular feed traffic from the Rallye Dakar-Cairo was fed over 11605 MHz vertical, SR 6111, FEC 3/4, VPID 2021, APID 2031 in clear MPEG-2.

24.5 degrees W:
Intelsat-603
A. On January 19 at 1600 a live report from Algeria on a visit to the country by a senior Saudi Arabian politician was fed over 4188 MHz RHCP in clear Pal. 4166 MHz RHCP was in use at 1655 on January 21 for a report from a FIFA – soccer’s ruling body – press conference in Rio de Janeiro. The transmission was in clear NTSC. On January 22 at 1715 a soccer match between two unidentified South African teams was fed over 4188 MHz RHCP in clear Pal.

27.5 degrees W:
Intelsat-605
D. Canal+ Geel has been replaced by Canal+ 16:9 on 11477 MHz horizontal within the encoded package for the Benelux countries.

30 degrees W:
Hispasat-1A/B
D. Hispasat-1C is to be launched on February 3 from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas rocket. Footprints will service both Europe and Latin America. A new Portuguese package is testing on 11615 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 with four active streams. They are SIC (V5168, A5169) – encoded, TVI (V5184, A5185) – encoded, SporTV (V7952, A7953) – clear and CNL (V7968, A7969) – clear.

43 degrees W:
PAS-3R & PAS-6
A. A live report from Zaragoza for the Spanish channel ANT3 was fed over 12546 MHz horizontal on January 21 at 1720 in clear Pal with audio via the 6.60 MHz subcarrier.