Interspace’s in-depth study of European satellite activity, compiled by Mike Fallon

Key:
D – Digital
A – Analogue

83 degreesE:
Insat-2E
D – Doordarshan’s DD1 General Hindi service is available on 3828MHz LHCP, SR 4998, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 in free-to-air MPEG-2. This outlet has a habit of switching between MPEG 4:2:0 and 4:2:2. Also, DD1 Metro uses 3908MHz LHCP, SR 4998, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256.
A – Indian channel Ennade TV is testing on 3485MHz LHCP in clear Pal. A test pattern from the channel with its logo is visible here. Ennade also uses 4005MHz LHCP for its regular programming but the output here, which is mostly in the Bangla language, is not in parallel with the new frequency. Also, Asianet has opened a new outlet here at 3447MHz LHCP with programmes in parallel with its 3648MHz vertical relay.

80 degrees~E:
Express-6A
D – The analogue outlet from the Russian channel, TV Centr, has left 4123MHz RHCP. However it has been replaced by a digital multiplex containing six streams. These are TV Centr output on PIDs V160/161/162, A80/81/82 and testcards on PIDs V163/164/165, A92/96/100. STS, a channel which airs programming from a number of Russian sources, has launched a time-shifted multiplex on 11575MHz vertical, SR 26468, FEC 3/4 in MPEG-2/PowerVu. The bouquet contains four streams with STS+ (Moscow time) – V1460, A1420, STS+ (Moscow time +2 hours) – V1360, A1320, STS+ (+4 hours) – V1260, A1220 and STS+ (+7 hours) – V1160, A1120.

78.5 degrees~E:
Thaicom-2&3
D – Channel of Hope TV is available on 3551MHz horizontal, SR 13333, FEC 3/4, VPID 1058, APID 1059 in clear MPEG-2 (see also Eutelsat-W2 at 16 degrees East and Intelsat-605 at 27.5 degrees West).

76.5 degreesE:
Apstar-2R
D – The new Indian all-news channel, Channel NewsAsia, which started on 4160MHz horizontal, SR 4080, FEC 3/4 two weeks ago has now left the frequency.

75 degreesE
LMI-1
A – Israel’s IBA3 has launched on 12670MHz horizontal in clear Pal via LMI-1’s south beam. In addition four radio channels are present in the audio baseband. They are Reshet Bet – 7.38MHz, Kol Hamusica – 7.74MHz, Reshet Dalet – 7.92MHz and Reshet Gimmel – 8.10MHz. This beam provides signal levels of 47dBW in Israel and extends eastwards to Japan at 43dBW.

66 degreesE:
Intelsat-704
A – The sole remaining analogue channel receivable in Europe from this Indian Ocean satellite, India’s Gemini TV, has left 4095MHz LHCP.

57 degreesE:
NSS-703
A – RTNC from the Democratic Republic of Congo on 3799MHz RHC switched on encryption to air most of the Euro 2000 football matches. However, Ethiopia’s ETV remained free-to-air at 3921MHz LHCP whilst broadcasting the Euro 2000 action.

42 degreesE:
Turksat-1C
D – The Bayrak Radio and Television Corporation, which hails from Turkish occupied northern Cyprus has just launched a satellite service for its two radio channels Bayrak Radio and Bayrak Radio International. Both stations are said to be using 11111MHz vertical, SR 4555, FEC 5/6, the current home of Bayrak Television. They are reportedly on the air from 03:30-21:00 daily but there was no trace of either station when checked.

40 degreesE:
Gorizont-31
D – The notorious RTS Sat from Serbia has said that it is soon to be available throughout the world on small satellite dishes. The station was unceremoniously removed from Eutelsat after the Balkan crisis, and following a brief stay on Amos at 4 degrees West ended up here (on 11530MHz vertical, SR 4165, FEC 1/2, VPID 4194, APID 4195). Considering that any Nato member country will not allow the channel to use its satellite capacity this must pose a problem for the channel. Most of the European skies are filled with Eutelsat, Telecom and SES craft so where will they go? Watch this space.

36~E:
Eutelsat-W4 & Sesat
D – Eutelsat-W4 replaced Most-1 last week. Two more Italian independent channels, Nuvolari and Espresso have launched here on 12676MHz vertical, SR 8678, FEC 1/2 in parallel with their Hot Bird relays on 12149MHz vertical. Nuvolari is on PIDs V176, A177 and Espresso V192, A193. Bloomberg TV is to join the NTV-Plus digital platform, which is soon to move to Eutelsat-W4. Eutelsat, Telefonica de Espana and Multichoice Africa have reached agreement on a new digital platform to serve sub-Saharan Africa. Eutelsat-W4 capacity via its central African beam will be used to provide some 40 channels including SABC, CNBC, RTP International, ESPN, Discovery, National Geographic, Carlton Food Network, CNN, TV Globo International, SIC, BBC Prime and Hallmark. The Portuguese language channels, RTP, SIC and Brazil’s TV Globo are present here to provide programming to Angola and Mozambique where the main language is Portuguese. It is hoped that the new service will be able to commence test transmissions as early as late July.

30.5 degreesE:
Arabsat-2B
A – On June 29 at 16:40 video footage of a military parade in Sudan was fed over 3965MHz RHCP in clear Pal with natural sound via the 6.60MHz audio subcarrier. RTM from Morocco was encrypted at 17:00 on June 29 as it aired the Italy-versus-Netherlands Euro 2000 match at that time. RTM’s Eutelsat-W2 analogue outlet at 10971MHz vertical was also relaying the match live but was free-to-air throughout.

28.2 degreesE:
Astra-1D & 2A
D – Astra-2B is set to lift off from Kourou on July 25. The new craft, which carries a payload of 28 transponders in the 11700-12750MHz range will be positioned here alongside Astra-1D and 2A. This will increase the capacity here by 300 plus channels. On 12032MHz horizontal an ‘NTL Newman Street’ testcard is visible on PIDs V2319, A2321. In the EPG this is identified as ‘ITN’, presumably in readiness for the forthcoming ITN News Channel, which is due to go live on August 1. Also at the same frequency, an audio stream is in place, but not active yet. The EPG data for this reads ‘ITN Radio’. CNN Radio appears to have vacated 12051MHz vertical. Also, Sky MovieMax 4, Sky Digital Retail Info and Playboy TV PPV/The Adult Channel PPV have all left 12363MHz vertical. Down at 12325MHz vertical Sky Premier 4 and Sky Sports 1 in Pubs have departed. MBI Europe from Nigeria was off the air on July 7 due to a fault with the channel’s PAS-3R feed which is used to supply its signal here. Two new Discovery themed channels are testing in a stream share on 11876MHz horizontal, VPID 2332, APID 2333, Ch.556 in the Sky EPG. They are Discovery Kids which airs from 06:00-18:00 and Discovery Wings which runs from 18:00-00:00. Oneword, a new radio service, is testing on 12324MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 2/3, APID 650, Ch.942 in clear MPEG-2.

26 degreesE:
Arabsat-2A & 3A
D – The Indian movie channel B4U (Bollywood for you), on 12563MHz horizontal is encoded in Irdeto now as expected. However, the feed for this outlet on Sirius at 5 degrees East remains free-to-air.

21.5E:
Eutelsat-II-F3
D – This craft has arrived here from the 36 degrees East slot and immediately gone into service. The SIS feeds which previously used 36 degrees East have moved here on the same frequencies as before, 11040MHz, 11056MHz, 11065MHz, 11072MHz, 11081MHz, 11088MHz, 11096MHz, 11623MHz, 11631MHz, 11639MHz, 11647MHz, 11654MHz, 11662MHz, 11678MHz, 11686MHz and 11694MHz horizontal. Some occasional BBC feed traffic can be found on 12509MHz, 12519MHz and 12527 horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4.

19.2 degreesE:
Astra 1A-C & E-H
D – The encryption system of the ORF platform on 12692MHz horizontal, SR 22000, FEC 5/6 has been changed from Cryptoworks to Betacrypt. The platform will officially launch on August 31.The medium wave version of Bayern 1from Bayerisches Fernsehen has replaced Bayern 1 on 11141MHz horizontal, 6.12MHz in ADR mode. The two services differ considerably.
A – The Racing Channel is to cease analogue broadcasts on August 28 when the channel will be available only via Sky Digital at 28.2 degrees East and, as the exodus from analogue to digital compression picks up speed, Sky Cinema will leave this orbital slot on August 31. As analogue capacity is freed up here with the departure of many of the Sky channels to digital transponders at Astra’s 28.2 degrees East slot there are still many TV and audio services, primarily from Germany, waiting in the wings to snap up the vacated slots. The Discovery Channel have announced that they intend to launch four analogue themed channels for the German Premiere World bouquet. BTV, serving the Baden-Wurttemburg region of Germany, are due to launch on July 15 at either 10847MHz vertical or 10862MHz horizontal. Onyx TV, another music channel emanating from Germany, is due to open an analogue service here before the end of the year and B1 – Das Berlin Fernsehen (SFB) are expected to commence analogue broadcasts in April, 2001. In addition to Channel of Hope which uses Eutelsat-W2 capacity to broadcast from Expo 2000 another channel named WETV is also broadcasting from the site. WETV, which is run by a Ottawa, Canada based company, can be found on Tp.112, 12610MHz vertical in clear MPEG-2.

16 degreesE:
Eutelsat-W2
D – The Romanian platform on 12715MHz vertical is sporting new parameters. They have been changed to SR 9827, FEC 3/4. Channel of Hope is a channel which has been set up to broadcast for the duration of the Expo 2000 exhibition which is being held in Hanover, Germany. Channel of Hope TV is available on 12621MHz vertical, SR 3003, FEC 2/3, VPID 33, AID 34 in free-to-air MPEG-2 (see also Thaicom at 78.5 degrees East and Intelsat-605 at 27.5 degrees West). Radio services, Voice of Vietnam, Voice of Hope and Kol Israel have all left 12621MHz vertical. Coverage of the French F1 Grand Prix from Magny Cours was fed over 11139MHz horizontal, SR 6111, FEC 7/8 in clear MPEG-2 during the afternoon of July 2. The EPG data read ‘WWG F1 Grand Prix’.

13 degreesE:
Eutelsat Hotbirds 1-5
D – Two new Swiss radio stations have launched within the SRF Sat Access platform at 12399MHz horizontal. They are RSR Option Musique – APID 957 and RSR Espace 2 – APID 958. Unfortunately, following a very short run-in period in the clear both are now encoded. Discovery Civilisation has been replaced by Discovery Channel Polska on 10719MHz vertical, VPID 161, APID 84 in MPEG-2/Mediaguard. The Euro 2000 Channel on 12015MHz horizontal, VPID 169, APID 116 has been replaced by ART Ala Keyfak in clear MPEG-2. Spanish channel Retelsat is currently free-to-air on 12092MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 4464, APID 4465. Hardcore channel Eros TV appears to have left the Globecast bouquet at 12380MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4. The channel previously stream shared with La Chaine Africaine on PIDs V3025, A3035. BBC Prime, which was broadcasting in the clear for a short time on 11131MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4 is encoded again. Hallmark joined Kanali Voulis in a stream share at 12188MHz vertical, VPID 515, APID 653 in Videoguard encoded MPEG-2 last week within the Greek OTE package. However, on July 7 Kanali Voulis left this frequency and was replaced by Fox Kids. Kiss FM has launched on 12188MHz vertical on APID 751. Viva Polska has opened at 10719MHz vertical, VPID 167, APID108 in MPEG-2/Mediaguard in the Cyfra+ bouquet. TV Bulgaria and the radio channel Horizont which occupy 12539MHz horizontal were off the air for 24 hours on July 5 due to a technical fault. Local Satelite Internacional has left the Telefonica bouquet at 12092MHz horizontal and is now only available via Hispasat at 30 degrees West. In the Italian D+ bouquet on 12418MHz vertical Seasons has been free-to-air of late on VPID 167, APID 108. The rest of the channels here are encoded.
A – Mesopotamia TV is occupying 10853MHz horizontal from 07:00-10:30 daily in clear Pal. Output from the Kurdish language channel is aimed at the large Kurdish population throughout Europe and programmes are broadcast in the Kurmanci, Sorani, Zazaki and Luri dialects. At 11:00 the transponder is switched to the Kurdish channel Medya TV. TSF Radio Jornal, the Portuguese all-news channel has left the 7.74/7.92 audio subcarriers on the back of RTP International at 11727MHz vertical.

10 degreesE:
Eutelsat-II-F4
D – Eutelsat-II-F4 will be replaced by the new W1 craft in September. This will be the last satellite in the Eutelsat-W series. The Turkish channel NTV has left 10959MHz horizontal, SR 2999, FEC 3/4 and has been replaced by occasional NTV feed traffic on SR 2928, FEC 5/6, VPID 308, APID 256 in free-to-air MPEG-2.
A – On the evening of July 26 Herbalife was observed on 11163MHz horizontal in clear Pal from 19:00 to 20:00. As usual the signal was accompanied by some eight audio language tracks in English, French, German, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Italian and Czech.

7 degreesE:
Eutelsat-W3
D – Four of the many Turkish state run domestic TV channels, TRT 1-4, have launched on 11493MHz vertical, SR 30000, FEC 3/4 in clear MPEG-2. They can be found on VPIDs 2105/2106/2107/2100, APIDs 2206/2207/2208/2200 respectively.

0.8 degrees/1 degreesW:
Thor I-III & Intelsat-707
D – The parameters for the Deutsche Welle multiplex on 3910MHz RHCP have changed. They are now SR 8019, FEC 1/2. Seven new TV and radio channels have started on 12226MHz vertical. They are; NRK International – V501, A514, TV Finland – V502, A515, Radio Finland – A503, Radio Suomi – A506, NRK Europakanalen – A510, NRK Alltid Nyheter (all-news) – A511 and DR1 – V513, A516. All of the TV channels are encoded in Conax but the audio services are currently free-to-air. Russia’s ORT International has left 11655MHz vertical, SR 6200, FEC 7/8. The channel is still available in the clear MPEG-2 via Sirius at 5 degrees East, 12683MHz horizontal, SR 3099, FEC 7/8. A new Bulgarian channel, Nova TV, has launched on two streams at 12169MHz horizontal, VPIDs 515/516, APIDs 656/640 in clear MPEG-2.

5~W:
Telecom-2B
D – As the Euro 2000 soccer championship came to a close last week the 24-hour-a-day clean feed of Carlton TV/GMTV/LWT ` on 11592MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4 closed too.
A – The Belgian, French and Swiss version of TV5 has left 12648MHz vertical from where it had been available in clear Pal.

7~W:
Nilesat-101
D – Nilesat-102, which is slated for a August 17 launch from Kourou, will co-locate with 102 here. The PIDs for the Dubai Sports Channel have changed. They are now V1001, A1003.

8 degreesW:
Telecom-2A/D
D – Four streams for Germany’s Premiere Sport from Wimbledon were occupying 11532MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 during the tennis championship. The French F1 Grand Prix was fed over 12520MHz vertical, SR 20150, FEC 3/4 on July 2. Occasional feed traffic for The Racing Channel can be found on 11523MHz horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256, EPG: ‘SISLink 20 UKI 190’ in free-to-air MPEG-2. TV Montenegro has appeared on Telecom-2D transponder via an SCPC carrier at 11655MHz horizontal, SR 4340, FEC 3/4, VPID 3026, APID 3036 in clear MPEG-2. Radio Montenegro is here too on APID 3538. Eurosport has launched on 11625MHz horizontal, SR 6800, FEC 5/6, VPID 721, APID 731 in clear MPEG-2.

12 degreesW:
Eutelsat-II-F2
D – Recently a KTLI testcard has been occupying 11554MHz horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 in MPEG-2/4:2:2. As the contents of 11185MHz vertical, SR 9164, FEC 1/2, VPID 33, APID 34 change almost daily there is a newcomer to the fray. It is TV Ontario which recently replaced PBS X. Also, Radio Excellence 1 has launched here on APID 35.

15 degreesW:
Telstar-12
D – A Taiwanese TV channel, Tzu Chi TV, has replaced The Buddhist Channel and CTN on 12600MHz vertical, SR 1807, FEC 3/4, VPID 4194, APID 4195. The video signal from the new channel is inverted. Occasional feed traffic for Latter Day Saints TV (LDS) can sometimes be seen on 11565MHz horizontal, SR 3958, FEC 1/2. LDS also use Telstar-11 for feeds.

27.5 degrees~W:
Intelsat-605
D – Channel of Hope TV can be found here on 3742MHz RHCP, SR 3003, FEC 2/3, VPID 33, APID 34 in free-to-air MPEG-2. The channel is fed to the United States, Canada and South America from here (see also Thaicom at 78.5 degrees East and Eutelsat-W2 at 16 degrees East).

30 degrees~W:
Hispasat-1A/B/C
D – The entire TV Cabo Portuguese digital package on 11535MHz vertical, SR 19996, FEC 5/6 was free-to-air for much of last week. However, by July 8 all had encoded again except for the music channel Sol Portugal on PIDs V4192, A4193 which is permanently free-to-air.
A – Occasional analogue feeds can still be found here at times. On July 3 at 18:25 a live feed for TVE Catalunya was fed over 11612MHz vertical in clear Pal.

37.5 degrees~W:
Telstar-11 & Columbia-515
D – Occasional feed traffic for Latter Day Saints TV, the service for the Mormon church, still occupy 11665MHz vertical, SR 3957, FEC 1/2, VPID 4348, APID 4406 in inverted MPEG-2.

All times in UTC unless otherwise stated.

SR	–	Symbol Rate
FEC	–	Forward Error Correction
VPID	–	Video Programme Identifier
APID	–	Audio Programme Identifier

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