INTERSPACE’S IN-DEPTH STUDY OF EUROPEAN SATELLITE ACTIVITY, COMPILED BY MIKE FALLON

Key:
D – Digital
A – Analogue

80 degreesE:
Express-6A
A – Moscow-based TV6 appears to have left 3875 MHz RHCP. For several weeks the signal has been replaced by a test card with tone on the 7.50MHz audio sub-carrier.

78.5 degreesE:
1C-2&3
D – MRTV from Burma seem to have vacated its SCPC carrier at 3667MHz horizontal, SR 4443, FEC 2/3. South Korean channel KCTV have changed its broadcasting times on 3423MHz horizontal, SR 3365, FEC 2/3. It is now on air from 08:00 to 14:00. Four Tara TV streams occupy 3585 MHz vertical, SR 26667, FEC 3/4. These are: Tara Bangla – V517, A645; Tara Punjabi – V518, A646; Tara Marathi – V519, A647; and Tara Gujarati – V520, A648. All areavailable in free-to-air MPEG-2.
A – Occasional feeds for Thailand’s Channel 11 can be found on 3895MHz horizontal in clear Pal with audio at 6.80MHz.

68.5 degreesE:
PAS-4&7
D – Botswana TV is another new African channel to satellite DTH. The southern African channel has launched on 11627MHz vertical, SR 15000, FEC 3/4 in clear MPEG-2 via a PAS-7 South African beam. The channel started with live coverage of a football game from the National Stadium in Gaborone, the capital city. At present Botswana TV is broadcasting for three hours daily and eight hours at weekends. Programmes are in the local language SeTswana and also in English.
A – On 4185 MHz vertical Zee Music has replaced Music Asia in free-to-air Pal. Sima-yeh Moghavemat appears to have left 11178MHz horizontal from where it had been broadcasting in clear Pal for some considerable time.

62 degreesE:
Intelsat-602
A – On August 3 at 10:10 a feed for the Japanese network NHK from Delhi in India was fed over 4188 MHz in clear Pal. A news bulletin in Urdu for the Pakistani channel PTV 1 was relayed on 4188 MHz RHCP in free-to-air Pal on August 4 at 18:45. This is most likely the westbound feed of selected programmes from PTV 1 and PTV 2 for Prime TV which is available for European viewers via Astra 28.2 degrees East (11895MHz vertical) and Intelsat-707 at 1 degree West (11014MHz horizontal).

57 degreesE:
NSS-703
D – Digital tests from Ethiopia were observed on July 25 from around 10:55 at 3918MHz LHCP, SR 6000, FEC 3/4 in MPEG-2. Ethiopian TV uses 3918 MHz LHCP in Pal for their regular transmissions later in the day. These were presumably tests for a future digital service here from ETV.

55 degreesE
Insat-2DT
A – Doordarshan’s DD13, the Assam service, has launched on 3973MHz RHCP in clear Pal with audio at 5.50MHz. DD18, the Punjabi service, has left 3995MHz LHCP and has relocated to Thaicom at 78.5 degrees East, 3585MHz vertical in MPEG-2. There are now six Doordarshan regional channels here, DD16 Uttar Pradesh – 3959MHz LHCP, DD14 Jaipur – 4014MHz RHCP, DD15 Madhya Pradesh – 4033MHz LHCP, DD6 Oriya – 4049MHz RHCP, DD17 Bihar – 4070MHz LHCP, plus the new Assam service.

42 degreesE:
Turksat-1C
D – Turksat-2A, or EurasiaSat as it is known in some quarters, is set to launch this autumn. It will be co-located with Turksat-1C here and will provide 32 Ku-Band transponders offering TV, radio and IP services. MTV Base has been replaced by MTV 2 Europe on 11080MHz horizontal, VPID 4130, APID 4131 in Nagravision encoded MPEG-2.

36 degreesE:
Eutelsat-W4 & Sesat
D – A new Multichoice Africa multiplex has launched on 12360MHz horizontal, SR 26470, FEC 1/2, Central Africa beam. It contains: The Series Channel – V60, A61, Africa to Africa – V80, A81, TCM – V144, A145, Fashion TV – V208, A209, Carlton Food Network – V272, A273, K-TV World – V336, A337, Cartoon Network Africa – V400, A401, MTV Europe – V464, A465 and BET International – V528, A529. All of these are encoded in Irdeto. A new Italian shopping channel, Videolina, has launched on 12686 MHz horizontal, SR 2890, FEC 1/2, VPID 33, APID 34 in clear MPEG-2.

28.5 degreesE:
Kopernikus-DFS2
D – Some feed traffic on the Concorde crash in Paris was fed over 12648 MHz vertical, SR 6111, FEC 3/4, VPID 33, APID 34 in clear MPEG-2 for several German broadcasters during the late afternoon of July 25.

28.2 degreesE:
Astra-1D & 2A
D – The long awaited interactive digital text service from Sky is finally to launch this October. MBI Europe has returned to 11973MHz vertical, VPID 2321, APID 2323 in clear MPEG-2 after an enforced break due to some technical problems with the channel’s PAS-3R feed which supplies this Astra relay (see also PAS-3R at 43 degrees West). TV Travel Shop 2 has replaced TV Travel Shop on 11954 MHz horizontal, Ch.634 in the Sky Digital EPG. The new channel, which will compliment the original TV Travel Shop, will concentrate on major brand holidays. There is a new TV JobShop promo video being played out on 12032 MHz horizontal via PIDs V2314, A2316, Ch. 645 in the Sky Digital EPG. The channel will officially launch in September. ITN News Channel (V2319, A2321, Ch.525) and ITN Radio News (A2322, Ch.943) were launched on schedule on August 1 at 12032 MHz horizontal. The U Direct promo channel on 12402 MHz vertical has been replaced by a U-Direct Sport promo video loop. On 11876 MHz horizontal, Discovery Health has officially launched. It has appeared in the Sky EPG at Ch.196. UK trade magazine The Grocer is expected to launch a part time channel on Sky Digital in September aimed at the food trade. The channel, which will be placed at Ch.642 in the Sky EPG, will broadcast once a week (on a Wednesday) from 0700 and will provide information on special offers, promotions and the latest prices. Some new channels have appeared in the Sky EPG over the last few days. At 11758 MHz horizontal “Sky Sports 1 Test” is relaying the sports channel in the clear. “Spts UEFA” is also in the EPG on this frequency but is not carrying any signal. On 12032 MHz horizontal “butv” is in the EPG but without a signal. This is presumably in readiness for the new Bid-Up TV service. Up at 12402MHz vertical “m7” is relaying a test card, “rem 1”, “rem 2” and “rem 3” are all unmodulated and Panjab Radio (probably meant to be Punjab) is also present in the EPG.

26 degreesE:
Arabsat-2A & 3A
D – Music channel MCM Europe has moved from 12563MHz horizontal to 12605 MHz horizontal, where it has replaced Cartoon Network Middle East and TNT on PIDs V519, A720. MCM is encoded in Irdeto.

19.2 degreesE:
Astra 1A-C & E-H
D – A Kick 1 test card has appeared on 12070 MHz horizontal, VPID 255, APID 256 within the German Premiere multiplex. Kick 1 will carry PPV soccer matches from September.

16 degreesE:
Eutelsat-W2
D – TV Romania International has extended its transmission times to 18:00-01:00 daily on 12715 MHz vertical, SR 9914, FEC 3/4. Radio Romania Actualitati is a newcomer here on APIDs 1322 and 1323.
A – Chaine Nord Africaine was fed over 11178 MHz vertical for two hours from 14:00 on August 2 in clear Pal. The channel is available full time in MPEG-2 via Hotbird at 13 degrees East.

13 degreesE:
Hotbirds 1/2/3/4/5
D – Quantum 24, the home shopping channel, has launched on 11642 MHz horizontal, VPID 1760. There are four audio soundtracks offering English (A1720), German (A1721), French (A1722) and Dutch (A1723). Tests for the forthcoming Eurosport News channel were carried out last week on 12558 MHz vertical in clear MPEG-2. The new channel, scheduled for a September 1 launch, will be encoded and will be offered by several digital platforms as a premium channel. Sima-yeh Moghavemat, an Iranian opposition channel, is currently testing intermittently on 12597 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 in free-to-air MPEG-2. It is identified in the EPG as “Simaye Azadi”. Incidentally, the subject of jamming has reared its ugly head again with claims by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the group behind the Iranian opposition channel Sima-yeh Moghavemat, that its signal here has been jammed. These claims were backed up by the Mojahedin-e Khalq organisation which claimed that the Iranian authorities used a facility near to the Turkish border to jam the satellite downlink. The multiplex, which is operated by Globecast, is also occupied by Los Angeles-based National Iranian TV in addition to CNN, MBC, BET International, JSTV, EuroNews and Canal Agro Rural. Broadcasting hours for TV Romania International have been extended to 1800-0100 daily on 11623MHz vertical. Radio Romania Actualitati is new on APID 257 in free-to-air MPEG-2. Radio Gold has joined the Greek OTE multiplex on 12188MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, APID 665. On 12476MHz horizontal Kurdsat has launched via PIDs V600, A601 in clear MPEG-2. The channel airs from 1600-2100. Fox Kids Russia is currently free-to-air on 10723MHz horizontal.

10 degreesE:
Eutelsat-II-F4
D – Eutelsat’s II-F4 craft is to be transferred to the 25.5 degrees East slot after the W1 satellite due to be launched in October takes up position here. Eutelsat-II-F2 will be moved in late 2001 to takeover from the II-F1 craft currently at 48 degrees East. Berlin’s Jazz Radio has started in the Deutsche Welle digital bouquet on 11196 MHz horizontal, SR 9097, FEC 1/2 on APID 701 in free-to-air MPEG-2. Jazz Radio is broadcast terrestrially in the Berlin area on 101.9 MHz FM.
A – TV Montenegro has launched on 11080 MHz horizontal in clear Pal with audio via the 6.60 MHz sub-carrier. The channel airs here from 20:30-01:00 daily. Radio Montenegro is available on 7.20 MHz in the baseband.

7 degreesE:
Eutelsat-W3
D – In the Turkish bouquet on 11492 MHz vertical WNBA has been replaced by SporTV on VPID 2102, APID 2201. On 11658 MHz vertical, SR 30000, FEC 3/4 a new channel has joined the Turkish package there. It is Romantica on PIDs V2107, A2209. The parameters for the Best of Eutelsat bouquet on 11386MHz horizontal have been changed. They are now SR 27500, FEC 5/6.

5 degreesE:
Sirius-2/3
D – The God Channel, Worship Network and the Revival Channel are all encoded again after a few days free-to-air in the Dream Family Network on 12349MHz horizontal.

3 degreesE:
Telecom-2C
A – The Paris Concorde crash was the subject of several feeds on July 25. RTL used 12605 MHz vertical for a live report at 1800 from the Charles de Gaulle airport in clear Pal with audio via the 6.60 MHz sub-carrier. A live piece to camera for CNN was fed over 12650 MHz vertical from 1800 in clear NTSC.

0.8 degrees/1 degreesW:
Thor I, II and III & Intelsat-707
D – Telenor has won a contract to supply the Indian channels B4U Movies and B4U Music to European digital platforms via their capacity at this orbital slot. On August 5 B4U Music launched on 12226 MHz horizontal, SR 28000, FEC 7/8, VPID 517, APID 680 in free-to-air MPEG-2. On the same day B4U Movies opened on 11174 MHz horizontal, SR 22500, FEC 2/3, VPID 517, APID 680 in clear MPEG-2. This is the European version as seen via Astra 28.2 degrees East capacity as opposed the Middle East service available on Sirius at 5 degrees East. The Russian second public TV channel, RTR, was present on 11015 MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, via Intelsat-707’s Middle East beam for a few days last week but has now left.

8 degreesW:
Telecom-2A/D
D – Live coverage of the German F1 Grand Prix from Hockenheim was fed over 12563 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 and 12605 MHz vertical, SR 20150, FEC 3/4 in encoded MPEG-2 for Premiere Sport, Tele+ and Canal+ on July 30. RFO (Radio Télévision Francaise D’Outre-Mer), the organisation which controls broadcasting in French overseas territories, has moved here from Telecom-2B at 5 degrees West with a service for Guyana. The new location is at 3743 MHz RHCP, SR 6654, FEC 3/4. There are four streams containing RFO – V372, A382, RFO 1 – V371, A381, Radio Guyane – A391 and the French domestic radio network France Inter – A392. All of the TV and radio channels in the new platform are currently free-to-air. Coverage of an Austrian soccer match between LASK (as seen on screen) and FC Tirol was fed over 11478 MHz vertical, SR 6110, FEC 3/4 in clear MPEG-2 on August 25. At the same time video footage from a cycle race in Switzerland was fed over 11601 MHz horizontal, SR 6110, FEC 3/4.

11 degreesW:
Gorizont-26 & Express-3A
A – Strong unmodulated carriers have been observed on several frequencies here as the new Express-3A is tested. At C-Band 3625, 3675, 3775, 3825 and 3875 MHz RHCP have been in use whilst up at Ku-Band 11475, 11525, 11575, 11625 and 11675 MHz vertical have provided some strong signals. Express-3A appears to be positioned slightly east of its designated slot at approximately 10.5 degrees West.

21.3 degrees/21.5 degreesW:
NSS-803 & NSS-K
D – ORTB 2 from Benin has launched on 4055 MHz RHCP in free-to-air MPEG-2 via PIDs V124, A134 (see also Intelsat-706 at 53 degrees West). However, the channel’s presence here seems to be somewhat intermittent. A live feed from the annual Farnborough air show was relayed on 11538 MHz horizontal, SR 5632, FEC 3/4 on August 24 in clear MPEG-2. The EPG data read “English Support Group. UKI 415”. Also, from the same venue, 12590 MHz vertical, SR 6111, FEC 3/4 was used for brief reports for many European and World broadcasters.

27.5 degreesW:
Intelsat-605
D – Plate-Forme Bretagne has moved to 11580 MHz vertical from 11561 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4. The complete multiplex is encoded in Viaccess. Plate-Forme Bretagne is an experimental terrestrial DVB-T service for the Brittany region of north west France. The service carries TF1, F2, F3, La Cinquieme, Canal+, Arte, and M6. This satellite feed is used to supply terrestrial DVB transmitters. The parameters for the Portuguese mini package on 3855 MHz RHCP have altered. They are now SR 6259, FEC 3/4, VPID 4194, APID 4196 (RTP Internacional audio on left channel and Radio Renascensa via the right channel).

43 degreesW:
PAS-3R & PAS-6
D – The feed for Nigerian channel Minaj TV (MBI) has returned to 4187 MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 33, APID 34 in clear MPEG-2 after a prolonged period of technical difficulties. Consequently Minaj has been reinstated on Astra at 28.2 degrees East within the Sky Digital package. The CBS multiplex which up to now was available via PAS-1 capacity at 11639 MHz horizontal, SR 26465, FEC 3/4 has left there and moved to PAS-3R on 12636 MHz horizontal, SR 19846, FEC 7/8 in free-to-air MPEG-2. There are five active streams as follows: CBS New York feeds – V1160, A120 (this carries the major CBS news programmes in real time such as “CBS Morning News” from 06:00 UTC), Ad-hoc Channel – V1260, A1220, EWTN Europe – V1360, A1320, Ad-hoc channel – V1460, A1420 and WCBS-AM New York – A1122 which supplies CBS affiliates in the New York area. All of the video channels are in MPEG-2/Pal except for the CBS New York channel which broadcasts in MPEG-2/NTSC. The signal into Europe from here is a great improvement than from the former PAS-1 outlet. On August 3 at 05:50 a feed from a John Secada concert in aid of the George W Bush presidential campaign was fed over one of the ad-hoc channels on PIDs V1260, A1220 in clear MPEG- 2/NTSC. This was followed by a speech by Bush. On the morning of August 5 from around 0620 a channel never seen in Europe anymore, The Learning Channel, was played out over the same ad-hoc stream for about an hour. This was followed by a relay of MSNBC. At the same time the other ad-hoc stream on PIDs V1460, A1420 was displaying this caption “Kelly Broadcasting. Feed to Greece. PAS-1. TR 2/A. CH 4. 3.00-3.30”. Note the error – the caption obviously has not been updated since the move of the multiplex from PAS-1 to PAS- 3R.

53 degreesW
Intelsat-706
D – With the grand title of the Office of Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Benin, ORTB has launched a new satellite DTH service with their two domestic TV channels from the central African state, Benin 1 and Benin 2, based in the country’s capital Cotonou. The new service is using 3975 MHz RHCP, SR 4340, FEC 3/4 on PIDs V33/35, A32/34 in free-to-air MPEG-2 (see also NSS-803 at 21.3 degrees West).

58 degreesW
PAS-5 & PAS-9
D – PAS-9 was successfully launched on July 28 aboard a Zenit 3SL rocket from the sea platform Odyssey located at 154 degrees West, on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The new craft carries a payload of 24 C-Band and 24 Ku-Band transponders. PAS-9 footprints cover from California in the West to central Europe in the East. Odyssey is now en route back to its home port to prepare for the launch of its next customer, the telephone a data satellite Thuraya which will serve the Middle East region.

97 degreesW:
Telstar-5
D – Turkey’s TRT International, the Voice of Turkey and TRT-FM radio have launched on 12177 MHz vertical in clear MPEG-2. An additional service for Latin America will follow in September.

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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