ITV

Category: Satellites

  • Sirius Satellite Radio launches urban comedy channel

    Sirius Satellite Radio launches urban comedy channel

    MUMBAI: SIRIUS Satellite Radio announced the launch of its ‘exclusive urban comedy, entertainment and lifestyle channel’ The Foxxhole with actor and comedian Jamie Foxx.

    Foxx will take on the role of an executive producer, on-air host and contribute content for the channel. Marcus King who has worked with Foxx on many television series will also serve as executive producer.

    An official press release states that the 24/7 channel will feature urban comedy hits from a large number of comedians, and will create groundbreaking approaches to presenting comedy to radio listeners, as well as showcase music, skits, radio theater and more. The Foxxhole will launch on SIRIUS channel 106.

    “The Foxxhole will break new ground in comedy, blurring the lines between stand-up, sketch, and music,” said Foxx. “SIRIUS Satellite Radio gives me the opportunity to create urban entertainment and programming like you have never heard on the radio.” An added attraction is that Foxx will be heard on the channel daily with a segment featuring dispatches from Jamie no matter where he is in the world. Also, Foxx and his team of contributors will host a weekly show on the channel. The show will feature original comedy bits and explore new approaches to radio theater.

    Jamie Foxx is a triple threat in the world of entertainment and we are thrilled to have him make his radio home at SIRIUS,” said SIRIUS Satellite Radio president entertainment and sports Scott Greenstein. “SIRIUS has established itself as a leader in groundbreaking exclusive programming. The Foxxhole adds yet another compelling element to our channel lineup.”

    The Foxxhole joins a powerful lineup of comedy, music, variety and entertainment channels on SIRIUS, including Raw Dog: Comedy Uncensored, Blue Collar Comedy, Laugh Break, Eminem’s Shade 45, Hip-Hop Nation, and SIRIUS Hits 1.

  • PSLV launches four new satellites

    PSLV launches four new satellites

    MUMBAI: In its 10th launch on 10 January India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) PSLV-C7 has successfully launched four satellites namely India’s Cartosat-2 and Space capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1), Indonesia’s Lapan-Tubsat and Argentina’s Pehuensat-1 into a 635 km high Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).

    Isro claims to having used a Dual Launch Adopter (DLA) in PSLV for the first time to accommodate two primary satellites in tandem.

    PSLV-C7 lifted off from the first launch pad at SDSC Shar at 9:23 am with the ignition of the core first stage and four of the six strap-on motors. The remaining two strap-on motors were ignited 25 seconds after lift-off.

    The important flight events included the separation of the ground-lit strap-on motors, separation of air-lit strap-on motors and the first stage, ignition of the second stage, separation of the heatshield at about 121 km altitude after the vehicle had cleared the dense atmosphere, second stage separation, third stage ignition, third stage separation, fourth stage ignition and fourth stage cut-off.

    Cartosat-2 was the first satellite to be injected into orbit at 981.3 seconds after lift-off at an altitude of 639 km. DLA with the 6 kg Pehuensat-1 was separated about 45 seconds later followed by the 550 kg Space capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1) after 120 seconds and the 56 kg Lapan-Tubsat after 190 seconds.

    The four satellites have been placed in a polar orbit at an altitude of 637 km with an inclination of 97.9 degrees with respect to the equator. The initial signals indicate their normal health.

    After its separation from the DLA, the two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 were automatically deployed to generate the electrical power for the satellite. The satellite health is being continuously monitored from the Spacecraft Control Centre of Istrac at Bangalore with the help of its network of stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Mauritius, Bearslake in Russia, Biak in Indonesia, as well as support from Svalbard ground station in Sweden for the initial phase of the Cartosat-2 mission.

    With Isro Satellite Centre (Isac), Bangalore, as the lead Centre, Cartosat-2 was realised with major contributions from Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, LPSC at Bangalore, and IISU, Thiruvanantha-puram. Istrac is responsible for initial and in-orbit operation of Cartosat-2. The National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), Hyderabad receives and processes the data from Cartosat-2.

    Space capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1): Space capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1), developed by Isro’s VSSC and Isac, is a 550 kg capsule, intended to demonstrate the technology of an orbiting platform for performing experiments in microgravity conditions. After the completion of the experiments, the capsule will de-orbited after a few days and recovered.

    Two days before de-orbiting, SRE-1 will be placed in a Repetitive Elliptical Orbit. Subsequently, it will be reoriented and deboost rocket is fired to make it reenter the earth’s atmosphere. SRE-1 will splashdown in the Bay of Bengal, east of Sriharikota coast.

    SRE-1 is being tracked and monitored by ground stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Mauritius, Biak in Indonesia, Bearslake in Russia, Saskatoon in Canada and Svalbard in Sweden/Transo in Norway.

    Lapan-Tubsat and Pehuensat-1 were launched under commercial agreements. Lapan-Tubsat is a cooperative venture between Indonesian Space Agency, Lapan and Technical University of Berlin. It is an earth observation satellite besides a technical demonstrator in control systems.

    Pehuensat-1 is a 6 kg Argentinean nano-satellite meant to serve educational, technological and scientific fields. Its developed by University of Comahue of Argentina, AMSAT (Amateur Satellite Association of Argentina) and Argentina Association for Space Technology and is intended to provide an experiment platform to perform amateur radio experiments between colleges and universities of Argentina.

  • Nasa chooses Optibase IPTV system

    Nasa chooses Optibase IPTV system

    MUMBAI: Optibase, which works in the field of advanced digital video solutions, has announced that it is providing its advanced IPTV solution to US space oprganisation Nasa.

    Optibase MGW 1100 carrier-grade IPTV streaming platforms have been successfully deployed at the Nasa Dryden Flight Research Center, Nasa’s premier flight research and test organisation for the validation of high-risk, pioneering aerospace technology, space exploration concepts, and the conduct of science mission observations.

    The MGW 1100 provides H.264 video and audio, in combination with an Optibase PC soft player application and display manager for streaming of content over the internal IP NASA base network. The content includes TV channels such as news and weather channels as well as NASA-generated channels such as live flight test footage and other events.

    The system is controlled by Optibase’s Cluster Manager, which enables intuitive and simple management of multiple Media Gateway platforms and hundreds of channels from one centralized application. For enhanced control and viewing options, the solution includes the Optibase Display Manager, which enables the display of multiple video streams on a single PC screen. In addition to PC streaming, the content will be streamed to Set-top-boxes for display on TV monitors and plasma screens across the base.

    Optibase president Adam Schadle says, “We are delighted with the success of our IPTV system at NASA. This system is a prime example of carrier-grade IPTV systems for the military and government markets. Optibase prides itself on providing a complete end-to-end IPTV solution, which is tailored to the customer’s specific requirements. As a veteran supplier of video technology solutions to military and government, Optibase is well equipped to provide reliable streaming solutions for mission-critical and high-grade video applications.”

  • Eutelsat selects Alcatel Alenia Space for W7 satellite

    MUMBAI: European satellite comunications firm Eutelsat and Alcatel Alenia Space have signed a contract under which Alcatel Alenia Space will manufacture and deliver Eutelsat’s W7 communications satellite.

    To be launched in second quarter of 2009 at Eutelsat’s 36 degrees East location, W7 will double the capacity currently available at a key neighborhood in the group’s fleet of geostationary satellites. Through a configuration of high-performance fixed and steerable beams, W7 will also boost coverage and flexibility for addressing growing markets, notably in central Asia and Africa.

    W7’s mission comprises up to 70 Ku-band transponders that can be connected to six beams serving Europe, Russia, Africa, the Middle East and central Asia. To be co-located with Eutelsat’s W4 satellite, which already serves anchor pay-TV operators in Russia, the Ukraine and sub-Saharan Africa, W7 will enable Eutelsat to almost double bandwidth for digital video services in these regions.

    It will also replace all capacity on Eutelsat’s Sesat 1 satellite which serves Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and central Asia, and bring fresh capacity to South Africa through a high-power fixed beam and to central Asia through a spot beam which can be reoriented in orbit. Following W7’s deployment at 36 degrees East, SESAT 1 will continue in commercial service at an alternative location.

    Weighing in at 5.6 tons and with 12 kW of payload power, W7 is based on the Alcatel Alenia Space Spacebus 4000 platform and will be boosted into orbit by Sea Launch.

    Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta said, “Since 2000, we have proactively built our video neighbourhood at 36 degrees East into a prime location for digital markets in eastern Europe and Africa. This commitment has won the confidence of pay-TV operators who are pioneers in their markets, notably NTV Plus from Russia, Poverkhnost from the Ukraine and MultiChoice Africa which reaches large parts of sub-Saharan Africa through this neighbourhood.

    In order to support growth for broadcast and telecommunications services in these regions and to boost capacity for other markets, we looked closely at how we could even more efficiently exploit the resource at 36 degrees East.

    “With W7, this key position in our fleet will benefit from capacity enabling us to use the full spectrum of Ku-band frequencies, and to respond to market demands in multiple regions through a high degree of operational flexibility.”

    Alcatel Alenia Space CEO c says, “We are very pleased and fully committed to supporting Eutelsat sustainable growth. We are also very proud of working alongside Eutelsat to meet the increasing market demand and emerging new applications by delivering technologies with outstanding performance.

    W7 is the second satellite after W2A to be awarded by Eutelsat to our company in 2006. This contract further consolidates an historical year for our company: we have been chosen by a large number of operators, making us the world leader in the communications satellite market.”

  • Afghanistan’s Shamshad TV joins Asiasat 2

    Afghanistan’s Shamshad TV joins Asiasat 2

    MUMBAI: Asian satellite communicatsion service provider Asiasat has announced that it has signed a deal with Shamshad TV of Afghanistan.

    The deal is a lease agreement for the use of C-band capacity on Asiasat 2 to distribute the channel to all broadcast networks across Afghanistan and countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and other parts of Asia.

    Shamshad TV has commenced free-to-air broadcasting on Asiasat 2, offering programming in English, Dari and Pashto languages 24 hours a day of content including news, entertainment and
    educational programmes.

    Shamshad TV president Fazel Karim Fazel says, “Following the launch of terrestrial broadcast across our country earlier this year, we are very excited to put our service on Asiasat 2 satellite that further extends our coverage area to both urban and rural areas of Afghanistan, and brings our services abroad, serving overseas audience in more 50 countries and regions across the Asia Pacific. We trust that Asiasat 2’s well established penetration across Asia and Australasia would give us the best audience access and tremendously increase our local and overseas viewership”.

    Asiasat CEO Peter Jackson says, “We are very pleased to welcome Shamshad TV, our first broadcast customer from Afghanistan, on board Asiasat 2. With the addition of this new channel onto Asiasat 2’s exciting line up of international programming, the satellite has firmly established itself as Asia’s most popular multilingual and multicultural platform for broadcast services across the region”

    Shamshad TV is available on Asiasat 2 in C-band with the following reception parameters:
    Transponder: 4A
    Frequency: 3790.75 MHz
    Polarisation: Vertical
    Modulation: QPSK
    Symbol Rate: 2.444 Msym/sec
    FEC: 3/4
    About Shamshad TV
    Shamshad TV was launched early this year from Kabul. The channel provides educational, news, and entertainment programmes in English, Dari and Pashto languages. Its production studio and broadcast station are located in Kabul and provide digital terrestrial transmission and satellite transmission to both urban and rural areas of Afghanistan as well as other countries in Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East.

  • Casbaa to pursue mobile, regulatory agenda in 2007

    Casbaa to pursue mobile, regulatory agenda in 2007

    MUMBAI: The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) has announced its strategic direction for 2007, as well as the results of 2006 Annual general meeting elections to the Casbaa council of governors and board of directors.

    According to Casbaa chairman Marcel Fenez, in 2007 the association is to focus on the increasing impact of Mobile technology, also noting a clear signal from the council of governors to step up initiatives in India and China. Casbaa will continue to engage the regulatory authorities in multiple markets and promote industry development in Indonesia, Vietnam and Pakistan, among others.

    In addition, Casbaa will strive to demonstrate the effectiveness of pay TV as an advertising medium and thus challenge other traditional media for advertising revenues, asserts an official release.

    Fenez said, “On an almost daily basis Casbaa is engaging with decision-makers across the region regarding regulatory and intellectual property rights issues while maintaining a steady output of studies on markets and the benefits of effective regulation and the cost of pay-TV piracy.”

    Casbaa also announced that the following were newly elected to the Casbaa council of governors, the association’s leading advisory body, Anytime president and COO Craig Zimbulis; Mabuhay Satellite president and CEO Garie Pimentel; MIH Asia president Ian Barnard; SkyVision Corporation (Sky Cable) head of programmes acquisition Juno Henares Chuidian; AGB Nielsen Media Research CEO Malcolm Spry and Standard Chartered Bank head of creative media and tech industries client relations Susan Ho.

    The results of Elections to the Casbaa board of directors were as follows: HBO Asia CEO Jonathan Spink; AsiaSat CEO Peter Jackson; United Broadcasting Corporation EVP-chairman Sompan Charumilinda; BBC World regional director distribution and business development Nic van Zwanenberg and Celestial Pictures CEO William Pfeiffer.

  • Worldspace launches Gujarati Radio station ‘Radio Umang’

    Worldspace launches Gujarati Radio station ‘Radio Umang’

    MUMBAI: Worldspace Satellite Radio , a satellite-based digital radio services has laucnhed the first ever 24-hour national Gujarati radio channel, Radio Umang.

    Channel No 111 on the Worldspace Satellite Radio Network, Radio Umang presents a platform, showcasing the diversity of Gujarat’s musical traditions – ranging from the tunes of the Garba and Dandia Raas to the Sugam Sangeet and Ghazals and more, asserts an official release.

    Worldspace managing director Shishir Lall said, “Radio Umang is our latest offering and the country’s first-ever 24-hour Gujarati channel and the ninth regional channel on the Worldspace Satellite Radio Network. Our refreshing advertising-free format, enables music aficionados to quench their thirst for quality radio programming in virtually any part of the country, thereby creating a truly pan-Indian radio experience.”

    Radio Umang joins a portfolio of Indian regional language channels at Worldspace which currently offers eight other dedicated regional radio channels with programming in Tamil (KL Radio), Malayalam (RM Radio), Telugu (Spandana), Kannada (Sparsha), Bengali (Tara), Punjabi (Tunak Punjabi) Urdu (Falak) and Marathi (Surabhi).

    Worldspace senior advisor content Velu Shankar said, “Radio Umang presents to its listeners opportunity and range of programs from folk music to modern Gujarati music, poetry and literature giving them a glimpse into the exciting world of Gujarati culture.”

    Some programs on Radio Umang are :

    – Suravali Ashit Ni – A show hosted by celebrity Ashit Desai as he takes listeners through some of his popular songs from various genres of Gujarati music every Saturday 9 to 11 pm.

    – Taajgi – A breakfast show hosted by radio entertainer Ajinkya Sampat. It will showcase Gujarati music from film songs to garba, folk songs and light music and will also provide interesting facts and trivia on music.

    – Be Ghadi Anand – An evening show with playback singer Hema Desai who would share interesting facts about Gujarati culture, literature and music.

    – Makhmali Mehfil – Host by Gujarati theatre actor Aanand Goradiya the show will celebrate the lilting rhythms of Gujarati ghazals from Purushottam Upadhyay and Ashit Desai to Manhar Udhas.Worldspace launches Gujarati Radio station ‘Radio Umang’

  • Measat-3 satellite successfully launched

    Measat-3 satellite successfully launched

    MUMBAI: A Proton Breeze M launch vehicle, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, successfully placed the Measat-3 satellite into orbit earlier today.

    After separation, the satellite will be manoeuvred into its orbital location and will undergo in-orbit testing. This is expected to be completed by 1 February, 2008.

    The project cost of the Measat-3 satellite is $ 280 million.

    Providing 300 per cent more capacity at the key 91.5E orbital location, Measat-3 is one of the region’s most technologically advanced satellites.

    Measat-3 has 24 Ku-band transponders and has been designed to provide capability for data services and Direct-to-Home (DTH) applications in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Indian Subcontinent. The satellite has been designed with a C-Band payload capable of reaching over 100 countries, representing 70 per cent of the world’s population, and the most powerful Ku-band DTH coverage for over 160 million TV households in the countries under its footprint.

    Measat-3’s launch opens up the options available to Indian operators looking to enter the DTH arena. Kalanithi Maran’s southern broadcast network Sun Group’s Sun Direct DTH service is ready to launch and is only waiting a satellite to beam off. Anil Ambani’s ADAG also has plans for a DTH service under the brand name Bluemagic, which is headed by the former CEO of Zee Group’s Dish TV, Sunil Khanna.

    It may be recalled that the unfortunate failure in July of the GSLV-F02 launch rocket carrying the Insat-4C communication satellite had wrecked the timetables for the launch of Sun Direct.

    Sun had booked seven high-power Ku-band transponders, six for DTH and one for DSNG (digital satellite news gathering), of the total 12 carried by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Insat-4C.

    Said Measat’s COO, Paul Brown-Kenyon: “The launch of Measat-3 will enhance our ability to support Malaysian and international customers. It will not only augment capacity but also enhance redundancy capabilities for customers using the Measat-1 satellite. Planning is already underway for the launch of Measat- 1R, scheduled for end 2007 / early 2008, which is being developed to support and sustain future growth requirements for existing and prospective customers.”

    Currently operating a two satellite network, Measat provides video distribution services across East and South East Asia, Indochina, South Asia and Australia. The launch of Measat-3, and Measat-1R end 2007 / early 2008 will extend the reach of the Measat fleet, providing customers with a satellite able to reach Pay-TV operators in over 100 countries, representing more than 70 per cent of the world’s population. Leveraging facilities at the Measat Teleport and Broadcast Centre, and working with a select group of world-class media partners including Astro, Pacific Century Matrix and STT, Measat provides a complete range of broadcast services including video playout, up-linking, and video turnaround to and from the key European and North American markets.

  • Chinese broadcasting satellite SinoSat-2 fails

    Chinese broadcasting satellite SinoSat-2 fails

    MUMBAI : Asian giants India and China have reached a ground-breaking agreement to promote cooperation in civil nuclear energy. Maybe they should now consider extending that cooperation to space exploration as well.

    Four months ago, the launch of India’s first commercial communications satellite from home soil ended in failure after the the three-stage 414-tonne launch vehicle GSLV-F02 veered off course soon after lift-off, and ultimately crashed into the Bay of Bengal. The GSLV-F02 was carrying the state-of-the-art communication satellite Insat-4C, the second satellite in the Insat-4 series.

    China, meanwhile, suffered a setback of a different sort after its first direct-to-home broadcasting satellite, failed less than 10 days after launch, the South China Morning Post reported. While the launch of SinoSat-2, China’s first domestically made satellite, went off smoothly, the satellite’s solar panel faily shortly after it went into orbit, the newspaper reported, quoting sources familiar with the situation. The satellite has suffered a serious power failure and appeared beyond repair, the report added.

    At the time of launch, the Chinese government-run Xinhua News Agency had said SinoSat-2 would help to provide a broader coverage of TV signals and allow more digital and live broadcast TV services across the country.

    SinoSat-2 had been hyped as a broadcaster of digital television signals to China’s rural areas with no access to cable, and was meant to offer services directly to some 100 million households.

  • Worldspace launches Marathi radio station Surabhi

    Worldspace launches Marathi radio station Surabhi

    MUMBAI: Worldspacer Satellite Radio salutes the aura of the Maratha culture and pays tribute to one of the richest languages in India, through the first ever 24-hour national Marathi radio channel, “Surabhi.”

    Channel number 110 on the Worldspace Satellite Radio Network, ‘Surabhi’ offers listeners more than just foot-tapping Marathi music, it also presents a slice of Marathi culture and literature in an exciting magazine format that brings alive the diversity and heritage of Maharashtra, informs an official release.

    Radio ‘Surabhi’ captures the cultural ethos of the legendary Maratha tradition and the interests of Maharashtrians in poetry, literature and theatre. The channel recognises the various aspects of Marathi music that has a strong repertoire of film and non-film music with various genres enjoying equal popularity, the release adds.

    The channel will also have special shows for Bhaavgeet (songs with ‘bhaav’ – emotions), Abhangas (devotional songs), Powadas (patriotic songs), Natyasangeet (songs used in plays), Lavani and Lokgeet (folk songs) among several other sub-genres.

    Worldspace India’s MD Shishir Lall says, “‘Surabhi’ is our latest offering and the country’s first-ever 24-hour Marathi channel. At Worldspace we take great pleasure in celebrating the rich musical diversity of India and this forms an integral part of our strategy to create unique platforms that nurture regional music and culture. Our refreshing advertising-free format enables music aficionados to quench their thirst for quality radio programming in virtually any part of the country, thereby creating a truly pan-Indian radio experience.”