Latest News

Transponder Monitor

By Staff Writer | September 11, 2002

      D = Digital
      A = Analog

      80 degreesE:
      Express 6A

      D Kultura Telekanal and Muz TV have launched a stream share on 11540 MHz vertical, SR 5062, FEC 3/4, VPID 4097, APID 4100 in clear MPEG-2 via the central Russia beam. The footprint is centred on eastern Kazakhstan at 42 dBW and stretches to Japan in the East and Germany in the West at 34 dBW. It also extends southwards to India at 38-42 dBW. From Azerbaijan, Space TV is currently free-to-air on 11676 MHz vertical, SR 3332, FEC 3/4 via PIDs V513, A256. In the TV Centr package at 4130 MHz RHCP, SR 22910, FEC 3/4 two new channels have emerged. They are Kino Klassika (Classical Cinema) on VPID 161, APID 84 and Nashe Muzika (National Music) on V165, A100. Both channels are free-to-air. The other members of the bouquet are TV Centr – V160, A80; TV XXI – V163, A92; 7 TV – V164, A96, Novosti Online Radio – A102 and ORR – Obshestvennoje Rossiiskoje Radio – A106. The SR for Reindeer TV on 11493 MHz vertical has been changed to 7234, FEC 3/4. There are three new streams active within this package. They are Sibir TV – V281, A282, ZV1 – A279 and ZV 2 – A280. Sibir TV, launched late last year, covers the Siberian Federal District of northern Russia.

      76.5 degreesE:
      Apstar 2R

      D The MAK Television Network is a new cable service for India. The Mumbai based broadcaster is using Apstar 2R capacity for distribution to cable headends. MAK can be found on 4107 MHz vertical, SR 14200, FEC 3/4 for their bouquet of five channels. These are MAK Prime – V1160, A1120; MAK Music – V1260, A1220; MAK Bangla Movies – V1360, A1320; MAK Telegu (for the Andhra Pradesh region) – V1460, A1420 and MAK Style – V1560, A1520. A MAK Sindhi language channel, for the Hyderabad region of India plus parts of southern Pakistan, is expected to follow soon.

      75 degreesE:
      LMI 1

      D TV Lanka have started a new multiplex on 3460 MHz horizontal, SR 5750, FEC 1/2 in parallel to their existing outlet on 3432 MHz horizontal, SR 5750, FEC 1/2. The new frequency contains TV Lanka – V1160, A1120 and TV Lanka 2 – V1260, A1220.

      72 degreesE:
      PAS 4

      D An occasional feed stream for Arab Radio and Television (ART) has launched on 11512 MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 in clear MPEG-2. Most of the feed traffic appears to originate in ART’s Amman, Jordan bureau.

      68.5 degreesE:
      PAS 7 & 10

      D The Hindi language movie channel B4U Movies India has left 3835 MHz horizontal, SR 19850, FEC 7/8 where it had been free-to-air for some time. The channel continues to use 4063 MHz horizontal, SR 19850, FEC 7/8, VPID 1160, APID 1120 where it is encoded in Nagravision. A new audio service entitled Christian Voice has appeared in the MultiChoice Africa EPG at 3838 MHz horizontal, SR 19846, FEC 7/8 via APID 2622. So far all of the programmes heard have been in the Hindi language. Geo Pakistan is a new channel which has just commenced test transmissions on 4114 MHz horizontal, SR 3300, FEC 2/3, VPID 33, APID 36 in clear MPEG-2. MTV India has now left 4154 MHz horizontal, SR 20500, FEC 3/4.

      A BBC World India and BBC World Service radio are to cease analogue transmissions here. The following scrolling caption is displayed on 4185 MHz vertical. ‘BBC World will no longer be available via this analogue satellite frequency on Panamsat 10, 68.5 degrees East. BBC World is available via a digital signal, in the clear on the same satellite, Panamsat 10 on the following frequency: Frequency 3974.0 MHz. Symbol Rate 19.85 Msym/sec. Polarity Vertical. FEC 3/4. This digital signal has been available since November 2001. If you are viewing BBC World via cable TV then please contact your local cable operator who will be able to tell you when BBC World will be restored. If you are viewing via your own dish you will need to purchase a digital set top box (decoder/receiver) in order to continue to view BBC World via the Panamsat 10 satellite. If you are viewing BBC World in a hotel bedroom then please contact the hotel manager and ask him/her to contact us. If you are a cable operator. hotelier or SMATV operator then please contact BBC World at one of the following locations for further information about digital reception of BBC World. London +44 208 433 2221; Delhi +91 11 341 3244; Bangalore +91 80 235 1070; Mumbai +91 22 281 6590; Karachi +92 21 776 6361-3; Bangladesh +88 02 913 1442; Dubai +44 208 433 2221. Please note BBC World service radio will no longer be available via the PAS 10 analogue satellite signal.’

      64 degreesE:
      Intelsat 804

      D Intelsat 906, which launched on 6 September from Kourou aboard an Ariane 4 rocket will replace Intelsat 804 here. 906 carries 42 C-Band and 14 Ku-Band transponders. 804 is to be moved to 176 degrees East to assist with high space segment demand around the Pacific Rim.

      45 degreesE:
      Europe*Star 1

      D Europe*Star 1 was the primary feedpoint for the Johannesburg World Summit. 11504 MHz vertical, SR 6110, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256, ID:’GlobeCast L7 Path 1′ carried occasional feed traffic from the event. Three streams were active 24 hours a day during the summit and carried traffic for many broadcasters including BBC News. These were 11657 MHz vertical, SR 4425, FEC 5/6, VPID 308, APID 256, ID:’GlobeCast Africa; 11663 MHz vertical, SR 4425, FEC 5/6, V308, A256, ID:’GlobeCast AFRICA, World Summit, JHB-South Africa and 11669 MHz vertical, SR 4425, FEC 5/6, VPID 308, APID 256, ID:’GlobeCast AFRICA 2, APTN Jo’burg Earth Summit. All were free-to-air.

      42 degreesE:
      Turksat 1C & Eurasiasat 1

      D Power FM and Istanbul FM are new in a stream share on 12743 MHz horizontal via APID 257. Fashion TV Turkiye has vacated 12527 MHz horizontal, SR 7140, FEC 5/6. Playboy TV has been replaced by The Fantasy Channel in the Cine+ Digital package at 11025 MHz vertical, SR 6510, FEC 5/6, VPID 516, APID 690 in Viaccess encoded MPEG-2.

      A On 11084 MHz horizontal Polis Radyosu (Police Radio) has started via the 7.38/7.56 MHz sub-carriers on the back of TRT 2 TV. The Eurasiasat promo channel has returned to 11766 MHz vertical in clear PAL. Playboy TV has been replaced by The Fantasy Channel on 11006 MHz vertical.

      40 degreesE:
      Express A1R

      D Gorizont 31 has now left this slot and is drifting slowly eastwards. At present it is situated at approximately 41.5 degrees East. Ruskii Mir TV (Russian World) has launched on 3675 MHz RHCP, SR 4700, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 in free-to-air MPEG-2. This channel broadcasts in the Russian language primarily for Russian speakers in the US.

      36 degreesE:
      Eutelsat W4 & Sesat

      D The Russian channel STS has been replaced by NTV+ Technical Info in the NTV package at 12399 MHz RHCP, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 via PIDs V325, A410 in Viaccess 1 encoded MPEG-2. A testcard from Holland has appeared on 10982 MHz vertical, SR 3212, FEC 3/4, VPID 4194, APID 4195. The stream ID reads ‘Xantic Les-Hilversum’.

      28.5 degreesE:
      Eurobird

      D Life TV is free-to-air on 11681 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 2/3, VPID 2324, APID 2325. This channel can also be found on Astra at this geostationary slot on 12344 MHz horizontal, also in the clear. Life TV stream shares with CPD Dental TV, which airs from 19:00-21:00 daily.

      28.2 degreesE:
      Astra 2A, 2B & 2D

      D Another two shopping channels have been added to the Sky Digital EPG. They are YES! At Ch.661 and Screenshop 2 on Ch.662. Both channels are on the air 24 hours a day. Religious broadcaster Cross Rhythms Radio has bowed to public demand and decided to continue as part of the Sky Digital line-up. The station, which occupies Ch.876 in the EPG, had planned to leave Sky and concentrate on Internet broadcasting but according to the station’s CEO a huge mailbag from disappointed listeners persuaded them to reconsider. Chart Show TV is set to launch on 16 September. The new channel will be available at Ch.458 in the EPG. Bangladeshi channel Ekushey TV (ETV) ceased broadcasting abruptly on 29 July. Apparently the channel, which was launched in Bangladesh in 1999, is the subject to an inquiry into certain licensing irregularities in that country. ETV occupies Ch.814 in the EPG and is currently airing old material. As expected Vibe TV, which launched with the sole purpose of promoting the singer Angelle for a month, has now closed down. It is to be replaced by TV High Street, yes – you’ve guessed it, another shopping channel in the near future. From Ireland, Setanta Sports 2 has launched at Ch.436. Like its sister channel Setanta Sports, the new channel offers PPV sporting events. The highly successful Classic FM radio group are to launch their own TV channel entitled Classic TV next year. The new channel will be free-to-air and is likely to feature in the Sky Digital package.

      26 degreesE:
      Arabsat 2A & 3A

      D MTV Liban appears to have left 12578 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4. However, the channel has appeared on 11785 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 410, APID 420 in clear MPEG-2.

      23.5 degreesE:
      Astra 3A

      D Feratel Wetterstation, which showed live video from ski resorts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland detailing weather conditions has been replaced by Hungarorama on 12508 MHz vertical, SR 2169, FEC 7/8, VPID 4352, APID 4362 in clear MPEG-2.

      19.2 degreesE:
      Astra 1B,C & E-H, Astra 2C

      D A free-to-air promo for Bible TV is active on 10832 MHz horizontal, SR 22000, FEC 5/6, VPID 32, APID 33 in clear MPEG-2. According to the promo Bible TV is set to launch on 1 October. A France 5 promo loop is being played out on 12640 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 5/6, VPID 160, APID 80 in clear MPEG-2. The Dutch channel Veronica has launched on 12574 MHz horizontal, SR 22000, FEC 5/6, VPID 166, APID 104 in encoded MPEG-2. The channels airs from 18:00-05:00 nightly.

      A 10921 MHz horizontal is now occupied by a transponder share between TV Shop Germany and The GOD Channel in clear Pal. TV Shop Deutschland and Tango TV have vacated 10847 MHz vertical.

      16 degreesE:
      Eutelsat W2

      D The Serbian channels, Pink Plus and Radio Pink, have launched on 12537 MHz vertical, SR 5713, FEC 3/4. Pink Plus occupies two streams, one encoded in Irdeto (V513, A641) and the other free-to-air (V512, A640). Radio Pink is in the clear on APID 660.

      13 degreesE:
      Hotbird 1/2/3/4/5

      D Tele 5 Polska is temporarily free-to-air on the Polsat bouquet at 12321 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 353, APID 354 under the EPG ID ‘RTL 7’. SuperSport 3 is new in the Greek NetMed package on 10930 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 512, APID 650. The channel is on air at weekends only and is encoded in Irdeto 2. The PIDs for Pink Plus and Radio Pink in the Belgacom package at 12476 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 have been changed to V308, A301/302. Animal Planet Europe has replaced Eurosport in the Cyfra+ package for Poland on 11283 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 via PIDs V162, A88. The two Polish state TV channels, TVP 1 and TVP 2, which have been available in the clear for a short while on 12360 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 in the Polsat package are once again encoded in Nagravision. An Olisat TV Hispania promo stream has opened on 12092 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 via VPID 4680, APID 4681 in clear MPEG-2. In the Telespazio package at 12673 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 an E-TV promo channel has arrived on PIDs V300, A301. Test transmissions from Al-Alam (The World), Iran’s forthcoming Arabic language all-news channel have been sighted on 12437 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4. A caption shown on the stream at times indicates that Al-Alam will also be available via Arabsat at 26 degrees East, AsiaSat at 100.5 degrees East and for The Americas Telstar at 97 degrees West. The hope is that Al-Alam will eventually rival the controversial Al-Jazeera news channel based in Qatar, which has upset several Arab regimes. The Deutsche Telekom package on 11262 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 has been replaced by an MSG bouquet containing Show TV – V1011, A1012; TGRT – V1021, A1022; RAI Uno – V1031, A1032; RAI Due – V1041, A1042 and RIA Tre – V1051, A1052. All are encoded in Betacrypt. Al-Idha’ah Al-Mashriqiyah (Eastern Radio Station) from Israel is now available via Hotbird on 12597 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, APID 2021. This station can be heard in parts of Israel terrestrially.

      7 degreesE:
      Eutelsat W3

      D The four data streams and Radio San Marino have left the Intelcom package at 12716 MHz horizontal, SR 2711, FEC 1/2.

      5.2 degreesE:
      Sirius 2/3 & Astra 1A

      D The last Baltic state to utilise satellite DTH transmissions, Lithuania, is to launch a service next year via Sirius. The service, which will be produced by Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) will carry English subtitling to reach a wider audience

      1.7 degreesE: (Temporarily)
      Hotbird 6

      The newly launched Hotbird 6 is temporarily parked at this slot for in-orbit transponder tests before being finally moved into parking orbit at 13 degrees East.

      0.8 degrees/1 degreesW:
      Thor 1, 2 & 3 & Intelsat 707

      D Canal 8 is testing in the Bulgarian multiplex at 12169 MHz horizontal, SR 28000, FEC 7/8 via PIDs V521, A704. The channel’s launch looks imminent. At 11014 MHz horizontal, SR 26000, FEC 3/4, home to one of the Telenor multiplexes, the data stream named ‘KenCast’ has been replaced by ‘IP Streaming’ and Radio Nettverk 1 and Radio Nettverk 2 have left the line-up. Several Danish radio and TV channels have left 11553 MHz horizontal, SR 26000, FEC 3/4. DR1, DR2, DK4 and TV Danmark 2 plus radio stations Radio 2, DR Klassik, DR P1, DR P2, DR P3, DR P4 Kobenhavn, The Voice, Pop FM and Nyhedsradioen 24-7 have all vacated the frequency. Luckily for Danish speakers all of these channels are still available via 11292 MHz horizontal, SR 24500, FEC 7/8.

      7 degreesW:
      Nilesat 101 & 102

      D Nile TV International and Nile News, both from Egypt, are now available to European viewers from this orbital slot. Both channels are on 11785 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPIDs 2260/2270, APIDs 2261/2271 in free-to-air MPEG-2 via Nilesat’s European beam. The Egyptian channel ERTU 3 is in the clear on 11766 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 1002, APID 1009. Melody Entertainment is carrying out free-to-air test broadcasts prior to launch on 11900 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 1003, APID 1004.

      8 degreesW:
      Telecom 2D & Atlantic Bird 2

      D In the VisAvision package at 11306 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 2501, APID 2502 the Russian channel Nashe Muzika has been replaced by EDTV Channel Europe from Dubai. Still with VisAvision, in their 11344 MHz horizontal multiplex the Turkish channel Viva has been replaced by Kanal D Fun on VPID 1201, APID 1202. Both multiplexes are encoded in Nagravision.

      11 degreesW:
      Express 3A

      D Klassik FM has joined the Bulgarian multiplex at 3975 MHz RHCP, SR 27728, FEC 7/8 via APID 76 in clear MPEG-2.

      12.5 degreesW:
      Eutelsat II-F4 & Atlantic Bird 1

      D Atlantic Bird 1 was successfully launched from Kourou on 23:45 on 28 August and is on its way to this orbital slot. The new craft will strengthen Eutelsat’s ‘Atlantic Gate’ enterprise by providing further transatlantic feed capacity. Atlantic Bird 2 should be fully serviceable next month. The next in this series, Atlantic Bird 3, is slated for an October launch and will be positioned at 5 degrees West.

      15 degreesW:
      Telstar 12

      D A new Azadi (Freedom) TV testcard has appeared on 12595 MHz horizontal, VPID 32, APID 33 in clear MPEG-2.

      27.5 degreesW:
      Intelsat 605

      D Troubled MBI from Nigeria has once again disappeared from 3872 MHz RHCP, SR 3999, FEC 1/2. The channel has been dogged by technical problems for many months.

      30 degreesW:
      Hispasat 1A/B/C

      D Hispasat 1D is due to lift off aboard an Atlas launcher on 18 September. 1D, which carries a payload of 28 Ku-Band transponders operating in the range 10700-10950 MHz and 11200-12200 MHz, will replace Hispasat 1A and 1B. TV5 Europe is a new addition to the Via Digital line-up on 11931 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 4160, APID 4161 in clear MPEG-2. Apart from TV Galicia all of the other channels in this package are encoded in Nagravision. Bloomberg TV UK has left the Via Digital package on 11851 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4.

      34.5 degreesW:
      Intelsat 903

      D Four of the Canadian Forces Radio and Television (CFRT) channels are now encoded. They are CFRT TV English, CFRT TV Francais, CFRT Radio 2 and 106.9 The Bear. CFRT Radio 1 and CBC Radio 1 99.1FM remain free-to-air for the time being.

      40.5 degreesW:
      NSS 806

      D National Geographic Channel Paraguay has joined the multiplex at 4150 MHz LHCP, SR 3703, FEC 7/8, VPID 1360, APID 1320 in clear MPEG-2. Spanish audio can be heard on the right channel whilst the left channel carries tone.

      43 degreesW:
      PAS 3R & PAS 6

      D In the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) multiplex at 12636 MHz horizontal, SR 19846, FEC 7/8 EWTN Radio Catolica has launched via APID 1522 in free-to-air MPEG-2.

      58 degreesW:
      PAS 9

      D The Weather Channel Latin America is temporarily free-to-air on 3840 MHz horizontal, SR 27690, FEC 7/8 via PIDs V1560, A1520.