TRANSPONDER MONITOR

Key
D – Digital
A – Analogue

169 degreesE:
PAS-2
D – In preparation for the forthcoming Olympics in Sydney several streams were activated on September 1 and 2. On 3860MHz vertical, SR 27686, FEC 2/3 four streams carrying PanAmSat Sydney captions have appeared with PIDs V1160/1260/1360/1460, A1120/1220/1320/1420. 4110MHz vertical is relaying an exact copy of these streams with the same parameters. Another PanAmSat Sydney caption has popped up on 4085MHz vertical, SR 12210, FEC 2/3, VPID 1160, APID 1120. At 3902MHz vertical, SR 27686, FEC 2/3 four TCN 9 Sydney streams have started on VPIDs 1160/1260/1360/1460, APIDs 1120/1220/1320/1420.

166 degreesE:
PAS-8
D – What is probably the first of many Sydney Olympic related channels started testing here on August 31. An Olympics Data Channel testcard has appeared on 3940MHz horizontal in clear MPEG-2.

80 degreesE:
Express 6A
D – A time shifted version of Ostankino TV has launched on 3875MHz RHCP in clear Secam with audio at 7.50MHz and Radio Mayak available via the 7.00MHz sub-carrier. This relay, which is beamed to the central Siberia region from Omsk in the west to Lake Baykal in the east, runs at Moscow time +7 hours.

75 degreesE:
LMI-1
D – A new multiplex has opened on 12618MHz vertical, SR 6000, FEC 3/4 in free-to-air MPEG-2 offering two Ukrainian channels. They are UT1 (the domestic service) on PIDs V33, A34 and OTV – V1057, A1058.

56 degreesE:
MOST-1
D – The Russian NTV digital package on 12226MHz LHCP has changed parameters to SR 27500, FEC 3/4. Also two new channels have joined the line up here. They are time shifted versions of the Russian channel TNT . TNT +2 hours (Moscow time +2 hours) is available via PIDs V513, A661 and TNT +4 hours on PIDs V516, A664.

42 degreesE:
Turksat 1C
D – Further to the troubles at the two Turkish digital platforms DigiTurk and StarDigital (see Transponder Monitor August 23) it appears that both services are broadcasting without a licence which has to be issued by the Radio and Television High Council. Apparently the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Kucukcekmece Chief Prosecutor’s Office have launched a joint investigation into the affairs of both companies (see Eutelsat-II-F3 at 21.5 degrees East). National Geographic Channel and Travel are occasionally free-to-air on 11665MHz vertical.

40 degreesE:
Gorizont 31
D – RTS Sat Serbia and Radio Beograd have left 11531MHz horizontal, SR 4165, FEC 1/2 following their move to Express-3A at 11 degrees West.

36 degreesE:
Eutelsat W4 & Sesat
D – Probably as a consequence of the Ostankino TV Tower fire, two more Russian TV channels have started here in the past week. TV Tsentr has taken over from TV5 Europe on 12456MHz LHCP, VPID 325, APID 410 and TV6 Moskva has launched on the same frequency via PIDs V324, A408. Both channels are broadcasting in free-to-air MPEG-2. Also, RTR (Russian Public Television) and Kultura are currently free-to-air on 12399MHz RHCP.

30.5 degreesE:
Arabsat 2B
A – Jamahirya Satellite Channel from Libya on 4166MHz LHCP was replaced for a few days last week by the snappily named domestic channel People’s Revolutionary TV. Although most of the programming for both of these channels is identical there are some subtle differences. The most noticeable is the logos, Jamahirya’s is the familiar Sun whilst People’s Revolutionary TV carries a Libyan flag in the top left of the screen. By September 2, Jamahirya TV had returned to the frequency. The temporary of the domestic TV service here was probably connected to celebrations marking the Libyan Revolution which brought about the rise on Colonel Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi on September 1, 1969.

28.2 degreesE:
Astra 1D & 2A
D – The Gujari Channel has officially launched on 12402MHz vertical, Ch.692 in the Sky EPG, with its Gujarati programming. Two radio services, WRN1 Europe and Planet Rock have started on 12402MHz vertical. Classic FM, Classic Gold and Core have all left 12109MHz horizontal but are still available on 12402MHz vertical. A press release from the forthcoming Bid-up TV, which is due to launch very soon on 12092MHz horizontal, discloses what potential viewers can expect from the channel. There will be 14 hours of live auctions every day. Of course the channel will be ‘interactive’ with viewers bidding via a phone line but in the future bids via the remote control handset will be possible. TV Shop America – yet another home shopping channel – has launched on 12109MHz horizontal. Sky News has left 12070MHz horizontal, VPID 2314, APID 2315 and was replaced temporarily by Sky Digital Info Channel Eire on Channel 999 in the Sky Digital EPG. This channel was, in turn, replaced by Sky One Eire late last week. Sky News Eire has launched on 12207MHz vertical, VPID 2324, APID 2325. PIDs for The Medical Channel have changed to V2310, A2311 on 12324MHz vertical. Since its move from analogue to digital delivery The Racing Channel have been able to extend their broadcasting hours to 11:00-00:00 on 12226MHz horizontal. Discovery Kids (Ch.618 in the EPG) and Discovery Wings (Ch.556), in a stream share, have replaced SkyGuide Info on 12324MHz vertical, VPID 2305, APID 2306. The former channel is on air from 06:00-18:00 daily whilst Discovery Wings airs from 18:00-00:00. Punjab Radio has officially launched on 12402MHz vertical, APID 2321 in clear MPEG-2. Ex-pirate radio station Solar Radio has launched on 12402MHz vertical, APID 2320, Channel 944. The station was previously available via Astra at 19.2 degrees East in analogue format.

26 degreesE:
Arabsat 2A & 3A
A – Al-Manar TV has launched an analogue service on 11938MHz vertical in clear Pal with audio via the 6.60MHz subcarrier. The programmes are in parallel with Al-Manar’s digital outlet on 11787MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4.

21.5 degreesE:
Eutelsat-II-F3
D – On 11596MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 there are now nine Mediagate testcards from Fremdsprachenplattform (FSP) on VPIDs 3110/3210/3310/3410/4110/4210/4310/4410/4510, APIDs 3120/3220/3320/3420/4120/4220/4320/ 4420/4520 all in clear MPEG-2. Nine Turkish channels have commenced tests on 11596MHz horizontal. They are Vizyon Salon 1-6, MovieMax 1, MovieMax 2, and Sinema Turk. All are encoded. The reason for the presence of these Turkish channels on this fairly obscure geostationary slot may be DigiTurk’s way of getting around their current problems with the Turkish authorities. Apparently the channels are uplinked to here from an earth station in Germany, thus avoiding the wrath of the Radio & Television High Council.

19.2 degreesE:
Astra 1A-C & E-H
D – German music channels Viva and Viva 2 are about to open in MPEG-2. From October 1, Viva will occupy 12551MHz vertical, SR 22000, FEC 5/6 and Viva 2 will launch on February 1 at 12669MHz vertical, SR 22000, FEC 5/6. Movie channel HBO Hungaria has launched on 12382MHz horizontal in Cryptoworks encoded MPEG-2, VPID 168. The channel is accompanied by four language streams offering Polish (A108), Hungarian (A109), Czech (A212) and Slovak (A213). Taquilla, the Spanish pay-per-view service which is operated by Canal Satelite Digital has launched a gay porn channel entitled Taquilla XY on 12581MHz vertical, SR 22000, FEC 5/6 alongside the existing Taquilla X and Taquilla XX. Now that restrictions have been lifted the French terrestrial channels are free to join other digital packages apart from TPS. Three channels are to join Canal Satellite Numerique in the near future. France 2 and France 3 will be available via CSN’s package on 12012MHz vertical and TV Breizh, a new channel for the Brittany region of France which broadcasts in the Breton language as well as in French, has already started on 12207MHz vertical. Also CSN have two new channels in the pipeline, Canal Festival Deauville and Allo Cine Télévision. There are four new channels available on 12304MHz horizontal encoded in Cryptoworks. Animal Planet – V702, A703, Animal Planet Central Europe – V706, A707, EuroSport News – V167, A106 and Sport 1 Hungaria (tests) – V169, A110. Up at 12382MHz horizontal there are three new channels on offer, Fox Kids Central Europe – V166, A104, Nickelodeon – V167, A106 and Sport 1 Czech Republic – V171, A172. Viacom’s MTV France is currently broadcasting in free-to-air MPEG-2 on 12699MHz vertical.
A – Sky Cinema, Sky Travel and TV Shop Europe have all vacated 11127MHz vertical and have been replaced by a caption advising viewers that they have moved on to pastures new in digital format via Astra’s 28.2 degrees East slot. As expected, Zee TV has ceased analogue transmissions via its 10788MHz vertical transponder. Also, the Pal channels which had been occupying 10877MHz vertical, namely The Racing Channel, The Adult Channel PPV, Playboy Channel PPV and Talk Sport have all left. As Sky’s analogue channels depart for the 28.2 degrees East slot more and more new (to Astra) channels are about to appear. On October 1 Viva will launch on 11127MHz vertical in Pal. Four months later, Viva 2 will start on 11303MHz horizontal on February 1, 2001. Cologne based Onyx TV, a music channel, is to launch on Astra on October 1 at 10788MHz vertical. The channel will broadcast here in clear Pal. FFH Melody, a new radio station aimed at the over 50s is due to launch on 10964MHz horizontal in ADR mode during November. A new channel from Hungary, Spektrum TV, has launched on 11992MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 168, APID 108 in MPEG-2/Crytpoworks.

16 degreesE:
Eutelsat W2
D – 11099MHz horizontal, SR 5924, FEC 3/4 is frequently used for Polish feed traffic. Recently some lesser known Polish TV channels have been appearing here for short periods, especially TV Nova. Portuguese channel SIC Internacional is currently free-to-air on 12568MHz horizontal.

13 degreesE:
Hotbirds 1/2/3/4/5
D – The French interactive service Nikita has joined the TPS multiplex on 10910MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4. Romanian channels Pro TV and Acasa TV have moved to 12198MHz horizontal, SR 12130, FEC 7/8 from 12203MHz horizontal. The line up is; Pro TV – V1160, A1120, Acasa TV (08:00-22:00) and Pro TV International (22:00-09:00) – V1260, A1220. This multiplex is encoded in PowerVu with the exception of Pro TV International which is free-to-air. Travel (V512, A650) and CCTV 4 China (V517, A700) are testing on 10930MHz horizontal. 12092MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 is carrying a new erotic channel entitled Rainbow Channel TV (RCT) on VPID 4520, APID 4521. At present the channel is testing with a promo video loop playing out in free-to-air MPEG-2. The Italian parliamentary channel, Camera dei Deputati has vacated 11804MHz vertical. On the same frequency, the PIDs for RAI Nettuno Sat has changed to V517, A655. Spanish radio station Cadena Planete has replaced Mega Radio on 12092MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, APID 4500. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has launched on 12484MHz vertical, SR 8298, FEC 3/4, APID 4522 in clear MPEG-2. Eurosport News is new on 12558MHz vertical in clear MPEG-2 via PIDs V2834, A2823. Two new south Asian TV channels have started on 12220MHz horizontal, SR 6161, FEC 3/4. They are Arirang TV – V33, A34, and ATN Bangla – V1057, A1058. Both channels are free-to-air at present but are likely to encode soon.
A – Voice of Turkey’s Foreign Service (one of the streams from Turkey’s external service) has launched via the 7.92MHz audio sub-carrier at 10974MHz horizontal.

10 degreesE:
Eutelsat-II-F4
D – NAK, the German religious channel operated by the New Apostles Church is now encoded on 11154MHz horizontal.

7 degreesE:
Eutelsat W3
D – DigiTurk has opened another multiplex, at 11674MHz horizontal, SR 30000, FEC 3/4. TRT 1 is testing here on VPID 2100. TRT 1 has also started test transmissions on 11575MHz vertical, VPID 2111 in clear MPEG-2 via Eutelsat-W3’s Aegean beam. BBC Prime is testing on 11492MHz vertical via PIDs V2110, A2212 in clear MPEG-2.

5 degreesE:
Sirius 2/3
D – A new Viasat multiplex has opened at 12034MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4. It contains TV1000 2 testcard – V3101, A3105, TV1000 3 testcard – V3111, A3115, TV 1000 2 Cinema testcard – V3121, A3125, TV1000 Cinema 3 testcard – V3131, A3135, RTL Deutschland – V3141, A3142 and Product Information Network – V3151, 3152. All are free-to-air.

3 degreesE:
Telecom 2C
D – A new French multiplex has been testing on 12669MHz horizontal, SR 19640, FEC 1/2. It contains France 3 Sat – V126, A136, France 2 – V721, A731, RFO Sat – V722, A732, France 2 tests – V768 (no audio) and Mosaique – V1200, A1201. All of these are free-to-air.

0.8 degrees/1 degreesW:
Thor 1, 2 & 3 & Intelsat 707
D – Telenor undertook a major reshuffle of its channels on September 5. The changes are; Fox Kids 11309MHz vertical ex.11229MHz horizontal, Travel 11229MHz horizontal ex.11309MHz vertical, The Adult Channel 11303MHz vertical ex.11309MHz vertical, Hallmark Entertainment 11309MHz vertical ex.12303MHz vertical, Adventure 1 12456MHz vertical ex.12226MHz vertical, Eurosport 12476MHz horizontal ex.12456MHz vertical, .tv (Dot TV) 12456MHz vertical ex.12303MHz vertical, TV4 12476MHz horizontal ex.12303MHz vertical, K- World 12476MHz horizontal ex.12303MHz vertical, NRK International 11677MHz horizontal ex.11174MHz vertical, NRK Europakanalen 11677MHz horizontal ex.11174MHz horizontal, NRK Alltid Nyheter 11677MHz horizontal ex.11174MHz horizontal, TV Finland 11677MHz horizontal ex.11174MHz horizontal, YLESat 1 & YLESat 2 11677MHz horizontal ex.11174MHz horizontal, TV Bio+ 11677MHz horizontal ex.11553MHz horizontal, DR1 will leave 11174MHz horizontal and EuroSport’s cable stream will leave 11691MHz vertical on October 31. A new Canal Digital platform has launched on 11677MHz horizontal, SR 26000, FEC 3/4. The current line up is: NRK International – V512, A640, TV Finland – V513, A644, TV Bio+ – V514, A648, Radio Finland – A652, Radio Suomi – A656, NRK Europakanalen – A660 and NRK Alltid Nyheter – A664. All of the TV channels are encoded in Conax but the radio channels are free-to-air. E! Entertainment TV on PIDs 519, A660 and EuroSport News via PIDs V520, A668 are both new on 12303MHz vertical, encoded in Conax.

11 degreesW:
Express 3A
D – RTS Serbia has found a new home here (see Transponder Monitor July 12, 2000). After a string of moves in order to find a satellite capable of providing strong signals into Europe and with the added hurdle of the fact that Nato countries will not carry the service RTS has finally settled here – at least for the time being. 11518MHz LHCP, burst into life on August 25 with no less than seven active streams. They were the domestic channels RTS 1 – V257, A258, RTS 2 – V513, A514, RTS 3 – V769, A770, RTS Sat (the International Service) – V1281, A1282, occasional feed traffic – V1537, A1538, Beograd 101 – A258 (left channel), Radio Beograd 1 – A259, Beograd 202 – A514 (left channel), Radio Beograd 2 – A515. All were available in clear MPEG-2 via Symbol Rate 16000, FEC 3/4. This was the situation for several days but by August 31 only RTS Sat remained. The previous temporary home of RTS was on Gorizont-31 at 40 degrees East, which was totally unsuitable for reception in most of Europe. These new Express-3A signals are easily received throughout Europe the Middle East and parts of Africa on very modest dish sizes. Interestingly, Express-3A’s Ku-band capability is leased to Eutelsat, which in effect results in the Paris based company sub-leasing to RTS. However, the deal has apparently been done through the Russian company Rostelecom which sub-leased the transponder from Eutelsat and then sub-leased to RTS. Express-3A C-band capacity is leased by Intersputnik.
A – Ostankino TV (ORT) continues here on 3675MHz RHCP in clear Secam with an excellent signal. The ORT service here is time shifted by +4 hours compared to the signal on Gorizont at 53 degrees East. The satellite feeds of Ostankino appear to have been unaffected by the major fire in the Ostankino TV Tower in Moscow last week. Presumably the satellite uplink station is supplied the TV signal via landline. Terrestrial relays of TV6 Moskva, ORT, RTR, NTV, TNT, TV Tsentr and several local TV and radio stations were taken off the air by the fire, which broke out on August 28 in the 540 metre tower. In fact, at one time only two TV channels remained on the air in Moscow, TNT and a local cable station Stolitsa. Programmes on the satellite service of ORT appeared to be running normally but news coverage of the incident was extensive.

15 degreesW:
Telstar 12
D – Tzu Chi TV from the Republic of China, perhaps better known as Taiwan, has launched via an SCPC carrier on 12620MHz horizontal, SR 2454, FEC 2/3 in clear MPEG-2. The channel was dual illuminating

31.5 degreesW:
Intelsat 801
D – This satellite appears to be turning into a mini hotspot for central African states as another channel started here last week. Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision du Mali (ORTM) from the country’s capital Bamako is using 3645MHz RHCP, SR 5750, FEC 1/2, VPID 32, APID 33. Radio Mali can also be found here on APID 34. The signal is very strong in southern England. In addition to Mali, RTS Senegal is on 3718MHz RHCP, SR 4881, FEC 2/3 and Tele Sahel from Niger uses an analogue Secam relay on 3918MHz RHCP.