D = Digital
A = Analog

78.5 degreesE:
Thaicom 2&3

D Yes TV has started a digital service on 3538 MHz vertical, SR 3300, FEC 3/4, VPID 4132, APID 4133 in clear MPEG-2. A new to satellite channel, ITV Thailand, has launched on 3520 MHz, SR 26661, FEC 3/4, VPID 512, APID 640 in free-to-air MPEG-2. In the RR Satellite Communications package at 3551 MHz horizontal, SR 13333, FEC 3/4 The GOD Channel is new on two streams via PIDs V1025/1537, A1026/1538 in clear MPEG-2.

A Yes TV has left 3538 MHz vertical where it had been broadcasting in clear Pal.

72 degreesE:
PAS 4

D Some occasional feed traffic for the ART network has been sighted on 11515 MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 in clear MPEG-2. Also 11524 MHz vertical and 11532 MHz vertical have been active with some feeds from the same source. PAS 4 has moved here from the 68.5 degrees East slot.

68.5 degreesE:
PAS 7 & 10

D The sole remaining free-to-air TV channel in the MultiChoice Africa line-up on 3863 MHz vertical, SR 20600, FEC 3/4 has encoded in Irdeto. Fashion TV on PIDs V514, A642 had been in the clear here for some time. During the early evening of March 12 a live feed from ITN’s Johannesburg bureau which was being uplinked by APTN Harare on the election situation in Zimbabwe was carried on 12625 MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 in clear MPEG-2. At 17:45 on the same day a GlobeCast Africa testcard was being relayed from Zimbabwe on 12635 MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256. A feed of a commercial for the Pakistan national airline PIA was carried on 4064 MHz horizontal, SR 19846, FEC 3/4, VPID 1260, APID 1220, ID:’SRV2′ on March 20 at 15:35 in clear MPEG-2.

58.5 degreesE: (Temporary slot)
Intelsat 904

A This new satellite is due to replace Intelsat 604 at 60 degrees East soon. At present it is parked here for in-orbit transponder soak tests prior to being manoeuvred into final position. Strong unmodulated and peak to black carriers have been noted on 3660 MHz LHCP, 3666 MHz LHCP, 3698 MHz LHCP, 3745 MHz RHCP, 4095 MHz RHCP, 4095 MHz LHCP, 4315 MHz RHCP, 4315 MHz LHCP and 4178 MHz LHCP.

50 degreesE:
Anatolia 1

D The Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2 is now available via an additional stream on 11117 MHz vertical, SR 3615, FEC 3/4, VPID 1360, APID 1320 in free-to-air MPEG-2. This channel is also present on 11525 MHz vertical, SR 3254, FEC 2/3. Some Israeli feed traffic is starting to appear here, notably on 11127 MHz vertical, SR 4686, FEC 3/4, VPID 4194, APID 4195. On March 19 at 18:20 a feed for Israel’s IBA Channel 1 under the ID:’Signal Network 1′ was spotted here and three days later a feed by RR Satellite Communications used this stream with the ID:’Tadiran Scopus’.

42 degreesE:
Turksat 1C & Eurasiasat 1

D Transmissions from the Turkish channel BRT on 11515 MHz vertical, SR 2500, FEC 5/6 have become somewhat intermittent. For long periods of time the channel is missing from this frequency. Eyilik TV has opened on 12548 MHz horizontal, SR 2398, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256 in clear MPEG-2. There has been something of a reshuffle in the StarDigital package at 12652 MHz horizontal, SR 22500, FEC 5/6. The Kral/Teleon stream on PIDs V1000, A1001 has changed to Star 2/Kral; Star Spor – V1050, A1051 – has changed to Star 5; Star 2 – V1623, A1633 has changed to Star 6; Star 1 – V1536, A1537 changed to Star 7; Metro FM – A2000 changed to Metro FM 97.2p; Super FM – A2021 changed to Super FM 89.8; Kral FM – A2040 changed to Kral FM 92.0 and Star 3 – V1312, A1313 has changed to Star 4. Radyo 7 is available on 11141 MHz vertical, SR 4299, FEC 3/4, APID 35 (right channel) alongside Kanal 7. Kanal A has moved from 11137 MHz vertical to 11600 MHz horizontal, SR 3150, FEC 5/6, VPID 33, APID 34 via Turksat’s Turkish beam. The Medical Channel is free-to-air again on 11148 MHz vertical, SR 2155, FEC 5/6, VPID 512, APID 526. Ege TV and Radyo Ege are new on 12552 MHz horizontal, SR 2400, FEC 7/8, VPID 308, APIDs 256/257. Radyo 7 has opened on 11141 MHz vertical, SR 4300, FEC 3/4, APID 35. The StarDigital multiplex which had occupied 11804 MHz vertical has left this frequency. The line-up included RTL Osterreich, RTL2 Osterreich, TRT 1, CNBC-E, Sky News plus others.

A Karadeniz FM has left the audio baseband on the back of Cine 5 at 11006 MHz vertical. The Turkish radio channel had been occupying the 7.56 MHz audio sub-carrier. Kral TV/Star 2 has left 11723 MHz vertical where it had been available in free-to-air Pal.

36 degreesE:
Eutelsat W4 & Sesat

D The two Big Brother Russia feed streams on 12245 MHz RHCP, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 which were entitled ‘Stelkom 1’ and ‘Stelkom 2’ in the EPG have left the frequency. The Italian channel Leonardo launched on 12399 MHz, SR 26480, FEC 3/4, VPID 33, APID 34 last week but within a couple of days it had been replaced by RAI International. AIT International from Nigeria is new on 12207 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 6178, APID 6177 within the MultiChoice Africa line-up.

28.5 degreesE:
Eurobird

D There have been some PID changes on 11507 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 2/3. The new parameters are; Kerrang – V2325, A2326; Magic – V2328, A2329; Smash Hits! – V2312, A2313; Animal Planet+ – V2315, A2316; Discovery Home & Leisure – V2318, A2319; atr (testcard) – V2321, A2322 and Fox News – V2323, A2324. Purple Radio is testing in free-to-air MPEG- 2 on 11661 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 2/3, APID 2316. A new Asian channel, identified only as ‘S4U’ in the EPG, is testing on 11661 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 2/3, VPID 2314, APID 2315. This stream carries the new service from the Red Hot stable – Red Hot Wives – at night. The new shopping channel Thane Direct has launched on 11546 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 2309, APID 2310, SKY Ch.835 after several days of test transmissions. There is a little feed traffic here from time to time. On March 21 at 1645 a live feed featuring the unveiling of a new passenger aircraft manufactured by Fairchild/Dornier was carried on 12612 MHz vertical, SR 6111, FEC 3/4, VPID 3601, APID 3604, ID:’DSNG’ in free-to-air MPEG-2.

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

D The PIDs for Sky Premier 2, Sky Moviemax 3 and Sky Premier 3 on 11914 MHz horizontal, SR 26500, FEC 2/3 have been changed to V2310/2314/2318, A2311/2315/2319 respectively. The Welsh language channels S4C and S4C2 are currently available in clear MPEG-2 on 12129 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 2/3 via PIDs V2309/2321, A2311/2325. Simply Shop+ has left 12421 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 2/3 where it had been available in free-to-air MPEG-2. The audio service StormLive has vacated 12324 MHz vertical. New on 12207 MHz vertical is Sky News UK (Cable) on VPID 2305, APID 2306 in clear MPEG-2. Challenge TV has started on 11739 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 2/3, VPID 2310, APID 2312. The BBC’s first new national music radio station for 32 years, BBC 6 Music, officially launched on March 11. In addition to DAB distribution throughout the UK the station is also available in the Sky Digital line-up on 11798 MHz horizontal at Ch.911. Another new venture from the BBC will be 1xtra, a seventh national radio station which will include a mix of R&B, black music, garage and hip hop will launch in July and will also be carried by Sky Digital. On 12480 MHz vertical Sky Box Office Preview 2 is a newcomer via PIDs V2320, A2321 in clear MPEG-2. Shop!, one of the many home shopping channels is being forced to close due to dwindling turnover, a sight likely to be repeated in this overcrowded genre. Shop!, launched in 1998 and jointly owned by Littlewoods and Granada, is currently broadcasting on 12051 MHz vertical but will cease transmissions by the end of April. Sky Digital are to reshuffle many of the Asia TV channels in the coming week to try to tidy up the EPG in this rapidly expanding section. Simply Health & Fitness and Simply Shopping have swapped streams. Simply Shopping can now be found on 12422 MHz horizontal whilst Simply Health & Fitness is occupying 12129 MHz vertical. A new interactive service entitled Post Office Pay-As- You-Go Home Service has launched on 12246 MHz vertical.

26 degreesE:
Arabsat 2A & 3A

D The new Orbit Sports Channel has opened on 11804 MHz horizontal, SR 24571, FEC 7/8 in MPEG-1.5/PowerVu. The new channel has also appeared on 12073 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 912, APID 913 in Mediaguard encoded MPEG-2.

24.2 degreesE:
Astra 1D

D The Channel D mini package containing Channel D TV, Schlager and Heimat has left 10714 MHz horizontal, SR 2169, FEC 3/4 and has relocated to Astra 1A at 5.2 degrees East.

23.5 degreesE:
Astra 3A

D The launch of the thirteenth satellite in the SES fleet, Astra 3A, is due to take place during the night of 28/29 March from Kourou aboard an Ariane 4 launcher. 3A will be placed in geostationary orbit at this slot. It will carry a payload of 20 transponders operating in the frequency range 11450-11700 MHz and 12500-12750 MHz. As with Kopernikus, its predecessor at 23.5 degrees East, 3A will be used extensively for the carriage of TV and radio services to cable headends in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and for IP companies. The launch will be relayed live on Astra at 19.2 degrees East on transponder 22, 11538 MHz vertical in Pal and via Transponder 108, 12551 MHz vertical in free-to-air MPEG-2.

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

D SMS TV is testing within the French Canal Satellite Digital package on 12363 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 162, APID 8191 (no audio). The excellent French music channel MCM Africa has left the Canal Satellite Digital multiplex at 11739 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 to be replaced by Gourmet TV on PIDs V170, A120. MCM Africa has reappeared on 12012 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 166, APID 104.

A Radio Maria has replaced Radio Horeb on the 7.56 MHz audio sub-carrier on the back of ZDF at 10964 MHz horizontal in ADR mode. Radio Maria is already available on the Pro Sieben transponder via the 7.38 MHz sub-carrier in clear Pal and also on 10832 MHz horizontal, SR 22000, FEC 5/6 in free-to-air MPEG-2. During the morning of March 19 test transmissions from two German regional channels, MDR and NDR, were being relayed on 11171 MHz vertical. These have now ceased and the transponder is displaying a testcard in clear Pal. A new radio station has joined Neun Live TV at 10935 MHz vertical. Its Skyradio which hails from the Hessen region of Germany and can be found in ADR mode on the 7.38 MHz sub-carrier.

16 degreesE:
Eutelsat W2

D The Portuguese channel SIC Internacional is once again providing some free-to-air moments on 12568 MHz horizontal, SR 2892, FEC 3/4, VPID 308, APID 256. Normally the channel is encoded in RAS. 11084 MHz horizontal, SR 11313, FEC 5/6 which up to now has been used by a feeder service of Fox News is also carrying occasional feed traffic uplinked from the Fucino Earth Station near Rome.

A The digital age has finally reached Albania with the country’s external TV service, TV Shqiptar, launching an MPEG-2 service on 12567 MHz vertical, SR 4882, FEC 1/2 in the clear. TV Shqiptar used the 16 degrees East slot several years ago when they first launched an analogue satellite DTH service. Recently the channel has been using Eutelsat II F3 at 21.5 degrees East but as this craft is heavily inclined at certain times of the day reception was always difficult. The arrival of TV Shqiptar here should guarantee a much wider audience reach.

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

D Two new data streams have launched in the Eurosport multiplex at 12558 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4. They are identified as ‘Skyplex Internal Network’ and ‘NEW’. The Tamil language TRT Dish Asia Network in the GlobeCast package on 11623 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 228, APID 248 is now encoded. RAI International, which had temporarily been in the clear has encoded once again on 11464 MHz vertical, SR 4400, FEC 7/8. In the Greek Alpha multiplex at 11304 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 the audio service Alpha Sport 107.4 has changed its name to Alpha Sports 89.2, presumably as a result of a frequency change by the terrestrial service. Gourmet TV has joined the Television par Satellite line-up at 12245 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 126, APID 136 encoded in Viaccess. The Tamil language channel Tamil TV Network is encoded once again on 12245 MHz horizontal. In the Belgacom package at 12476 MHz horizontal the Serb channel Pink Plus and Radio Pink are encoded again following at least two weeks in the clear. From April 1 Viva Polska will be on the air 24 hours on 11605 MHz horizontal in the Deutsche Telekom package. TVP 3 Regionalna has been replaced by TV Polonia on 11457 MHz horizontal, SR 6110, FEC 3/4, VPID 4032, APID 4033 in clear MPEG-2.ART Tarab and ART Teenz Europe are temporarily free-to-air in their stream share on 12015 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 522, APID 750.

10 degreesE:
Eutelsat W1

D The APTN feed stream on 12629 MHz vertical, SR 5632, FEC 3/4, VPID 200, APID 280 is now encoded full time. Previously this stream was free-to-air.

7 degreesE:
Eutelsat W3

D The History Channel has joined the DigiTurk line-up on 11658 MHz vertical, SR 30000, FEC 3/4, VPID 2160, APID 2260 in Cryptoworks encoded MPEG-2.

5.2 degreesE:
Astra 1A

D The first signal to come from Astra 1A at its new slot here was from Channel D TV on 11375 MHz vertical, SR 2169, FEC 3/4, VPID 309, APID 325 in clear MPEG-2. Channel D has moved here from its former home on Astra 1D at 24.2 degrees East along with the audio services Schlager – A326 and Heimat – A327.

5.2 degreesE:
Sirius 2/3

D Xbox TV has launched in the Viasat multiplex at 11996 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 4041, APID 4042 in Viaccess encoded MPEG-2. In the KSS multiplex at 12453 MHz horizontal, SR 18052, FEC 3/4 Romantica is a newcomer via PIDs V133, A135 in clear MPEG-2. The TEM TV Ostankino TV streams for the Baltic region have launched on 11843 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4. The three streams carry ORT Estonia – V6201, A6202; ORT Latvia – V6211, A6212 and ORT Lithuania – V6221, A6222. TEM TV supply the Ostankino programming from Moscow to their cable system operating in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

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

D Omega TV is new on 11246 MHz vertical, SR 24500, FEC 7/8, VPID 518, APID 658. The channel has not started regular programmes but test transmissions are being carried out in readiness for an imminent launch.

5 degreesW:
Telecom 2C

D VT4, C-Dance and Radio Magdalena from Belgium have all left 12711 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4.

7 degreesW:
Nilesat 101 & 102

D The PIDs for Al-Manar TV in the Lebanese package on 12130 MHz vertical, SR 27500, FEC 3/4 have been changed to V2004, A3008. Al-Manar TV broadcasts in free-to-air MPEG-2. ART Hekayat has returned to the ADD bouquet at 12034 MHz horizontal, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, VPID 3124, APID 3125 following a short absence.

11 degreesW:
Express 3A

D The stream share with ITV Hungary and MusicMax Hungary has left 11620 MHz vertical, SR 2892, FEC 3/4, VPID 4226, APID 4227. Currently occupying this stream is an ‘IDL-EVOLV- E’ testcard in clear MPEG-2.

15 degreesW:
Telstar 12

D Appadana TV from the Iranian Jaam-e-Jam Network has launched on 12607 MHz vertical, SR 19560, FEC 2/3, VPID 370, APID 371 in free-to-air MPEG-2. This multiplex now carries some seven Farsi language channels namely Liberty TV – V308, A256; National Iranian TV – V306, A307; Pars TV Network – V322, A323; Iran TV Network – V338, A339; PBC Tapesh TV – V354, A355, the new Appadana TV and finally KIRN 670 Radio – A340. Also there are three Taiwanese TV channels in evidence here – Power TV – V257, A258; Tzu Chi TV – V275, A276 and MAC TV – V290, A291. The UPC bouquet on 11141 has relocated to 10996 MHz vertical, SR 7110, FEC 3/4. All of the channels here are encoded in Cryptoworks.

21.3 degrees/21.5 degreesW:
NSS 803 & NSS K

D On March 23 at 20:40 live coverage of the NHL hockey game between The Sharks and LA Kings was fed live from the US on 11590 MHz vertical, SR 20145, FEC 3/4, ID:’Channel 2′ in clear MPEG-2/NTSC.

55 degreesW:
Intelsat 805

D The Peruvian TV channel Frecuencia Latina on 4138 MHz vertical, VPID 1160, APID 1120 has changed its parameters. The new figures are SR 4700, FEC 1/2. Intelsat 805’s Global beam is centred on the northern half of South America at a signal level of 31 dBW. A level of 28 dBW is delivered to west Africa and the eastern half of the US and 26 dBW to western Europe and the rest of the United States.

All times in UTC unless otherwise stated.