Using Intelsat‘s satellite capacity and Japan Telecom‘s [Tokyo: 9434] antenna facilities, Japanese broadcaster NHK is delivering programming from the Showa base in Antarctica to households in Japan. NHK has set up its high-definition TV broadcasting center in the Antarctic and is using the Intelsat 904 satellite at 60 degrees East Longitude to carry environmentally-themed programs aimed at increasing public awareness of the global environment.
Japan Telecom is using a series of short-term video leases from Intelsat, receiving the content at its Kamiyamaguchi earth station in Japan and forwarding it to NHK’s studios in Tokyo. The Japanese conglomerate also supplied a flyaway antenna suitable for operation in harsh environments and secured over 100 hours of transmission time on the 904 satellite.
