A LOOK BACK AT TVRO 1993 A special posting to the Rec.Video.Satellite/Homesat By Robert Smathers Some of the events I feel were important in TVRO 1993, compiled from my Let's Talk Radio Network/Omega Radio Network logbook. =-=-=-=-=-= JANUARY ======= - Sky High TV was scheduled to reappear on ASC1/12 in mid-January. Sky High TV was a service where kids would learn how to operate a uplink control center and learn other broadcasting skills in a hands-on environment. They were testing on Spacenet 1 but disappeared and at the end of 1993 they still haven't been heard from. - International Channel moves to C1/20. - Fox Network moves to C1/19. - Keystone Inspirational Network moves to Galaxy 3/1. - SCOLA moves from Spacenet 1 to ASC1/23. - Spice moves to T3/20 and becomes a TVN PPV channel. - Deep Space 9 premieres. Dishowners give it a high approval rating. - The Prime Time Entertainment Network starts on the Warner Brothers transponder on T1/3. - Many services jump ship from Satcom F4R as Satcom F4R is preparing to be deactivated and moved to the Middle Eastern region. - Becker Satellite Network disappears from Spacenet 2. - There is a rumor Galaxy 5 will be moving. Friday Night Live talks to sources and reassures dish owners that G5 will not be going anywhere. - General Instruments announces that it has been given approval to export the VC2 RS product. - Cable companies are being upgraded to the VC2+ module. - DirectTV signs Paramount Studios for PPV movies. - PrimeTime 24 gives dish owners ITC feeds (especially for the Super Bowl). - PBS announces they've purchased a seventh transponder on T401. With this purchase, PBS owns 6 Ku-band and 1 C-band transponder. - The Canadian Home Shopping Channel goes video compressed. Vision TV and Y-TV will soon join CHSC. - DB1 comes back to LTRN. They were on the Becker Network. - Stanley Hubbard, a broadcasting pioneer, dies. - NPR announces they will be going to digital audio delivery in the future. At the end of 1993, they haven't done it yet. - Color bars and other occasional video show up on Galaxy 7 C and Ku-band. Testing phase is reaching an end. - Bob Heil announces he is coming out with a selectable bandwidth SCPC receiver. - Galaxy 1 has been making dishowners angry. Some dishes cannot handle the two degree spacing and Satcom C3 and C4 are operational on either side of G1, thus causing interference. - PBS adds schedule E -- Spacenet 4/4 -- this feed features Charlie Rose. - SBS4 turns off and starts moving to 77 deg W as Galaxy 7 Ku-band becomes operational. - SBCA holds trade show in San Diego, CA. A survey conducted at the show said 94% of 200 dealers felt their business would improve in 1993. 90% of those same dealers said DBS would enhance their business. SBCA's 1st Annual Chairman's Award goes to Arthur C. Clarke. - Problems with solar cells on Galaxy 4 have caused a launch delay. - Galaxy 3 has been thinning out. Services such as MTV, VH1, and other cable-type services have moved to their new homes on the western end (especially Satcom C3/C4). - Galaxy 7 Ku format causing problems to dishowners -- this is a new format not seen before on any North American Ku-band satellite. ROM upgrades start coming out to handle G7 Ku. - Viewer's Choice Continuous Hits launches on C1/21. - Space Shuttle Endeavour launches the 6th TDRS satellite. - Bill Clinton is inaugurated as President. Satellite feeds are plentiful. - Radio Genesis leaves the satellite TV sky. - The Idea Channel appears to be gone for a few weeks. They were seen on an occasional video basis on Satcom F4R. FEBRUARY ======== - NHK Tokyo to U.S. feed moves to Satcom C1/17. - Deutsche Welle TV has moved programming audio carrier to 6.8. - Friday Night Live becomes a listener supported network. - Satellite Data Text Service (SDTS) goes on a temporary hiatus. It is still not back at the end of 1993. - Babylon 5 pilot is fed on satellite. - Titan Linkabit is laying off engineers. It is not looking good for this competitor to General Instruments' Videocipher. Titan is having problems getting programmers to sign up. Titan eventually will cease operations. - Turner announces he is canning the Checkout Channel. The Checkout Channel has not shown a profit. The Airport Channel, on the other hand, has shown a profit and will remain. - Shopping Channels are increasing on satellite. The newest channel is Louie the Liquidator, a IDB COMM shopping channel. - World Trade Center bombing grabs headlines and video feeds. - A study shows cable penetration of 61 percent nationwide. - 4 ATF agents killed in Waco, TX. A standoff at David Koresh's compound begins. - Spacenet 1 ceases North American operations. MARCH ===== - SBS4 becomes operational at 77 deg W. - DMX Music Express moves from F4R to C3/24. - Viacom begins digital compression on G5/24. - KBL moves transponders on Spacenet 2 -- they go to transponder 7 and then shortly move again, to transponder 13. - Minority Broadcasting Network launches on Galaxy 3/21. This channel is dedicated to showing movies starring minorities. - RTPi moves from Spacenet 3 to Galaxy 3/5 and scrambles up with VC2+. - In a poll of news believability -- CNN is ranked most believable, followed by ABC, CBS, and NBC. - Z-Music launches on Satcom C4/24. - Showtime 2 and FLIX move to Galaxy 1. - Gary Cubetta and SATELLIT CITY TV are rumored to be facing legal action over the marketing of the "SUPER ICE" LNB. - Radio AAHS launches -- if not this month, than not too long ago on ASC1/22. - Medical News Network launches on SBS6. - Spacenet 2 is fast becoming a Spanish language satellite. GEMS TV shows up on transponder 24. Canal de Noticias NBC shows up on transponder 5. - Access America is moving to Satcom F2R. - Channel America leaves for ASC1/20. - Arabsat purchases Satcom F4R from Telesat Canada. Telesat Canada received back F4R when it was taken out of service by G.E. Americom. F4R starts trek to the Middle Eastern arc. - KGAY radio heads for financial trouble. They pull their Galaxy 5/6 feed. - A block of computer programs begins on Mind Extension University. This block will eventually spin off into Jones Computer Network. - MSDOS v6.0 released in a teleconference on satellite TV. - Empire Sports Network moves to Galaxy 3/2. - All News Channel moves to Galaxy 1/5. APRIL ===== - Galaxy 3 becomes an occasional video satellite. G3 has a life of 2 years left. - Satcom F4R quits service to North America. - SBCA Industry Connection returns to satellite radio. They were gone the last few weeks because their feed on Telstar 3/24 was not available. A ocean communications cable was cut and T3 was used for those communication channels until the ocean cable was restored. - Anik C1 and C2 are sold to Argentina for the NAHUEL project. - Asian TV starts up on G3/7. - SCOLA announces they will go digital compressed on T401 in 1994. - A strange VC2+ signal shows up on Satcom C5/13. It is a feed of SportsChannel Chicago. - Tavern TV leaves satellite television. - SATELLITE JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL magazine begins. - Hospitality TV launches on Galaxy 7. - CBS moves their Telstar 301 affiliate feeds to Galaxy 7. - BBC World Service TV and other BBC services have started transatlantic video compression service. - ABC Radio Networks go to newer digital receivers -- a newer SEDAT system where now over 100 channels on a transponder are possible rather than the 70 on the older SEDAT system. - Satellite Music Network announces they will go DAT/SEDAT. - Uniden forms a policy not to sell satellite receivers to home shopping channels. MAY === - DirectTV signs TBS, CNN, CNN HN, TNT, and Cartoon Network. Also signed are USA, Sci-Fi, TNN, CMTV, and Family Channel. - DirectTV dealer hotline begins service. - Public Broadcasting Service announces they will launch a cable channel (launch date TBA) called HORIZON TV. - Telesat Canada and The Movie Network (formerly First Choice) have signed a contract for 5 years to cover 5 video compressed channels. - General Instruments annouces that a Digicipher 2 MPEG-2 compatible video decompressor will be developed. - Reseau de Sports changes ownership. - MuchMusic gets CRTC permission to raise cable per subscriber rates from $.08 to $.09 CDN. - CBS changes their plans for affiliate feeds. They were originally scheduled to leave T302 for G4, but since G4's launch was delayed, they decided to go on Galaxy 6 and just hot-switch over to G4. - Electronic counter measures cause authorization problems with some VC2+ descramblers. - Country Music TV begins service on Satcom C4/24. - Keystone Inspriational Network moves to G3/11. JUNE ==== - SPECTRUM, a radio hobby magazine with live call-in, begins on WWCR and the Let's Talk Radio Network. - Dan Rather and Connie Chung do their first CBS EVENING NEWS together. - Primestar enhances their channel lineup by adding CNN, TNN, and the Family Channel. Dropped from Primestar are WWOR, KTLA, and WSBK. - Gene Scott moves to Galaxy 3/12. - Telemundo moves to Galaxy 6/8. - Family Network moves to Galaxy 7/14. - Prime Time Entertainment Network announces that Time Trax, Babylon 5, and Kung Fu have been renewed. - Whoopi Goldberg talk show has been cancelled from syndication. - DirectTV announces they have signed Discovery Channel, E! Entertainment, CSPAN, CSPAN2, and the Learning Channel. - Turner's Board of Directors approves two new channels: U.S. feed of CNN INTL and Turner Movie Classics. - Outdoor Channel shows up on F2R/3. - Home Dish Market Channel moves to Galaxy 3/8. - Future Mart is now seen on an occasional video basis on F2R/7. - Bob "Alien Bob" Berry passes away. ET MONITOR show soon goes away. - Galaxy 4 launched. Galaxy 6 and SBS-6 are preparing to move when G4 becomes operational in a couple months. - KJAZ-FM appears on WGN's video service. JULY ==== - ABC feeds move from T1 to T2 and G3. - SBCA Nashville Show occurs. - CNN International disappears from Spacenet 3R/16. A CNN LA slate appears there. A CNN International feed appears on GSTAR-2. The CNN LA slate disappears after a few days and CNN International moves back to S3R/16. The GSTAR-2 feed remains. - General Instruments announces the launch of an investigation into the VC2+ authorization glitches. They hope to have an answer at the SBCA Nashville show. - Galaxy 4 C-band testing begins just two weeks after launch. - Gary Bourgois' trees were trimmed and he reports the video is much better. - DirectTV signs contracts to carry CNN International and Turner Movie Classics. - The first rumors of a Canadian Exxxtasy porn channel are released. AUGUST ====== - Galaxy 4 becomes operational. Many services and wild feeds move on to G4. - The American Infochannel launches - Satellite Dealers Association Moline, IL show occurs. Fred Deferbrache (sp!) wins the ETA Tech of the Year award. Jim Roberts wins the Pat Porter Friend of the Satellite Dealer Award. - SportsChannel America moves to Satcom C3/22. - Wild feeds are moving from T1 to G4 or T2. Robert Smathers has a tough time keeping the Internet Wild Feeds list up to date. - TV Food Network launches with a programming block that is repeated over and over 24 hours a day on Galaxy 3/24. - Primestar puts in an order for half a million Digicipher video decompressors. They are going to try to put there service in video compression mode before DirectTV launches in April 1994. - Via TV home shopping network launches on Galaxy 3/1. - Galaxy 6 reaches its new slot at 99 deg W. NHK moves from G4/22 to G6/22. - SBS-6 becomes operational at 95 deg W. CONUS moves to SBS-6 at the new slot from Galaxy 4 Ku. - The Cable Health Network launches on Satcom C4/14. - NC Open Net moves from ASC1 to T2/22. SEPTEMBER ========= - The Virginia/Virginia Tech satellite educational network launches on Telstar 301. - Radio Shack starts selling a Galaxy 5 system. - The Asia Network (TAN) moves to Galaxy 7/15 Ku-band. - Minority Broadcasting Network leaves the satellite sky. - Disney 2 leaves Galaxy 1/4. - ESPN 2 starts promotional activities on Galaxy 5/14. - Asian American TV Network starts broadcasting 12 hours a day on Galaxy 7 Ku. - The Irish Channel moves from Galaxy 6 to Galaxy 7/5. - Satellite Sports Networks (SSN) announces that the 8 regional SportsChannels will be added to their package. - NBC purchased capacity on SBS4. They will slowly start using SBS4 for feeds. - David Letterman's show launches on CBS and it was hard to find a ITC affiliate feed for the first week. As time goes on, it is easier to find a feed. - FCC is starting to look at why the Cable Bill has raised subscribers rates. Cable companies have found loopholes in the Cable Bill and have raised rates where they could. - SUR moves to Spacenet 2/4. - GEMS moves to S2/2. - Request 2 PPV goes Digicipher on Satcom C4/2. - VTC launches Starnet on T2/16. Starnet is an occasional video service. - RAI radio moves to the 7.38 carrier on C1/15. - Craig Davidson's uplink occurs on September 21 on SBS5/13 -- the world gets to see Action Bob, Dan Morgan of DB1, and Gary Bourgois through the magic of videotape. Overall, it was a great uplink for dish owners to receive. - FBI does a Videocipher sting. The FBI went undercover and said a VC2+ break was available and they would sell the details of the break. Many pirates were caught in the sting. - Gary Bourgois gets his Orbitron dish installed with the help of Dean Spratt and Mike Kohl. Gary gets some Atlantic ocean satellites and everything west to C5. - There is a rumor that NBC will scramble affiliate feeds -- no verification has been made. - Playboy, HBO, and Cinemax shut down the VC2 commercial datastream. Netlink, Primetime 24, the Turner services, and Disney are close to shutting off their commercial datastreams. OCTOBER ======= - TV Food Network moves to G1/4. - ESPN 2 officially launches. - Retransmission Consent/Must Carry deadline comes and goes. There appears to be no problems except in Corpus Christi, TX. TCI launches a "TCI FYI" channel to describe to cable subscribers in some cities (especially Corpus Christi) why their favorite over-the-air stations are missing from cable. - Slates appear on ANik E1/20 advertising the upcoming Canadian Exxxtasy service. Warnings fly when subscription money is asked for when the service has not actually launched ("remember LVTN"...) - Video compression artifacts are seen in the video of the BBC Breakfast News on Anik E2/7. Those artifacts disappear in a few weeks. - The Canadian Satellite Forum has its last show. It is the first major home TVRO talk service loss of the year. TVRO owners do not know it at this point, but two other will fall from the sky before the year is over. - TCI and Bell Atlantic merge. - Via TV appears to have a second feed on Galaxy 5/2 on an occasional video basis. - G.I. announces there is a shortage in Videocipher II+ modules. - Fires in Southern California made for interesting viewing on satellite TV feeds. NOVEMBER ======== - TV Food Network officially launches. - Paramount announces affiliates for a proposed 5th television network. Big names anchor affiliates are WWOR and KCOP. - Fires in Malibu, CA again made for spectacular local coverage feeds on satellite TV. - 10 inch dish scam in newspaper ads hit the talk networks. The SDA spends the most effort of any dealer organization trying to spread information about the scam. - Solidaridad 1 is launched on an Ariane rocket. - Canadian Exxxtasy has still not launched but many activities are occurring. The CRTC is requiring Canadian Exxxtasy to get a DBS license. It is believed that getting the license will be very unlikely for a porn channel. On another front, it is reported that the service will not be marketed to U.S. dishowners and also that a long term transponder contract has not been signed with Telesat Canada. - PASS announces that the Let's Talk Radio Network needs to be off the 5.8 audio subcarrier by December 1. LTRN starts the search for a new home. - QVC has worled with a Mexican group to launch Mexico's first home shopping channel on the Morelos 1 satellite. - NHK Tokyo to U.S. feed leaves C1/17. - Satellite Bingo is supposed to start on G3/8 on Saturday evenings. - La Cadena Deportiva, a Spanish language sports station from Prime Ticket, launches on C1/21. - KLON-FM, a popular jazz music station, leaves S3/15 and goes to G5/2. - DirectTV signs Court TV, Playboy, the Weather Channel, the Travel Channel, and the Golf Channel. - KDVR launches on Satcom C1/11. It is in VC2+ mode and not available to home dish owners yet. DECEMBER ======== - Telstar 401 is launched. Home dish owners are waiting impatiently for the satellite to go into service. - DBS-1 is launched. That puts the DirectTV service right on schedule for a April 1994 launch. - The Omega Radio Network launches on Galaxy 3/17 at 5.80. Its arrival was much anticipated as it marked the return of TVRO informational and entertainment radio. - The Let's Talk Radio Network carrier is pulled on December 3. It was announced they will not be back. That was the second major TVRO informational channel loss. - The third and final major TVRO informational channel loss occurred when the SBCA Industry Connection left the air due to not enough time to put good effort into the show on the part of the host Harry Tibidou (sp). - The Hubble Space Telescope repair mission occurred. Coverage was all over satellite TV -- CNN, CSPAN, and CONUS COMM were major rebroadcasters for NASA Select during spacewalks. - National Empowerment TV launches on Galaxy 7/20. It is dubbed "CSPAN with an attitude". - KDVR moves to C1/5. It is still unavailable to home dish owners. - Network One launches on C1/11. Many dish owners feel it is not worth watching. - Solidaridad 1 becomes operational. That Mexican home shopping service moves on to SD1. Color bars appear on transponder 23. - Canadian Exxxtasy finally launches. It is not known how they got past a DBS license requirement, but many dish owners are surprised they launched. They are still going strong on Anik E1/20 as the year ends. - Hughes Communications announces that Galaxy 7 C-band will be made into a cable bird. On this bird, cable programming FX, Playboy, and National Empowerment TV among others will be located. - Playboy started up dual-illuminated feed on Galaxy 7/22. The feed is an exact duplicate of the Galaxy 5/2 feed. - ESPN 2 scrambles on G5/14. - CBS Sports loses NFL football rights fight. Dish owners are wondering where and how FOX and NBC will do their feeds next season. It is not clear if backhauls, affiliate feeds, or both will be encrypted next football season. Only time will tell. - NASA announced that NASA Select was moving from F2R/13 to S2/5. This move angers many dishowners who wished that NASA Select would have moved to central arc to get 50 state coverage.