169 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
169 lines
7.5 KiB
Plaintext
bbcid MORGAA01 @ BBC-BH
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Skyguide Issue 029
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-------------------------------- SKYGUIDE UK ---------------------------------
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| Your digest of the latest news in the world of Satellite & Cable TV |
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---------------------- Week Ending Sun November 28th -------------------------
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* NOT QUITE THE EUROPEAN
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Following the National Heritage Department's warning to TNT and the Cartoon
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Network about not carrying the required 51% minimum quota of European
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programming, the department has conducted an investigation into which other
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satellite channels do not meet the requirement.
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From all the channels broadcast from the UK, only three - Sky News, Sky
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Sports, and The Children's Channel (thanks to its large quantity of home-made
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programming and European cartoons) meet the minimum quota.
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All other channels, the report says, fall below the quota. Sky's three movie
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channels only broadcast 16% European programming, although Sky themselves
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claim that the requirement only applies "where practicable" - and since 92% of
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the films released in the UK are made outside Europe, it is not practical to
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have a film channel devoting 50% of its output to the 8% of European films.
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Notable omissions include Super Channel, once broadcasting a large quantity of
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European programming, although not now that it has been taken over by NBC.
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Also strangely absent from the list is Astra channel UK Gold - while the
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channel has been known to show the occasional few shows from the USA and
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Australia, the majority of its programming comes from Britain. Whether the
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omission was an error on the part of the National Heritage Department has not
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been made clear.
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The report made no mention of whether any action would be taken against the
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remaining broadcasters, although technically they are all violating European
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broadcasting rules.
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Another channel potentially breaking EC rules is QVC. Broadcasting directives
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state that teleshopping output may not exceed one hour per day, unless the
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broadcast is restricted to just one member state. QVC technically broadcasts
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to two states - the UK and Eire.
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The ITC has decided that the rules do not apply to QVC, but the possibility of
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EC officials making representations to the Government has not been ruled out.
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* ASTRA BACKUP
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Some Astra 1A channels may have to move to backup transponders on Astra 1C,
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owing to the Astra 1A satellite "overheating".
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First to move is the film channel Teleclub, and other channels may also make
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the voyage if this does not solve the problem.
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Viewers should notice no difference, although there may be a slight
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improvement in signal strength in some regions. While the channels concerned
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will be broadcasting on Astra 1C, the original Astra 1A frequency will be
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used, therefore no re-tuning will be necessary.
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The Astra 1C satellite has an extra group of backup transponders (in addition
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to the standard 18) which can be brought into service to replace any Astra 1A
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or 1B channel.
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* GALAVISION COMPLAINTS
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The Independent Television Commission is currently investigating one of the
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new Astra 1C channels, Galavision.
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A number of complaints have been received about the channel, largely centred
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around the channel's regular screening of live bullfighting. Complaints have
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also been received that the channel shows cigarette advertising, which (on TV)
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is illegal in Europe.
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Galavision was removed from UK Cable networks in the past for the
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bullfighting, but now that anyone with an Astra dish can see the channel, it
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has caused fresh concern.
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While Galavision originates in Mexico, the channel is uplinked onto the Astra
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satellite by SES in Betzdorf, Luxembourg, and must therefore meet European
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broadcasting requirements.
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* TOLD YOU SO
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As predicted in an earlier Skyguide, Chinese News Europe has launched on Astra
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on The Family Channel's Astra transponder.
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The service, previously broadcast overnight on Superchannel, has changed its
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name to Chinese News and Entertainment, and will broadcast from 1am to 3am
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daily, with an 8 to 10 hour service planned for next year.
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* STILL NO BT
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Latest figures from the ITC show that cable television operators across the UK
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installed 55,000 telephone lines in the last three months of 1992.
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The total number of cable telephone lines now in use across the UK is just
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under a quarter of a million.
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* TCC IN TROUBLE
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A recent advertisment for The Children's Channel has been rapped by the
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Advertising Standards Authority. The advertisment, which urged children who
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couldn't receive TCC to complain to their parents, fell foul of the UK's
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advertising rules. Children's advertising is not permitted to urge children to
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ask their parents to buy or obtain any product or service.
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The Children's Channel claimed that the commercial was tongue in cheek, but
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the ASA rejected this.
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* THE DEAL IS SIGNED (AT LAST)
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UK Gold has finally signed a deal with Equity, the actors union, allowing it
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to broadcast programmes from Thames' film subsidiary, Euston Films.
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Capital City, The Sweeney and Minder will begin screening early in 1994.
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* TV BRIEFLY
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Sky claim that the launch of Multi-Channels has set off a surge in satellite
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dish sales. Sales of over 160,000 for November and December are forecast.
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Thames Television has sold animation company Cosgrove Hall, producers of
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Dangermouse and Count Duckula, amongst others. The new company will be 25%
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owned by Cosgrove-Hall, with the remaining 75% shared between Anglia
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Television in the UK, and US broadcaster Home Box Office.
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The Family Channel begins a three-month run of a new series, Family
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Catchphrase, in January. It is likely that this show may also be sold to the
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ITV Network for later screening.
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Also starting in January on the Family Channel are two TVS productions,
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Perfect Scoundrels and C.A.T.S. Eyes.
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Sky Television has taken the unusual step of announcing that the next change
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to the Videocrypt scrambling to invalidate pirate cards will be at 13:30 UK
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Time on December 6th.
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A survey by UK Living reveals that up to 30% of satellite homes have not tuned
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their receivers to the channel.
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Sky has sold the second Marco Polo statellite for an undisclosed sum to an
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undisclosed buyer.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Skyguide Issue 29 Edited by Ant Purvis
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Skyguide is usually published fortnightly, but may occasionally publish weekly
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depending on news availability. You can find it on London's CIX system in the
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Skyguide conference, Fidonet's Satelite TV echo, the Packet Radio Network, and
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on internet in the alt.satellite.tv.europe newsgroup.
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Skyguide is not a commercial publication, nor is it a cut-down version of a
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printed journal. Nonetheless, it is copyright, and is not to be redistributed
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in any form without consent. (Just ask!)
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Errors and Omissions expected. If we get something wrong, let us know and
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we'll put it right!
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Back issues can be mailed to internet mailboxes on request.
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Comments, suggestions, stories and monetary donations are always appreciated!
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You can contact Skyguide in the following ways:
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CIX : mail to bignoise, or use the Skyguide/comments conference.
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Fidonet : Leave a message in the Satellite TV echo
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Internet: bignoise@cix.compulink.co.uk
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