111 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
111 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
Skyguide Issue 005 Page 1
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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 Sat 10th April 1993 -----------------------
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* HERE IS THE NEWS
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Not much to write home about this week..
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* VIDEO DIALTONE
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British Telecom has been attacked by the Cable Television Association
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following the announcement of its plans to introduce a "video on demand"
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service, sometimes known as "Video dialtone".
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The idea would allow BT customers to request video programming - most likely
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to be films - which would be sent to their homes via BT lines. Extra equipment
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would be required in the home for the service, the technology for which is
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liable to be available in under three years.
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The Cable Television Association, representing cable television companies who
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themselves are planning to offer a similar service, said that under
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anti-monopoly rules drawn up by Oftel, BT is prohibited from offering such a
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service until the regulations come up for renewal, which will not be before
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1998.
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* RADIO ACTIVE
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Much seems to be happening on the Satellite Radio scene at the moment. The
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feed of Virgin 1215 on Astra, as reported last week, is rumoured to be only
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temporary, and that once engineering trials are completed, the Astra service
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will cease.
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Hopefully it's a decision that isn't set in stone - you don't need to be a
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genius to recognise the much improved quality that even a mono Astra signal
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gives over ordinary Medium Wave reception.
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Meanwhile, Q-CMR (Quality Country Music Radio) has failed to launch as
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expected (see Skyguide Issue 1). Reports suggest that the audio subcarrier
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that they were hoping to use has been given to another broadcaster by BSkyB.
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If this is the case, QCMR are likely to challenge the decision in court.
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Two Christian Radio services are said to be launching soon. If and when they
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appear, you're likely to find them on any of Sky's spare audio subcarriers.
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Super Channel's "In Orbit" satellite news page, supplied by The European
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Satellite User Group, reports that Power FM, a radio station on MTV's
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subcarriers, is not closing, it is just changing its name (to Love FM), its
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music format (to Easy Listening), and its satellite (to a digital delivery
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mechanism on Eutelsat).
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It was unclear from the somewhat garbled report whether the Astra service will
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stay or go, although TESUG took the opportunity to have a go with the
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revelation that it would be cheaper to give away dedicated equipment to cable
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head-ends than to broadcast on Astra. Leaves the home dish owners out in the
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cold, though.
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Apparently the mailbag resulting from the closure of Euronet has prompted the
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return of the station. Early reports suggest that the channel will return,
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although possibly on a new transponder on Astra 1C. More news as we get it.
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==========================
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skyguide/skyguide #15, from bignoise, 1530 chars, Apr 9 19:39 93
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This is a comment to message 13.
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--------------------------
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Skyguide Issue 005 Page 2
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* SPRING GOLD
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More new shows come to UK Gold in the springtime, including a mix of comedy
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and drama drawn from the BBC's archives.
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"Are You Being Served?" returns to Satellite television after its previous
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screening on Sky's ill-fated Comedy Channel. "It Ain't Half Hot, Mum",
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screened on UK Gold's opening night, also comes to the channel.
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Ronnie Barker appears in seven different situation comedies under the banner
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of "Seven Of One", and Mel Smith weighs in with "Colin's Sandwich".
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A rapid repeat for "Moon And Son", starring Adam Faith, only recently
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broadcast on BBC1. The popular vet series "All Creatures Great And Small"
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appears, along with other dramas "Colditz" and "Rockliffe's Babies"
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* NEW AND IMPROVED
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>From this issue, Skyguide resticts itself to 78 columns per line, to be more
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amenable to offline readers like Matrix.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Skyguide is published weekly and is copyright. Not to be redistributed in any
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form without consent. Errors and Omissions expected. (c) 1993 by Ant Purvis
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Comments, suggestions, and even news stories are always appreciated! You can
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contact Skyguide in the following ways:
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CIX : mail to bignoise
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Fidonet : Netmail to ANTONY PURVIS at 2:251/22, or leave a message in the
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Satellite TV echo.
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Internet: bignoise@cix.compulink.co.uk
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