Thursday, 21 February 2008

SES ASTRA (an SES company, Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) today announced the appointment, with immediate effect, of Steve Maine as CEO of their jointly-owned venture offering Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) in S-Band. The Joint Venture, known under the name Solaris, will commercialize the first satellite
infrastructure in Europe for broadcasting video, radio and data to mobile devices and vehicle receivers as well as a range of interactive mobile services. Eutelsat`s W2A satellite carrying the S-Band payload is under construction since October 2006 and is scheduled for launch at the very beginning of 2009.

As a seasoned executive in international telecommunications, broadcasting and new media, Steve Maine brings industry-leading experience into the S-band initiative driven by Europe's two leading satellite infrastructure operators. His professional achievements include the expansion of Kingston Communications from a local UK telephone company into a major player in voice, data, television and Internet services. Steve began his career at British Telecom (BT) where his posts included Director of Visual and Broadcast Services, which pioneered a strong and lasting satellite broadcasting business across Europe. He has also served on the board of Scottish Media Group, Scotland's main television and radio broadcaster.

Commenting on his appointment, Steve Maine said: _We are standing on the verge of a whole new market for Mobile Satellite Services and I believe that no two companies are better-placed than SES ASTRA and Eutelsat to contribute their industry-leading knowledge and experience towards a new set of mobile applications of real value to consumers across Europe. I am convinced that this is the most innovative opportunity in Europe_s telecommunications and media marketplaces and I am very excited by the prospects for opening a new chapter in satellite communications in Europe._

_We are extremely pleased that Steve will be heading one of our major strategic satellite infrastructure initiatives,_ said Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA. _With the Solaris project, we expand into the next generation of satellite-based businesses and enter the sector of mobile services. Solaris will offer significant advantages to network operators, broadcasters and providers of interactive services._

"Steve has already made a real impact on satellite broadcasting and telecommunications markets in Europe," said Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat Communications CEO. "He has a strong vision of the enormous potential of the S-band for Mobile Satellite Services, both for broadcasting and for interactive services, and is well-placed to take our new venture to market as we head towards countdown to launch at the beginning of 2009 of our innovative S-Band payload."

The Solaris S-band satellite infrastructure will enable the deployment of a fully-fledged TV experience on mobile devices, anytime, anywhere. For the first time in Europe a set of frequencies are being set aside both for terrestrial and satellite services. These S-Band frequencies sit alongside the UMTS frequencies already in use across Europe for 3G terrestrial services, facilitating the inclusion in mobile handsets of these new mobile services. Handsets equipped with the first DVB-SH chipsets were successfully demonstrated last week at the 3GSM conference in Barcelona in a demonstration of live mobile TV in the S-Band. The Solaris satellite infrastructure will also enable a wide range of interactive services for commercial and public service applications.

Got a little short of time, we are going to Egyptia early friday morning. The laws says you can use the all am spectum to local radio if you don't interfear with high power stations dayligth.
Today i did revice a letter from www.rtvv.se about if I'm intressed to broadcast in the am band at cordinated frequncies
and other am frequncies at low power eg few 100 watts
roy

"tesug" <...> wrote:
In article <20080220190311.13966....>,
... (Roy Sandgren) wrote:

Well you have to be prepared to pay the inspection as copyrigths.
ITU can not denie you to get a licence by the radioauthority in
your country.
Don't make it so very complicated, it's not, when it's to simple to
do, it will be complicated to others.

I agree Roy it's not complicated, but there has to be a structure that
will be agreed internationally.
I have sat on the things such as the SW meetings and they have to

plan

a
whole range of issues to keep everyone happy and EVEN a 1watt AM
service
can create chaos under certain weather conditions as you know.
Therefore, the project would not only need to plan and have a

structure

for normal transmission conditions, but all for the days when there
would
b e a major pile-up of stations (mind you I'm sure the few remaining
QSL
card collectors would love that day).

So far from making it complicated I am suggesting to you that

thinking

Ted Finch wrote:

I recently acquired freeview so that the lady wife could watch endless

crime programmes.

She noticed that the sound and picture sometimes go out of sync, not much more than a millisecond I would suppose. Changing channels clears this.<

You didn't by chance purchase a 'Digihome' box did you?

I bought one a couple of months ago from Sainsburys, it gave no end of trouble. The audio went out of sync, the picture froze, it would all lock up when you changed channels, and all sorts of other annoyances. Not being satisfied I took it back, low and behold the replacement acted with similar faults, so I returned that one. Box number 3, and guess what? Exactly the same. I didn't expect much for £14, but I did expect them to at least work. So, I sold a couple of copies of the Big Issue, turned out the kids piggy banks, rooted around down the back of the sofa and managed to scrape up another three quid. I returned box 3 paid the extra and bought an Alba freeview, perfect, not a hint of any problems.

Andy

In article <20080221094141.20538....>, ... (Roy Sandgren) wrote:

Got a little short of time, we are going to Egyptia early friday
morning. The laws says you can use the all am spectum to local
radio if you don't interfear with high power stations dayligth.
Today i did revice a letter from www.rtvv.se about if I'm intressed
to broadcast in the am band at cordinated frequncies
and other am frequncies at low power eg few 100 watts

If that's good for you Roy – GREAT!

Eric

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/dcr/applications/westwales/

 I think that "pirate catching" is rarely driven by policy or by  government instruction. Fairness does not come into the equation.

Here are some of the real consideration:

[1] Criminal activity peripheral to the pirate operation demands action.

[2] A complaint from an influential person demands action. 

[3] Fear of OFCOM employees and agents for themselves and their families results in inaction.

[4] Overwork and under resource within OFCOM results in inaction.

[5] A like for a bit of pirate catching involving low-risk operators may result in action.

[6] The opportunity for Saturday and Sunday overtime may result in action.

[7] Accommodation of racial minority may result in inaction, particularly in flashpoint areas.

[8] Direct interference to civil, defence and emergency services may demand action. 

Well thats includes even high power am like 600 kw's, we got 8–10 of them aviable.
roy

Andy P <...> said:
Ted Finch wrote:

I recently acquired freeview so that the lady wife could watch endless

crime programmes.

She noticed that the sound and picture sometimes go out of sync, not
much more than a millisecond I would suppose. Changing channels clears
this.<

You didn't by chance purchase a 'Digihome' box did you?

I bought one a couple of months ago from Sainsburys, it gave no end of
trouble. The audio went out of sync, the picture froze, it would all lock up
when you changed channels, and all sorts of other annoyances. Not being
satisfied I took it back, low and behold the replacement acted with similar
faults, so I returned that one. Box number 3, and guess what? Exactly the
same. I didn't expect much for £14, but I did expect them to at least work.
So, I sold a couple of copies of the Big Issue, turned out the kids piggy
banks, rooted around down the back of the sofa and managed to scrape up
another three quid. I returned box 3 paid the extra and bought an Alba
freeview, perfect, not a hint of any problems.

Andy

Richard

Yes, it has been necessary to do a "total reboot" by switching off at the mains a couple of times. Always a good cure.

Signal strength usually 75%+

Andy

Actually a Bush which is not exactly top of the range.

Thanks both for response. Its a minor irritation which I guess we will live with. Signal strength should be OK at 6 mi line of sight from Crystal Palace...I used to have to put a suppressor on analog TV.

Being a built up area there is a lot of local interference...I hoped digital would by pass much of this.

Thanks to both for replies.

Andy...are you still hopeful of the play offs or do you think you have shot your bolt.

News just in Gazza sectioned.

Regards

Ted

Roy Radio 603 <...> said:

Got a little short of time, we are going to Egyptia early friday morning.
The laws says you can use the all am spectum to local radio if you don't
interfere with high power stations dayligth.

Transmitting from within Egypt. Very dangerous in my opinion!

If you inadvertently say something or do something to offend Islam, then the odds are against you notwithstanding the fact that the government there is far more tolerant than most in the Islamosphere.

Ted Finch wrote:

Andy…are you still hopeful of the play offs or do you think you have

shot your bolt.<

Well, I'm still quietly confident of that play place, although at the rate of knots we were charging up the table (up until recently) there was a possibility of automatic promotion.
Still I'm happy :o)

Andy

Roy Litchfield <...> said:
Just a query on this frequency. Doing the usual knob twiddling whilst waiting on my wife in Perry Bar Birmingham and came across a powerful station on 106.4. Don't think it could have been a pirate as the commercials were to good. Any idea what this is?

Also- strong test tones signal, co-channel with Germany on 783 Khz heard here (Newmarket) most evenings in the last few months- any ideas what this could be? Direction seems to be either east or west of here (so it must be a new radioship in the north sea surely!)

gloworm558 . <...> said:

Roy Litchfield <...> said:
Just a query on this frequency. Doing the usual knob twiddling whilst waiting on my wife in Perry Bar Birmingham and came across a powerful station on 106.4. Don't think it could have been a pirate as the commercials were to good. Any idea what this is?

Also- strong test tones signal, co-channel with Germany on 783 Khz heard here (Newmarket) most evenings in the last few months- any ideas what this could be? Direction seems to be either east or west of here (so it must be a new radioship in the north sea surely!)

No you need to listen for the new radio ship on 531khz....but not yet!

Sterling Times <2@slewis.biz> said:
I think that "pirate catching" is rarely driven by policy or by
government instruction. Fairness does not come into the equation.

Well put and all points you raise are very valid.
The strangest thing about official action against pirates is that Ofcom are under no onus to publicly disclose where action is now taken..this is because of the Freedom of Information act! In other words if you want to know the outcome of a particular raid then you have to apply to Ofcom under the afore said act requesting the info.

This latest press release states that 900 such raids took place last year-more than 3 a day for every working day of the year!To avoid us taking a lot of time 'requesting' details of these actions maybe Mr Bartholomew could just create himself an AN log in and just tell us by how much his staff numbers have increased;or is it really the Royal Marine Commandos that are enforcers on the raids!

Last time i was there i did make some jokes about islam and they liked it.
Egyptia got even private radio. We will stay in hurghada all inclusive even free drinks,
roy

Roy Radio 603 <...> said:

Last time i was there i did make some jokes about islam and they liked
it.
Egyptia got even private radio. We will stay in hurghada all inclusive
even free drinks,
roy

 I think that if you were to make jokes about Islam on an Egyptian radio station you might put yourself at extreme risk. It's fundamental that if you visit an Islamic country that you avoid religious jokes.

The late Frank Preston did suffer a little at the hands of the pirates in the early 70s. He received several trials for a Bullworker, he had a lorry full of manure delivered to his front garden, he  had his coaxial cable pinned giving him huge problem with his SWR, and he had his detector van's petrol tanked filled with a dozen eggs.

However, he never had to face guns or dearth threats.

Frank was a little over-zealous but he faced pranksters rather than hardened criminals.

That's the difference nowadays.

Who would want to be a pirate catcher today?

Roy Radio 603 <...> said:

Last time i was there i did make some jokes about islam and they liked it.
Egyptia got even private radio. We will stay in hurghada all inclusive
even free drinks,
roy

Are you for real?? What are you planning to open in Egypt? An on air Christian Missionary Station? I'll bet you anything that the free inclusive drinks are only to get you 'off with your head' - literally.

I hope you have  insured yourself so your loved ones are left with more than a torso and a AM radio license written on the back of a pack of Camel ciggys.

Da Guff