Snippets
foxy
1 Racing No-Go
2 ITV Schedule
Racecourses fail to pick a winner=20
The Racecourse Association has announced that it has failed to pick a=
winning bid for the broadcast and internet rights to live horseracing, wri=
tes Dominic Timms.=20
All 59 Racecourse owners held a meeting at Haydock Park today to thra=
sh out whether Carlton Communications or the Go Racing Consortium - made up=
of Channel 4, BSkyB, Arena Leisure and NTL - would win the contract which =
could be worth around =A3400 million to the horseracing industry.
While Go Racing was widely tipped to emerge as the winner this aftern=
oon, it is understood that support for Carlton's bid was holding firm just =
prior to the start of today's meeting.
The stalemate is understood to have been caused by friction between t=
he 'big five' racecources - who favour Go Racing - and the smaller regional=
courses who are believed to favour the Carlton bid.=20
Traditional Tales And Traditional Faces In ITV's Winter Schedule 2001
=20
ITV's director of programmes, David Liddiment, today unveiled details of th=
e channel's forthcoming Christmas and winter schedules.=20
Before launching the new programme schedule Liddiment made reference to the=
recently revamped BBC1 evening schedule. He stated that ITV had always com=
peted with the BBC for audiences and that the channel didn't have to move s=
ome of its flagship factual programmes to a graveyard slot for a 'slow deat=
h' like BBC1 has with Panorama. Mr Liddiment also revealed that the Prime M=
inister, Tony Blair, will be appearing live in primetime slot to answer the=
nations questions in Ask the Prime Minister.=20
Highlights of the winter schedule included an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's =
The Mayor of Casterbridge and Charles Dickens Nicholas Nickleby. Other majo=
r dramas coming to ITV during the winter include: The Glass which sees John=
Thaw and Sarah Lancashire teaming up for the first time; Buried Treasure a=
gain starring John Thaw as a widower who has to look after a granddaughter =
he didn't know existed, whilst trying to track down the girl's father; The =
Innocent featuring Caroline Quentin as a woman whose husband is accused of =
raping her best friend and Perfect, which stars Michelle Collins as a seria=
l bigamist. Drama series returning to ITV include: At Home with the Braithw=
aites; Hornblower; Bad Girls and A&E.=20
Comedy and entertainment offerings include: Popstars, which follows the cre=
ation of new pop band (just in case there weren't enough about at present);=
High Stakes, which sees Richard Wilson stepping out of Victor Meldrew's gr=
ave and moving into the world of international banking and Lily's Savages's=
Blankety Blank hot-foots it from BBC1 to begin its first ever transmission=
on ITV. Ricky Martin gets an opportunity to plug his latest album in the n=
ext An Audience With ..., Saturday morning kings Ant & Dec will present The=
Brit Awards 2001, while Bob Martin and The Grimleys also have new series.=
=20
Re-affirming ITV's commitment to factual programming within the primetime s=
chedule, ITV will be showing Time of Our Lives which charts the post war Br=
itain social revolution through the eyes of three 'typical' British familie=
s. To Kill and Kill Again will explore some of the most shocking British mu=
ltiple murder cases of the last 100 years and The World at Their Feet revis=
its a group of young footballers, including Everton's Francis Jeffers and L=
eeds' Alan Smith, who had been taken on by the FA School of Excellence.=20
ITV Sport includes the continued coverage of UEFA Champion's League footbal=
l, Formula One racing, England international rugby union and basketball act=
ion from the NBA.=20
Christmas highlights include: the third annual Simon Nye-scripted ITV panto=
mime Aladdin; Ross Kemp in a modern-day adaptation of A Christmas Carol, Af=
ter They Were Famous devoted to the child stars of The Sound of Music and M=
otown Mania a star-studded tribute to Berry Gordy's hit factory.=20
1 MoS TV
2 Interactive Simply Money
3 More teletext on Sky
Ministy Of Sound to start TV station
Sky Digital viewers could soon be dancing to yet another new music channel =
following The Ministry of Sound's announcement that it is to team up with L=
WT Entertainment to launch its own station. Ben Schaffer, Ministry's head o=
f film and TV, said the new venture will be more than just a dance TV chann=
el, since it will also cover entertainment, music and lifestyle issues. No =
launch date has yet been set.
-------------
Digital TV channel and web site Simply Money is to launch a fully int=
eractive service on Sky digital.The service, which is due to go live in the=
first week of December, has been developed by Sony and will be the first n=
on-Sky backed interactive channel to launch on the Sky digital platform and=
be listed on Sky's electronic program guide.=20
BSkyB's Open.... and home-shopping channel QVC are the only other int=
eractive channels currently on the EPG, which receives approximately four m=
illion visitors per month. Simply Money TV's existing service offers news a=
nd features providing information and advice on consumer and personal finan=
ce issues.=20
-------------
Teletext Ltd In Negotiations
Teletext Ltd are reported to be in negotiations with Sky over included thei=
r 'Digital Teletext' service on SkyDigital.
Teletext said "We are in
negotiations as we belive it is crucial to our development to be on every
platform available."
TEST TRANSMISSIONS
Editor; Paul Kendall
Assistant Ed: Daniel H
TEST TRANSMISSIONS
Hi, all!
A lot can happen in ten days! DigiNews has technical problems, then
I've been away for a few days. So this is the first update since 10
November, and there are a few changes this time.
I have included in the list at 11.226H ".tviad". This is because of
the info received from reader Michael Reade, who was kind enough to
email me:
"Go to .tviad at 11.226H and press your text button. If nothing
happens, try turning your box off and resetting as normal and then
trying again. What do you think?"
Before I'd had chance to try this, Michael contacted me again: "...
seems to have stopped doing it on my system now." Shucks, why am I
always too late?
So what's it about. Well, apparently Michael was getting what he
believed to be the front page of what will be the new Sky Text. I've
tried it today - and tried other transmissions we think are to do with
interactive ads, but could not get anything to work.
Anyway, thanks, Michael. And to all our readers, please don't hesitate
to contact me at the address at the bottom of this section.
The following were logged between 11:00 and 11:30
on Tuesday 21 November:
10.936V
Sky Spts Extra } Both have broadcast QXL/Wembley auction
[blank] } trailers but generally are showing Sky Sports
2.
11.720H
Olympics
Olympics ni
11.758H
Spare
No tx.
Sky Spts 1 test
Sky Sports 1*
Spts Uefa
Sky Sports 2*
11.778V
TestService - ** CHANGE **
Was 16:9 testcard. Then showed Box Office sports trailer (Lewis-Tua
boxing). Now no tx.
11.798H
Olympics wa
Olympics sc
11.836H
SU2
??? No tx. See also 12.168V.
11.895V
Service9
Black screen. Have been Asian programme titles on banner.
N/A
No tx.
Rx
(Radio) No tx.
Ry
(Radio) No tx
11.954H
S1
NTL Newman Street testcard in widescreen.
11.973V
BTV24 - ** NEW **
Transmitting same prog as Bangla TV.
CrossRhythms
With an 's' at the end! Different from CrossRhythm on 12.110? No tx.
12.051V
Travel Deals - ** CHANGE **
Was TDD, now on EPG 648.
5606
Radio feed. (This is not new, but I have added it for the sake of
being
complete, and some may wonder why it has been omitted).
12.110H
ucbi
(Radio) No tx. Presumably, the "ucb" refers to Union of Christian
Broadcasters.
12.129V
TViC
I thought this was for interactive ads, but I have seen it listed as
"TV in Colour".
12.148H
st+
??? No tx.
12.168V - I was receiving no signal on this tp this morning. Perhaps a
fault on my box??
SU1
??? No tx. See also 11.836H.
stn
??? No tx.
12.188H
Christmas - ** CHANGE **
(Radio) Now transmitting. On EPG 850 from 23 Nov to 08 Jan (Sky text
p.152)
1946, 1947, 1948
(Radio) From Music Choice. Been here a long time!
1950
(Radio) Music choice. No tx.
SIE
??? Now with Sky logo and music.
meta1 - ** CHANGE **
Music Choice video screen & music.
meta2
Music Choice, I presume. No tx.
12.226H
.tviad - **NEW**
Interactive ads for .tv. Not a test transmission but added here for
your info.
12.324V
Tgos - ** CHANGE **
(Radio) Now with tuning signal.
12.363V
Pub Channel - ** NEW **
Extra subscription channel.
ven - ** CHANGE **
Has now disappeared.
12.402V
Mag - ** CHANGE **
Magazine Review Channel. Broadcasting Liberty TV DOG.
fam - ** CHANGE **
(Radio) Transmitting Christian radio.
rem 1
Test transmission for Anjuman.
Faml1 - ** CHANGE **
(Radio) Now with sound, but in Chinese or other Far Eastern language.
Faml2
(Radio) No tx.
trk
(Radio) No tx. Was Afs. Presumably, this is Total Rock Radio, the
analogue station referred to in these columns recently by Steve James.
gntw
??? No tx.
12.460H
Sky Sports Extra
But transmitting Sky Sports 2*
12.480V
Awd - ** CHANGE **
Artsworld. Black screen.
* Txs marked * above are sports transmissions that I monitored on 10
November. Since then, due to pecuniary disadvantage (!) I no longer
subscribe to the sports or movie channels. If you spot any changes
that I will not, please do let me know!
Our regular "Question Time" has not revealed much!
I first asked why there were still "Olympic" txs when they've
finished, and why didn't we see anything on these channels when the
Olympics were on. No answers!
Then I asked if anyone knew anything about the difference between
"CrossRhythm" and "CrossRhythms". No answers again!
Well, third time lucky! So, tell me: When I go through "Other
Channels", why can I flip back to the list by pressing the "Backup"
button on certain "No tx" channels, but not with others. And what is
the significance of the "Technical Fault" message?
More on Thursday. Until then, if anyone comes across my car key,
credit cards and passport, please let me know. They were nicked on
Sunday in Madrid. Unlikely, I know, but if I could get my hands on the
wretch who clocked up over 3800GBP on one card alone, I'll ......
-
foxy
00:02:52 2000
Received: by central.zetnet.co.uk (10000325,x:/zetnet/users/10/00/03/25/0a1db02c.MAL)
Received: from ci.egroups.com (ci.egroups.com [208.50.99.231])
BSkyB negotiated a deal to buy rights to shares=20
in a floated ONdigital as compensation for pulling out of the British=20
Digital Broadcasting consortium in 1997, writes Simon Ellery
The secret deal was struck when the Independent Tele- vision=20
Commission (ITC) made it a pre-condition that Sky withdrew from the=20
British Digital Broadcasting (BDB) consortium bid for the first=20
digital terrestrial licence following concerns over Sky's market=20
dominance.=20
The deal included Carlton Communications and Granada Media paying Sky=20
a total of =A374m. Sources claimed Sky could use the warrant as a=20
bargaining chip to bring ITV onto its platform.
Claims that Sky has a veto over ONdigital floating because of the ITC=20
competition concerns when it forced Sky out of the consortium have=20
been dismissed.
The ITC confirmed that any new concerns about market dominance would=20
have to be re-evaluated, adding that the pay-TV market had changed=20
significantly in the past three years.=20
Sky and ONdigital declined to comment.=20
Meanwhile ONdigital is calling for programme proposals from UK indies=20
and is expected to employ around 30 people in its first production=20
unit for its new premium sports channel.
New ONdigital director of programming Nick Atkins has revealed his=20
plans to commission programming - both factual and entertainment - to=20
run around the core football and tennis rights it holds.=20
ONdigital's rights include screening 33 live Uefa Champions League=20
clashes and ATP Tennis. 'We are already talking to a number of people=20
about a number of ideas and the process will accelerate,' Atkins said.
---------
Granada Media is in discussions with Carlton=20
about pooling together their children's production departments to=20
create a streamlined ITV kids outfit, writes Colin Robertson=20
Sources close to the discussions said Granada's plan is to create a=20
combined unit that would in turn be integrated into ITV's planned=20
CITV-branded kids channel.=20
United and LWT productions managing director John Willis is believed=20
to be leading the discussions and is in the process of merging=20
Granada's children's unit with United Productions' children's=20
department and animation house Cosgrove Hall.=20
Willis is expected to create a new children's board for the merged=20
group within the next few weeks. He could also appoint a head of=20
children's to oversee the entity. Granada children's is run by Steven=20
Andrew, United's division by Dan Maddicott and Cosgrove Hall is=20
overseen by Oliver Ellis.
None of the heads would comment on the plan, but Andrew told=20
Broadcast that unless a dedicated ITV children's channel was set up=20
'commercial children's terrestrial television will die'.=20
'Terrestrial kids' share is being eroded by non-terrestrial channels=20
and you have to address that,' he said. 'Kids are watching TV at=20
different times and they are taking part in activities that mean they=20
don't start watching TV until 17.00.' ITV's CITV strand runs from=20
15.15 until 17.05 each weekday.
----------
FIRST TOM AND JERRY ADVENTURE FOR 30 YEARS SPECIALLY
MADE FOR CARTOON NETWORK!
Cartoon Network commissioned Oscar winning Tom and Jerry creator Joe Barber=
a to oversee creation of the first new episode of the world's favourite car=
toon series for 30 years!
Working with Sylvester and Tweety veteran Karl Toerge, Joe Barbera has crea=
ted Mansion Cat and even provides the voice of the owner of the mansion whi=
ch is wrecked in classic Tom and Jerry style.
Cartoon Network will present the world premiere of Mansion Cat as part of i=
ts 24 hour Tom and Jerry Marathon that has become a New Year's Day institut=
ion and will include 161 MGM Tom and Jerry shorts!
Tom and Jerry first appeared in 1940 made by the partnership of Bill Hanna =
and Joseph Barbera that continues to this day. The series won seven Academy=
Awards for MGM and the characters even starred with Gene Kelly in Anchors =
Aweigh and in an underwater ballet with Esther Williams!=20
Cartoon Network, the 24 hour, seven day a week, all-animation channel is th=
e most watched kids cable and satellite channel in the UK. It is available =
on eight channels in eight languages on digital and analogue satellite, cab=
le and DTT in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It is operated by Turner =
Broadcasting System Europe Limited, a Time Warner Company.
1 Travel Channel?
2 Star TV
3 New Interactivity
4 Sky News D'Oh!
5 Sky News Award
----------
Travel Channel programming has been suspended "for the time being" except f=
or 2 hours a day.=20=20
They will show Travel Channel programmes from 8am-9am then Travel Deals Dir=
ect programming takes over (moving to Channel 648 on Sky Digital) and then =
finish with an hour of Travel Channel programming from 12 midnight until 1a=
m.=20
-----------
STAR TV, Asia=B9s leading satellite television network, will launch STAR Pl=
us and STAR News, in mid-January, on British Sky Broadcasting=B9s, (BSkyB),=
Sky digital platform, to meet the demand of the growing U.K. Asian audienc=
e of nearly 1.5 million.=20
STAR Plus is India=B9s number one Hindi entertainment channel with the top =
10 cable and satellite TV programmes in India today. The line-up consists o=
f popular comedy and drama serials such as Saans, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bah=
u Thi, Bollywood blockbusters along with mini-movies, Indian pop (from Chan=
nel [V]), lifestyle, quiz shows and more.=20
STAR News breaks new ground as the UK=B9s first news channel broadcasting n=
ews from India 24 hours a day live. The channel has a track-record for unbi=
ased reporting and breaking news from India and the sub-continent in both E=
nglish and Hindi. Supported by India=B9s most sophisticated news production=
crews, STAR News covers a variety of news in sports, business, politics an=
d culture from across India and offers in-depth analysis of the stories beh=
ind the headlines.=20
Commenting on the launch, Mr Peter Mukerjea, Chief Executive of STAR=B9s In=
dia operation, said, "We are enabling Asian communities in the UK to enjoy =
the entertainment and news that their fellow countrymen see everyday back h=
ome".=20
Lisa Srao, VP of Sales and Marketing for STAR TV in the UK commented "we ar=
e very excited about the launch of STAR TV. The UK Asian market place is co=
ntinually expanding and we feel that STAR Plus and STAR News will bridge a =
gap in Asian programming in the UK".=20
The channels will cater to the entertainment and information needs of the H=
indi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali and Urdu speaking communities in the UK, a=
nd will be sold as a package through BSkyB Sky digital platform, at a cost =
of =A316.=20
-
SKY ONE PRESENTS: THE CORRS AT CHRISTMAS=20
Featuring a world first in interactive viewing technology: The Corr-C=
am=20
Wednesday 22nd November 2000=20
Sky One today announces the first ever interactive music conc=
ert. Starring the multi-platinum selling Corrs, the concert will be broadca=
st live from Wembley Arena on Thursday December 21st from 9pm.=20
As part of this unprecedented broadcast, the Corr-Cam will give=
fans the chance to focus on the sibling of their choice or to switch betwe=
en them during the show.=20
Developed as part of Sky's on-going commitment to interactive t=
elevision programming, the Corr-Cam will enable viewers to see the concert =
from a range of angles following the movements of each individual band memb=
er, giving them a truly personal performance, live in their living room.=20
The sold out London date is part of the band's hugely successfu=
l European tour that sees the band performing all of their greatest hits al=
ongside songs from their new, chart-topping album 'In Blue'.=20
In addition to the live, interactive concert The Corrs At Chris=
tmas, there is also an additional programme The Corrs - Access All Areas th=
at follows the band behind-the-scenes as they prepare to perform in front o=
f another sell-out crowd. This extra 30 minute show will feature exclusive =
interviews with each of the band as they talk frankly about their goals, th=
eir music and each other=20
The Corrs - Access All Areas 8.30pm, Sunday, December 17th - Sk=
y One
The Corrs At Christmas 9pm, Thursday, December 21st - Sky One=20
----------
Thanks to reader 'CheshireC' for this excellent article.
ARTICLE FROM TVNEWSWEB.com:=20
Sky News has thrown down the gauntlet to its=20
latest 24-hour news competitor, ITN. Sky plans a=20
chunky upgrade to its newsgathering reach and=20
has unsheathed an aggressive campaign to wrest=20
from its rival the contract to supply news for=20
Britain's commercial ITV network.=20
"With the advent of ITN's News Channel we want=20
to put more punch on the road," Sky News=20
Managing Editor Simon Cole told TVnewsweb.=20
"We're beefing up the operation and cementing our=20
winning formula - more people, doing more=20
stories."=20
He continued: "We welcome the competition from=20
ITN but we're confident Sky's chutzpah will keep=20
us Britain's most-watched 24 hour news channel."=20
ITN's News Channel launched earlier this week (see August 1 News Talk)=20
into an already crowded marketplace, promising to run more news on a=20
greater diversity of platforms than its competitors.=20
The Sky News response has been robust. It is=20
to open a new bureau in Johannesburg, from=20
January 1, 2001. In addition, the news team is=20
recruiting six more reporters and another six=20
crews. The station will also take delivery of=20
three new mobile uplinks later this year. One will=20
be based in Ireland. The other two - a special=20
production satellite truck and a flyaway satellite=20
- will be based in London.=20
The new Johannesburg bureau means a reshuffle for Sky's=20
correspondents. Washington Correspondent Stuart Ramsay will take up=20
the Johannesburg post. There is a new line-up in Washington, with=20
current Middle East Correspondent Keith Graves becoming Senior=20
Correspondent. Reporter Emma Hurd joins Graves as Washington=20
Correspondent.=20
The present senior Washington correspondent,=20
Jonathan Hunt, moves to Brussels as European=20
Correspondent, replacing Tim Marshall, who comes=20
to London as Foreign Affairs Editor. Moscow=20
Correspondent Andrew Wilson moves to Jerusalem=20
to replace Graves. Sky News will interview=20
internally for the Moscow post, in September.=20
Richard Bestic remains correspondent in Beijing,=20
Vienna-based Aernout Van Lynden continues to be=20
European Correspondent and Jaksa Skecic will still=20
be based in Belgrade.=20
A new office in Joburg, more reporters and crews,=20
another three uplinks - Sky News is clearly serious=20
about taking the fight to ITN. But the broadcaster isn't stopping there. It=
=20
wants more - and it wants it from ITN. In December 2002, the contract=20
ITN currently has to supply news for Britain's commercial ITV network=20
expires. Sky is determined to win that deal for itself.=20
"Sky News has a predatory eye on the ITV=20
contract," Simon confirmed. "We have already=20
approached the Independent Television=20
Commission to become a nominated news=20
provider, which is the first step in our challenge=20
to ITN."=20
The mood is bullish at Sky, where the creation of the ITN 24-hour outlet=20
is seen as an opportunity to prove the Sky News service is superior.=20
"For too long Sky News has been compared to terrestrial broadcasters.=20
Now, all three British broadcasters have 24-hour news stations - we'll=20
have a true test of who's best. We've already seen off BBC News 24 and=20
we'll see off the ITN News Channel, too," Simon declared.=20
But something strange I saw as well, this bureau opening is running 4 years=
late!=20
Either that or someone seriously has thier wires crossed...=20
Because...=20
_______________________=20
SKY NEWS THE LARGEST TELEVISION NEWS BUREAU IN AFRICA -=20=20
AFRICA PRESS JAN 1994=20
JOHANNESBURG Jan 12 Sapa=20
British-based Sky News, which has had a bureau in South Africa for=20
five years, has expanded its operations and claims it now has the=20
largest television news bureau in Africa.=20
Sky News said in a statement on Wednesday that from February 1 it=20
would be running for up to 14 hours a day on SABC TV, taking prime=20
positions on TV1 for international television.=20
Under a new arrangement with the SABC, Sky News would be broadcast=20
live from midnight to 6am and from 12 noon to 2pm on TV1, and from=20
6am to 12 noon on TSS.=20
It said Emmy Award-winning journalist Jeremy Thompson, formerly ITN=20
correspondent in Africa, would be heading a team of three=20
correspondents and three camera crews as chief Africa=20
correspondent.=20
"Sky News is committed to Africa more than ever before and has a=20
top rate team determined to provide news coverage second to no=20
one," Mr Thompson said.=20
But how can this be? - Thompson didnt leave for Africa did he?=20
Nor did they set up the new bureau, does anyone know why?=20
How can they build their first bureau in Africa if they already have one ex=
panded in 1994 (or=20
is it just a new one? - but why have one without a correspondent there??), =
anyway...=20=20
this would explain why all the correspondent have been re-located recently.=
..=20
I.e. seeing Moscow correspondents in Jerusalem and Europe reporters in the =
middle east.....=20
It appears that Geofe Meade (sp) has become the new Sky News Moscow bureau =
chief...=20
----------
Sky News wins Award for Auschwitz documentary
Sky News has won The Jury Award for a Documentary on the holocaust at the A=
jijic Festival Internacional de Cine 2000.
Auschwitz: The Final Witness focuses on the years of Hitler's Third Reich a=
nd is the true story of three brothers who worked in Auschwitz's Concentrat=
ion Camp in Poland as slave workers and also Sonderkommandos, forced by the=
Germans to remove and burn the dead. The three go back together for the fi=
rst time since the end of the war.=20
The families of the three men, who come from Salonika in Southern Greece, p=
erished in the death camps of Eastern Europe but they - miraculously - surv=
ived the unsurvivable.
Auschwitz: The Final Witness tells the story of Morris, his younger brother=
Shlomo and their cousin Dario. The three men and their families were round=
ed up and transported from Athens to Auschwitz / Birkenau in April 1944 on =
a journey that lasted 11 days. On their arms, they bear concentration camp =
tattoos, which run in consecutive numbers.
On arrival at Auschwitz / Birkenau, these three men were selected to work a=
s Sonderkommandos in the gas chambers - burning the bodies in the ovens of =
the crematoria. They would also be sent to the gas chambers because their v=
ery existence would provide eyewitness evidence to The Final Solution - the=
murder of millions of Jews.=20
Yet - astonishingly - the three men are among a handful of the Sonderkomman=
dos who did survive the Final Solution. The men reveal to Sky News the trut=
h about the German killing machine.
The producer of the hour long documentary is Sheldon Lazarus, the Writer / =
Narrator is Peter Sharp. Production took place in Los Angeles, Rome, Saloni=
ka and Poland.
Carlton In Joint Venture To Create TV And Internet Food And Drink Channel
=20
Carlton Communications has announced that it has signed a 50:50 joint deal =
with supermarket chain J Sainsbury to create Britain's first TV and interne=
t food and drink channel. The deal will see Carlton's SimplyFood website me=
rge with Sainsbury's tasteforlife site to form taste.co.uk. Along with Carl=
ton's cable and digital channel, the Carlton Food Network, and a new TV cha=
nnel launched next year called Taste TV, the site will form part of a new c=
ompany, the Taste Network.=20
Gerry Murphy, chief executive of Carlton, said the partnership would, "Crea=
te the definitive interactive food and drink television channel and website=
. Carlton has content, production and interactive expertise, while Sainsbur=
y's has a nationwide retail presence, a strong e-tail business and distribu=
tion and fulfilment experience."=20
=20
The company, which was formed following a memorandum of understanding signe=
d in May this year, points to research by the Henley Centre which suggests =
that shopping via the TV will overtake internet shopping by 2004, and that =
90% of UK homes will have interactive shopping by 2010. Sainsbury's believe=
s that the UK online grocery market will be worth around =A37.5bn by 2005. =
Internet access via TV is already offered by another joint venture of Carlt=
on's, ONdigital, which it co-owns with Granada.=20
Hello, again. Well, a few changes this time, but the main news is that
Astra 2B is now in active service. The frequencies being used on 2B
are as follows:
12.070H
12.090V
12.188H
12.207V
12.266H
12.324V
12.363V
12.382H
12.460H
In case you don't know, some frequencies are still being used on Astra
1D:
10.862H (SR 22000, FEC 5/6)
10.921H (SR 22000, FEC 5/6)
10.936V (SR 22000, FEC 5/6)
11.836H
11.856V
11.914H
11.934V
12.032H
Except where stated otherwise, SR is 27500 and FEC is 2/3.
Big news on Channel 4, too. On Tuesday I reported that I was receiving
nothing on 12.168V. If you tune to that frequency now (at time of
writing!) you will find eleven channels without names. They are all
connected with Channel 4. See below for more details.
Some info, too, on the "fam" range of channels. They are brought to us
by Family Radio of Oakland, California, a Christian broadcasting
organisation.
Apologies for omitting my email address last time. To avoid this
happening in future, it will appear after the "Test Transmissions"
heading, as above.
The following were logged between 11:15 and 11:45
on Thursday 23 November:
10.936V
Sky Spts Extra } Both have broadcast QXL/Wembley auction
[blank] } trailers but generally are showing Sky Sports
2.
11.720H
Olympics
Olympics ni
11.758H
Spare
No tx.
Sky Spts 1 test
Sky Sports 1*
Spts Uefa
Sky Sports 2*
11.778V
TestService
Was 16:9 testcard. Then showed Box Office sports trailer (Lewis-Tua
boxing). No tx.
11.798H
Olympics wa
Olympics sc
11.836H
SU2
??? No tx. SU1 on 12.168 has disappeared.
11.856V - ** CHANGE **
.tviad
Moved from 12.226.
11.895V
Service9
Black screen. Have been Asian programme titles on banner.
N/A
No tx.
Rx
(Radio) No tx.
Ry
(Radio) No tx
11.954H
S1
NTL Newman Street testcard in widescreen.
11.973V
BTV24
Transmitting same prog as Bangla TV.
CrossRhythms
With an 's' at the end! Different from CrossRhythm on 12.110? No tx.
12.051V
5606
Radio feed.
12.110H
ucbi
(Radio) No tx. Union of Christian Broadcasters, Europe.
12.129V
TViC
No tx.
12.148H
st+
??? No tx.
12.168V
stn - **CHANGE **
??? Has disappeared.
Channel 4 London - ** NEW **
Channel 4 South - ** NEW **
Channel 4 Midlands - ** NEW **
Channel 4 North - ** NEW **
Channel 4 Northern Ireland - ** NEW **
Channel 4 Scotland - ** NEW **
Film Four - ** NEW **
Film Four +1hr - ** NEW **
E4 - ** NEW **
Film Four Extreme - ** NEW **
Channel 4 Extra - ** NEW **
12.188H
1946, 1947, 1948
(Radio) From Music Choice. Been here a long time!
1950
(Radio) Music choice. No tx.
SIE - ** CHANGE **
Has now been replaced by "Sky Info Channel" - "This programme is
unavailable".
meta1
Music Choice video screen & music.
meta2
Music Choice, I presume. No tx.
12.324V
Tgos - ** CHANGE **
(Radio) No tuning signal any more.
12.402V
Mag - ** CHANGE **
Magazine Review Channel. Broadcasting Liberty TV.
fam
(Radio) Transmitting Christian radio.
rem 1
Test transmission for Anjuman.
Faml1 - ** CHANGE **
(Radio) Chinese on Tuesday, Spanish this morning. Family
Radio has transmissions around the world in a number of
languages.
Faml2
(Radio) No tx.
trk
(Radio) No tx. Was Afs. Total Rock Radio, predicted to be
on air by now, but no sign.
gntw
??? No tx.
12.460H
Sky Sports Extra
But transmitting Sky Sports 2*
12.480V
Awd - ** CHANGE **
Artsworld. Black screen.
* Txs marked * above are sports transmissions that I monitored
on 10 November. Since then, due to pecuniary disadvantage (!)
I no longer subscribe to the sports or movie channels. If you
spot any changes that I will not, please do let me know!
"Question Time" posers so far:
1. Why are there still "Olympic" txs when they've finished, and
why didn't we see anything on these channels when the
Olympics were on?
2. What is the difference between "CrossRhythm" and
"CrossRhythms".
3. In "Other Channels", why can I flip back to the list by pressing
the "Backup" button on certain "No tx" channels, but not with
others? And what is the significance of the "Technical Fault"
message?
4. Today's question. If all the U>Direct and Box Office channels
are hidden from our eyes, how many other txs are we ignorant of?
You may be interested in what I could watch from Sat TV whilst
in a Madrid hotel recently. I don't know what satellite it was from,
but these channels were available, amongst a few others I've
forgotten about:
TVE1
TVE2
Rai Uno
BBC World
CNN
La Cinq (TV5)
Eurosport (in English)
Wouldn't you just love to have some foreign language channels
on digi here? If Spain can do why can't Sky? And, yes, I know
there are other satellites! But I can't afford any more!
See you next time!
TRANSMISSION EXTRA!
Re; Total Rock Radio
"Huge apologies, technical problems causing a nightmare, should be sorted b=
y
the end of the day.
Thanks for your support"
Thanks to reader Steve James for keeping us up to date on this.
foxy
NEWS EXCLUSIVE - FilmFour+1 have put back the launch date for this
time-shifted channel to March.
(Credit Digi News UK if you want to use this story - that does include you
Wotsat).
Pearson Launching ITV Games Channel Possibly Also on Channel 5
Pearson Television, the UK's biggest independent TV producer,
has announced plans to launch an interactive games channel next
year, hopefully on all DTV platforms. Pearson Television is owned
by RTL which, listed in London, is now Europe's biggest television
based media group. They also own a significant stake in Channel 5
(the UK's fifth terrestrial channel) of which they are reportedly
looking to take control by buying the stake of United News & Media
which is currently in the process of pulling out of television
altogether.
E4 secures Telewest carriage deal
Channel 4's new entertainment channel E4 has confirmed that it has
secured a carriage deal with cable company Telewest, writes Dominic
Timms.
The arrangement will see E4 offered as part of Telewest's digital TV
package when it launches on 18 January next year. The Telewest
contract comes two months after E4 secured a similar deal with rival
cable company NTL.
Channel 4's managing director of pay and digital TV Gerry Bastable
said the Telewest deal furthered the channel's aim to secure as many
viewers as possible.
Channel 4 is hoping that around 6.5 million viewers will eventually
be able to access the channel
www.produxion.com
Emap and MTV in dispute over music share
Emap is damaging the market share of its own music video channel, The
Box, by launching back-to-back music video channels such as QTV and Kiss,
according to research obtained by Broadcast, writes Simon Eller.
Internal MTV Networks research based on Barb data indicates that
audience figures for Emap's The Box have plummeted by 49 per cent to 0.11
per cent since Kiss and Q were launched and MTV repositioned MTV Extra as a
back-to-back service. At the same time MTV Extra has seen its viewing figures
jump by 46 per cent to 0.12 per cent since its launch.
However, Emap Performance Network chief executive Tim Schoonmaker
dismissed the research and said: 'We have done nothing but steal market share
from [MTV] and The Box remains the number one music channel on Sky Digital.
'
The report explores viewing habits of those watching music TV service
s in digital homes and looks at the impact that rival channels have had on
Emap's premier channel, The Box. It concludes: 'The result has been a
massive cannibalisation of The Box.'
Christmas On The BBC
The BBC's Christmas television schedules will feature celebrities coming
under the evil eye of presenter Anne Robinson in a special edition of
The Weakest Link, to be shown on BBC Two.
On BBC One there is a special Christmas edition of The Royle Family, in
which they gather around the television to watch Rolf Harris while they eat
The Christmas turkey.
Victoria Wood With All The Trimmings features special guests including
Derek Jacobi, Richard E Grant, Delia Smith and Alan Rickman.
For the first time, the Royal Family's traditional Christmas Eve service at
Sandringham will be broadcast in a special programme on Christmas Day.
Martin Clunes and Martin Jarvis star in a two-part dramatisation of the
classic novel Lorna Doone.
There will be two Harry Enfield specials on BBC One and The Fast Show gets
its final outing on BBC two.
Christmas specials include Airport, Celebrity Ready, Steady, Cook and Top
Of The Pops.
Feature films include the blockbuster Titanic.
Sky And Harrods
Sky One is to broadcast a special hour-long programme from Harrods, the
world's most famous department store, on Thursday, December 7.
Tania Bryer hosts the programme which takes a look at gift ideas both cheap
and very expensive.
The programme will also offer tips on making the festive season stress-free.
.
CARTOON NETWORK LAUNCHES TOONAMI -
A THREE HOUR ACTION ADVENTURE BLOCK
With the ever increasing popularity of action animation and its huge rating
s successes with Dragonball Z and Batman of the Future, Cartoon Network is
launching Toonami as a three hour a day, back to back action adventure
block.
Launching the week before Christmas, Toonami will comprise these hit action
shows plus the channel's latest acquisition Gundam Wing. These will be
'broadcast' from Toonami's Space Cruiser "Absolution" under the command of a
smooth talking, 3-D animated robot named TOM - the Toonami Operating Module.
"The block is aimed squarely at fans of action and anim=E9 cartoons who
wil come to know that Toonami is the home of the very best shows of the
genre," says James Greville, Head of Cartoon Network UK.
SKY NEWS in association with BUY - the technology site
http://tracker.tradedoubler.com/tracker.asp?pid=3D1000&code=3D259633
ADSL killed the Video Store
By: John Leyden
Posted: 27/11/2000 at 18:02 GMT
British Sky Broadcasting is prepping asymmetric digital subscriber line
(ADSL) technology to expand video on demand services over telephone lines.
A spokesman for BSkyB confirmed that it is in talks with BT and other
potential ADSL suppliers to provide technology enabling it to offer films and
programmes on demand, as well as fast internet access.
The ADSL offering is complementary to BSkyB's core satellite business and
will use a different set-top box, he said. If all goes well, 'tele-TV'
services could be rolled out nationwide early next year.
Those fortunate enough to live in Hull can already get similar services
through a joint venture between BSkyB and Kingston Communications. This offers
60 channels of television with high speed internet access to more than
2,500 homes, and according to sources in the Murdoch empire demand has
exceeded expectations.
The idea of downloading a film rather than trudging off to Blockbusters in
the rain is an appealing one for armchair movie fans. However there are two
potential stumbling blocks - the price of the movie service and the
availability of ADSL in the first place.
As competitors continue to fight for access to BT's network and exchanges
in order to offer ADSL there are serious question marks about widespread
availability of even basic services - never mind anything that allows you to
download say, Gladiator, in less time than it took to build Rome.
Another barrier to take-up is digital terrestrial television, which while
still in its infancy, remains a more straightforward way to deliver a mass
service.
www.theregister.co.uk
ONDIGITAL NEWS in association with Pricerunner - the online price compariso=
n site
http://tracker.tradedoubler.com/tracker.asp?pid=3D1000&code=3D259644
-The Paramount Comedy Channel and the children's channel Nickelodeon
are to launch via digital terrestrial broadcaster ONdigital on
January 1.
Nickelodeon will operate weekdays from 06:00 to 19:00 and at weekends
from 07:00 to 19:00, while Paramount Comedy Channel will be on air
daily from 19:00 to 04:00.
Subscribers to ONdigital's primary channels package will receive the
new channels free of charge.
(Taken from the December mag. NB Channels available to those with just
one/six - inform Customer Services nearer the time).
UK Channel 5 to Launch DT-ITV Shopping Channel on ONdigital
The word on the street in London is that Channel 5 is
working behind the scenes to develop a new digital
shopping channel to debut on digital terrestrial network
broadcaster, ONdigital, the rival of Murdoch's satellite
Sky Digital platform. Open, of course, on the Sky Digital
platform has built up an impressive usership with about
4.2 million people out of Sky's 5 million subscribers.
Energis (slated to launch on Sky in Q1.2001), on the other
hand, is convinced they can steal a few of those away and
are working hard to build their system. ONdigital, in the
meanwhile, already has their small set-top box driven OnNet
InternetTV shopping service. Branding services with a channel
is an inevitable outcome. With about 1 million people
signed up to ONdigital, Channel 5 will have to work hard to
build that critical mass for ONdigital for it to work for
everybody.
www.itvt.com
---------------------------
TEST TRANSMISSIONS
Editor; Paul Kendall
Assistant Ed: Daniel H
TEST TRANSMISSIONS - Email to: pken...@totalise.co.uk
11.720H
Olympics
Olympics ni
11.758H
Spare
No tx.
N/A
No tx.
Rx
(Radio) No tx.
Ry
(Radio) No tx
12.051V
5606
Radio feed.
12.129V
TViC
No tx.
Faml2
(Radio) No tx.
gntw
??? No tx.
Alex Lees has these answers;
1. I believe these were uplink channels sent via the Astra satellites
during the Olympics for news and sports services, however I have no idea why
they are still there.
3. The reason you can backup certain channels is because there are no
transmissions on those channels. I believe that when there is a transmission on
a channel, Sky 'lock' the channel so you cannot back out of it. I do not
know the reason for this. When you visit a previously 'unlocked' channel and
it is now 'locked' it is usually a sign that there will be a transmission
on that channel soon.
4. Sky Box Office and U>Direct channels are not hidden from our view, they
are at the bottom of the movies section with the adult services. However I
think there are a lot of other services which are hidden from view, i.e
data service such as Open and QVC.
TRANSMISSION EXTRA!
BTV24 on 11973V 27500 2/3 is going to be Bangla TV which will start
broadcasting 24hours, at the moment its time sharing with The Pakistani Channel.
Which means that both of these asian channels will transmit 24hrs a day.
This should happen within 2 weeks.
Thanks to Nadeem for this info.
tp 24 has now moved to astra 1d this change was made
on monday at some time i dont know what will come
on this tp
channel change listed below
astra 1d 10 --- 920h tp not know
symbol rate 22.00 fec 5/6
sky travel
tara
mutv
sky guide info
playboy/adult
chl line---up
su1
stn
this channel has also moved
tviad was on 12--226h is now on 11---856v sky.com text is still on this ch=
annel
this channel has also changed
12---363v
ven has now become sky business
Thanks to Alan Charity for this info.
Total Rock Radio has started broadcasting on its test "trk" channel. No
signal of the full works on EPG 950 yet though...
Thanks to Steve James for this info.