Skylight Satellite Network goes digital
     Wayne Pederson probably felt like having a ribbon-
cutting ceremony on May 15 to mark the great occasion.
However, it would have been more appropriate_and symbolic_to
have a "analog tape cutting ceremony" instead, in order to
mark that momentous day.
     Why?  Because May 15 was the day that Pederson and his
SkyLight Satellite Network told SpaceCom to turn off the
network's analog satellite feed...once and for all.
SkyLight didn't need it anymore, because the network and all
its 340 affiliates and translators were fully transitioned
to SpaceCom's Digital FM Squared technology.
     SpaceCom began the transition process with SkyLight
back in February, with a digital simulcast of SkyLight's
programming alongside the existing analog satellite signal.
In March, Skylight began the process of delivering and
installing new Wegener digital audio receivers at each
affiliate location.
                              
               SPAR Wins $3.2 Million Contract
     Spar Aerospace Limited has won a $3.2 million dollar
contract to supply France's Aerospatiale with two C-Band and
three Ku-Band antennas for the Thaicom 4 satellite.
     Under the contract Spar Space Systems will design and
build antennas with highly shaped dual-polarisation offset
reflectors and centre-fed shaped reflectors.
                              
                  Farrah Fawcett: All Of Me
     
     The Farrah Fawcett pay-per-view special "Farrah
Fawcett: All Of Me." will premier on June 11, 1997 at 9:00
From: Satjournal@aol.com
p.m. EDT/PDT.
     The special will air on cable through Viewers Choice
and Request TV networks; via C-band satellite on Request TV
and TVN; and through domestic DBS satellite services
DIRECTV, DISH Network, PRIMESTAR and AlphaStar.  The event
is also available to Canadian PPV customers through Viewers
Choice Canada and AlphaStar Canada.
     
                              
                      Upcoming Launches
    "    Check our web site for current listings of 1997
                          launches.
                "    Click on "Launch Info".
   Next Atlas/Delta Launch          Next Ariane Launch
Superbird C -- July 22, 1997   Intelsat 802 --June 25, 1997
                              
            New files and documents at our WebStand
1    DVB News International Vol. 2 No 4
1    PBS Monthly Programming Schedule
1    PBS Weekly Previews
1    A&E Prime Time Schedule
                              
                          In Brief
"    Via Digital will purchase approximately 50,000 Nokia
Mediamaster digital decoders for its launch of the 70
channel Spanish service in September. The new company was
formed by Spain's main broadcasters: Telefonica, Radio
Television Espaniola, Mexico's Televisa and others.
"    Beijing Telecom is gearing up its satellite television
receiving and transmission facilities to ensure the success
of its live telecast of celebrations in the Chinese capital
for Hong Kong's return. The celebrations around July 1 will
be broadcast via 13 satellites to the whole world using  13
fixed earth stations and nine telecast vehicles.
"    Shaw Communications Inc. and Star Choice have completed
the previously reported merger of their direct-to-home
satellite television operations.  As reported in March, the
companies agreed to merge the operations through the merger
of Star Choice Television Network and Shaw's HomeStar
Services Inc. unit.
"    E.U. antitrust chief Karel Van Miert has been asked to
look at the bid for a digital terrestrial TV broadcasting
license of a consortium that includes BKyB by British
authorities.
"    To attract subscribers to DF-1, Kirch has started
offering new pricing, including renting of the receiver ,
new channels and implemented a new  marketing campaign.
"    The World Bank has approved two guarantees totalling
$100 million to  Sea Launch. Sea launch is the joint venture
of Boeing Commercial Space Corporation, the Russian missile
and space corporation Energiya, the Norwegian firm of
Kvakner and the Ukrainian company Yuzhnoye.
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