Satellite News articles from August 2004

Satellite News archives from August 2004

DBS Focuses On Washington.
August 2, 2004... Congress is giving significant attention to multichannel video services, and its actions have the potential to affect the competitive balance between satellite and cable TV operators. Bills to reauthorize the Satellite Home Viewer...

Mobile Market Spurs Entrepreneurs.
August 2, 2004... A positive sign for any industry is when entrepreneurial ventures with promise attract strong management teams and financing. That combination of factors is in place at McLean, Va.-based Raysat, a provider of satellite antennas for mobile...

At Press Time: New China Spy Charges.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... At deadline, Satellite News learned a grand jury in Camden, N.J., indicted the president of Universal Technologies Inc. and his wife, charging them with 46 counts, including an allegation that they handed over component satellite parts to China...

Congress Short-Changes Space-Based Systems.
August 2, 2004... By Paul Dykewicz, Access Intelligence LLC The whopping federal budget deficits that the U.S. government has been compiling in large part to fund major military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan would suggest that important U.S. Department...

Spotlight: ESA Eyes Forest-Fire Prevention.(European Space Agency)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Woodland blazes burning with a core heat approaching 1,472 degrees Fahrenheit also can spread as fast as 328 feet per minute, bringing swift and sure devastation. In an effort to mitigate that risk, the European Space Agency (ESA) is using...

Satellite Radio Revs Up Its Growth Engine.
August 2, 2004... By Steve Blum, Tellus Venture Associates At 2.6 million subscribers, satellite radio now represents the 16thlargest radio market in the United States. That's more listeners than the entire Minneapolis-St. Paul market, even if you count...

ASTRO COO Looks To Ride PVR Growth.(Astro All Asia Network)(pay-TV provider)(Chief Operating Officer )
August 2, 2004... Astro All Asia Networks (ASTRO) intends to amass around 2.5 million satellite TV subscribers in Malaysia during the next four to five years. The DTH (direct-to-home) satellite operator, which currently is the only pay-TV provider in Malaysia,...

GPS Technology Aids School-Bus Safety.(Global Positioning System)
August 2, 2004... The San Francisco Unified School District recently upgraded its transportation security with the help of San Diego, Calif.-based Satellite Security Systems (S3). S3, a provider of asset tracking and control for commercial and government...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... Week of July 23-29, 2004 Percentage 29-Jul One One Symbol Price Week APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 1.57 4.7 ASIASAT TELECOM SAT...

At Press Time: Loral Skynet's New Prez.(Loral Skynet Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Patrick K. Brant has been named president of Loral Skynet, the satellite operating business unit of New York-based Loral Space & Communications, succeeding Terry Hart, who is leaving after seven years to pursue a career in academia. Here's...

BellSouth, Taps DBS For Grand Slam.
August 9, 2004... The partnerships between satellite-television service providers and regional telecommunications companies are growing in strength and number. El Segundo, Calif.-based DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite TV service, became the latest player...

Pegasus Buyout, Sub Gains Buoy DirecTV.(Pegasus Satellite)
August 9, 2004... The DirecTV Group, the El Segundo, Calif.-based parent company of DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite television operator, showed its zest for taking bold action to shape the company for future growth by buying the nearly 1.1 million rural...

XM Is Aggressive With Performance And Programming.(XM Satellite Radio Inc.'s economic indicators)
August 9, 2004... Washington, D.C.-based XM Satellite Radio [XMSR] once again outperformed Wall Street expectations last week when it announced second-quarter results and gained further media attention for creating a new premium radio channel that will be...

Spotlight: Iridium Phones Assist Guardsmen.(Iridium Satellite L.L.C. supplies phone)
August 9, 2004... "Good samaritans" appear to be the latest marketing focus for Iridium Satellite LLC. The Bethesda, Md.-based satellite voice services company signed an agreement with Stratos Global to provide 80 phones to the 81st Armor Brigade from the...

The Future Of Mission-Driven Technology.
August 9, 2004... By D.K. Sachdev As the satellite industry works its way out of the recent downturn, the entire community watches with legitimate interest and some trepidation about any news of industry consolidation, ownership changes and merger &...

Hispasat CEO Confident About Amazonas.(Interview)(Interview)
August 9, 2004... With the launch of its Amazonas satellite last week, Hispasat is entering a key period in its history. The Amazonas satellite could change the face of digital television in Latin America, as it has been designed to provide DTH services to Latin...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.
August 9, 2004... Week of July 30 - Aug. 5, 2004 Percentage Aug. 5 One Symbol Price Week APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 1.58 -4.2 APT...

At Press Time: A Tale Of 2 Sales.(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... Affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., The Carlyle Group and Providence Equity Partners Inc. (KKR) appear to be looking to make a serious bid for Intelsat. The KKR group is in the unique position among the potential bidders of having...

Top Execs Aim For Kistler Re-Vamp.(Kistler Aerospace Corp.)(executives)
August 16, 2004... Kistler Aerospace's board of directors boosted the bankrupt company's efforts to raise $500 million to complete the development of a reusable launch vehicle by naming two prominent industry executives to spearhead those activities. Will...

EchoStar Grows At Rival Cable's Expense.(EchoStar Communications Corp.)
August 16, 2004... Englewood, Colo.-based EchoStar Communications [DISH] briskly grew its subscribers and revenues during second-quarter 2004, compared to the same quarter last year. According to CEO Charlie Ergen, his performance left it short of rival DirecTV's...

CapRock Shows Vertical Markets Can Pay Off.(CapRock Communications Corp.)
August 16, 2004... By Paul Dykewicz, senior editor and senior analyst One of the most important parts of decision-making for business executives is to know the competitive advantages of one's own company, and to market its products and services accordingly....

Spotlight: ASU To Deploy GPS For Campus Tours.(Arizona State University Develops Global Positioning System)
August 16, 2004... Arizona State University (ASU) is collaborating with Chandler, Ariz.-based OnPoint Systems to develop Global Positioning System-enabled, self-guided walking tours of the school's campus. The new technology is slated for debut this September to...

New Electronic Era Undeniably Includes Satellites.
August 16, 2004... By Joseph Pelton A new kind of electronic reality has been created by satellite communications, fiber optics, cybernetics and computer networks. One way of viewing this electronic transformation has been called "telegeography," a term...

Medlock Faces New Challenge As Inmarsat CFO.
August 16, 2004... Rick Medlock is excited about the challenge facing him upon his arrival at Inmarsat, the London-based mobile satellite giant. Medlock, who currently is CFO of NDS [NDS], will move to Inmarsat in September. In his job transition, Medlock...

Galaxy CEO Resignation Fuels Concerns.(Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting Ltd.)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... Jim Blomfield, CEO of Hong Kong-based Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting, resigned last week, citing personal reasons. There now, apparently, are concerns about the future of Galaxy, a joint venture between Intelsat and Television Broadcasting Ltd....

AVC Tackles A Challenging U.K. Satellite Broadband Market.
August 16, 2004... AVC Broadband Managing Director Frank Tyler is confident the operator can build a profitable business but it is unlikely to reach the 80,000 subscribers it initially targeted for 2004. The operator, in conjunction with SES Astra, offers...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.(Illustration)
August 16, 2004... Week of Aug. 6 - 12, 2004 Percentage Aug. 12 One Symbol Price Week APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 1.49 -3.9 ASIASAT TELECOM ...

Breaking News: Loral Prospects Rise.(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... The business prospects for a restructured Loral Space & Communications Ltd. [LRLSQ] appear "very good," said Patrick Fuhrmann, an independent satellite analyst. Its plan to emergence from Chapter 11 protection now awaits approval from a judge...

Intelsat's Buyers Eye Cash Flow.
August 23, 2004... Intelsat Ltd. is destined for internal change after a group of four private equity firms agreed to purchase it last week in what is the latest of a continuing series of moves toward consolidation among satellite operators worldwide. The...

FCC Slot Order May Be Prelude.(Federal Communications Commission )
August 23, 2004... A recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order that allows El Segundo, Calif.-based DirecTV to use an orbital slot at 72.5 degrees W controlled by Telesat Canada shows that that U.S. regulatory body is willing to modify its policies to...

Further Consolidation Among Operators Is Ahead.
August 23, 2004... Last week's announcement that Intelsat would be sold to a group of four private equity investment firms marks the third acquisition of a satellite operator by such buyers so far this year. PanAmSat and New Skies Satellites N.V. [NSK] announced...

Spotlight: Hurricane Charley Draws Fast Response.
August 23, 2004... The estimated $10 billion-plus in damages caused by Hurricane Charley in Florida a little more than a week ago allowed Hauppauge, N.Y.-based Globecomm Systems Inc. [GCOM] to showcase the critical backup satellite connectivity services the...

Video Glows As Bread-And-Butter Business.(Column)
August 23, 2004... By Patrick M. French Television broadcasting is a key driver for the satellite industry, yet video sometimes is taken for granted and overlooked as a critical segment to the health and stability of the commercial satellite market. Northern...

U.S. DBS Operators Lead Worldwide Sub Growth.(Direct Broadcast Satellite operators)
August 23, 2004... While a number of European satellite pay-TV operators have been struggling to add subscribers, both U.S. direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service providers -- DirecTV and EchoStar Communications [DISH] -- have notched new subscribers by the...

AGS Aims For 30-Percent Growth In 2004.(Americom Government Services )
August 23, 2004... SES Americom's government operation Americom Government Services (AGS) is expecting a strong performance this year, targeting 30 percent revenue growth in 2004. With demand rising from government customers, the operator is positioning itself to...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.(Illustration)
August 23, 2004... Week of August 13-19, 2004 Percentage Change Aug. 19 One One Symbol Price Week Month APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS ...

At Press Time: HNS Could Be Splintered.(Hughes Network Systems)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... The expected sale of Germantown, Md.-based Hughes Network Systems by The DirecTV Group [DTV], of El Segundo, Calif., is likely to be finalized next month, and a strong possibility exists that different parts of the organization could be split...

ARINC Challenges Boeing In-Flight.
August 30, 2004... Officials at Annapolis, Md.-based ARINC said they are preparing to rollout a comparatively low-cost, satellite-based broadband data service onboard commercial aircraft to challenge the Connexion by Boeing that inaugurated revenue-generating...

Iridium Aims To Reach Next Level.
August 30, 2004... Iridium Satellite LLC, a privately held mobile satellite communications company based in Bethesda, Md., is showing signs of taking an aggressive approach to growing its business under the leadership of Carmen Lloyd, who arrived nearly a year...

Boeing, ARINC Seek Viable Broadband Strategy.
August 30, 2004... Global, in-flight broadband connectivity is one service that must use satellites. Unlike multi-channel video, voice services and radio, there is no alternative technology that can offer broadband connectivity across the oceans and virtually...

Spotlight: Aussies Look To Wireless Broadband.
August 30, 2004... Australian giant Telstra [TLS], like other phone companies around the world, is struggling with declining payphone revenues due to increased use of cellphones. As such, it is running a trial involving some 15 payphones that have been converted...

Seeking Global Satellite Regulatory Guidelines.(International Telecommunication Union)
August 30, 2004... The global satellite industry has been working for more than a year to develop guidelines to present to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for passage next month in Geneva. If passage occurs, the guidelines would become an official...

OpenTV Ready For U.S. Interactive Test.
August 30, 2004... With News Corp's [NWS] entrance into the U.S. pay-TV market through DirecTV, competition in the interactive arena is likely to heat up. One of the likely beneficiaries of the move toward interactivity is OpenTV [OPTV], the pay-TV solutions...

Bringing Down The Sandstone Curtain.
August 30, 2004... Australian telco Optus is expecting its new broadband satellite product to usher in a new dawn for satellite communications in Australia. The operator launched its Optus Broadband Satellite product last week and Warren Hardy, managing director...

USGIF Show Touts Geospatial Intelligence Role.(United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation)
August 30, 2004... The U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) is moving forward on its inaugural industry event, the GEOINT 2004 Symposium, slated for Oct. 12-14 in New Orleans. The Va.-based non-profit foundation, aimed at promoting collaboration among...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.
August 30, 2004... Week of August 20-26, 2004 Percentage Symbol Aug. 26 Price One Week APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 1.41 1.4 ASIASAT TELECOM SAT 17.56 -1.8...