Satellite News articles from September 2003

Satellite News archives from September 2003

Remote Sensing Policy Stirs Debate.
September 8, 2003... Commercial remote sensing companies would benefit from modifications to a new White House policy intended to aid federal civil agencies in acquiring data and imagery from space, industry representatives said. The Bush administration has...

EchoStar Uses DVRs To Gain Edge.(EchoStar DISH Player DVR offered for free)
September 8, 2003... EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH] is raising the stakes in its bid to entice new subscribers by becoming the first pay-TV services provider to offer digital video recorders (DVRs) at no charge. The Littleton, Colo.-based satellite TV...

Canadian Government Goes After Pirates.
September 8, 2003... The Canadian government is working on legislation that would clamp down on individuals and companies who steal satellite TV signals as well as those who make devices designed to illegally decode signals. According to industry figures, illegal...

Spotlight: Sirius Extends Reach Into RV Market.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... New York-based Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI], one of two satellite radio services operating in the United States, is arranging to offer its units in an array of 2004 model recreational vehicles (RVs). RiverPark, an Elkhart,...

DBS Rolls Past 20-million Subscriber Mark.(Industry Overview)
September 8, 2003... By Jimmy Schaeffler Since its inception in mid-1994, the U.S. direct broadcast satellite (DBS) industry has undergone a remarkable consolidation. The playing field has winnowed from almost three-dozen entrants to just two operators. ...

Survey Shows Satellite Radio Is Building Momentum.(ChangeWave Research surveys)
September 8, 2003... Satellite radio, which is advancing beyond the "early adopter" stage, is expected to achieve robust growth for the rest of 2003 and beyond, according to a survey by ChangeWave Research, a market research arm of Potomac, Md.-based Phillips...

DirecTV, EchoStar Team For Washington Battles.
September 8, 2003... Hughes Electronics' [NYSE: GMH] DirecTV unit and EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH], the two high-powered U.S. satellite TV service providers, are joining forces in trying to fend off two threats that have surfaced in Washington. One...

Loral Skynet Inks Rede TV Deal.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Loral Skynet do Brasil, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications [OTC: LRLSO], has signed an agreement with Brazilian television network Rede TV to provide satellite capacity on Telstar 12 for coverage of Brazilian winter festival Campos do...

Sirius, Antex Unveil Receiver.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] and equipment manufacturer Antex Electronics have introduced what they say is the world's first satellite radio specifically designed for use in multi-room, multi-zone audio systems. The companies unveiled...

EchoStar Redeems Senior Notes.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... EchoStar Communications [Nasdaq: DISH] confirmed that effective Sept. 3, 2003, its subsidiary, EchoStar DBS Corp., completed the redemption of $245 million principal amount of its 9 1/8 percent senior notes due 2009. The outstanding principal...

Frost Named VP at GlobeCast.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Satellite broadcast provider GlobeCast America has appointed Mary Frost as senior vice president of sales. In her new position, Frost will be responsible for overseeing both domestic and international sales in the United States. She will be...

Alaska Station Buys Norsat Units.(KTUU purchasing Norsat International NewsLink)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Alaska's largest TV station and Anchorage's NBC affiliate KTUU has purchased Norsat International's NewsLink portable satellite terminal. With this purchase, KTUU ends a three-year search to find satellite technology that could be used to...

Lockheed Adds GPS Partners.(Raytheon and General Dynamics)
September 8, 2003... Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced that Raytheon [NYSE: RTN], ITT [NYSE: ITT] and General Dynamics [NYSE: GD] have joined its team to develop the GPS III, the U.S. Air Force's next-generation Global Positioning System. The company had...

Merrimac Gets Boeing GPS Order.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Merrimac Industries [AMEX: MRM] has signed a deal with Boeing [NYSE: BA] that could reach a value of $4.4 million to supply its Beamforming Networks and RF/Microwave signal processing components for Boeing's GPS IIF satellites. Under a contract...

New Skies Closes Share Buy Back.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... New Skies Satellites [NYSE: NSK], the Netherlands-based global satellite communications company, has completed its share repurchase program, acquiring a total of 13,057,024 ordinary shares at a cost of approximately $54.0 million, reflecting an...

Gilat Inks Deal With Valero.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Spacenet, a U.S. subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks [Nasdaq: GILTF], has signed a deal with Valero Energy [NYSE: VLO] to provide a broadband satellite communications network for the company's 4,000 retail and wholesale outlets in the United...

Integral Systems Acquires Unit.(of former Jackson & Tull Satellite Ground Systems division)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... Satellite ground systems provider Integral Systems [Nasdaq: ISYS] signed a pact to buy the intellectual property rights, inventory and other assets of the former Jackson & Tull Satellite Ground Systems division. Financial terms of the deal...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.(Illustration)
September 8, 2003... Week of Aug. 29 - Sept. 4, 2003 Symbol Sept. 4 Price APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 3.1 ASIASAT TELECOM SAT 16.9 BRITISH SKY BROADCASTING BSY 42.33...

'Survival of the Fittest' Webinar.
September 8, 2003... The battle for video and high-speed Internet access is here. Find out who is likely to win, who has the greatest challenges, and what opportunities that knowledge will open up for you. Don't be left in the dark! Join Satellite News, Satellite...

SBCA Begins Search For New Chief.(Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association)
September 15, 2003... The departure of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association's (SBCA) top executive is occurring at a time when the financially constrained organization faces a number of formidable challenges in Washington. The political...

FCC's Ableson Backs Industry.
September 15, 2003... The International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission provided an upbeat view of the industry during the commission's monthly meeting last week. IB Chief Don Abelson cited the growing demand for commercial satellite services...

XM Gains Money, Respect From Investors.
September 15, 2003... Washington-based XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SMSR] succeeded in attracting conservative institutional investors in a financing deal that closed last week, suggesting that XM is gaining respect in financial circles. Less than one year ago,...

Spotlight: ViaSat Signs Up To Aid U.S. Troops.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Carlsbad, Calif.-based ViaSat's LINKWAY satellite terminals will be used by U.S. military camera crews to securely transmit video and still imagery from combat positions to headquarters, to command locations in the field, and to U.S.-based...

Cable's Not-So-Secret Weapon Arrives.(broadband Internet)
September 15, 2003... By Ted Livingston There was little question at recent cable industry get-togethers, such as June's National Cable and Telecommunications' (NCTA) convention in Chicago and July's Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM)...

EADS Astrium Looks To Diversify Revenue Base.(Interview)
September 15, 2003... EADS Astrium CEO Antoine Bouvier believes the number of commercial orders for satellites is unlikely to pick up significantly until 2005. However, the satellite manufacturer hopes to make up for the commercial shortfall by increasing revenues...

ARINC, Telenor Form Alliance.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... ARINC and Telenor Satellite Services [Nasdaq: TELN] have signed an agreement that creates what the companies characterize as the world's largest alliance of aeronautical service providers. Under the agreement, Telenor designates ARINC as the...

Arianespace To Launch Astra 1KR.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... French launch services firm Arianespace has signed a contract with SES Astra to launch the Astra 1KR telecommunications satellite. Financial terms of the deal weren't released. The launch of Astra 1KR is planned for the second half of 2005 on...

ILS To Launch Amazonas Satellite.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... International Launch Services (ILS) has signed an agreement to launch the Amazonas satellite covering Latin America for Spanish satellite operator Hispasat of Spain on a Proton/Breeze M rocket next year. It will mark the third launch pairing...

ANA Signs Deal With Boeing.(All Nippon Airways)(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Boeing [NYSE:BA] have signed a letter of intent signaling the air carrier's plan to install the Connexion by Boeing satellite Internet service on its long-haul commercial aircraft. Financial terms were not...

Intelsat, TVNZ Launch New Service.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Intelsat Global Sales & Marketing and TVNZ Satellite Services have agreed to join forces in the occasional use broadcast services business. This alliance is designed to leverage the strengths of each company by offering a global network of...

Titan IV Launches NRO Satellite.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... A Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]-built Titan IV B rocket lifted off Sept. 9 at 12:29 a.m. EDT carrying a classified payload for the U.S. Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The NRO is the U.S. government agency responsible for...

SES Astra Expands Footprint.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES Astra has signed five new contracts to expand the provision of Astra one-way satellite broadband service to additional territories in Europe and North Africa. The company inked a longterm contract with...

SkyFrames, ComGuard Ink Deal.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... SkyFrames [OTC: SKYU] has signed an agreement with ComGuard CTS to provide high-end VSAT equipment and broadband Internet services to ComGuard's operations in remote areas of Canada. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. For the first...

Alcatel Wins Boeing Order.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Boeing (NYSE: BA) has selected Alcatel Space, a unit of Paris-based Alcatel [NYSE: ALA] to supply a multi-million payload for a satellite Boeing is build for XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR]. The payload will be built at Alcatel Space's...

Hughes, Telesat Ink Deal.(Brief Article)
September 15, 2003... Hughes Network Systems, a subsidiary of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH], has signed a three-year agreement with Canadian satellite operator Telesat to provide technical support for Telesat's telecommunications and broadcasting services in the...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.(Illustration)
September 15, 2003... Week of Sept. 5 - 11, 2003 Percentage Sept. 5 One Symbol Price Week APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 2.46 -18.8 ASIASAT TELECOM ...

Inmarsat Heads Toward Altar.(with Apax Partners Worldwide and Permira Advisers )
September 22, 2003... London-based Inmarsat Ventures appears on the verge of gaining new owners after an independent committee of the company's board accepted a takeover offer of slightly more than $1.4 billion from two UK-based private equity firms. The board...

Operators Eye Universal Broadband.
September 22, 2003... Large satellite operators increasingly are looking to play a key role in the deployment of universal broadband services. With certain governments calling for universal broadband access within five years, satellite operators view their...

'The Stupid Rich': The Untapped Satellite Phone Market?(Industry Overview)
September 22, 2003... By Roger Rusch Nearly 20 years ago, mobile telephone service was transformed by the development of cellular networks. Airtime service prices were high, and the telephones were costly and bulky. Originally, the telephones were installed in...

Spotlight: China Gains Two-way Satellite Broadband.(teaming with Hughes Network Systems)(Brief Article)
September 22, 2003... Chinese satellite services operator ChinaCast is introducing two-way broadband service by teaming with Germantown, Md.-based Hughes Network Systems. Both companies will jointly market the two-way networking services in China as a follow-up to...

Build Programming, Listeners Will Come.(satellite radio )
September 22, 2003... By Jimmy Schaeffler One of the great maxims of the multichannel subscription services industry is that consumers really don't care about the technology. They just care about the content. That thinking suggests that if service providers...

Intelsat Looks To Expand Broadband In Mideast, Asia.
September 22, 2003... Intelsat's recent launch of a broadband network in West Africa is part of a broader international broadband push by the satellite operator. Erich Fischer, Intelsat's senior director of global broadband services, told SATELLITE NEWS: "We...

Despite Revenue Fall, SES Global's Results Impress.(first half of 2003)
September 22, 2003... SES Global [Luxembourg: SESG] posted a respectable performance in its first half year results, despite posting a 10 percent drop in revenues compared to the first six months of 2002. The largest satellite operator had total revenues of 642.2...

Are you missing something?
September 22, 2003... Because of our expanded international coverage, we are no longer carrying brief news items in our Satellite Circuit section. But you can get news briefs every day for free by subscribing to our SATELLITE TODAY e-letter. To learn more, check out...

ORBIMAGE Prepares For Post-bankruptcy World.(Orbital Imaging)
September 22, 2003... Dulles, Va.-based Orbital Imaging (ORBIMAGE) is readying plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection by the end of October. The remote sensing company, fresh off the successful launch of a new OrbView-3 highresolution satellite...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.
September 22, 2003... Week of Sept. 12 - 18, 2003 Percentage Sept. 18 One Symbol Price Week APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 2.52 5.9 ASIASAT TELECOM ...

Telstar 4 Failure Hits Intelsat.
September 29, 2003... The in-orbit failure of Bedminster, N.J.-based Loral Skynet's Telstar 4 satellite could pose significant financial consequences. At greatest risk are the satellite's insurers and satellite operator Intelsat, which agreed to buy that satellite,...

PanAmSat Catches HDTV Wave.
September 29, 2003... Wilton, Conn.-based PanAmSat [Nasdaq: SPOT] is building a neighborhood of in-orbit satellite capacity to provide potentially lucrative high-definition television (HDTV) services. The first step is the planned launch of the Galaxy...

SBCA Rally Turns Dish Dealers Into Advocates.(Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association )
September 29, 2003... Satellite dish dealers typically use their powers of persuasion with their customers but last week they came to Washington to win the support of lawmakers in Congress. A first-of-its-kind "Retailer Rally," organized by the Satellite...

Spotlight: Intelsat Expands With Mountain Teleport.(Brief Article)
September 29, 2003... Intelsat has expanded its terrestrial network by powering up a new mountaintop teleport in Hagerstown, Md. Intelsat's teleport will provide service to 100 existing customers of GlobalConnex, the operator's bundled portfolio of hybrid...

Satellite's September Spectrum Search.
September 29, 2003... By Jimmy Schaeffler September typically is a busy time of year for the U.S. direct broadcast satellite (DBS) business. Executives return from summer vacations and there is less daylight (and thus, presumably, more TV watching). In...

Satellite Access in Africa: The Next 'Big' Thing.(COMSYS VSAT 2003 conference)(Industry Overview)
September 29, 2003... By David Hartshorn Anyone who has traversed Africa - whether by plane, train or beast of burden - knows the continent is vast. Those who recently have traveled there in the pursuit of satellite business know Africa's market potential also...

Business-like WRC Could Offer Model for Future.(International Telecommuni- cation Union's World Radiocommunication Conference 2003)
September 29, 2003... The International Telecommuni- cation Union's World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) 2003 produced positive results for the satellite industry, but no spectacular wins or losses. Rather, it was an unusually pragmatic meeting that produced...

HDTV: The Next Opportunity For Satellite Growth?(Industry Overview)
September 29, 2003... By Roger Rusch Every economic cycle ends with the disposal of ineffective businesses. After funding ends for weak enterprises, new investment can be channeled to the development of promising new initiatives. Usually the next expansion is...

The Satellite News Financial Ticker.
September 29, 2003... Week of Sept. 19 - 25, 2003 Percentage Sept. 25 One Symbol Price Week APT SATELLITE HLDGS ATS 2.27 -5.4 ASIASAT TELECOM ...