The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (Casbaa) will formally launch the Casbaa Satellite Group on 18 June in Singapore with a one-day conference featuring a keynote address from Douglas Kahn, president and CEO of PanAmSat, as well as the participation of senior executives from SES Astra, Boeing Space, Americom Asia-Pacifc, Shinawatra Satellite, AsiaSat, STAR Group, New Skies Satellite, AOL Time Warner and Binariang Satellite.

Among the papers that will be presented at the conference include: "Ten Years Ahead - Next Generation Satcoms" (speaker Randy Brinkley, president, Boeing Satellite Systems); "Broadband via Satellite - Prospects & Perils For Asia" (speaker Christopher Slaughter director Asia Pacific Communications Yankee Group);

"Financing In The New Era: Strategic Alliances, Partnerships, Mergers & Acquisitions."

With the Iridium crash and potential failure for a large, multi-billion dollar market for handheld mobile satellite telephony, investors are becoming increasingly cautious.
* What is the current state of satellite financing in Asia?
* What is the financial outlook for broadband systems?
* What are the various means to obtain financing?

"Broadband Content Over Satellite."

A key element in the future of the communications industry lies in rich media with ‘infotainment‘ applications and services coming online all the time. Many now believe that the network itself is far less important than the information or content carried over the network.
* How will telecom operators, communications service providers, ISPs, content providers, broadcasters and media define themselves within this new economy?
* To what extent will the new communications economy be based around content?
* What are the market implications? Satellite News Gathering (SNG)? * Where are the threats and opportunities?

"Fast Forward To The Future: Strategic Intelligence Now!"

Content is king but does not yet reign supreme. Content markets are developing rapidly, with traditional providers going online, new entrants and specialist distributors emerging and media players merging into the telecoms industry.
* Will the convergence between telecoms, ISPs , broadcast and media continue?
* If content is to be the new currency, how will it be valued and leveraged as a strategic weapon?
* Who are the players in the content value-chain?
* What is the role of content access in forging industry partnerships?

The French music channel Channel MCM is shifting from Asiasat 2 to Intelsat 704, a release issued today says.

The dual illumination has started from 8 June and will continue till 21 June.

The new parameters for the channel are given below for necessary information to Operators for re-tuning their IRDs to continue receiving this channel.
Position : 66 degree East (294 ? Ouest)
Frequency : 4055 Mhz
Polarisation : circular
Symbol rate : 27500 Msymb/s
FEC : 3/4
Service ID : 1402 CFI (ASIE PRO)
Transponder : 25
Signal: Hemispherique Est bande C
Transmission Mode : MCPC MPEG 2 DVB
Band : C
EIRP : 33 dB/W

MCM is distributed in India by B4U Networks in a content-cum-marketing arrangement.

The NDS Group, a News Corporation company and leading provider of conditional access systems and interactive applications for digital TV, announced recently it had been selected as part of the winning consortium to launch Korea‘s first digital satellite broadcasting operation. The deal, worth approximately $30m to the consortium, is one of the largest ever of its kind in Asia and will provide the region‘s first fully interactive satellite TV platform, a company release states.

As part of the consortium led by Ssang Yong Information and Communications (SICC), NDS will supply their Open VideoGuard (conditional access system), StreamServer (for the management control of the digital headend) and provide support consultancy for Ssang Yong in their role as prime systems integrator. In addition to its work with Ssang Yong, NDS will work with Korean manufacturers to integrate interactive technology into set-top boxes and with content developers to make interactive services available to Korea Digital Satellite Broadcasting (KDB).

"This agreement is yet another endorsement of NDS‘s technology and systems integration skills," said Dr Abe Peled, president and CEO, NDS Group. "NDS‘s conditional access systems are used by the world‘s largest broadcasting operations and we are one of the industry‘s few providers with a full end-to-end solution. We are confident that our systems and support will meet KDB‘s needs during the critical development period, at launch and as it grows its subscriber base over the coming years."

Highlights:
* Korea Digital Satellite Broadcasting (KDB) to launch digital satellite broadcasting by end of 2001
* NDS to act as consultant to Ssang Yong Information and Communications on systems integration
* NDS Open VideoGuard(tm) digital conditional access and StreamServer( selected for use on KDB.