[alebowgm]

Hey guys,

I am normally over on the Dish Network section, but this came across my attention today and figured it may be worth posting in this section of the form. Apparently, Bell Expressvu, a Canadian DBS Provider has been spun off into Telesat. Now with this spinoff comes its own funding and that includes new money my Telesat to construct a new satellite to be called Nimiq 5. Now, Telesat released a news release < http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2006/18/c8244.html > and there is an interesting piece to the article, which states as follows..

In conjunction with the change of ownership, Telesat received approval
from its board of directors to order a Nimiq 5 satellite and to provide Bell
ExpressVu with access to expanded satellite capacity in the future. Telesat
anticipates that construction of the Nimiq 5 satellite will commence early
next year. Nimiq 5 will be a high-power, thirty-two transponder, direct
broadcast satellite located at Telesat's 72.5 degree West Longitude orbital
location. It will be used by Bell ExpressVu to expand its direct-to-home
satellite service offerings.

Now, I am not saying I am qualifed or anything, but to me, that sounds as if DirecTV 1, the current satellite located at 72.5 is going to be replaced by a Canadian bird @ 72.5 and used for the Expressvu service. Now who knows what kinks that may put in DirecTVs plans...

I do know that Dish Network has to get permission for Echostar 5 @ 129 from the Canadians because that too was a Canadian orbital location...

 

[Terry K]

DirecTV has said they'll be off of 72.5 in a year or so....this gives credence to putting those locals over to the MPEG4 birds sooner than later, I know Springfield, MO is on that list to go there soon, that tells me they're going to get out of the 72.5 business sooner than later.

 

[dodge boy]

My locals are on the 72.5 and aren't MPEG-4, I own all of my recievers, Do I have to lease ones to replace them if they move my locals?

 

[bobnielsen]

My locals are on the 72.5 and aren't MPEG-4, I own all of my recievers, Do I have to lease ones to replace them if they move my locals?

Probably, but it won't cost you anything more than you are already paying.

Directv only has even-numbered transponders at 72.5, so there is room for Telesat to have 16 odd-numbered transponders there even it Directv 1 were to stay at that location. Perhaps the even transponders are allocated to U.S. use.

 

[Newshawk]

My locals are on the 72.5 and aren't MPEG-4, I own all of my recievers, Do I have to lease ones to replace them if they move my locals?

No, all D* would need to do is move your locals to another satellite-probably the 119, once the HD channels are cleared off of it ... I'll bet that's part of the 2007 gameplan.

 

[Greg Bimson]

DirecTV couldn't just move the hundred or so local channels at 72.5 to the four transponders at the 119 satellite that carry HD.

 

[ramcm7]

I noticed that the Phoenix Chinese language station has been moved to the 95W sat. (It was on two sats for some time.) I recall a plan to move much of the foreign language programming (not sure if that included Spanish) to the 95W. That could free up some room on the core sats.