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           "The World's Most Important Publication!"           
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 (C)Copyright 1994 By Dolan & Associates - All Rights Reserved 
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           THE SATELLITE TV INDUSTRY ONLINE MAGAZINE           
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 Volume 6 - Issue # 12      Price:$ 2.95       October 1, 1994 
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 DISHCETERA Satellite TV Magazine, DISHCETERA - The Satellite  
 TV Online Magazine, & DISHNEWS are (C)Copyrighted 1994 Dolan  
 & Associates, Box 189, Bellaire, Texas 77402.  All Rights     
 Reserved.  Subscription price is $25.per year pre-payment in  
 advance in U.S. funds only.  Send all subscriptions to        
 DISHCETERA, Box 189, Bellaire, Texas 77402.                   
                                                               
 No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted  
 by any means, electronic, mechanical, photographic, recording,
 or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.   
 Unauthorized use may result in criminal prosecution, as well  
 as, civil liability.  SysOps may post as a bulletin or file.  


             THIS MONTH'S TOP SATELLITE NEWS STORIES
             ---------------------------------------

    TELECOMMUNICATIONS LEGISLATION IS DEAD FOR THIS SESSION

    FCC MAKES ANOTHER WRONG CABLE TV DECISION

    SEC WARNS AGAINST INFORMATION HIGHWAY STOCK SCAMS

    TED TURNER TRYS TO GET NBC... TIME/WARNER SAYS NO

    ANOTHER BIG SUPRISE!...THERE'S NO CABLE TV COMPETITION

    DIGITAL SATELLITE SYSTEM LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE... TODAY!

    LITTLE DISH SYSTEMS EDITORIAL OPINION

    DIRECT TV/USSB - JUST THE FACTS - YOU DECIDE FOR YOURSELF

    FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION LOOKING INTO HOME SHOPPING DEAL

    CATALOG 1 HOME SHOPPING NETWORK ANNOUNCES EXPANSION

    PBS "IN THE CLEAR" SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER ON CHANNEL "X"

    WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE HOME DISH SKYS THIS MONTH

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    TELECOMMUNICATIONS LEGISLATION IS DEAD FOR THIS SESSION    


   Last month I told you Senator Hollings had got this bill back
on track and everyone was hoping it would pass; everyone except
the telephone industry and Senator Robert Dole.

   This month it's all over.

   Representative Edward Markey, chairman of the House of
Representatives subcommittee on telecommunications and finance,
said he would introduce similar legislation again next year.  The
attempt at telecommunications reform in Congress will not stop
said Mr. Markey.

   Rep. Markey told the Networked Economy Conference on emerging
communications technology that the bill died because companies
wanted to get into other businesses but wanted to keep their
competitors out of their own businesses.

   He specifically pointed out the regional telephone companies
for stopping his effort to end local telephone monopolies.

   His bill had passed the House but died in the Senate.  It
would have allowed competition between regional telephone
companies and cable companies in their local service areas, let
the regional companies provide long distance services, and make
the information superhighway available to schools, libraries, and
hospitals.

   Markey told the conference that "one way or another, a great
cross-pollination between the local telephone, cable, long
distance carriers, computer and software industries is going to
occur.  The ony question is at what pace, and whether it will be
uniform, fair and national in scope."

   Markey went on to say, "that without sweeping reform
legislation, the fashioning of telecommunications change would
continue to be ordered by the courts."


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           FCC MAKES ANOTHER WRONG CABLE TV DECISION           


   The FCC has decided not to move forward with a controversial
regulatory plan that would make it more difficult for cable
companies to keep the profits they garner from operating more
efficiently.

    The FCC voted 5-0 to not adopt their so-called "productivity
offset" proposal.  It would have mandated that cable television
operators operate under utility-style regulation by requiring
them to share any savings achieved from operational efficiencies
with their subscribers.

   Needless to say, the National Cable Television Association was
quick to commend the FCC for it's decision; cable companies were
very concerned that the FCC would adopt the plan.  Said the NCTA,
"this action removes a cloud of uncertainty that has affected
cable companies and the financial community."

   The FCC claims they didn't adopt the proposal because they
don't have enough information to make the proper decision.  I
wonder who's at fault for them not having enough information?


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       SEC WARNS AGAINST INFORMATION HIGHWAY STOCK SCAMS       


   The Security & Exchange Commission has warned investors
against fast-buck con-artists offering investors a chance to
invest in the information superhighway.

   The Securities & Exchange Commission says aggressive
investment promoters use radio and television promotions, often
using infomercials to illegally sell un-registered shares.

   The promotors often snare investors by baiting them with
their predictions of huge, fast profits in new companies, many
purportedly going into such ventures as: wireless cable, mobile
radio, interactive video and data services.

   You've seen them..."DO NOT CALL FOR CABLE INSTALLATION!  For
as little as $7500. you can get into wireless cable.  DO NOT CALL
FOR CABLE INSTALLTION!"

   The SEC says it has filed at least a dozen lawsuits against
certain of these operations and has ongoing investigations into
many additional cases.

   Says Tom Hammel, an attorney for the SEC, "none of the
companies are publicly owned."  This means that these operations
did not receive any prior scrutiny from the SEC.

    In one of these cases, the SEC reports that Continental
Wireless Cable Television Inc., a La Jolla, California, was able
to raise $34.1 million from 2,000 investors nationwide however,
only $6.85 million was actually used to buy and sell wireless
cable tv systems.  Of the balance, at least $11 million was paid
in sales commissions and sales related expenses (informercials),
and at least $11.75 million is missing and un-accounted for.

    The SEC says they are particularly concerned that these scams
are targeting retirement funds.  In some cases the promotional
materials would explain how to transfer your IRA funds to make an
investment.


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      TED TURNER TRYS TO GET NBC... TIME/WARNER SAYS NO        


   Ted Turner, Georgia's billboard mogul, is at it again.  Yes,
the man who started out with one of those large outdoor signs as
his only business and turned it into a gift that just keeps on
giving, is once again trying to expand the Turner empire.  This
time Turner set his sights on NBC.

   As a cable "programmer", Ted Turner is in a better position to
takeover NBC than a cable "operator" who is subject to new FCC
rules on ownership limitations; if TCI or Time/Warner trys to get
control of NBC there would be a long series of regulatory and
possibly congressional roadblocks to overcome.

   Turner wants a national network and has approached all three
with his intentions and has found that GE/NBC is interested, at
least GE wants to rid itself of NBC.

   However, Time/Warner is also interested in owning NBC and as
Time/Warner is a major shareholder in Turner Networks, there's a
slight problem.

   If Time/Warner were to assume control of NBC what would happen
to NBC's network of owned and operated tv stations?  Current FCC
regulations dis-allow the common ownership of cable tv systems
and tv broadcast stations in the same areas.  Time/Warner now
operates cable systems in New York City with more than one
million subscribers.  Time/Warner would have to divest itself of
NBC's network of owned and operated stations and they contribute
huge amounts of money to NBC.  This doesn't make too much sense
but Time/Warner IS interested in NBC.

   Recently, Time/Warner has announced the purchase of additional
cable systems properties which include those of Summit
Communications Group Inc, Newhouse Broadcasting, and Advanced
Publications - this gives Time/Warner control of 20% of all cable
tv households who currently have cable; this puts them close to
TCI's universe of 25% of all cable homes.

   These two companies control the entire cable industry thru
their ownership of so many cable tv households - you either play
ball with them and get into half the cable homes in the country
or you find yourself trying to climb a mountain and you'll never
get to the summit.

   Seems like Pat Robertson told us this was his reason for
scrambling his Christian Broadcasting Network back in 1985.  What
ever happen to Pat Robertson and CBN?  Well, CBN is now the
Family Channel owned by TCI and you don't see to much of Pat
Roberston.  I hear he's trying to make a comeback using some gal
named Paula Jones as a front but I never see him anymore.

   I seem to have rambled a bit off-topic so let's return to Time
Warner, Turner, and NBC.  Time/Warner has officially blocked
Ted's attempt to get control at NBC.  Turner has issued a press
statement criticizing Time/Warner for blocking his efforts to buy
a television network.

   Ted Turner said, "selling his broadcasting empire may be the
only way he will obtain one.  That's the only way to resolve this
thing, if I can't resolve it peacefully with Time Warner."
Turner said at a National Press Club luncheon, "I've repeatedly
begged them on bended knee to please let us go out and compete,
and so far they've said no."

   Tele-Communications Inc. and Time Warner, the world's largest
cable operators, own half of Turner Broadcasting System Inc.
Tele-Communications Inc. owns 23% of Turner Broadcasting and
Time/Warner owns another 20%.

   Turner has been interested in getting a network to go with his
other properties for years; he attempted a hostile takeover of
CBS in 1985 but was unsuccessful.  When Turner needed money to
expand operations early on, Tele-Communications Inc. and Time
Warner invested on the condition that they retain complete
financial control.

   Says Ted Turner, "those restrictions were put in to keep me
from making errors and they're using them to hold our company
back.  And that is wrong. We need to be able to move forward."

   Then Turner said, "it is an absolute tragedy.  We're going to
end up with four or five mega-companies that control just about
everything that we see ... and it is very distressing to me."  It
didn't seem to matter to him when he wanted to expand over the
years, that his two "owners" already owned more of the cable tv
industry than anyone else, I wonder why he's so upset now.

   Turner went on to say that his company is at a disadvantage
because of Time/Warner's repeated rejection of his plans to bid
for a network while networks such as Fox and NBC are in the cable
business and Time/Warner itself wants to buy NBC.

   Turner also said he had been negotiating with NBC for what he
claimed was a "number of years", and that they had reached an
agreement as recently as a year ago to buy NBC for something like
$5 billion dollars.  However, Time/ Warner said no.

   Turner concluded by saying, "it's not like I'm hollering about
`I can't stand competition,' but it's unfair competition when you
don't have a piece of the puzzle that your competitors have."

   Turner made his remarks in a speech before the Washington
Press Club a couple of weeks ago.


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 HERE'S ANOTHER BIG SUPRISE!...THERE'S NO CABLE TV COMPETITION 


   This is really NOT news - we all know there isn't any remote
sort of competition in cable tv.  Of course, as far as our
government is concerned, nothing is a fact unless they spend a
few million dollars, hire a bunch of experts, roundup some
professional witnesses, hold a few hearings, and at least two or
three press conferences, and then tell us how much money they
have spent and then, spend some more money printing the whole
sordid mess in the Federal Register.  Then the obvious becomes
"official".

   The Federal Communications Commission took it's first look at
the state of the cable television industry since re-regulation
took effect last year and sent their official report to Congress.
Guess what they found?  I know nobody knows the answer.  The FCC
has discovered that very few cable operators face competition
sufficient to allow the market to set rates.  The FCC went on to
say that they saw some signs that "competitive forces are getting
stronger."

   According to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, the commission is
looking forward to the day when regulation of the cable industry
is no longer necessary because competition will guarantee good
service and low prices.  Getting to that point requires that "we
get it right" when establishing policies, Hundt said.

   The FCC report also found some anti-competitive practices as
major cable tv system operators swallow smaller systems in their
effort to create huge regional clusters of subscribers.  While
such clusters can create economies of scale, they may also
prevent other companies from competing.  The report went on to
say that there was some concern with increased vertical
integration of programming, as the major cable operators invest
in more programming.

   The FCC did take notice that direct satellite broadcasting is
beginning to provide an alternate source of multichannel video
programming, but those services are still in their infancy.  And,
so-called wireless cable systems (mmds) are also increasing.

   Just in case and maybe as an end-run, the cable tv industry,
with Time/Warner leading the pack, has filed a lawsuit in federal
court against the FCC, charging that it's definition of effective
competition is contrary to the 1992 Cable Act.  Their suit argues
that the FCC has created a tougher test of competition than
Congress had ever intended.

   Cable industry spokesmen declined to comment on the FCC report
saying they want time to study it before issuing any statement.

   It is important to also note that since the FCC rolled back
basic cable rates, the cable industry has continued to thrive.
All industry figures on subscribers, numbers of homes passed, and
investments are all up, showing that business is booming.  Well,
I hate to say it but once again I was right and the cable guys
were wrong.  The sky isn't falling!


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     DIGITAL SATELLITE SYSTEM LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE... TODAY!    


   YES! TODAY, October 3, 1994, marks the official end of the
C-band satellite industry, with the nationwide roll out of DSS -
RCA/Hughes/Direct TV/USSB's Digital Satellite Systems.  Do you
think it would be possible to mention anymore people's names in
only one sentence?  There's going to be a whole lot of finger
pointing when this deal flops... but that's next year's story.

   According to "THEM"... "The most spectacular leap in TV
entertainment since the advent of color arrives in living rooms
across the country with the national introduction of DSS
(Digital Satellite System) this month."

   "THEY" continue... "Through an 18-inch satellite dish -- the
size of a large pizza -- DSS  delivers up to 175 television
channels, including virtually every basic and premium
subscription channel, pay-per-view, movies, sports and specialty
programming.  The introduction of DSS nationwide marks a new era
in TV entertainment."

   "THEY" aren't finished talking about themselves yet... "An
alliance of three companies is bringing this latest home
entertainment innovation to market: RCA/Thomson Consumer
Electronics; DIRECTV, a division of GM Hughes Electronics; and
USSB (United States Satellite Broadcasting Co.), a division of
Hubbard Broadcasting."

   Okay, so now they're done, at least HERE they're finished.
They are probably all over those "dead" C-band satellites right
now, telling anyone who will listen and even those who won't,
what a wonderful deal they're about to give you.

   I keep wondering what all the hoopla is about.  Everything
they broadcast except their pay-per-view stuff, comes directly
from a C-band satellite using General Instruments obsolete
technology.  So, most everything they're sending is already here
in my backyard without any help from DSS and unless they hired
a witch doctor to perform some kind of magic, the video and audio
quality I get is the same as, or better than, whatever they have
to offer.

   Sure, they have Starz, which is nothing more than some of the
movies from ENCORE!, now ported to another channel, and they got
it via Digicipher - just think, twice the digital artifacts, one
low price!  In all fairness to DSS, their pictures are so soft
it's really hard to see most of the artifacts!  But enough
useless banter... let's get down to cases.

   If you want to watch one program while recording another or
have independent outlets in multiple rooms, DSS stomps the C-
band industry flat - each additional outlet of programming is
a mere $1. per month.  Try to get that with C-band.

   I don't really think C-band is dead just yet, but if a few
really stupid people in this industry keep telling everyone that
C-band satellites dishes that receive ALL the channels, are big
and ugly... we're on our way to a quick demise.


Ŀ
            LITTLE DISH SYSTEMS EDITORIAL OPINION              


   I know this isn't news to folks with existing C-band/Ku-band
satellite systems but it IS big news to everyone else.  That's
the reason it keeps showing up here in DISHCETERA.

   I wish they would drop dead and fade away too but that's not
going to happen for a few months at least and they are selling
systems faster than they can deliver them and folks that wanted
satellite dishes for the last ten years are racing out and buying
these things.  That makes them news - good news, old news, no
news, bad news - we really don't know yet.  What we do know is
that they are now rolling out nationwide.  This is the ONLY dish
people are interested in getting for the forseeable future and
it's going to be news each and every month.

   Most folks won't care if the dish is two feet or four feet -
some probably will, but not too many - so DSS and PrimeStar are
both going to be getting all the press.

   Those of us who have a Universal Receiving Dish (URD), the
one that gets all the cable stuff now and for the last fifthteen
years, the one that gets all the wild feeds, the "free" stuff,
and most everything else.  You know the one I'm talking about...
the "larger" dish.  At least I prefer to think of it as "larger".
The NBC evening news said we were "blights on the community" and
they were showing a SIX foot dish!  I wonder how they would
describe my "larger" dish?  I don't think I even want to know.

   I know the DSS guys don't want to know what I think of their
press releases or their pictures - both are terrible.  The
picture quality is simply too poor to look at on 90% of their
channels.  It's not terrible on all the channels all the time,
it's just bad on the ones I want to watch.  The really odd thing
is that Court TV looks pretty darn good but C-SPAN looks horrible
and both of those channels are almost identical in content.

   The DSS camp says if you think the pictures are "soft" you
just don't know how to adjust your tv properly.  They suggest you
connect to the S-video output if you want to get better pictures.
I hope there aren't too many consumers that will fall for that
type of hogwash.  There is no magic inside of that S-video
connector - it may "appear" slightly better than the units RF
output but it will be so slight you won't notice any difference
unless something else is also wrong.

   Plugging the video output of the DSS receiver into your
component tv's video input will give you the exact same thing as
plugging the S-video output to the S-video input.  You only get
higher quality "S-video" if there's a source of higher-quality
"S-video" inside.  And, guess what guys?  There's no S-video
quality source inside and a DSS receiver won't perform any black
magic and transform their C-band satellite signals into anything
else.

   Folks just can't seem to comprehend that DSS merely receives
ordinary C-band satellite signals using ordinary C-band satellite
receivers - signals that have been severely reduced in quality by
Videocipher encryption and transmission - and then re-transmits
them on a different frequency, in this case K-band.  There is no
magical signal enhancement that allows them to produce anything
better than what was originally broadcast.

   Sure, DSS has big plans, at sometime in the very distant
future, if and when such capability ever becomes available, to be
able to transmit higher resolution pictures.  They can't do it
now because the technology doesn't exist yet.

   DSS receivers do have a "high-speed" port where a "projected"
EDTV/HDTV add-on unit COULD be connected if such a unit were ever
a reality.  And, all the experts say such a "convertor" would
cost, at the very least, several thousands of dollars if produced
in quantities.  Of course, you would also have to purchase new
tvs with the capability to handle these new pictures and that's
another $5000. or so.  In any event, it won't be any time soon.
Our FCC has to make that final decision and there's no telling
when or if we'll ever get better tv pictures.  If you're trying
to get better quality pictures DSS is not the place to shop.

   Enough of my expert opinions, the only thing that matters is
what cable subscribers think of the pictures because only cable
subscribers are going to buy little dishes.  Compared to most
cable systems, that "vhs quality" you get on those little dishes
sounds pretty darn good.  And, cable subs. ARE buying!

   Little dishes are now the news and you can make up your own
mind.  Please don't buy one until you look at the picture on all
the channels you normally want to watch.  Most people won't care
how good Court TV looks and the dealers only show off channels
that look good.


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   DIRECT TV/USSB - JUST THE FACTS - YOU DECIDE FOR YOURSELF   


PACKAGE SYSTEM INCLUDES:  RCA receiver/descrambler, 18" antenna,
                          electronics package, 100' cable, and
                          hookup instructions.  Installation is
                          available for an additional $250.
                          A consumer do-it-yourself installation
                          kit is available for $70. and most DSS
                          installations can be done by consumers
                          in less than two hours.  The DirecTvSat
                          satellites transmit on K-band and not
                          Ku-band which has been in use for many
                          years.  K-band is higher in frequency.

CURRENT ANNOUNCED PRICE:  $699. - does not include installation
                          costs or additional equipment required.
                          This unit supplies programming to one
                          outlet - no additional receivers may
                          be added to this system; includes high
                          speed port to add EDTV/HDTV sidecar,
                          S-video output.

                          $899. - does not include installation
                          costs or additional equipment required.
                          This unit is one half of a two receiver
                          system capable of delivering all
                          programming to two independent outlets
                          with the purchase of an additional
                          receiver.  It includes the high-speed
                          port for EDTV/HDTV sidecar, low-speed
                          port for teletext/data, S-video output.
                          This system includes a dish which has
                          a protective coating applied to it -
                          the cheaper system does not.

                          Secondary receiver to connect to above
                          is $650. (Only ONE may be connected.)
                          However, you can purchase multiple DSS
                          systems ie two of the $899. systems and
                          two of the $650. slave receivers which
                          would give you a total of four outlets
                          of programming operating independently.
                          ($3. per month is the "book" price for
                          each additional outlet but consumers
                          are reportedly getting additional
                          outlets for only $1. each per month.)

                          Sidecar to allow reception of EDTV/HDTV
                          is only a "maybe" and projected cost to
                          add this are $1500. if and when such
                          transmissions ever became a reality.
                          There currently is no teletext or data
                          and no plans to add any at this time.

POOR RECEPTION AREAS:     If 18" dish does not deliver sufficient
                          signal levels a 3' - 4' dish will be
                          available for about $200. more.

WHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE:   Circuit City, Sears, Wards, Best Buy,
                          Radio Shack (1-800-THE-SHACK)

PROGRAMMING YOU CAN BUY:  DIRECT TV

            PERSONAL CHOICE 1  -  $22 per month

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT                    CARTOON NETWORK
BLOOMBERG DIRECT NEWS                   CABLE NEWS NETWORK
COUNTRY MUSIC TV                        COURT TV
CNN HEADLINE NEWS                       THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL
CNBC                                    THE FAMILY CHANNEL
C-SPAN I                                THE SCI-FI CHANNEL
E! ENTERTAINMENT TV                     SUPERSTATION TBS
NASHVILLE NETWORK                       TURNER NETWORK TV
THE LEARNING CHANNEL                    MUCHMUSIC/US EDITION
USA NETWORK                             THE WEATHER CHANNEL
TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES                   DISNEY CHANNEL (EAST)
                            E.S.P.N.

            PERSONAL CHOICE 2 - $22. per month

BLOOMBERG DIRECT NEWS **                SUPERSTATION TBS
THE CARTOON NETWORK                     TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES
CABLE NEWS NETWORK                      TURNER NETWORK TV
CNN HEADLINE NEWS                       USA NETWORK
C-SPAN I                                MUCHMUSIC/US EDITION
THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL                   E.S.P.N.
DISNEY CHANNEL (EAST)                   DISNEY CHANNEL (WEST)

PLUS, you get 30 channels of digital cable audio...
PLUS, you can add 10 BASIC CHANNELS from the following lineup:

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT                    COURT TV
COUNTRY MUSIC TV                        E! ENTERTAINMENT TV
CNBC                                    THE GOLF CHANNEL **
C-SPAN II                               THE FAMILY CHANNEL
CNN INTERNATIONAL/US EDITION            THE LEARNING CHANNEL
CBC NEWSWORLD                           THE SCI-FI CHANNEL
THE TRAVEL CHANNEL                      WEATHER CHANNEL
                            -OR-

You can add 7 channels of ENCORE instead of the basic channels:

                            ENCORE
ENCORE/ACTION/ADVENTURE                 ENCORE/MYSTERY/SUSPENCE
ENCORE/DRAMA                            ENCORE/TWEENS
ENCORE/ROMANCE                          ENCORE/WESTERNS

PLAYBOY AT NITE can be purchased for an additional monthly fee
and the PERSONAL CHOICE packages include a $2.50 p-p-v movie
credit each month.

PLUS, up to 120 channels of pay-per-view movies are also going
to be available with a choice of 10 to 15 different movies
beginning every 15 minutes.

The 120 channels of pay-per-view plus 20 basics and 10 premiums
completes their proposed 150 channel cable system in the sky.

PROGRAMMING YOU CAN BUY:  USSB (U. S. Satellite Broadcasting)

the basic package includes:

NICKELODEON          LIFETIME TV        COMEDY CENTRAL
MUSIC TV (MTV)                          ALL NEWS CHANNEL
VIDEO HITS 1 (VH1)                      E! ENTERTAINMENT

HBO Package                             Showtime Package
 + Basics                               + Basics
$24.95 per mo.                          $24.95 per mo.

HBO Package:                            Showtime Package:

HOME BOX OFFICE E & W                   MOVIE CHANNEL E & W
HOME BOX OFFICE 2 E & W                 SHOWTIME E & W
HOME BOX OFFICE 3                       SHOWTIME 2
HBO CINEMAX E & W                       FLIX!
HBO CINEMAX 2

Premium Plus $34.95 includes basics plus HBO package and
Showtime package.

USSB may add pay-per-view movies as an option later on but
currently has no plan in place to do this.  They have NO plans
to add additional entertainment services.

OTHER CHANNELS AVAILABLE: None

FREE CHANNELS AVAILABLE:  System informational/pay-per-view
                          promotional channel 24 hours a day.

SUBJECT TO CHANGE:        Without notice.


Ŀ
    FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION LOOKING INTO HOME SHOPPING DEAL   


   Just when cable subscribers might get a break, along stumbles
our government and wants to muddle things up... it's monkey biz
as usual in Washington.

   What's the deal?  The two largest home shopping channels want
to merge into a single home shopping service.  QVC, aka Quality
Value Channel, and HSN, aka Home Shopping Network, are planning
to merge and become one.

   Of course, this would give them considerable benefits as they
now duplicate each others resources; they each operate cable
channels, warehouse product, maintain huge phone banks to handle
orders, shipping department staffs, etc.  If they became one
entity they could streamline their business efforts into a huge
single effort.  This is why the FTC is interested.

   The FTC's concern is that Tele-Communications Inc. would
become a 43% owner of QVC.  Meanwhile, TCI already controls 80%
Home Shopping Network Inc. (Comcast Cable - owned by TCI - would
own 57% of QVC if the deal goes ahead).  Home Shopping Network
and QVC accounted for 98% of the $3 billion dollar home shopping
pie.

   In addition, the FTC worries that TCI and Comcast Cable own
systems that serve about 17 million U.S. households and this
gives them control over those households and the ability to
determine if any other home shopping channels get into any those
homes.  I don't know about you but the idea of only ONE shopping
channel sounded pretty good to me.

   I do understand their concern that one company gets most of
the business and everyone else fights over any scraps that may be
left.  I remember when you had a choice of premium channels, you
weren't stuck with either the repeats on HBO or the repeats on
Showtime.

   I used to have a choice of ON-TV and SelecTV and they had
movies that were at the theatres seven or eight months ago.
There was FrontRow, UpTown, Showcase, Star Channel, Bravo (no,
not the one we have now, there's nothing "premium" about that).
Spectrum, Rendevous, Channel Z, Escapade, RCTV, and even the
CBS Cable Network.  Where are they today?  Put out of business
by the two companies that remain.  The FTC has bee a big help
in the past and I can't wait to see what they do this time.

   Federal officials are concerned that the market for home
shopping services "could be on the verge of becoming
anti-competitive."  Sometimes you can't see the forest because
of the trees.  This would seem to be one of those cases.

   If the FTC had anyone working there with half a lick of sense,
they would have/should have noticed that two companies now
control all of the cable industry that matters - everyone else is
just fighting over the few remaining scraps.  And, the FTC has
done absolutely ZERO!  Why are they now worried about home
shopping?  Maybe somebody knows the answer.  I certainly don't.


Ŀ
      CATALOG 1 HOME SHOPPING NETWORK ANNOUNCES EXPANSION      


   Meanwhile, while the FTC worries that home shopping networks
are dropping like flies, Catalog 1, another home shopping service
you probably have never heard of, announces that they have
doubled their viewership.  Who the heck are these guys?

   Catalog 1, is the first catalog-based, 24-hour cable shopping
network.  They sell from other people's catalog instead of just
picking up items at random and offering them for sale.

   The current Catalog 1 "catalog" consists of: Liz Claiborne,
Levi Strauss & Co., Fisher-Price, Spiegel, Eddie Bauer, Neiman
Marcus, Williams-Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, The Nature Company,
The Bombay Company, Sharper Image, Viewer's Edge, and the newly
added Book-Of-The-Month Club, Inc.  All of these catalog
offerings are now exclusive to Catalog 1.  More are expected to
be added as time goes on.

   Catalog 1 began operations in March using a tape delivery
system and will be launching the fall season to all its markets
via the satellite on Galaxy 1R.  Catalog 1's current test markets
are Rochester, N.Y.; Columbus, Ohio; Nashua, N.H.; and suburban
Milwaukee, Wisc.

   A digital, fully interactive version of Catalog 1 has been
announced to be one of the initial services offered on the
Time/Warner Full Service Network.  FSN which will be launched in
Orlando, Florida before the end of the year.

   Catalog 1 is a joint venture between Spiegel and Time/Warner
Entertainment.  So, there's more home shopping, it's just owned
by all the same people.


Ŀ
     PBS "IN THE CLEAR" SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER ON CHANNEL "X"    


PBS C-band Schedule
Telstar 401 - Transponder 8
PBS "X"
Generic October 1994
All Times Eastern

Please note - Sun Transits will cause several minutes of
satellite signal reception outage for several days during the
first two weeks of October, in the 1400-1445 Eastern time period
(2:00pm - 2:45pm ET).  Dates, times and duration of the outage
depends on your location.

SUNDAY

0800     Sesame Street
0900     Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
0930     Barney & Friends
1000     Storytime
1030     Reading Rainbow
1100     Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
1130     Shining Time Station
1200     The Magic School Bus
1230     Gourmet Cooking
1300     The New Garden
1330     All About TV
1400     The World Of Collector Cars
1430     Quilt In A Day
1500     Deutsche Welle News
1530     Sew Creative
1600     Strip Quilting With Kaye Wood
1630     The Sewing Connection with Shirley Adams
1700     Crafting For The 90s
1730     Taste of Mexico
1800     Firing Line
1830     That Can't Be Wood
1900     The Ghostwriter Hour
2000     Nature
2100     Masterpiece Theatre
2200     Mystery!
2300     Nature
0000     Masterpiece Theatre
0100     Mystery!
0200     Sign off

MONDAY - THURSDAY

0530     Bloomberg Business News
0600     Bloomberg Business News
0615     Bloomberg Business News
0630     Bloomberg Business News
0645     AM Weather
0700     The Morning Business Report
0730     The Morning Business Report
0745     AM Weather
0800     Body Electric
0830     Homestreach
0900     Sesame Street
1000     Lamb Chop's Play-Along
1030     Reading Rainbow
1100     Storytime
1130     Shining Time Station
1200     Lamb Chop's Play-Along
1230     Barney & Friends
1300     Storytime
1330     Shining Time Station
1400     Barney & Friends
1430     Storytime
1500     Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
1530     Sesame Street
1630     Reading Rainbow
1700     Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?
1730     Square One TV
1800     Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
1830     The Nightly Business Report
1900     The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour

Eastenders will air Saturdays at 1900: 2 episodes, back to back.

WEEKNIGHT PRIMETIME PROGRAMMING

Monday October 3
2000/0000    National Geographic's China: Beyond the Clouds
2200/0200    The Vanishing Civil War
2300         Charlie Rose

Tuesday October 4
2000/0000    National Geographic's China: Beyond the Clouds
2200/0200    Nova: Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls
2300         Charlie Rose

Wednesday October 5
2000/0000    Scientific American Frontiers
2100/0100    Pennsylvania Diners & Other Roadside Restaurants
2200/0200    William Kennedy's Albany
2300         Charlie Rose

Thursday October 6
2000/0000    Mystery! Inspector Morse
2200/0200    I'll Fly Away
2300         Charlie Rose

Monday October 10
2000/0000    Future Quest
2030/0030    Think Twice
2100/0100    Great Performances: Opening Night at Carnegie Hall
2300         Charlie Rose

Tuesday October 11
2000/0000    Nova: The Great Wildlife Heist
2100/0100    The American Experience: FDR
2300         Charlie Rose

Wednesday October 12
2000         Aretha Franklin: In Performance At The White House
2100/0100    The American Experience: FDR, part II
2330         Charlie Rose

Thursday October 13
2000/0000    Great Railway Journeys II
2100/0100    Mystery!
2200/0200    I'll Fly Away
2300         Charlie Rose

Monday October 17
2000         Future Quest
2030/0030    Think Twice
2100/0100    Great Performances: The Dangerous Liaisons
2330         Charlie Rose

Tuesday October 18
2000         Nova: Secret of the Wild Child
2100/0100    Frontline: School Colors
2330         Charlie Rose

Wednesday October 19
2000/0000    The New Explorers
2100/0100    The American Experience
2200/0200    Indian America: A Gift From The Past

Thursday October 20
2000/0000    Great Railway Journeys II
2100/0100    Mystery!
2200/0200    I'll Fly Away
2300         Charlie Rose

Monday October 24
2000/0000    Future Quest
2030/0030    Think Twice
2100/0100    A Woman's Health
2200/0200    Great Performances: Paddy Chayevsky's "The Mother"
2300         Charlie Rose

Tuesday October 25
2000/0000    Nova: Haunted Cry of a Long Gone Bird
2100/0100    Frontline
2200/0200    The Great Depression
2300         Charlie Rose

Wednesday October 26
2000/0000    Celebrate Storytelling with Danny Glover
2100/0100    The American Experience: Midnight Ramble
2200/0200    Love In Four Acts
2300         Charlie Rose

Thursday October 27
2000/0000    Great Railway Journeys II
2100/0100    Mystery!
2200/0200    I'll Fly Away
2300         Charlie Rose

Monday October 31
2000/0000    Future Quest
2030/0030    Think Twice
2100/0100    Running Out of Time
2200/0200    The New Militant Center
2300         Charlie Rose

Tuesday November 1
2000/0000    Nova: What's New About Menopause
2100/0100    Frontline
2200/0200    The Great Depression
2300         Charlie Rose

Wednesday November 2
2000/0000    Scientific American Frontiers
2100/0100    Frederick Douglass: When The Lion Wrote History
2230/0230    Gil Shaham: Violin
2300         Charlie Rose

Thursday November 3
2000/0000    Great Railway Journeys II
2100/0100    Mystery!
2200/0200    I'll Fly Away
2300         Charlie Rose

FRIDAYS

0530     Bloomberg Business News
0600     Bloomberg Business News
0615     Bloomberg Business News
0630     Bloomberg Business News
0645     AM Weather
0700     Morning Business Report
0730     Morning Business Report
0745     AM Weather
0800     Body Electric
0830     Homestreach
0900     Sesame Street
1000     Lamb Chop's Play-Along
1030     Reading Rainbow
1100     Storytime
1130     Shining Time Station
1200     Lamb Chop's Play-Along
1230     Barney & Friends
1300     Storytime
1330     Shining Time Station
1400     Barney & Friends
1430     Storytime
1500     Sesame Street
1600     Tony Brown's Journal
1630     To The Contrary
1700     Adam Smith
1730     Technopolitics
1800     Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
1830     The Nightly Business Report
1900     MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour
2000     Washington Week In Review
2030     Wall $treet Week
2100     The Great Health Care Debate with Bill Moyers (07)
         Health Care In America (14)
         Talking with David Frost (21)
         Campaign '94 (28)
         America's Battlegrounds [11/04]

2200     Scientific American Frontiers (07)
         Aretha Franklin - In Performance At The White House (14)
         The New Explorers (21)
         A Woman's Health (28)
         Scientific American Frontiers [11/04]

2300     Charlie Rose
0000     Washington Week In Review
0030     Wall $treet Week

0100     The Great Health Care Debate with Bill Moyers (07)
         Health Care In America (14)
         Talking with David Frost (21)
         Campaign '94 (28)
         America's Battlegrounds [11/04]

0200     Scientific American Frontiers (07)
         Aretha Franklin - In Performance At The White House (14)
         The New Explorers (21)
         A Woman's Health (28)
         Scientific American Frontiers [11/04]

0300     Signoff


SATURDAYS

1030     Technopolitics (starts 10/15)
1100     Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?
1130     Ciao Italia
1200     Julia Child - Cooking With Master Chefs
1230     The Victory Garden
1300     The Frugal Gourmet
1330     This Old House
1400     The New Yankee Workshop
1430     Hometime
1500     Newton's Apple
1530     The Woodwright's Shop
1600     World of Film
1630     Small Business Today
1700     Star Challenge
1730     Club Connect
1800     In The Mix
1830     Inside Washington
1900     Eastenders ( 2 episodes)
2000     Austin City Limits
2100     The Lawrence Welk Show
2200     Austin City Limits
2300     Thinking Allowed
2330     Stained Glass With Vickie Payne

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Program Descriptions ---

PBS begins the the new season with a wealth of new programs to
mark it's 25th year.  For October, two major programming events
are in place: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S "China - Beyond the Clouds"
and "FDR" from THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.  Starting Mondays October
10, two new continuing half-hour series, FUTURE QUEST with host
Jeff Goldblum and a game show called THINK TWICE, come to the
schedule.  Long anticipated explorations begin with GREAT RAILWAY
JOURNEYS II on Thursday nights at 8:00pm ET, and MYSTERY! returns
to the schedule with its season premieres of Maigret.

Our afternoon children's block is refreshed as well, starting
October 10, with the addition of the new daily strip BILL NYE THE
SCIENCE GUY. (Mon-Fri at 5:30pm ET) GHOSTWRITER begins as a daily
strip, and WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SANDIEGO? starts its
fourth season.

This schedule is subject to change without notice.  Questions
about the programs listed here or other public TV programs -
contact:
Maryanne Schuessler
PBS Broadcast Operations, at MSchuessler@PBS.org.
Public Broadcasting Service - Alexandria, Virginia 22314


Ŀ
     WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE HOME DISH SKYS THIS MONTH     


   CANAL de NOTICIAS de NBC (that's NBC's 24 hour neswchannel in
Spanish) now located on Spacenet4 #9 will be joining the Mexico
and South American package of Digicipher compressed signals this
coming month and will cease being available in this country.

                       - - - - - - - - - - -

   PRIME TIME 24's new West coast network stations are now in
operation on Spacenet 4... transponder #6 is KNBC-TV (NBC) Los
Angeles, transponder #8 is KOMO-TV (ABC) Seattle, transponder #10
is WFLD-TV (FOX) Chicago, and transponder #12 is KPIX-TV (CBS)
out of San Francisco.  All should now be available from most of
the usual programming services.

   PRIME TIME 24's package of East coast networks have lit-up on
Galaxy 4 and will be shut down on Satcom F2 at the end of the
month.  WRAL-TV (CBS) Raleigh is now in operation on transponder
#14, WABC-TV (ABC) New York is on transponder #10, and WXIA-TV
(NBC) Atlanta is on transponder #22.

                       - - - - - - - - - - -

   Exxxtasy II Fantasy Network has begun operation of it's new
24 hour X rated adult service on ANIK E2 #18.  This channel will
continue to show those old adult movies they used to air during
the evening on TELSTAR 401.  The T401 transponder will now show
what they describe as "premier" features in the evenings during
the same hours as always.

   The premier channel is intended for pay-per-view at $9. per
evening but may also be purchased for $200. a year.  The new
channel, which is really the old channel broadcasting 24 hours
now, is $300. per year.  You may be able to get a better deal
thru various programming packagers.

                       - - - - - - - - - - -

   Not to be outdone by Exxxtasy, Exxxtasy II or TV EROTICA, the
same folks who bring you SPICE and SPICE2 now bring you XXXTREME
TV, yet another X rated adult channel.  It broadcasts from ANIK
E2 transponder #23, 24 hours a day, but during daytime hours the
channel is occupied by the CUPID NETWORK, an "erotic" home
shopping service.  XXXTREME TV is available for $130. per year
and you can get a deal if you also purchase SPICE and SPICE2.

   And, like TV EROTICA, EXXXTASY, EXXXTASY II, XXXTREME TV is
not available in Canada, Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, North
Carolina, Mississippi, or Utah.  If this is a problem for
anyone, I have a bonafide address here in Texas, USA you can use
to exercise your First Amendment rights.

                       - - - - - - - - - - -

   Don't have a descrambler and looking for something to watch?
Be sure and check ANIK E2.  CTV has been broadcasting unscrambled
for more than a month now.  I understood that this was to be a
temporary situation as E2 was returned to full-service and CTV
would turn their Leitch encryption back on very quickly.

   Okay, so everything seems to be working fine on E2 and still
CTV is broadcasting unscrambled on several transponders - it's
the same program schedule for different time zones and all of it
doesn't always appear on all of their transponders so you have
to look and see.  Anyway, CTV has created a service for their
Canadian viewers in Newfoundland/Labrador called NTV and it runs
around the clock on E2 #20.

   It's two and a half hours ahead of us in the central time
zone but David Letterman comes on an hour late so you can catch
it there if CBS has everything "locked-up" for the night.

   Every evening you get David Letterman, followed by Hill Street
Blues, next is Barnaby Jones, and then Night Heat.  During the
daytime they run various daytime American network programs: The
Price Is Right airs early, The Young & The Restless is a couple
hours late while Days Of Our Lives is in there too.

   So, take advantage of it while you can, it doesn't cost a cent
and you don't need a "viper."

                       - - - - - - - - - - -

   One final last minute update.  The Superstation Copyright
legislation that allows and sets the copyright fees paid by home
satellite dish owners who receive superstations, is more or less
"in the bag."

   SB 1485 had passed the Senate quite a while back but the same
bill in the House, HR 1103, was delayed while the cable industry
did their best to make sure home satellite dish owners paid much
more than cable subscribers.  The only difference between both
pieces of legislation is in the fact that the House version has
language that requires home dish owners to pay "fair market"
rates instead of a flat rate.

   Currently, cable subscribers are required to pay around four
cents per month for each distant signal that falls under the
existing Copyright Act while home dish owners pay almost a dollar
each for the same signals.  Under the proposed "fair market"
rate, a home satellite dish owner would pay even more.

   The legislation now rests waiting for the appointment of a
House-Senate joint conference committee to work out differences
between the two bills.  As of today, I haven't seen any mention
that there have been any such appointments.  There is a good
chance that these may be announced this morning (10-03-94) when
Congress goes to work for the day and too late for me to wait on
them for this issue.

   Once the appointments are made the legislation can move thru
very quickly if home dish "friendly" congressmen get appointed.
If "cable" congressmen get chosen, the bill is dead or will end
up being approved but at some huge increase in fees.  That would
also eliminate superstations as far as home dish owners are
concerned.  The recent press coverage of little dish systems will
probably assure that the bill does get passed before Congress
adjourns around Thanksgiving.


Ŀ
    DISHCETERA - THE SATELLITE TV INDUSTRY ON-LINE MAGAZINE    


  DISHCETERA Satellite TV On-Line Magazine, now in it's sixth
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  To receive the latest edition of DISHCETERA delivered via the
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  News items, press releases, questions, comments, and/or any
   other feedback may be sent to any of the following:

  Our fax number is available 24 hours a day at 713-623-4899
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Ŀ
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