In 1973, Hughes Aircraft sued the federal government claiming that the government used its patent in more than 100 spacecraft during the past 30 years and that government projects had infringed on its patent for controlling the orientation of satellites in space.
A federal trial judge initially ruled that no infringement had occurred. But a federal appeals panel specializing in patent cases overturned that ruling and ordered the government to pay Hughes more than $125 million in royalties.
The Supreme Court then ordered an appeals panel to restudy an earlier ruling that would force the federal government to pay Hughes for unauthorized use of a satellite-technology patent. The justices ordered the review in light of a ruling last month clarifying key parts of U.S. patent laws. Attorneys for Hughes asked the high court to leave the appeals court ruling intact.
At the SBCA '97 in April, Many of the DTH satellite companies announced dealer incentive programs in an effort to help out independent retailers. PrimeStar Partners reinstated PrimeAgent as an ongoing yearly program. PrimeAgent will compliment other commissions paid by PrimeStar distributors, offering both monetary and gift rewards on sales produced throughout the year.
The program also will reward the country's top 50 PrimeStar gross sales dealers with an all-expenses-paid trip for two to a prime location. This July, the 1996 winners will be going on a cruise to Alaska. Ten of the top 50 sales agents from each period will be asked to sit on PrimeStar's Dealer Advisory Council, where they will meet with top executives to discuss strategic business issues.
DirecTv invited TVRO dealers to install and operate DSS systems in multi-dwelling units. The offer was made along with an announcement that DirecTv's MDU operator network grew to more than 40 companies.
U. S. Satellite Broadcasting showed off EASe, a software program dealers can use to enroll customers. USSB will give away programming packages and merchandise to dealers who use the system.
EchoStar launched its "Thanks a $1,000,000" campaign awarding retailers/dealers prizes who post the most activations between March 1 and Dec. 31, 1997. One lucky retailer will be awarded $1 million payable as $50,000 for 20 years. Other prizes awarded for activations between Mar. 1-July 31 include grand prize: 1997 BMW convertible and a 7-day Orlando trip for two; second prize is (5) five-day trips for two to Orlando; and (25) third prizes for a three-day trip to the same destination. All trips will include a launch party for the next EchoStar satellite launch.
PrimeStar Partners pulled off its "Big Switch," successfully transitioning to its expanded 160-channel service at 5 a.m. (et) April 21st.
The Big Switch increases PrimeStar's lineup by 65 channels and reorganizes the channel lineup into "hyper-surfing" categories. This follows an aggressive push for a new Internet site, http://www.primestar.com, which the service said will serve as an added sales and brand-building tool.
"It was a tremendous feeling to see months of planning and hard work by hundreds of people come to fruition in a matter of minutes," said Jim Gray, PrimeStar Chairman and CEO. "With this enormous upgrade, we've made it very easy for consumers to choose PrimeStar over all other DBS providers."
Gene Abboud and his son Joe, of Omaha, Neb., have received their sentences for their alleged pirate activities. As partial penalty they were sentenced to home detention and five years' probation. They have agreed to pay over $1.7 million in fines and cash that was seized in multiple raids on their businesses back in 1994. 10,000 set-tops were also surrendered. The two were doing business in under the names of M.D. Electronics, United Imports Corp. and G&A Distributing Co. Late last year, they both pled guilty to five of 23 felony counts issued against them from evidence gathered by Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
Congressman Billy Tauzin, chairman of the House Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, will be the keynote speaker at the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association's Nashville show in July. Tauzin will speak July 25 in morning ceremonies. The Louisiana republican is considered an important figure in Washington, D.C., for telecommunications regulation, playing a role in legislation, including the Telecom Act of 1996.
Bell Atlantic filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against Cablevision Systems and its affiliate, Rainbow Programming Holdings, for allegedly blocking access to sports programming. According to reports, Bell Atlantic is seeking damages to compensate for their losses and to deter Rainbow and Cablevision from violating the law.
In the complaint, Bell Atlantic's Video Services Company alleges Cablevision and Rainbow refused to provide program rights to SportsChannel New York, SportsChannel Philadelphia and the PRISM sports programming service in Philadelphia. As a result, Bell Atlantic has been unable to distribute the regional sports networks to Dover Township, N.J., over its open video system.
EchoStar's DISH Network will carry Data Broadcasting Corporation's AgCast, an interactive offering aimed at U.S. farmers and agricultural professionals. The service features "push" software and webcasting technologies, and includes U.S. and international commodities and futures pricing, news, weather, stock quotes and market analysis from the five leading agricultural advisory groups. The service will retail for $34.95 a month and will be available on the DISH Network in May 1997.
AgCast allows users to select from an information menu based on their individual business needs. Users also set the system to update their own specific timetables. Additional features include e-mail as well as on-line chat sessions that permit subscribers to receive instant feedback from their agribusiness peers. Data Broadcasting Corporation, headquartered in Jackson, Wyo., provides real-time market data to individual investors. The company delivers real-time stock quotes, financial and sports news and gaming information odds to more than 37,000 subscribers via wireless FM, cable and satellite transmission as well as through on-line services and the Internet.
Channel Earth on DirecTv began its first day of programming March 28, with a lineup delivering more than 13 hours of daily programming Monday through Friday and eight hours on Saturday. News, weather and commentary aimed at rural subscribers are featured on Channel Earth. The channel also will feature a team of regional and national correspondents, livestock and commodity market experts, meteorologists and talk show hosts. Channel Earth broadcasts from studio facilities in Chicago and airs live reports from throughout the country, including regular news updates from Capitol Hill.
British television newcomer Channel 5 scored a major film deal with Warner Bros, covering feature films from the studio released in the United States in 1997 and 1998.
Channel 5 launched on March 30, and acknowledges that this deal is one of the largest ever involving a British terrestrial TV company. The deal includes 190 library titles like "Batman" and "Driving Miss Daisy" and the classic "Rebel Without A Cause."
PanAmSat's PAS-4 Indian Ocean Region satellite will serve as the transmission platform for the News Corp./ STAR TV Sky DTH satellite service in India, using seven Ku-Band transponders on the high-power bird for program delivery.
The satellite is capable of beaming dozens of television channels to subscribers in India using rooftop dishes as small as 65 centimeters. PAS-4 was launched in August, 1995, and is located at 68.5 degrees East. It has 16 C-Band and 24 Ku-band transponders.
The satellite also serves as the platform for DTH services in South Africa and the Middle East, and delivers programming to more than two dozen television channels to cable systems throughout south Asia.
With the planned launch of the PAS-7 satellite PanAmSat plans to expand Indian Ocean Region services. PAS-7 will be located in the same orbital position as PAS-4. The satellite is scheduled for completion and launch in early 1998.
ABC News and Discovery Channel began airing their news program devoted to science April 4th. The program, called Discovery News, airs at 9 p.m. ET. The weekly show will be hosted by Steve Averson and will be supported by a number of news anchors. Executive producer is ABC News veteran Carol Williams.
The two companies also will produce Discovery News Breaks, which will air nightly Sunday through Thursday on the Discovery Channel. Also part of the deal is live coverage of breaking news events, periodic one-hour specials and public opinion polls on science-related news.
CBS Eye On People was launched on Galaxy VII on March 31, 1997 by Group W Network Services. The new CBS Eye on People cable entertainment and information channel is using Scientific-Atlanta's PowerVu MPEG-2/DVB digital video compression system.
The technical services for the new channel are being handled at all-digital facilities located at the GWNS Harbor Plaza operations center and Glenbrook earth station facility in Stamford, Connecticut. Uplink services are being provided from the GWNS earth station in Glenbrook, Connecticut.