Satellite Update – Oct. 10, 2008

By Doug Lung
published

PanAmSat requested authority to modify its license for Intelsat 2 to operate the satellite at 169.10 degrees east longitude (EL) rather than its currently assigned 169 degrees EL location. PanAmSat expects to drift Intelsat 2 to this location and begin operation in March 2009.

EchoStar Corp. requested a 180-day extension of its special temporary authority (STA) to operate DBS service over Channels 23 and 24 at the 61.5 degrees west longitude orbital location. EchoStar requested the extension be granted subject to the same temporary suspension of customer notification and programming conditions that the International Bureau first approved on Feb. 2, 2007, and extended on April 4, 2007, Oct. 2, 2007 and May 6, 2008.

Sirius XM Radio Inc. requested STA to operate a 2 kW average effective isotropic radiated power repeater in Miami Beach, Fla., for a period of 180 days. It would operate within the 2320-2332.5 MHz band. Sirius XM said the repeater is needed to "ensure seamless high-quality satellite radio service to the Miami Beach Convention Center and nearby residents."

This information is from FCC Report SAT-00558.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.