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TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER YEARS: 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 JANUARY THROUGH APRIL Jan. 18: A Miami area business and two of its employees are convicted of illegally exporting and conspiring to export VideoCipher II decoders, thus becoming the first conviction in a VC II export case (Satellite Business News, Feb. 8, 1989). Jan. 25: Sen. Larry Pressler introduces legislation intended to require cable programmers to sell service to small cable operators, multi-channel multipoint distribution systems, and dish owners on the same basis they sell programming to the nation's largest MSOs (Satellite Business News, Feb. 8, 1989). February: Members of the VideoCipher underground claim to have broken into the latest version of General Instrument Corp.'s decoder software, known as Dash 7 (Satellite Business News, Feb. 22, 1989). Feb. 22: The Federal Communications Commission affirms plans to reimpose rules for broadcast stations wanting exclusive rights for syndicated TV programs in local markets, but decides to delay implementation of the plan until Jan. 1 (Satellite Business News, March 8, 1989). Mar. 21-23: The SBCA/STTI Show is held in Las Vegas, where Rep. Billy Tauzin (D-La.) announces plans to introduce TVRO legislation. About 450 satellite dealers attend Showtime Dealer College, and Netlink launches its WGN-Chicago feed (Satellite Business News, April 5). April 6: The National Cable Television Association, in a complete reversal of its previous position, decides not to ask the federal courts to prevent the implementation of the Federal Communications Commission's new syndicated exclusivity rules (Satellite Business News, April 19, 1989). April 18: Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio) introduces two cable re- regulation bills that would redefine effective competition for cable operators and prohibit discrimination in program distribution (Satellite Business News, April 19, 1989). MAY THROUGH AUGUST May 4: The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association reaches agreement in principle to buy Satellite Television Technology International Inc., organizer of the SBCA/STTI trade shows (Satellite Business News, May 17, 1989). May 10: General Instrument Corp's VideoCipher Division stops production of its chip-on-board-based decoder module because of technical problems (Satellite Business News, May 17, 1989). May 23: The SBCA votes to oppose legislation introduced by Sen. Al Gore (D-Tenn.) and Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) that would re-regulate the cable industry and allow telephone companies into the video distribution business (Satellite Business News, May 31, 1989). June 19: The SBCA begins planning a Public Relations Task Force similar in structure to its Anti-piracy Task Force, with Showtime's Tola Murphy-Baran as head (Satellite Business News, June 28, 1989). June 21: The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative repeats its concerns about price and programming discrimination to the Federal Communications Commission, little more than a week after airing its complaints before Congress (Satellite Business News, July 12). June 23: The Armed Forces Radio and Television Service begins scrambling its signal, using Scientific-Atlanta Inc.'s B-MAC encryption system (Satellite Business News, July 12, 1989). July 13: GI's Videocipher Division announces its VC II Plus module pricing and consumer upgrade costs (Satellite Business News, July 26). Aug. 2-5: The SBCA/STTI Show is held in Nashville. The biggest announcement at the show is Viacom Inc. and Hubbard Broadcasting Inc.'s, plans to launch a new 24-hour news channel, specifically designed for home dish owners (Satellite Business News, July 26, 1989). Aug. 7: Comments are filed in the Federal Communications Commission's inquiry into whether syndicated exclusivity could or should be applied to the TVRO market. Satellite TV and broadcast industry parties sharply disagree on whether it is feasible to do so (Satellite Business News, Aug. 23, 1989). Aug. 15: IRD manufacturers meet to form a user group to address grievances they have with GI and Channel Master. Members of the group discuss the possibility of suing GI and decide to confront the manufacturer about complaints regarding VideoCipher II and VideoCipher II Plus production (Satellite Business News, Aug. 23, 1989). Aug. 27: British Satellite Broadcasting Ltd.'s first satellite is successfully launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Fla., marking the first-ever U.S. private commercial space launch (Satellite Business News, Sept. 6, 1989). SEPTEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER Sept. 28: Senator Al Gore and 11 other senators introduce new TVRO- related bill, but the legislation has little support from the dish industry's biggest boosters in the House of Representatives (Satellite Business News, Sept. 20 and Oct. 18, 1989). Oct. 26: The SBCA votes to remain neutral on TVRO legislation introduced by Sen. Al Gore. The neutrality is hailed by SBCA members because it represents a unified position (Satellite Business News, Nov. 15). Nov. 7: GI's VideoCipher Division temporarily suspends production of Videocipher II Plus modules, as the company tries to understand and fix problems that appeared during early field tests of the units (Satellite Business News, Nov. 15, 1989). Dec. 5: The SBCA's plans to purchase STTI's interest in the satellite industry's trade shows falls apart when STTI refuses to accept a conditional letter of credit the association had received from Home Sports Entertainment, a Houston convention and sports company (Satellite Business News, Dec. 13, 1989). Dec. 6: For the fourth month in a row, authorizations of new VideoCiphers break records, according to GI. As of the end of November, there are 616,897 authorized VC IIs, the company said, with 33,165 customers signing on for an average of eight services and only 10,250 customers dropping service (Satellite Business News, Dec. 13, 1989). Dec. 29, 1989: In a preliminary report, the Federal Communications Commission finds some evidence of pricing discrimination in the superstation programming marketplace. The commission, citing evidence offered by the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, says programmers are charging satellite programming distributors more than cable distributors for superstations and says it will continue to study the matter. (Satellite Business News, Jan. 10, 1989)     Please direct questions about this site to general.mail@satbiznews.com q 2000 Satellite Business News Inc. All rights reserved.