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TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER YEARS: 1998 1997 1996 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 JANUARY THROUGH APRIL Jan. 2: In a move designed to make Primestar Partners L.P.'s medium- power DBS service a stronger player in the DBS game, the company names former cable executive Jim Gray chairman and chief executive officer. (Satellite Business News, Jan 18, 1995) Primestar President John Cusick remains with the company until May. (Satellite Business News, Feb. 1, 1995) Jan. 4: The Federal Communications Commission finalizes its order allowing Directsat Corp. to transfer control of its DBS operations to EchoStar Communications Corp. The move will enable EchoStar to operate with 21 channels at the 119-degree orbital slot. (Satellite Business News, Feb. 1, 1995) Jan. 23: Tele-Communications Inc. and Viacom International Inc. agree to settle their antitrust lawsuit as part of Viacom's $2 billion sale of its cable operations to TCI. Viacom had sued TCI, claiming TCI tried to monopolize national programming and programming distribution markets by constructing a national authorization center. (Satellite Business News, Feb. 1, 1995) Jan. 25: The second failure of a Chinese Long March Rocket in less than 18 months causes a ripple effect that carries over to EchoStar's planned DBS satellite launch in August. EchoStar-1 is delayed until Dec. 28. (Satellite Business News, Feb. 1, 1995) February: Hughes Network Systems is approved to follow Thomson Consumer Electronics Inc. and Sony Electronics Inc. into the DBS market. Rollout of Hughes' DirecTv/USSB system is expected this month. (Satellite Business News, Feb. 15, 1995) February: Representatives from the TVRO industry and local municipalities meet at the FCC to find middle ground in the debate over local zoning laws that restrict satellite dish installations. In a partial victory, a provision in the pending telecommunications bill gives the FCC the right to pre-empt local zoning regulations that prevent installation of DBS satellite dishes. (Satellite Business News, Feb. 15, 1995) February: General Instrument Corp. decides to fund a national advertising effort on its own, rather than ask manufacturers to contribute $2 million each to the campaign. Tee-Comm Electronics Inc. was the only manufacturer that agreed to the proposal (Satellite Business News, Feb. 15, 1995) February: The satellite TV industry comes under siege from local municipalities, backed by cable TV and regional Bell operating companies, trying to impose local taxes on programming. A provision in the pending telecommunications bill, however, would prevent local taxes on satellite TV programming. (Satellite Business News, March 1, 1995) February: Leading TVRO manufacturers Uniden America Corp. and Toshiba America Consumer Products Inc. reach an agreement to manufacture DirecTv/USSB reception systems. Both companies plan to roll out product mid-year. (Satellite Business News, March 1, 1995) February: A mistrial is declared after a lengthy and costly court battle over feedhorn patents between National ADL Enterprises Inc. and Chaparral Communications Inc. ADL sued Chaparral for allegedly incorporating ADL technology into several of its feedhorn models. (Satellite Business News, March 1, 1995) February: Capping a five-year battle over ownership rights, Continental Satellite Corp. tells the FCC it is ready to hand over its DBS construction permit to Space Systems/Loral Corp. but then changes its decision. An arbitrator rules in May that Loral is entitled to the permit by virtue of its 51 percent ownership of Continental. (Satellite Business News, March 1 and May 24, 1995) March 14: Tee-Comm announces plans to enter the U.S. DBS market with its AlphaStar Digital Television medium-power DBS service by Dec. 1. The launch is later pushed back to early 1996. (Satellite Business News, March 15, 1995) March 18: The C-band industry marks its network television debut during ABC's Wide World of Sports using the "Full-View" advertising campaign developed by GI to target a national television audience for the first time. (Satellite Business News, March 15, 1995) March 14-16: After disappointing crowds at recent winter shows, the SBCA's show in Las Vegas bucks the trend, attracting 4,562 attendees. Only 1993's Nashville show was larger. Sony attracts the most attention by unveiling three high-power DBS reception systems. Sony rolls out its basic system in June, but halts production briefly in September to remedy technical glitches (Satellite Business News, March 15, 1995) March 27: Scott Weiss, considered one of satellite TV's biggest cheerleaders, leaves his post as executive vice president of Turner Home Satellite lnc. for a position outside the TVRO industry. Weiss, who spent five years at THS, is replaced by longtime chief lieutenant Eleanor Helms. (Satellite Business News, April 12 and April 26, 1995) April: As DBS becomes more entrenched, television networks cry foul over reception of their signals in so-called "white areas" by satellite dish owners subscribing to network superstations (Satellite Business News, April 26, 1995) April: Showtime Networks Inc. fires approximately 45 employees as part its much-anticipated downsizing and restructuring effort (Satellite Business News, April 26, 1995) April 11: The Securities and Exchange Commission simultaneously sues and settles a securities fraud suit with the principles involved in the failed SkyPix DBS venture. The defendants do not admit guilt but sign consent decrees that bar them from breaking securities laws in the future. (Satellite Business News, April 26, 1995) April 14: American General Finance Inc. stops financing consumer satellite system purchases after a flurry of lawsuits are filed in Alabama charging the company with fraud. (Satellite Business News, April 26, 1995) April 16: The Canadian parliament orders that any company hoping to provide DBS service in Canada must obtain a license from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The ruling helps clear the way for Power DirecTv to battle with ExpressVu to be the first Canadian DBS provider. ExpressVu had received a waiver of the license requirement from the CRTC in August 1994. ExpressVu then received a new waiver in July, allowing it to launch a service before it received a license. The CRTC later grants both companies DBS licenses. (Satellite Business News, May 10 and July 19, 1995) April 20: Thomson announces it has hit the 1 million mark in DBS reception system shipments after 10 months on the market (Satellite Business News, April 26, 1995) April 27: Primestar Partners suffers a huge setback when the FCC strips Advanced Communications Corp. of its high-power DBS orbital slot at 110 degrees, the slot Primestar had planned to use to migrate to high power. (Satellite Business News, May 10, 1995) MAY THROUGH AUGUST May: Sony announces plans to roll out its basic DBS reception system at $749 suggested retail, $50 higher than Thomson's basic system, though few retailers sell it at that price. The step-up model and the advanced model are priced at $849 and $949 suggested retail, respectively. (Satellite Business News, May 10, 1995) May: A telecommunications bill is introduced in the House of Representatives containing language that exempts satellite programming from state and local taxes. Later in the year, a conference committee working on the pending bill approves language exempting programming from local taxes, but not state taxes. (Satellite Business News, May 10, 1995) May: Satellite manufacturers, operators, launch companies, and service providers form the Satellite industry Association, a sister organization of the SBCA. (Satellite Business News, May 10 and June 7, 1995) May 1: EchoStar files an $80 million stock offering with the SEC. EchoStar says the stock offering is geared to raise cash to finance a backup launch for the DBS service's first two satellites, if needed. The stock opens at $16. (Satellite Business News, May 10, 1995) May 5: HBO Direct Inc. and Showtime Satellite Networks Inc. agree to distribute each other's programming. The two programming giants had been working on the deal since late 1994. May 25: Gordon Main, one of satellite TV's most liked and respected satellite dealers dies at his home in Eaton Rapids, Mich., after a long fight with lung disease. (Satellite Business News, June 7, 1995) June: Worried that unusually high decoder deauthorization rates have continued for several months, GI and major programmers and programming packagers begin to examine the problem. (Satellite Business News, June 23, 1995) June: Chaparral Communications, one of satellite TV's pioneering companies, decides to pull out of the U.S. integrated receiver/decoder business. In July, Avnet Inc.'s Channel Master, long a second supplier of GI VideoCipher modules, announces it is leaving the module distribution business. (Satellite Business News, June 23 and July 19, 1995) June 23: TCI and United Video Satellite Group announce plans to merge, with UVSG to become a TCI subsidiary. Talk persists all year that TCI's Netlink and UVSG's Superstar Satellite Entertainment Inc. will combine their programming operations (Satellite Business News, July 5, 1995) July 8: Primestar passes the half-million subscriber mark, but questions remain about the medium-power service's future (Satellite Business News, July 5, 1995) August: DirecTv begins a dealer incentive plan in which retailers receive a $100 commission on each Total Choice subscription they sell from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31, as long as dealers sell 10 or more in a month. The commission is paid on top of commissions DirecTv's regional programming distributors pay TVRO dealers (Satellite Business News, Aug. 2, 1995) August: GI offers 90-day price protection on new module sales and existing inventory. Those hoping the move would lead to a VC RS module price drop were rewarded with a $37 drop to $299 (Satellite Business News, Aug. 2, 1995) August: Major League Baseball and ESPN, the exclusive rights holder for distribution of out-of-market telecasts, sign a deal that gives DBS and C-band dish owners access to most Major League Baseball games. Prior to the agreement, satellite dish owners could watch a limited number of baseball telecasts. Aug. 17-19: Satellite hands turn out in large numbers at the SBCA's Nashville trade show. Despite sagging C-band sales, attendees defy expectations by being decidedly upbeat. SEPTEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER September: Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. becomes the first RBOC to enter the DBS fray when it announces a deal with DirecTv, Hubbard Broadcasting Inc.'s USSB, and Thomson to sell their products to telephone customers. (Satellite Business News, Sept. 27 and Nov. 27, 1995) Sept. 15: Showtime Satellite Networks Executive Vice President Susan Denison leaves Showtime to become executive vice president of entertainment and marketing for Madison Square Garden. Larry Rebich is promoted in November to fill Denison's post. (Satellite Business News, Aug. 30 and Nov. 8, 1995) Sept. 23: After a one-day delay, AT&T Skynet Services Inc.'s Telstar 402R lifts off, putting AlphaStar Digital Television one step closer to its rollout. The satellite fills the need for satellite capacity resulting from AT&T's failed launch of Telstar 402 in September 1994. (Satellite Business News, Oct. 11, 1995) Sept. 28: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduces an amendment requiring the FCC to auction the former Advanced channels. The move leads to a frenetic lobbying battle between TCI and Primestar on one side and MCI Telecommunications on the other. The Senate approves an amended version of the legislation that puts the ball back in the FCC's court, requiring it to raise the most money possible. (Satellite Business News, Oct. 11, 1995) Oct. 1: GI restructures its San Diego and Hatboro, Pa., facilities, leading to approximately 100 layoffs. GI's San Diego offices now house four business units, each headed by a vice president. Hatboro's cable units are split into three departments (Satellite Business News, Sept. 27, 1995) Oct. 16: In a 3-2 vote, the FCC decides to auction the 27 DBS channels once controlled by Advanced, putting Primestar's planned migration to high power further in doubt. The move leads to a flurry of court appeals. (Satellite Business News, Oct. 25, 1995) Oct. 18: Tee-Comm files a stock offering with the SEC that it hopes will raise $50 million for its AlphaStar and ExpressVu DBS projects. In addition to its plans for the money, the prospectus also shows Tee- Comm's lackluster C-band performance in 1995. The stock opens at $11.75. (Satellite Business News, Nov. 8, 1995) November: DirecTv hits the 1 million subscriber mark, after slightly more than 16 months on the market. (Satellite Business News, Oct. 25, 1995) November: Talk intensifies that the DirecTv/USSB security system designed by News Corp.'s News Datacom and GI's VC II Plus system have been breached. U.S. Customs seizes a shipment of DBS piracy components headed into the United States from Canada. (Satellite Business News, Nov. 22, 1995) December: Thomson unveils a new distribution plan for its RCA brand DBS system. Thomson reassigns territory left vacant by EchoStar to the four remaining distributors. EchoStar would stop selling Thomson equipment Jan. 1 to focus on its planned DISH DBS rollout, slated for early 1996. (Satellite Business News, Nov. 22, 1995) Dec. 1: USSB files an 8.3 million-share stock offering with the SEC to try to raise $200 million. After the offering, the Hubbard family will control 56.6 percent of the company. The stock opens around $30 per share. (Satellite Business News, Jan. 1, 1996) Dec. 15: The FCC announces its new DBS rules. The rule contains few of the restrictions on cable companies suggested in the FCC's draft proposal. The FCC also announced that the auction of the 28 channels at the 110-degree orbital slot would be delayed from Jan. 18 to Jan. 24. (Satellite Business News, Dec. 20, 1995)     Please direct questions about this site to general.mail@satbiznews.com q 2000 Satellite Business News Inc. All rights reserved.