(return to home page) WHO WE ARE About the company E-mail us! Address and phone numbers OUR PRODUCTS Satellite Business News FaxUPDATE Trade Show Dailies Trade Show Videos ONLINE NEWS & INFORMATION Changing Channels Digital TV Beat Scanning the Skies Industry Stats A Look Back: Satellite TV History SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Sign up for the magazine and the fax Get back issues Read past show news ADVERTISING INFORMATION Ads in the magazine Ads in the fax Trade Show Products Online ads: The latest, hippest way to get your name out there! About our readers

1999 Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association Show READ ALL ABOUT IT! PAGE 2 SBCA Reports Strong Attendance This year’s Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association show has attracted 5,593 people so far, including 3,481 attendees and 2,112 exhibitors, SBCA spokeswoman Jennifer Buckley said yesterday. The first year of the SBCA’s partnership with the Independent Cable and Telecommunications Association also has been successful, she said, adding that attendance at the workshops on multiple-dwelling unit issues was almost twice what the groups had expected. As the face of the satellite TV industry changes, the SBCA faces a “tremendous challenge” to come up with things to keep people interested in coming to the show, the SBCA’s Margaret Parone said. In order to expand the interest in the show, the SBCA is looking at ways to improve the MDU program, as well attract other satellite-related industries to the show. Next year, the SBCA would like to include more panels and workshops about the basics of the MDU industry, as well as attract more commercial real estate owners, Parone said. Next year’s show is scheduled for July back in Las Vegas. However, some dealers expressed disappointment with this year’s attendance. The show is getting smaller and smaller and it should be affiliated with the CES show next year to save all this wasted space,” Victor Fernandes, a dealer from Cambridge, Ontario, said. “The people I need to meet are here,” Darren Lutwick, a purchaser for Barrett Xplorer said, countering that argument. “It’s great,” private cable operator Robert Grosz said. Grosz added he was particularly impressed by the diversity of products on the show floor. Most exhibitors said the traffic on the show was equivalent to last year, as they had expected. “We’ve had a lot of good traffic,” EchoStar spokeswoman Judianne Atencio said. Many said floor traffic was heavy Monday and yesterday morning, but predictably fell off yesterday afternoon. Panelist Calls for Operators to Act on Open Access Private cable operators should join regulatory battles in Washington for favorable changes to FCC rules that would grant cable competitors more open access to apartment complexes and other multiple-dwelling unit developments, speakers at a panel on MDU regulation said. “No one will defend your interests better than you will,” private cable industry attorney Kenneth Ferree said. Ferree encouraged operators to weigh in on an FCC proceeding that could void perpetual, exclusive contracts between landlords and franchise cable operators. The Independent Cable and Telecommunications Association has developed pre-addressed form letters on the issue, which operators can send to the FCC, ICTA Executive Director Bill Burhop said. TURN THE PAGE OTHER ISSUES TO LOOK FOR: Monday, July 19, 1999 Tuesday, July 20, 1999   Please direct questions about this site to general.mail@satbiznews.com q 1998 Satellite Business News Inc. All rights reserved.