United Video's Prevue Channel Buys TV Guide

News Corp. announced that it is selling control of TV Guide, the best-selling U.S. weekly magazine, to United Video Satellite's Prevue Channel for $2 billion.

United Video Satellite Group, owner of the Prevue Channel, plans to use the TV Guide name for its on-screen channel listings that are available in 50 million households. Also being acquired by United Video are an entertainment Internet site and cable guide publisher, TVSM.

Through the deal, News Corp. will receive $800 million in cash and $1.2 billion in United Video stock, a 40 percent stake in the company.

Tele-Communications Inc. will own 44 percent of United Video after the deal is completed, while the remaining 16 percent will be publicly owned.

TV GUIDE/UVSGA: Bringing America's Most Important TV Brand Into The TCI Family

One time sky-guy Gary Howard pulled off a major coup bringing America's most important television brand name into the TCI family.

What were once long-dormant discussions involving use of brand names brings together the two biggest circulation (TV Guide at 13 million; Prevue channel at 50 million) television listing services under one management team.

Prevue, of course, is carried on PrimeStar and, while nothing is certain, it does put Dr. Malone's TCI (which manages and controls United Video) and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. on the same strategic page.

China/Satellite Probe Takes Another Twist

In another twist of a sensational story, the Associated Press reported that some of the same companies under investigation for possibly helping China's missile program have quietly provided data to U.S. intelligence about Chinese rocketry.

The news agency said government and industry officials have provided a steady flow of information over the past three years from aerospace contractors, expanding U.S. knowledge of Chinese capabilities. Previously, that knowledge was limited largely to what could be learned through such methods as spy satellites and interceptions of in-flight missilesignals.

Both Loral and Hughes Electronics face scrutiny over their satellite/rocket dealings in China.

U.S. business contacts have added substantial detail on linkages between payloads and their rockets, guidance systems and overall Chinese missile reliability, officials said, speaking only on condition of anonymity, according to the AP.

The CIA's National Resources Division, which interview businessmen and other U.S. citizens returning from foreign countries of interest to intelligence officials, regularly met with scientists and executives working with China on commercial satellite launches, according to a senior industry official. "The fact is, yes - all of this material now is in the hands of the U.S. government," that contact said.

Star Choice To Provide All-French Programming

Canadian satellite provider Star Choice has announced that it will offer the country's first bilingual programming package and an all-French programming package.

Star Choice's new offerings include five new programming packages which include a variety of French and English channels. An all-French language package, Choix Total Nickel, will be available for $29.99 per month.

"We recognize that Canadians have different needs and viewing preferences, including the language in which they are entertained," said Brian Neill, chairman of Star Choice Communications.

The company also plans on adding four new pay-per-view channels by the end of June, including three English language channels and one French language channel, Canal Indigo.