- - - PanAmSat Eyes Bigger Role In Latin America - - -

PanAmSat is expanding its already-strong presence in Latin America, dedicating the company's next international satellite, PAS-9, to coverage of the region.

The bird launches in the first quarter of 2000.

The satellite will offer expansion capabilities in the region and will serve as the permanent platform for Sky Latin America's DTH business in Mexico.

Innova, Sky's Mexican platform partner, had originally planned to migrate to PAS-5. Instead, Innova will take its service to PAS-9. The new satellite will become the permanent home for delivery of more than 150 digital channels throughout Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

PanAmSat will use PAS-5 to provide full-time C-Band and part-time Ku-Band services in the Atlantic Ocean region.

Based on PanAmSat's satellite deployment plan, PAS-9 will become the company's 23rd satellite and the eighth serving Latin America. Other satellites covering the region are PAS-1, PAS-3, PAS-5, PAS-6, PAS-6B, and Galaxy VIII-i. Another satellite, PAS-1R, is under construction and scheduled for launch in 1999.

The high-powered PAS-9 will be located over the Atlantic Ocean region, and will contain multiple C-Band and Ku-Band transponders.

- - - COMSAT Gets More Of Intelsat - - -

COMSAT increased its ownership in Intelsat system to about 20 percent.

The ownership stake is effective March 1, but will be re-determined annually before Intelsat, an international consortium that includes 143 member countries, becomes a fully-privatized company, the company said.

Intelsat, created as an intergovernmental organization, operates 19 satellites serving more than 200 countries. COMSAT is the U.S. signatory for the operator.

- - - Service Restored On EUTELSAT Bird - - -

Services aboard the EUTELSAT II F4 satellite, serving Europe from its location at 7 degrees East, were temporarily interrupted Tuesday, forcing the satellite to enter a safe sun-pointing mode.

Immediate action was taken by the satellite's operators to bring the bird back into normal operation. Full service was restored at 8:53 a.m. London (Greenwich) time.

According to the company, back-up capacity was available on other satellites during the outage, and actions were taken to restore essential communications to EUTELSAT customers.

- - - COMPETITIVE WATCH: AnyTimeTV Ready - - -

AnyTimeTV will unveil its new satellite-based distribution service that transmits digital video content at the 1999 NAB convention in Las Vegas.

According to CEO and Founder of AnyTimeTV Fred Fourcher, the new service overcomes time constraints and inconveniences experienced in traditional video applications.

"AnyTimeTv is easy, inexpensive and the results are immediate," Fourcher said. "For example, a production company can now deliver dailies to its studio, network and advertising executives around the country just like email."

This point-to-multipoint broadcast system uses standard digital satellite technology to enable the high-speed transmission of video files over a satellite using Internet protocols. Files are sent to the end-user through a small dish which is connected to a Digital Media Recorder, which then connects to a television set.