- - - Conferees Work on Compromise Bill - - -

Washington insiders following the development of the Satellite Home Viewers Act anticipate the Congressional Conference Committee will meet today to consider a compromise bill as House members submitted an offer late last week.

The House offer was presented to the committee in response to a similar proposal developed by Senate committee members. Sources said the House proposal defines the number of distant signals satellite subscribers can be eligible for and retains language stating that new signal standards be established by the FCC. The House proposal also kept a requirement that DBS companies give antennas to some subscribers.

The offer first presented to the committee by Senate members authorized local-into-local service but tied it to a full must-carry clause, sources said. It did not include retransmission consent provisions. Concerns about the Senate provision prompted DirecTV President Eddy Hartenstein and EchoStar Chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen to write a joint letter to the committee.

Now that both the House and the Senate have presented proposals to the committee, sources said the legislators will initiate further negotiations until they have reached an acceptable compromise. Industry watchers remain hopeful that a final version of the legislation will be drafted before the holiday recess.

- - - Globalstar Launches Four More Birds - - -

Globalstar launched four satellites from Kazakstan Monday, bringing the company's total number of low-earth orbit satellites to 44.

The birds lifted off aboard a Starsem Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The spacecraft will further Globalstar's planned international telephone and paging system. At this point, the company intends to use 48 satellites.

Globalstar is planning one additional Soyuz rocket launch next month to complete its satellite fleet. A Boeing Delta 2 rocket also is slated to deploy four Globalstar satellites in December which will serve as in-orbit spares.

- - - France Ready To Float Thomson - - -

France has announced the partial flotation of consumer electronics manufacturer Thomson Multimedia Group.

The finance ministry said it will sell shares of Thomson, which is a French government holding but has offices in Indianapolis, for 18 to 21.5 euros each, generating about of 3.5 to 4 billion French francs or $580 to $600 million. The ministry said the sale would take place between now and Oct. 29.

Thomson Chairman Thierry Breton said, "This sale will allow us to raise the funds necessary for our development .. We are talking about a new company, radically redirected towards digital businesses, and very international since only 10 percent of its business is in France."

Thomson is the primary manufacturer of set-top boxes for DirecTV. The company also makes and sells televisions, VCRs and telephones.

- - - Shaw Acquires Cancom Shares - - -

Shaw Communications has acquired an additional 2,941,634 common shares of Canadian Satellite Communications (Cancom).

The purchase is based on the conversion of redeemable preferred shares of Cancom held by Shaw following a stock exchange between Cancom and Star Choice Communications. As a result of the previously-disclosed conversion, Shaw will hold 6,875,324 Common Shares of Cancom, representing about 37 percent of the company. Shaw said the shares have been acquired for investment purposes.

Shaw's core business is providing broadband cable television and Internet services to approximately 1.8 million customers. Cancom is a distributor of satellite- based broadcast signals and specializes in satellite communications for business.

- - - TECHNOLOGY: - - -

• GI Forges Set-Top Box Deals -
  General Instrument (GI) and United Pan-Europe Communications (UPC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining UPC's commitment to purchase 250,000 DVi-5000 Plus DVB-compliant advanced interactive digital set-top boxes for deployment in networks across Europe through 2002. And GI has introduced the SURFview $99 set-top terminal that delivers global Internet access through the TV. GI also signed an agreement with WorldGate Communications that enables the WorldGate Internet Over TV Applications to be native to the SURFview platform.

• Datron Focuses On Commercial Airlines -
  California-based Datron Systems has announced plans to concentrate its satellite television business on the commercial airline market. The company, which was one of the first to have antennas approved by the FAA, has licensed manufacturing rights of its satellite antennas to Airshow Inc.

• IBeam Secures More Funding -
  The California-based company IBeam Broadcasting, which is developing a satellite network to deliver high quality audio and broadcast quality video on the Internet, has announced a third round of financing worth $42 million.

• American Mobile Partners With GoAmerica -
  GoAmerica, the wireless Internet service and content provider, and American Mobile Satellite have announced a three-year partnership agreement. The alliance enables mobile users of the RIM 850 Wireless Handheld device to access the GoAmerica Go.Web system.

• Space Imaging Releases Ikonos Image -
  Space Imaging recently released a high resolution commercial satellite image of the Earth, which was collected by the Ikonos satellite.The detailed black-and-white picture showed a block in the heart of Washington, D.C.

• Broadcasters Lobby FCC -
  Paxson Communications and 15 other broadcast groups have signed a petition to the FCC requesting permission for broadcasters to transmit digital TV signals using COFDM technology. If the FCC modifies existing rules for digital modulation, broadcasters would be able to transmit