SkyREPORT.COM News Headlines
News Update For 12/29/99
DirecTV-DISH Add More Locals
Both DirecTV and EchoStar's DISH Network added new markets to their respective local-into-local services. DISH Network is now offering local ABC, CBS and NBC network channels to customers in Detroit, Nashville, Philadelphia and Seattle. FOX is also available to Nashville and Philadelphia customers, and will become available to Detroit and Seattle DISH Network customers before March 1. The new additions take DISH Network's local TV effort to 18 cities. DirecTV announced plans for local broadcast network channels in Boston and Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. Subscribers in those cities will get a free preview of their local channels beginning today. On Dec. 18, DirecTV began offering local channels to subscribers in the Raleigh/Durham, N.C., area.
NASA Brings Good News To Orbital
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center awarded Orbital Sciences a five-year satellite production contract worth up to $1.5 billion, a big bonus for a company that has seen a number of challenges in the past year. Under the deal, Orbital will manufacture up to 30 satellites. The contract applies to the design, production and testing of small-size and medium-class satellites used in space science, earth science and advanced technology missions. Because of the flexible ordering structure, NASA's satellite order-to-delivery cycle may be shortened to as little as 18 months for some satellites. That will allow the space agency to carry out faster and more effective space missions, Orbital said.
PROGRAMMING: New Millennium On TV
- CNN Tracks New Year's Celebrations - The change of the century is the biggest news of the century. CNN plans to send 60 correspondents to various places in every time zone to facilitate 100 hours of non-stop New Year's coverage.
- PanAmSat Supports Millennium Coverage - PanAmSat said it will deliver millennium news and celebrations to viewers around the world via satellite-based video and Internet transmissions for more than 40 customers, including ABC, BBC, CNN, Fox and NBC. The company said the effort contains more than 1,300 hours of events coverage, approximately 300 satellite transmission feeds, 12 domestic U.S. and international satellites and five teleport facilities.
- Discovery Tackles Millennium Bug - The Discovery Channel has developed its own tribute to Y2K. On Fri., Dec. 31, from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. (ET/PT), the network will present "Real Millennium Bugs," a night full of programs about "some of the world's most creepy, crawly insects."
- Music Networks Countdown the Hits - Keep an eye on music networks such as VH1 and MTV as they present their picks of the best music from the year, the decade, or as far back in the century as they can track. MTV started showcasing some of its "Top 100 Videos Ever Made" early in December. The VH1 countdown premiered this week.
- DirecTV Continues Holiday Freeview - DirecTV's holiday "Freeview" includes "YES in Concert," a special performance recorded live at the House of Blues, and theatrical performances "The Glory of Christmas" and "Maxine's Christmas Carol." On New Year's Eve the company air live concerts and comedians in "Countdown to the Millennium - Live From Walt Disney World."