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Technology Stocks : C-Cube -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Maya who wrote (42445)	6/26/1999 11:31:00 AM
From: John Rieman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

Comark changes.................... tvbroadcast.com The Winds Of RF Change At NAB It Was Clear That Transmission Companies Are Adapting With The Times By Ron Merrell (June 25, 1999) The winds of change are blowing through the RF segment of the industry with gale force. Comark, a company built from the ground up on UHF transmitters, announced at NAB that it is bringing in the Thomcast's (their parent company) line of solid state transmitters. And if that weren't enough, they also announced that they have triumphantly tied down a series of major strategic alliances. At Acrodyne, a company only recently buoyed financially by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, the word from board chairman Nat Ostroff is that they intend to add the IOT to their lineup of UHF full power transmitters. Now under the direction of Ostroff--who brought Comark from relative obscurity to prominence--the company undoubtedly will continue its Diacrode line, but even more changes should be expected. Out in Colorado, Itelco, directed by Howard McClure, insists that the company needed a dramatic shift in corporate policy to bolster sales in North America. Americanizing the product line was what he had in mind, and McClure says they've now done that by building a new facility designed to accommodate manufacturing their transmitters in the U.S. And check out Harris. They expanded their equipment boundaries by introducing DataPLUS, a system that gives broadcasters full datacasting capabilities by blending Internet protocol data into the MPEG transport stream along with audio and video material. Continental, long a leader in broadcast AM and FM designs, has produced a legitimate DTV-ready TV transmitter and bolstered its engineering staff with a lineup of established television transmitter designers and builders. A New identity For Comark Among these changes, the most dramatic are those at Comark. Key spokesmen for the company told Television Broadcast that it's a natural progression, including their new identity. "What do you think of first when you hear the name Comark?" asks Dick Fiore, vice president of sales. "UHF transmitters, of course!" The company, as President Jerry Chase puts it, is growing and it will continue to grow, forcing Comark to rethink how they're perceived in the marketplace. Chase insists, "It's no longer appropriate to be known as just a UHF television transmitter manufacturer. You'll see changes that will explain why we won't drop the name Comark, but, instead, we'll highlight Thomcast Communications. We don't want to be thought of as just a UHF transmitter company." In a first-ever major booth press briefing, the company announced that its Comark Digital Systems (CDS) Unit will deliver Saphire and Opal, products that are sure to accelerate the perception revolution at Comark. Saphire includes a stream server family of products dedicated to recording and playing MPEG-2 streams through Saphire Stream Studio, Saphire Stream Studio Lite, and Saphire Stream Studio Delay. Opal IP to MPEG-2 Gateway is aimed at broadcasting Internet or data files within MPEG-2 transport streams. (It received Television Broadcast's Editors' Pick of Show Award this year. Further widening their offerings, Thomcast formed an alliance with NUCOMM, a long-time leader in microwave designs, whereby, through its CDS Unit, it will offer microwave STLs. Thomcast's Comwave Division will provide technical support for the STLs. Mark Richter, vice president and general manager, added to the mix by announcing an alliance with DiviCom, a wholly-owned subsidiary of C-Cube Microsystems. "Thomcast Communications chose to team with DiviCom," asserted Richter, "because of their open-solution approach to DTV. They're also a leader in MPEG-2 encoding systems and they're manufacturers of the highest performing SDTV and HDTV encoders. It's a natural connection. All of these factors made DiviCom the best choice for [an alliance with] Thomcast." Richter went on to point out that Thomcast will be closely cooperating with Broadlogic, Inc. to market IP over MPEG-2 network broadcasting solutions. Coupled with the stance all transmitter manufacturers have taken on forming strategic alliances with other manufacturers and service companies to guide stations through the DTV/HDTV transition period, these latest revolutionary changes-- by transmission industry standards -- make it clear that RF manufacturers intend play a major leadership role in the new millennia. Adding to the list of changes within the industry, it was announced that the MRC division of California Microwave has changed its name to Adaptive Broadband. David E. Glidden, vice president and general manager noted that the new name better reflects the evolution of the company as it has expanded in four key areas: wireless broadband access, digital broadcast TV, satellite broadband IP transport, and wireless online transaction processing.

To: Maya who wrote (42445)	6/27/1999 1:33:00 AM
From: BillyG	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50808

EchoStar Communications Corporation Completes Acquisition of Assets from News Corporation, MCI WorldCom (lots of encoders will be needed here... 500 channels, or an additional 200 channels to the current 300 channels???) biz.yahoo.com LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 1999--EchoStar Communications Corporation, (''EchoStar,'' NASDAQ: DISH, DISHP), announced today that it has completed the acquisition of high-power direct broadcast satellite (DBS) assets from The News Corporation Limited (''News Corp.,'' NYSE:NWS, NWS-A) and MCI WorldCom (''MCI,'' NASDAQ:WCOM). Those assets include: the FCC license to operate a high-powered DBS business at the 110 degree West Longitude orbital location consisting of 28 frequencies; two high-power Loral-built satellites, currently scheduled to be launched during 1999, to be delivered in-orbit; and other related assets and rights. The News Corporation Limited received 6,891,096 newly issued shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock and MCI WorldCom received 1,712,020 newly issued shares of EchoStar Class A Common Stock. The total of 8,603,116 shares, which is approximately 14.6 percent of EchoStar's fully diluted equity and approximately 2.6 percent of total voting rights, reflects the agreed transaction value of approximately $1.2 billion, based on the recent average price of EchoStar's Class A Common Stock, reduced by approximately $45.6 million due from News and MCI to EchoStar in fulfillment of certain obligations in the acquisition agreement. Consummation of the transaction gives EchoStar's DISH Network(TM) access to a total of 50 high-power DBS frequencies at 110 degrees W.L. and 119 degrees W.L., capable of providing over 500 channels of video and audio programming, Internet/data and HDTV to the entire continental United States from a single 18-inch satellite dish. The additional capacity also positions DISH Network to expand its one-dish solution for local-to-local channels from Los Angeles and New York currently, to over 50 percent of the U.S. population. In addition, upon closing of the acquisition, the litigation between EchoStar and The News Corporation was dismissed with prejudice. ''This transaction strengthens EchoStar's position as an alternative to rising cable prices and poor cable service,'' said Charlie Ergen, CEO and chairman of EchoStar. ''DISH Network has experienced record growth in 1999, and the completion of this transaction will build on that even more. With this added capacity, we plan to offer consumers even more choices like HDTV, interactive television, Internet and data. 500 channels of television... all delivered direct to homes through one small satellite dish.'' EchoStar Communications Corp. includes three interrelated business units: DISH Network is EchoStar's state-of-the-art DBS system that offers customers over 300 channels of digital video and CD-quality audio programming, fully MPEG-2/DVB compliant hardware and installation. EchoStar Technologies Corporation (ETC, formerly HTS - Houston Tracker Systems, Inc.), designs, manufactures and distributes DBS set-top boxes, antennas and other digital equipment for DISH Network and various international customers that include ExpressVu Canada and Telefonica's Via Digital system in Spain. ETC also provides uplink-center design, construction oversight and project-integration services for customers internationally. Satellite Services provides the delivery of video, audio and data services to business television customers and other satellite users. These services include satellite uplink, satellite transponder space-usage and other services. DISH Network currently serves over 2.4 million customers. DISH Network is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation. HTS is a trademark of Houston Tracker Systems, Inc. DISH Network is located on the Internet at: www.dishnetwork.com <<CUT>>