Scrapbook 3: TV Shows via Space Planned in July
Satellite to Transmit to U.S., Europe
TV Shows via Space Planned in July
NEW YORK (AP) — The first live transatlantic television programs—to be transmitted by a communications satellite—are planned for next month, it was announced here.
The three American networks and European broadcasters will cooperate on the project between the United States and Europe.
Two programs will be included, an American one to be sent to Europe, and a European show to be beamed to the United States.
National Broadcasting Co., Columbia Broadcasting System and American Broadcasting Co. jointly will produce the American program. The European program will be handled by the European Broadcasting Union.
An announcement by the three American networks said transmission will be by the Telstar communications satellite of the American Telephone & Telegraph Co.
Launching of the satellite on an Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral is scheduled for early in July by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Exact dates for the transatlantic programs will be determined after the satellite launching.
The American program will cover by live remote pickups “the world of reality and immediacy in America as seen at the time of the broadcast,” the announcement said.
News departments of the three networks will produce the program and cover what they consider the most significant events taking place at the time.
The program to be sent to the United States will include live pickups from 16 points, representing all of Europe. The European Broadcasting Union represents 16 countries.
Each program is expected to last about 12 minutes.
The American program will be coordinated in New York and sent by cable to Andover, Maine, site of the Bell System’s ground station.
From there it will be beamed by microwave to the Telstar satellite. Telstar will pick up the signal and rebroadcast it to two ground stations in Europe, one at Goonhillydowns in England, and the other at Lannion, Brittany, France.
The European program will go from Brussels to Goonhillydowns and then be beamed to Telstar.
The announcement said Telstar is expected to complete an orbit of the earth about every 2½ hours. During a portion of each orbit, while over the Atlantic, it will be in line of sight with Andover and the European stations.
During these periods the programs will be transmitted.
ORBITAL TELECASTER—Telstar, the communications satellite, is scheduled to be orbited in July for the first transatlantic telecasts between the United States and Europe. The diagram shows the points which will transmit and receive the telecasts via the American Telephone & Telegraph Co. satellite. —United Press International