Murdoch funds pay-TV service in U.S.
NZPA Washington Rupert Murdoch, the Australian publishing magnate, is funding a new satellite-to-home television service in the United States. It will be designed to provide news and entertainment to rural America. The new pay-TV service will use an existing American satellite and should be launched by this (northern) autumn, according to officials involved in the venture.
Satellite Business Systems — a partnership of Communications Satellite Corporation, 1.8. M., and AETNA Life and Casualty Company — will lease Mr Murdoch’s venture some capacity on its satellite. The partnership operates three satellites used primarily to provide high-speed data transmission links and long-distance telephone service.
An S.B.S. spokesman, Mr Bill Dunne, confirmed that News Satellite Television, Ltd, a British firm wholly owned by Mr Murdoch’s News Corporation, Ltd, had
signed a $113.25 million sixyear lease for five TV channels on his company’s newest satellite. That satellite was the first communications satellite to be launched via a space shuttle last November.
Mr Dunne said the firm planning the satellite-to-home service, based in Los Angeles, was Inter-Ameri-can Satellite Television Inc.
The president of InterAmerican is William Kommers, who resigned a year ago as president of Tanner Electronics Systems Technology Inc., a California maker of equipment for pay and cable TV. Meanwhile, Mr Murdoch is bidding for the remaining shares in News International, “The Times,” “Sun,” and “News of the World” group he already controls.
A $14.2 million stock-mar-ket swoop has boosted his holding of the special-divi-dend shares to just over 77 per cent and an offer for the balance is to follow. The bid will involve the outlay of more than $47.4 million.
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Press, 9 May 1983, Page 19
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272Murdoch funds pay-TV service in U.S. Press, 9 May 1983, Page 19
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