European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 29, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine a satellite dish in the Yard of a 260-year-old bavarian farmhouse. Dishing out to in deutschland by Wendy Bourland staff writer increased availability of satellite to in Europe and decreased prices for satellite equipment have created an upswing of private dish sales in West Germany. It has also led . European come officials to draft a proposal to wire bases and leased housing areas in West Germany for Cable television in an Effort to provide military personnel and their families with the English language programming available. Neucom spokesman maj. Dennis Gauci said the command wants to provide English language programming in addition to the american forces network and a contract will probably be awarded to wire the bases and housing areas this time next year. We have had inquiries from contractors in the u.k., the . And other parts of Europe Gauci said. When the proposal is done bids will go out and a contractor  the contract must be approved by the department of defense. Gauci said the Cable service will be similar to the one now serving . Personnel in the United kingdom and a fee will be charged to customers. As in the United kingdom an will be provided free of charge. English language channels now available via satellite dish and Cable television systems in West Germany include Cable news network music television mtg and Britain s sky Channel which offers a variety of programs Hermann Muller a spokesman for the West German government s postal and telecommunications ministry commonly called the Bunde Spos said nearly 7,500 private satellite dishes were registered in West Germany As of March a substantial increase since december 1986. Although the ministry does t know exactly How Many dishes were registered at that time 3,100 households in West Germany received to via satellite then and 51,700 households receive it now. The Bunde Spost was t Able to provide figures on the total number of dishes serving those households. A satellite dish Salesman in Mainz Kastel said one dish he Sells with a motorized tracking system costs 3,000 Marks $1,630or 2,000 Marks $1,085 less than it did last year. Muller was unable to provide a breakdown on How Many of the private dishes belonged to americans or other foreigners living in West Germany. But Stephen Allen an american whose company also Sells audio video and satellite to equipment to the . Military Community says about 850 of the dishes registered in West Germany As of january Are owned by americans. Two years ago about half of Allen s military customers lived outside the Range of the american forces network and wanted any to they could get. Now he says nearly All his military dish buyers have Access to an but wish to take advantage of the selection of european satellite programming available. Allen s smallest dish is the one meter diameter size. It starts at around $900. The Price of a satellite package increases with the size of the dish and or the Power of the receiver attached to it. Allen says the receiver on the $900 dish picks up 22 channels that broadcast their signals without scrambling eight of these Are in English. However not All the channels come in Crystal Clear. For that a More expensive receiver is necessary. Satellite dish owners with the proper equipment can select from a Multi National array of unscrambled programs. They include German stations such As Tele 5, Ard plus and Kinder net children s network Luxembourg s Rel plus american channels can mtg and world net operated by he . Information service Britain s super Channel screen sport and the children s Channel italian station Rai Uno France s to 5 and Spain s Tve-1. Networks that scramble their signals requiring a decoder for reception with satellite dish include Britain s premiere bbl and sky Channel networks dutch movie Channel film net and Spain s canal 10. Still More programming will be added to the airwaves of Europe when Luxembourg successfully launches Astra a 16-Channel satellite. The launching has been postponed several times and is now set for november if it takes place on schedule transmission should begin by january 1989. Media magnate Rupert Murdoch has leased four of Astra s 16 channels. His plans include relocating sky Channel a variety network he has controlled since 1983, adding a 24-hour news station a euro sport or sky sport Channel and a sky movie Channel says Simon Baker the United kingdom correspondent for Cable and satellite Europe a Trade Magazine published in London. Baker said Murdoch plans to offer All but sky unscrambled but some existing satellite networks such As screen sport and lifestyle May be scrambled when they move to the Astra satellite or to Eutel sat 2, a 16 Channel satellite scheduled for launch in 1990. He said Germany s Tel club movie Channel also has plans to scramble in the near future. An has scrambled its signal for several months but american military and government civilian employees in West Germany who Are outside its Range and wish to pick up the signal with a satellite dish May now do so. The Cost however is More than most can afford. An officials say a satellite dish at least two meters in diameter is necessary to pick up the an signal. Audio video marts in Stuttgart Mainz Kastel and Rhein main a do not Stock two meter dishes but a Salesman at an electronics Dealership in Darmstadt says his store can order a two meter dish with receiver at a Cost of about 2,000 Marks $1,085. The an decoder costs $1,300. Purchasing the equipment is Only the beginning. The american dish owner must get an of from his landlord to erect a satellite dish on the premises. Then he must Register the dish with his local Bunde Spost office and pay a one time fee of 250 Marks $136muller says. Copies of the registration paperwork must be forwarded to an s Parent command the american forces information service in Washington d.c., for final approval and decoders for receiving an broadcasts May Only be purchased from vendors authorized by afis. When the approval process is Complete an afis spokesman said an he in Frankfurt will key the Correct number into the decoder to decrypt the scrambled signal. Are you 6urb to tvs  a Korea ? military television has come a Long Way. Is monday August 29,1988 the stars and stripes Page 13