Free sample essay on Cable and Satellite Television. Commercial Satellites have revolutionised broadcasting in India. The vast emerging market of TV viewers has attracted many foreign satellite companies to the country.
Due to the dozens of channels that are available today, thousands of Indian families are now enjoying interesting, educative and thrilling TV. Programmes viewers have a very wide choice and can select a programme of their liking at any time of the day and night. There is Sony, Jain TV., CNN, star T.V., Zee T.V., P. T.V., A. T. V., B .B.C., and M. T.V. etc. for the viewers to switch on and enjoy their leisure hours. The cable T.V. system, based on satellite transmission, has visually invaded the homes and lives of millions of viewers, who can be seen glued to their idiot boxes, spending long and late hours. The viewing of cable T.V. programmes has become all pervasive.
Satellite and cable television cater to different tastes, and so, people of all ages and categories—young, old, children, men, women, rural folk and urbanites have great fascination for it. Sports, music, films, different types of serials have specialised programmes. M .T.V., Channel V, and Zee Music etc. have become a craze among young people because of their scintillating music, flashes of bright colour, rhythmic body- movements, attractive clothing, hi-tech musical instruments and electrifying, exotic and extravagant scenes. Cable-viewing has become almost infectious because many of the programmes are quite spicy, provocative, inviting and gratifying. This invasion from the skies has taken the cities and towns by storm and the common viewers seem to be overwhelmed.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
But the cable boom and satellite system has taken its toll on studies, rest and sleep, social life, friendly gatherings and the joys of conversation. Children and adolescents shun schoolwork, studies and games to watch their favorite films, serials, and songs on television. It disturbs the viewers’ work schedule and hours of sleep because of long and late hours of watching T.V. All this has adverse effect in terms of mental- poise, sound and sufficient sleep, productivity, efficiency, and tolerance, etc. This passive and pervasive entertainment is likely to create many more complexities yet not gauged and diagnosed.
In view of the growing popularity of satellite and cable T.V., and the ever-expanding market, many new satellite companies have joined the race. Among them is the U.S. Panama Sat, which launched its PAS-4 satellite in 1995. Other global companies in the fray are: Inter sputnik of Russia, with its Express satellite series, Japan’s JCSAT, Malaysia’s Mea sat and Thailand’s Tacoma. PAS-4, billed as the hot bird of the Asian skies, has 16 C-band transponders, requiring large dish antennae and 11 powerful KU-band transponders requiring small dishes to allow direct-to-home broadcast. It is a strong rival of Report Murdoch’s Asia sat. The Doordarshan uses two transponders of PAS-4 for its international broadcast. One of these two transponders is meant to beam programmes to the U.S. and the second to the U.K.
The Russian Express series is a new generation satellite. The first express satellite was launched in October 1994. Many satellite T.V. channels in India are linked to the Russian Express series. All these indicate the steady increase in the popularity of satellite T.V.