[LINK] Re: Link Digest, Vol 175, Issue 41

[Stewart Fist]

David writes
> 
> I'm reminded of PBS' proposal (?) in the early 80s that Australia launch a
> national satellite network.  There was much carry-on about how this would
> benefit remote areas, and organisations such as the Isolated Childrens Parents
> Association and the Flying Doctor Service lobbied hard to make it happen.  But
> it never did, and the simple reason was that remote education etc., though
> certainly useful, was a red herring used to sell the idea; the real purpose
> was networked TV.

The original Aussat satellite arose from the fact that Kerry Packer wanted a
way to distribute his new World Championship Cricket programs.

His engineer, Les Free, was going off to the USA to attend a broadcasting
and communications  conference, and he suggested in a memo to Kerry that
satellites might be worth looking at.  Kerry called him into the office, and
wanted to know what a satellite did, and what a satellite channel would be
worth.

Free said about $10 million -- thinking, in terms of hiring a single channel
from an international operator, on an annual basis.

Kerry said "We'll have one" thinking in terms of building, launching and
owning his own domestic satellite with twenty or so channels.

Kerry then went off, while Free was overseas, and struck up an agreement
with the Fraser federal government to share the cost of the satellite -- and
ended up so committed that he was unable to easily withdraw.  It was quite
some time before he discovered that the cost would be in the hundreds of
millions.

Eventually when Bob Hawke became PM, the satellite proposal, which was by
then fairly well developed, became owned entirely by the government.  We
have Duffy to thank for that, I seem to remember.  But it was a hard-fought
battle.

Les Free gave me that story years ago.  It deserves to be recorded somewhere


-- 
Stewart Fist, writer, journalist, film-maker
70 Middle Harbour Road, LINDFIELD, 2070, NSW, Australia
Ph +61 (2) 9416 7458