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EVUK · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35

Democracy Now - now available as free TV throughout Europe/Arab world - via Hotbird satellite.
At last - 5000 channels and SOMETHING to watch!
I may sound like a salesman here - but Democracy Now(http://www.democracynow.org) can now be received four times a day via TV.
All you need is an easily available low-cost(non-Sky, non-Murdoch !) digital satellite receiver (so called FTA "Free-to-Air" -don't confuse with Freeview !) costing around £79 (see this Technomate model for example http://www.satellitesuperstore.com/free.htm) -
plus an 80 cm dish(around £25) and somewhere vaguely facing south to locate the dish.
DIY set-up is child's play.

Democracy Now's one hour show is being broadcast by Homa TV(http://www.homa.tv) and broadcast times are 21.35 - then repeated every 6 hours ie. 03.36,09.36,15.36.
Your (£79-ish) FTA receiver will automatically find HomaTV/Democracy Now at Transponder 97, 11,585 MHz.

To anyone who may be thinking "So what - I can watch it on my PC"...
..it's important to understand that huge numbers of people throughout Europe and the Middle East use these non-Sky FTA digital satellite receivers - and it is extremely reassuring, is it not, to know that they will now be left in no doubt that an alternative "Western" English-language TV voice is now spreading its wings and going from strength to strength this side of the Atlantic.

EVUK · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35

Oh dear it looks as if Homa TV are playing about with their schedules.
Democracy Now(Washington anti-war protests edition) was broadcast today at 16.40 UK time - if anyone else is attempting to watch and keep track of Dem Now broadcast times by Homa TV please post up here any clues you may have.
Meanwhile I urge people to email Homa TV to encourage them to keep Democracy Now in their line-up, preferably around-the-clock as before, as a much-appreciated Unique Selling Point - Europe and the Arab world needs this USP - ie. TV truth - desperately.

Email gasht@homa.tv AND peyk@homa.tv
Of course if anyone does happen to speak Farsi - this might help to persuade them to do the right thing...

EVUK · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35

Homa TV(Hotbird - see earlier post above) have moved their round-the-clock TV broadcast times for Dem Now by one hour or so.

So: 16.40 - then repeated every SIX hours: 22.40, 04.40, 10.40

EVUK · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35

It seems this Democracy Now/Sat TV posting is pretty popular - 113 views...
- so some of you may be as disappointed as I am that Homa are now putting a Farsi voice-over translation over the original English - thus rendering the original almost inaudible!
I have just sent Homa TV ( peyk@homa.tv , gasht@homa.tv the following email plea. Please send something similar if you feel likewise:

Subject: Democracy Now: one broadcast in original English please!

Hi Homa!

- Since you broadcast Democracy Now [b]four times each day( - and we have really appreciated this over the past few months - ) would it not be possible to
leave just one of these broadcasts in the original English - without the new voice-over translation?[/b]

EVUK · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35

After some chopping and changing Homa TV in conjunction with Free Speech TV are(again) broadcasting Democracy Now as real TV in original English FOUR times a day: 15.40, 21.40, 03.40, 09.40 (Mon-Fri)

- at Transponder 97, 27,500 Ksps, 11,585 MHz.
BTW: you can now get a full free-to-air(ie. non-Murdoch/Sky) and free-to-watch digital satellite systems incl. dish etc. for well under £100.
(The supermarket chain Lidl recently had a complete system for less than £50...)
It's reassuring to know that the Hotbird satellite has a European footprint covering a population of around 400 million.
I can tell you that watching Dem Now as real TV is far more satisfying and convincing/persuasive than watching online.

http://www.freespeech.org/

Bern · Joined: 20 Nov 2005 Posts: 14

can you clarify the coordinates for the satellite?

EVUK · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35

What more is there to add?
Hotbird itself is at 13 degrees East in other words rotate a little "to the right" of Astra at 19 degrees (and also tilt dish back a fraction).

EVUK · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35

Homa TV do appear to be fiddling with their scheduling of Democracy Now (as TV) broadcast via Europe's Hotbird satellite as explained below.

But you can also get the daily edition of Democracy Now as radio/audio only free all over Europe via WRN (World Radio Network) also on Hotbird at 16.00 UK time Mon-Fri.

EVUK · Joined: 21 Sep 2004 Posts: 35

HOMA TV(Hotbird - see above for details) have now returned to settled broadcast times:
Four times a day: 12.40 15.40 21.40 09.40 UK time

Again - I cannot stress how much more watchable - and powerful - Democracy Now is as real TV as opposed to PC TV.