Nilesat goes on air

By Khaled Dawoud

The Egyptian satellite was the latest in a series of mega-projects, part of the government's ongoing policy aimed at preparing the nation for the next century.

According to Information Minister Safwat El-Sherif, the date of activation of the satellite was chosen carefully to coincide with the 15th "Media Day," on which the government honours those working in the press and media. That was the best expression of the government's appreciation of the influential role played by the press and media, he said.

The $158 million satellite is designed to beam television programmes over an area extending from Morocco to the Gulf. Its expected life span is16 years. Nilesat has 12 digital channels capable of carrying up to 98 Egyptian, Arab and international television channels.

On Sunday, 11 digital channels went into action as soon as President Mubarak pushed the activation button, broadcasting programmes for 51 television channels. Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain are among the Arab countries that have so far leased airtime on Nilesat. A commercial Arab channel has also leased two digital channels to air its own programmes.

The main control ground station of Nilesat 101 is located in the Media Production City in the 6th of October City. Another backup station has been built at the city of Hamam on Egypt's northern coast, west of Alexandria.

"With God's support, I announce the start of operation of the first Egyptian satellite, Nilesat, conveying from us to the world a message of love, peace and brotherhood," Mubarak said in a live broadcast on all channels.

The French-built satellite was launched on April 29 from Kourou, French Guyana, on the northern edge of South America. It was built by Matra Marconi for the Egyptian Satellite Company, a government and private sector consortium.

After pushing the button, Mubarak, accompanied by El-Sherif and other ministers, unveiled a replica of Nilesat 101 together with a life-size bronze statue at the entrance to the Media Production City.

Until now, Egyptian television channels have been beamed to different parts of the country by ground microwave stations. It was nearly impossible for inhabitants of newly-established communities, such as Toshka in the south, or in mountainous areas in Sinai, to pick up the television signal. But, as Information Minister El-Sherif said, the satellite will make it possible for all inhabitants of Egypt to watch Egyptian television channels as soon as small ground stations which pick up the Nilesat signal and relay it to residents of remote communities, are completed.

Nilesat will also facilitate communication through the Internet and provide valuable services to international news organisations which want to send pictures or news out of Egypt.

After activating the satellite, Mubarak met with the Egyptian engineers in charge of operation. He later inaugurated several new cinema studios at the Media City, known as Mubarak Studio Complex B. The eight new studios are another mega-project, expected to turn Egypt into the "Hollywood of the East" and the dominant media production centre in the Arab region.

The new studios inaugurated on Sunday include a replica of downtown Alexandria during the 1940s, a popular quarter in Old Cairo, an Islamic quarter and a sea resort. The Media City also includes an amusement park where the latest technology is employed.

Mubarak Studio Complex A, including 10 big studios, will be inaugurated in the next two and a half years, El-Sherif said.

At the end of the four-hour ceremony, Mubarak and cabinet members met with hundreds of intellectuals, writers and media experts to launch the education, health and science channels on Nilesat. The ministers of education and health hailed the launching of the channels as a radical development enabling them to reach all Egyptians in the fight against illiteracy and to improve health conditions.