WorldSpace
From Freepedia
Image:WorldSpace Afristar control room.jpg
WorldSpace is the world's first digital satellite radio network. It covers parts of Asia and Europe plus all of Africa by satellite. The company is also licensed to serve South America and Central America, but services for those regions have not been launched yet. In the United States, some WorldSpace channels, such as "World Zone" and "Ngoma", are carried on XM Satellite Radio. Major content partners include BBC, NPR, CNN, Virgin Radio, Fox News and Bloomberg. Many channels are free of advertising, and they are known for high quality programs with "near CD quality" audio.
JVC, XM Radio, Hitachi, and Panasonic are manufacturers selling WorldSpace digital satellite radios. A consumer's radio consists of a satellite receiver plus an antenna that has to be placed in clear view of the relevant satellite (so-called "line of sight"), oriented in a certain azimuth and elevation (depending upon the geographic location). Most of the channels are available only by subscription, but a few are free: the BBC's African channels and RFI, for example.
There are currently two satellites in use, AfriStar and AsiaStar. AfriStar serves Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, while AsiaStar serves most of South Asia and overlaps in the Mideast. Plans to launch a third satellite, Ameristar, to serve South America were not carried out as the frequencies used by WorldSpace (L band) are commandeered by the United States Air Force. Each satellite provides three transmission beams that can support 50 channels each, carrying news, music, entertainment, and education, and including a computer multimedia service.
WorldSpace has worked with Thomson Broadcast to introduce a village communications center known as a Telekiosk to bring communications services to rural areas. The Telekiosks are self-contained and are available as fixed or mobile units.
WorldSpace Foundation started off with the aim of improving literacy in Africa, and is providing content through satellite to smaller community radio stations in the continent. WorldSpace Foundation has changed its name to First Voice International.
On August 4, 2005 WorldSpace offered its IPO on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. It closed at the end of the first day of trading at $22.36 a share.
