– Star Choice up

The Star Choice Television Network, owned by Fredericton-based Star Choice Communications and Shaw Communications, launched its dth service April 30. Star Choice will offer consumers 60 video and 30 channels at the outset and will begin offering 100-channel packages late this summer.

Star Choice will utilize General Instrument’s high-end 921 digital satellite receiver and the complete equipment package, including 60-centimeter dish, and is priced at $999 with the purchase of a $400 programming package. AlphaStar Canada, which launched in March, will begin offering 120 channels this summer when the service switches to Loral Skynet’s Telstar 5 satellite.

TMN-The Movie Network has also been added to AlphaStar’s eastern Canada channel lineup. Initially, the dth satellite tv provider will offer TMN1, the 24-hour main channel. tmn’s remaining multichoice channels and 24-hour moviepix network will be added in July.

Available to AlphaStar subscribers in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, tmn will be offered at a cost of $12.95 per month on an a la carte basis.

AlphaStar reports over 3,500 digital dth systems have been installed across Canada since it became available in early March.

-CHEK 6 expands

Victoria-based CHEK 6 Television is expanding its news services in Nanaimo and points north on Vancouver Island. Two eng photographers have been assigned to communities up-Island and chek has purchased new Panasonic dvcpro digital cameras, a first for b.c.

The technology allows news reports to be fed via the new BC Tel ‘Newsroute’ fiber-optic line system to Victoria in realtime and without loss in quality.

‘We’re excited at the prospect of being able to gather more local news from up-Island,’ says Robert Palmer, manager of news services. ‘This technology works hand-in-glove with the reorganization of our news operation which is intended to serve our up-Island viewers better. These communities will see greater coverage of events important to them.’

Garry Frang and Jonathan Bartlett handle the news-gathering duties in the Nanaimo and Campbell River-Courtenay-Comox areas.