Re: Help! - Sumo broadcasts in Europe - Belgium

[Martin Ward <martin@ward-hull.demon.co.uk>]

In article <9807201458.AA09269@statgen.ncsu.edu>, Sue Coleman
<scoleman@gol.com> writes
>Hi fellow Mailing List members,
>
>I am in the process of moving to Belgium and would love to find out if &
>how I can pick up Sumo.  I know we have a Satellite dish on our new place
>but I forgot to ask what, how, etc. etc.  (tough when you have 3 days to
>sort out housing).  Anyway - any of you cyber-rikishi on this awesome
>Mailing list who live in Europe - Belgium - Brussels - Overijse (?)  If you
>have any information you can send my way it would be greatly appreciated! 
>My husband leaves tomorrow (Tuesday) for a couple of weeks so if you can
>give me any information that he could check into regarding availability,
>etc. that would be super.  We move in September 1 so I'd love to be set up
>in time for the September Basho -- anything you can do to minimize my live
>Sumo withdrawal will be reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaallllllllllly appreciated!  
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>
>Sue in Kobe
>
Hi Sue

Having been away on holiday I am replying rather late.  I am surprised
no one else has responded - perhaps they are all away too (or I missed
something).

Here's the bad news: there does not seem to be any way of getting live
Sumo in Europe.  There was apparently a feed from a satellite way to the
East but my local shop here in the UK said it was not feasible and the
last message I saw on the ML said it had stopped.

Mixed news: if you are rich enough you can get the last session of each
day of the basho during the afternoon Eurotime, ie only a few hours
after the event, *but* it is encrypted and costs c30 UK pounds per month
to subscribe.  This is Japan Satellite TV on Astra, an NHK channel
intended for Japanese expatriates and may be more worthwhile for you if
you want to see other Japanese language programmes.

Slight consolations:  JSTV broadcast the NHK news programmes in the
clear so there are a few matches each day in the seven o'clock news
which is late morning / lunchtime Eurotime. Eurosport, a clear channel
on Astra, shows highlights of each basho; but all fifteen days are
compressed into five hours and the programmes are aired four to six
*weeks* after the event.

The most widely used satellites in the UK and Germany are the Astra
cluster at 19.2 degrees East, which may well be what your dish will be
pointing at, but maybe not if the previous occupants were French
speaking.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.  Perhaps you have had some better
news via email, in which case let the rest of us in Europe know!

There are several magazines here in the UK with titles like "Which
Satellite?" and "Satellite TV Europe" with all the frequencies listed.
No doubt there are Belgian equivalents, but if you need an English
language version send me an email and I will post you one.

Best of luck with the move.
-- 

Best wishes

Martin Ward

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"No-one is ever hurt by the truth - he is injured who continues in
 self-deception and ignorance."          Marcus Aurelius
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