The Triumph of Technology Over Politics?: Reconstructing Television Systems: the Example of Sweden (Linkoping studies in arts and science)

Titelpages......Page 1
Contents......Page 5
Acknowledgements......Page 12
PART I: INTRODUCTION, THEORY AND METHODOLOGY......Page 15
1.1 Empirical focus: television in transition......Page 17
1.2 The process at the centre of the analysis: the introduction of TV3......Page 19
1.4 Comment on ‘technology’ as a factor......Page 21
1.5 Purpose and research questions......Page 23
1.6 The organisation of the book......Page 24
1.7.2 Telecommunication, radio, broadcasting and some related concepts......Page 25
1.7.3 The (mass) media concept......Page 27
1.7.4 The public service concept......Page 28
1.7.5 Liberalisation, deregulation, reregulation, etc.......Page 30
1.8.1 Studies of television in Sweden......Page 31
1.8.2 Studies on broadcasting reconfiguration in Sweden and the rest of Europe......Page 33
1.8.3 Works centred upon Stenbeck and the Kinnevik group......Page 35
Notes......Page 36
2.1 Introduction......Page 39
2.2.1 Systems approaches......Page 40
2.2.2 Large technical systems......Page 41
2.2.3 LTS, SCOT and ANT......Page 43
2.2.5 Patterns of development and related concepts......Page 44
2.3.1 Systems: subject to many interests and many goals......Page 48
2.3.2 System boundaries and symbiosis......Page 49
2.3.3 System-builders and their resources......Page 53
2.3.4 ”New combinations” and changes in the pool of technology......Page 55
2.3.5 Uncertainty......Page 56
2.3.6 Notes on institutions......Page 57
2.3.7 Everything has a history – path dependence......Page 61
Notes......Page 63
3.1 Preparing the study......Page 70
3.2.1 A case study approach to analysing (re)construction of large technical systems......Page 71
3.2.2 An embedded case study design: different units of analysis......Page 72
3.3 The sources......Page 73
3.4 Methodological discussion and some problems encountered......Page 75
3.5 Limitations......Page 82
Notes......Page 83
PART II: BACKGROUND –SWEDISH CONTEXT......Page 85
4.2 Kinnevik: an industrial company moving into telecommunications and the media......Page 87
4.3 A pioneer challenging monopolies......Page 89
4.4 The case of mobile telephony......Page 90
4.5 Expansionist strategy: ”necessity” driving towards diversity......Page 92
4.6 Jan Stenbeck – the man and the myth......Page 93
Notes......Page 99
5.1 From wireless to national broadcasting......Page 103
5.2 The rules of the game: background......Page 104
5.3.1 The basic pattern......Page 105
5.3.2 AB Radiotjänst/Sveriges Radio......Page 106
5.3.3 Televerket......Page 107
5.4 The domestic legal framework for broadcasting......Page 109
5.5 The Terrestrial broadcasting network......Page 110
5.6 Satellites used for television......Page 111
5.7 The system and its momentum – a brief overivew......Page 113
5.8 The international framework......Page 115
Notes......Page 119
6.1 Introduction......Page 123
6.2 The introduction of regular television......Page 124
6.3 ‘Radio piracy’ around 1960......Page 126
6.5 Regionalisation and decentralisation......Page 129
6.6.2 Neighbourhood radio and local TV......Page 131
6.7.2 ‘New’ communications technologies, the ‘information society’ and ‘convergence’......Page 133
6.7.3 The ‘new’ communications technologies on Sweden’s political agenda......Page 134
6.7.5 Video recorders for home use entering the field......Page 135
6.7.6 Nordsat and Tele-X......Page 137
6.7.7 Satellite and cable–a new combination......Page 140
6.7.8 Opposition to (transfrontier) satellite television......Page 141
6.8 The 1980s: intensified problems with finances......Page 142
6.10 Towards a radical shift in national TV policy......Page 143
6.11 Plans for new TV channels targeting the Swedish and Scandinavian market–a preview......Page 147
Notes......Page 149
7.1.2 MATV, CATV, broadband and SMATV systems......Page 156
7.1.3 Cable TV systems during the first decades–some main functions......Page 158
7.1.4 Satellites meeting cable......Page 159
7.2.2 Early Regulation of MATV systems......Page 161
7.2.3 The 1970s: discussion but few attempts at setting institutional boundaries......Page 162
7.2.4 Early 1980s: the need for institutional boundaries becomes more acute......Page 163
7.2.5 Some notes on the cable law......Page 164
7.2.6 Early experiments with cable TV......Page 165
7.2.7 A burgeoning ‘new’ cable TV market......Page 166
7.3.1 A giant entering the field......Page 168
7.3.2 The offensive strategy set in motion......Page 169
7.3.3 Coaxial cable......Page 170
7.3.4 Reducing uncertainties......Page 171
7.3.5 1985-1991: a period of expansion......Page 172
7.4 Epilogue......Page 173
Notes......Page 175
Prologue......Page 179
Notes......Page 182
8.2 Some basic characteristics of satellite technology......Page 183
8.3.1 Around 1960: cold war, decolonisation, internationalisation......Page 185
8.3.2 Satellite technology meeting old information-based LTS......Page 187
8.3.3 New flexible building blocks – loosening the ties to the past......Page 194
8.4.2 International rules and instruments of relevance for DBSs until the mid 1980s......Page 196
8.4.3 ITU regulation of broadcasting satellite services, 1959-1976......Page 198
8.4.5 ITU regulation: WARC ‘77 – some kind of closure......Page 200
8.4.6 WARC ‘77 in the rear-view mirror......Page 203
Notes......Page 205
9.1 The early 1960s......Page 210
9.2 Intelsat: a permanent and international organization......Page 211
9.3 A growing Intelsat, incremental changes and reduction in costs......Page 212
9.4 Intelsat for television: from occasional use to leased transponders......Page 214
9.5 Intelsat under competition – and open skies......Page 215
9.6 A new combination: satellite and cable systems......Page 216
9.7 Earth stations and DTH: reduced costs......Page 219
Notes......Page 220
10.1 ESA and EUTELSAT......Page 224
10.2 High-power satellite systems in the 1980’s......Page 225
10.3 The rise of a new category of system-builders: media moguls......Page 228
10.4 Eutelsat opens the door to cable systems – and more......Page 229
10.5 Planned low-power satellite systems: the scene around 1984......Page 232
10.6 Medium-power satellites – a dark horse?......Page 233
10.7 Some notes on the established practices......Page 234
10.8 The issue of standards......Page 235
10.9 Television without frontiers: regulatory responses at the European level......Page 237
10.10 The legal weight of the 1989 directive and 1989 convention on transfrontier television......Page 239
10.11 Boosting Europe’s audiovisual capacity......Page 240
10.12 Summing up......Page 241
10.13 Channels multiplying......Page 242
10.14 Prelude to the ensuing chapters......Page 243
Notes......Page 244
CHAPTER 11: The Story of a Private European Satellite System Based in Luxemburg – SES/Astra......Page 250
11.2 Luxemburg – a special case......Page 251
11.3.1 The first attempt......Page 252
11.3.2 The GDL–Coronet project......Page 253
11.3.4 Arguments underlying the opposition......Page 254
11.3.5 Redefinition of the satellite project......Page 255
11.4 A satellite project assuming a more definite shape......Page 256
11.5 Technical and financial challenges to SES/Astra......Page 257
11.6.1 A throughly regulated field......Page 258
11.6.2 The controversy touched off by SES in Eutelsat......Page 259
11.6.3 A ”public telecommunications service”?......Page 260
11.6.4 ”Causing significant economic harm”?......Page 261
11.6.5 A crucial alliance with BT......Page 262
11.6.6 The joint-venture agreement......Page 263
11.6.7 Termination of the joint venture......Page 264
11.7 SES/ASTRA enrolling clients......Page 265
11.8 Launching the satellite......Page 266
11.9.2 The headquarters of SES at Château de Betzdorf......Page 267
11.9.4 The hot bird concept......Page 268
11.9.5 The commercial success of Astra......Page 269
Notes......Page 271
Part IV: RECONSTRUCTING TELEVISION IN SWEDEN......Page 275
12.1 Introduction......Page 277
12.2.1 Kinnevik–one of the original shareholders in SES......Page 278
12.2.2 Medvik i Sverige AB – a vehicle for engagement in satellite-TV......Page 280
12.2.4 Controlling distribution and infrastructure – looking for content......Page 281
12.2.5 American consultants help develop the concept......Page 283
12.2.6 Commercial TV: the economic logic......Page 284
12.2.7 Encryption technology: scrambling and conditional access......Page 285
12.3.1 The start......Page 288
12.3.2 Recruiting for the system-building......Page 289
12.3.3 The ”TV-strategy group” and the ”Media group”......Page 292
12.3.5 Opening the door for television advertising in Scandinavia......Page 293
12.3.6 London and the UK as a base......Page 294
12.3.8 The World Cup in Ice Hockey in 1989......Page 295
12.3.9 In-house production of programmes and establishing STRIX......Page 298
12.4.1 Postponements of Astra 1A and attempts to find alternative solutions......Page 300
12.4.2 Changing satellite – and quickly!......Page 301
12.5.1 Introduction......Page 304
12.5.2 New alliances: TV3 and existing cable TV operators......Page 305
12.5.3 New alliances: TV3 and the Cable-TV division of Televerket......Page 306
12.5.5 Political and regulatory constraints in Norway and Sweden......Page 311
12.5.6 A new Kinnevik company for cable distribution: AB Finvik......Page 318
12.5.7 Finvik losing control over installations and technology......Page 321
12.6 Transmission and encryption standards......Page 322
12.6.1 Initial transmissions in B-MAC327......Page 323
12.6.2 ScanSat an early adopter of D2-MAC......Page 325
12.6.3 A ”revolutionary” decision on D2-MAC during the autumn of 1988......Page 326
12.6.4 Motives and arguments underlying the choice of D2-MAC......Page 327
12.6.5 Hard-fought battles for D2-MAC......Page 329
12.6.6 In alliances: Philips and France Telecom .........Page 330
12.6.7 The price of being the first adopter......Page 331
12.6.8 Suggested explanations of the delay......Page 335
12.6.9 The choice of D2-MAC in retrospect......Page 336
12.6.10 What became of the de facto European transmission and encryption standards?......Page 337
12.7.1 Moving to Astra and entering the DTH market......Page 339
12.7.3 A subscription channel: TV1000......Page 340
12.7.4 Satellite and cable hardware: Scandvik......Page 342
12.7.5 The administrative motor for DTH reception–Viasat AB......Page 343
12.7.6 Other companies forming ”the system”......Page 344
Notes......Page 349
13.1 Introduction......Page 365
13.2 Theoretical approach – strengths and weaknesses......Page 366
13.3 The triumph of technology over politics?......Page 370
Notes......Page 375
List of Abbreviations......Page 376
References......Page 378