MUMBAI: NHK, a pioneer in HDTV, is broadcasting environmentally focused programming from the Showa base in Antarctica back to households in Japan.
 
 
An official release informs that using Intelsat's capacity and Japan Telecom's antenna facilities, NHK has set up their HDTV "Hi-Vision" Broadcasting Center in the Antarctic and is using the Intelsat 904 satellite located at 60'E to carry a variety of environmentally-themed programmes aimed at increasing public awareness of the global environment.

The first HD feed from the Showa base in Antarctica occurred at 200 p.m. on 1 February to commemorate the exact time when Japanese TV broadcasting was launched 50 years earlier on NHK, and in conjunction with the launch of Intelsat's Occasional Video Services network.

The release states that Japan Telecom is utilising a series of short-term video leases from Intelsat, receiving the content at their Kamiyamaguchi earth station in Japan and forwarding it to NHK's studios in Tokyo. They consulted with Intelsat engineers extensively and conducted over 30 hours of testing on the satellite to ensure a high-quality signal. Additionally, they supplied a flyaway antenna suitable for operation in harsh environments and secured over 100 hours of transmission time on the 904 satellite.