Importance

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Abstract

A system for managing a satellite and a number of broadcast stations, which generate programs for transmission to remote radio receivers on broadcast channels via the satellite, comprises a satellite control system for controlling the attitude and orbit of the satellite and on-board processing of the programs uplinked to the satellite. A broadcast control system is connected to the satellite control center and to the broadcast stations. The broadcast control system assigns selected ones of the broadcast channels to service providers desiring to uplink at least one of the programs to the satellite, to store channel data relating to the assignments of the broadcast channels and provide the channel data to the satellite control system, and to bill the service providers according to the number of the broadcast channels assigned thereto. The broadcast control system provides the service providers with a plurality of options comprising the number of said broadcast channels to be reserved for uplink transmission, dates and times of day for using the reserved broadcast channels, and which of a number beams associated with the satellite are to be used for downlink transmission. The broadcast control system notifies the satellite control system as to which of the beams are to be used and when, and the satellite control system generates corresponding data processing signals for routing the program to selected ones of the beams.

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First Claim