Skypath
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Skypath is a system the NBC television network uses to distribute satellite programming to its affiliate stations.
Launched in 1983, Skypath was the first such system of its kind. Its main hub consisted of East coast, West Coast, and affiliate feeds located on the Ku-Band RCA Satcom K2 satellite, with one C-band transponder located on RCA's now-defunct Satcom 1R.
In 1988, NBC began to encrypt their Skypath affiliate feeds with Leitch encryption. By the mid-1990s, such encryption was limited to NFL football games.
Prior to the arrival of Skypath, NBC programming, with the exception of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, was delivered via coaxial cable and microwave transmission. Beginning in the early 1980s, The Tonight Show began satellite delivery to the East Coast.
In 1997, NBC began the transition of Skypath to digital transmission.
As of 2005, Skypath exists on the SES Americom Ku-Band AMC-1 and AMC-8 satellites, NBC having discontinued the analog C-band feed in 1998. All of the feeds are now broadcast via Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB).
