Master Satcom
The original vision by Sir Arthur Clarke was you could cover the world with three satellites. There are lots of satellite channel distributed worldwide today. Came across a new one today: a press release about Supreme Master TV being distributed worldwide by RRSat of Israel. What’s all this "supreme master" then? Believe me, it’s got noting to do with hip-hop pioneer Grand Master Flash:
The Supreme Master TV Channel is a free-to-air satellite channel broadcasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a variety of programs in English with over 40 languages and subtitles.
As part of the agreement, RRsat started broadcasting the channel at the beginning of November 2007, reaching North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, including over such prominent satellites as Galaxy 25, Hispasat 1C, Intelsat 10 and Optus B3.
Lily Able, Director of Programming of Supreme Master TV commented "It’s inspiring in that there is a tremendous appreciation for uplifting news and programming. Viewers worldwide have enthusiastically responded to Supreme Master Television in their countries. We’re very pleased and honored to bring positive media to all cultures around the world. RRsat, through its global network of 29 satellite partners is ideally suited to help spread the Supreme Master TV’s positive media around the world, by bringing the channel to millions of new households worldwide."
The channel is available on 12 satellites, so you can’t miss it. So what’s the "uplifting news" like? Here’s a clip from earlier this year:
Now, who is this "supreme master?" The person behind this global television service, broadcast from Los Angeles, is Supreme Master Ching Hai, a Vietnamese vegetarian who advocates meditation:
Master Ching Hai initiates sincere people longing to know the Truth, into the Quan Yin Method. The Chinese characters "Quan Yin" mean contemplation of the Sound Vibration. The Method includes meditation on both the inner Light and the inner Sound. These inner experiences have been repeatedly described in the spiritual literature of all the world’s religions since ancient times.
I was hoping this new channel was about Big Business and CEOs — a "captains of industry" channel of sorts. Or perhaps a channel from Grand Master Flash himself featuring today’s hip-hop innovators such as the "Doggfather of Rap" himself, Snoop Dogg. Or why not both? CEO programming during the day time, hip-hop programming at night. Hey, it’s not that far-fetched. Remember Snoop Dogg and Lee Iacocca getting together to shoot the Chrysler TV spot a couple of years ago? I remember reading the inside account in the Detroit News:
They traded lines like it was the most natural thing in the world that a 6-feet-4-inch, goateed rapper would be teeing it up with a grey-haired corporate big-shot.
Their off-camera moments were priceless. In one scene, Snoop drives a pimped-up golf cart with spinner wheels and white leather seats, with Iacocca sitting next to him. When Snoop gunned the cart down a steep hill, Iacocca held on tight.
"How are the brakes on this thing, Snoop?" he said.
"I got you baby," Snoop replied. "But that would be a funny commercial if I tipped over with the boss in here."
"Yeah," Iacocca huffed. "That’s funny alright."
Getting back to Grand Master Flash, here’s an original video of his showing a snapshot of New York City in the early 80’s:
