CAREER MILESTONES
Robert M. Patterson
1969
Career Started at Hughes Sports Network (HSN)
Hughes Sports Network, a subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft Company which built the first geostationary satellite, and delivered the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing broadcast worldwide.
1972
President Nixon's Historic Visit to China
President Nixon’s visit to China, a diplomatic milestone made possible by Hughes Aircraft Company, which built and transported a transportable Earth Station to China.
1975
First TV Transmissions Via Domestic Satellite in U.S.
On August 9, 1975, the United States witnessed its first-ever live multi-carrier transmission via domestic satellite, a baseball game between the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers at County Stadium in Milwaukee, WI, televised on KXAS-TV Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.
On October 8, 1975, the first hockey game broadcast via U.S. domestic satellite featured the Los Angeles Kings versus Montreal Canadiens from Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec, airing on KTLA in Los Angeles, California.
On October 23, 1975, the first regular-season basketball game broadcast between the Los Angeles Lakers against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, New York, airing on KTLA in Los Angeles, California.
On November 3, 1975, the Independent TV News Association (ITNA) launched the first daily news distribution service, delivering Satellite News Gathering (SNG) transmissions across the country.
1976
First Nationwide Program Via Domestic Satellite Services
The Great American Bicentennial Celebration, a 12-hour live nationwide entertainment extravaganza, was broadcast via terrestrial & domestic satellite on July 3rd & 4th, 1976.
1977
Frost/Nixon Interviews: Most Watched Political Interview
A four-part, 90-minute series of the Frost/Nixon interviews was broadcasted to a network of 165 TV station network throughout the United States and Canada.
1978
State Of Alaska: Two Feeds on a Satellite Digital Channel
Demonstrated to Juneau’s State legislators, a digital electronic technique combined two program feeds for satellite transmission over one transponder, known as STRAP.
1982
Holmes vs. Cooney: Largest Pay-Per-View Event of its Era
The Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney Heavyweight Championship, produced by Don King, became biggest’s pay-per-view event of its time, generating over $50 millions.
1982
US Festival: Live Two-Way Link, U.S. and Soviet Union
A two-way international satellite link provided the first-ever cultural exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union.
1984
Los Angeles Summer Olympics Broadcast
Negotiated and arranged the transmission services for over 40 countries worldwide, hailed as being: “One of the Greatest Accomplishments in the History of Satellite Broadcasting.”
1987
SPACECONNECTION Incorporated
A leading professional communications company specializing in satellite transmission services for the broadcasting, cable, entertainment, educational and government industries worldwide.
1988
Ronald Reagan-Mikhail Gorbachev Summit Meetings
Arranged satellite transmission facilities for three of Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meetings: Reykjavik, Iceland (1986), Washington, D.C. (1987), and Moscow, Soviet Union (1988).
1989
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Arranged and coordinated live international satellite transmissions from Germany covering the fall of the Berlin Wall, marking the historic reunification of East and West Berlin.
1989
World’s First-Ever HDTV Transmission
Arranged the world’s first international HDTV transmission for NHK Tokyo, hailed by The New York Times as “Japan Begins First Regular Broadcasts of Television of the Future.
1989
First Live HDTV Broadcast Via U.S. Domestic Satellite
Arranged the very first-ever commercialized HDTV satellite transmission in the United States, in broadcasting the Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran boxing match.
1991
Operation Desert Storm: Live Broadcast From A War Zone
Transmitted the 24/7 Live combat action of Operation Desert Storm, on behalf of NHK Tokyo, Japan, hailed by the media as: “the first live coverage of a war seen in people’s living rooms.
1997
SPACECONNECTION: Forms Transportable Uplink Entity
Mobile Satellite Connection (MSC) built the first-ever transportable uplink units to transmit C-Band and Ku-Band, analog and digital, using a compact 2.4 meter antenna.
1997
"Live From Mars”: NASA’s Images from the Red Planet
SPACECONNECTION and Mobile Satellite Connection together provided coverage of NASA’s re-transmission of the remarkable pictures of “Lives From Mars.
1998
Pope’s Visit to Cuba and John Glenn’s Return to Space
Provided coverage of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Cuba and John Glenn’s return to Space in HDTV, delivering signals to NASA’s Space Centers and TV stations nationwide.
1999
First-Ever HDTV Sports Broadcasts for ABC and CBS
SPC and MSC provided the first-ever transmission of 720p HDTV for ABC’s Monday Night Football and, in addition, 1080i HDTV for CBS’s U.S. Open Tennis Finals.
2000
PGA TOUR and The Golf Channel Broadcast Events
Provided satellite space and uplink facilities for global golf broadcasts to 70 countries, using 9 MHz digital compression for PGA TOUR Productions, and arranged satellite facilities from golf tournament sites nationwide on behalf of The Golf Channel.
2004
SPACECONNECTION: Acquired By Telesat Canada
SPC was acquired by Telesat, the prominent Canadian satellite operator.