The installation of a new satellite “earth station” on the roof of the Adventist Media Center in Simi Valley, California, United States, will give the Seventh-day Adventist Church far greater independence and flexibility in its global satellite transmissions, says Warren Judd, CEO of Adventist Media Productions.

“Apart from having to rent satellite transponder space from the satellite owners, the Adventist Church now owns and operates all facilities and equipment needed for most worldwide satellite broadcasts,” Judd says.

Earth stations are a necessary link in the process of transmitting a satellite signal. They relay, or “turn,” a signal to a satellite covering a particular geographic region.  The new California earth station, for example, will turn the satellite signal to a Pacific Ocean satellite, which transmits to Pacific Rim nations, including Australia and New Zealand, through to the Far East and Eastern Russia.

Brad Thorp, director of Adventist Global Communication Network (AGCN), calls the installation of the earth stations “an important move forward,” giving the Adventist Church unprecedented flexibility and autonomy in its satellite transmissions. 

“This will both lower costs and increase our capabilities,” says Thorp. Not only do the stations put the management of our broadcasts even more under church direction, he says, they “lay the foundation for expanded satellite transmission capabilities in the future.”

Another earth station is currently being installed in Darmstadt, Germany, which will turn the signal to an Indian Ocean satellite that covers Africa, the Middle East, and the Euro-Asia region. The Adventist Church in South America has also operated an earth station for several years. The first satellite transmission using the new California earth station will take place May 12.