Direct Satellite Broadcasting: A Case Study in the Development of the Law of Space Communications

The purpose of this article is to show how legal norms are evolving in an activity newly opened for man by very recent and farreaching technological developments. The 1963 Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) define a “broadcasting satellite service” as “a space service in which signals transmitted or retransmitted by space stations, or transmitted by reflection from objects in orbit around the Earth, are intended for direct reception by the general public.” Direct satellite broadcasting thus refers to the transmission of messages directly to the houses or communities of the general public via artificial space satellites. While such a system does not exist at present, it is expected that it will be feasible within less than a decade.