1.
LV. MEXICAN SCENE WITH CAPTION "LIVE VIA EARLY BIRD"
0.06

2.
LV. GERMAN SCENE WITH CAPTION "DEUTSCHLAND"
0.10

3.
LV. PARIS AND QUEBEC SCENES
0.14

4.
LV. HOUSTON AND BERLIN SCENES
0.17

5.
LV. NEW YORK AND ROME SCENES
0.21

6.
GV. GROUND RECEIVING STATION IN GERMANY
0.25

7.
LV. RECEIVING STATION AT FUCINO, ITALY
0.28

8.
GV. EXT...CENTRAL CONTROL BUILDING IN BRUSSELS
0.33

9.
CU. PAN INT...CENTRAL CONTROL (2 SHOTS)
0.41

10.
GV. BIG BEN IN LONDON
0.44

11.
LV. INT...SCOTLAND YARD WITH CAPTION (2 SHOTS)
0.51

12.
LV. INT...FBI H.Q., IN WASHINGTON D.C. WITH CAPTION, AGENTS LOOK AT PICTURE DIRECT FROM SCOTLAND YARD
0.54

13.
CU. BRITISH POLICE COMMANDER
0.56

14.
CU. PICTURE OF BRUCE REYNOLDS WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY
0.58

15.
SV. PICTURE OF ASST. DIRECTOR OF FBI DELOACH TALKING TO SCOTLAND YARD
1.03

16.
SV. POLICEMEN IN SCOTLAND YARD LOOK AT PICTURE OF MAN WANTED BY THE FBI (2 SHOTS)
1.07

17.
SV. MR. DELOACH WITH PICTURE OF WANTED MAN
1.09

18.
SV. POLICEMAN AT RCMP H.Q., IN OTTAWA
1.13

19.
SV. SCOTLAND YARD MEN WATCH SCREEN AS PICTURES OF MAN WANTED BY RCMP IS RECEIVED
1.16

20.
GV. EXT...METHODIST HOSPITAL IN HOUSTON
1.23

21.
CU. INT...OPERATION IN PROGRESS WITH CAPTION "DOCTOR MICHAEL ELLIS DEBAKEY
1.27

22.
CU. OPERATION IN PROGRESS
1.31

23.
GV. PAN FROM...CAPTION "GENEVA, SWITZERLAND" PAN TO...HOSPITAL
1.36

24.
LV. INT...DOCTORS SEATED IN FRONT OF SCREEN
1.38

25.
LV. DOCTORS WATCH OPERATION ON SCREEN
1.42

26.
CU. OPERATION IN PROGRESS (2 SHOTS)
1.46

27.
LV. DOCTORS WATCH SCREEN
1.48

28.
CU. MODEL OF EARLY BIRD SATELLITE
1.51

29.
LV. MODEL OF SATELLITE ROTATES WITH EARTH
1.55



Initials AK/SATELLITE-TR/MR/JG


EDITOR'S NOTE: MAXIMUM TWO MINUTES USE ONLY IN SCHEDULED NEWS PROGRAMMES

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THREE HUNDRED MILLION TELEVISION VIEWERS IN THE OLD AND NEW WORLDS WERE LINKED TODAY BY A SMALL SATELLITE SUSPENDED OVER EARTH WHEN THE FIRST COMMERCIAL COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE "EARLY BIRD" BEAMED A ONE-HOUR PROGRAMME. THE FIRST PICTURES, OF MEXICAN DANCERS AND AN ORCHESTRA IN MEXICO CITY, ESSEN'S TOWN BAND IN WEST GERMANY AND QUEBEC'S CHATEAU FRONTENAC HOTEL, WERE SEEN WITH EXCELLENT CLARITY.

AFTER SHOWING THE VAST AUDIENCE PICTURES OF CITIES IN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA THE TWO-WAY TRANSATLANTIC PROGRAMME MOVED ON TO INCLUDE SANTA CRUZ CELEBRATIONS IN MEXICO. THEN CAME A GLIMPSE OF THE CO-OPERATIONS BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL POLICE FORCES. BRITAIN'S SCOTLAND YARD REQUESTED ASSISTANCE IN FINDING THE MISSING MAIL TRAIN ROBBERS, AND, IN TURN, FBI AND ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE FLASHED PICTURES OF MEN WANTED IN THEIR CONTINENT.

DRAMATIC PICTURES OF A MAJOR HEART-VALVE OPERATION AT A TEXAS MEXICAL CENTRE WERE SHOWN -- AND ALSO SCENES OF THE DOCTORS WATCHING ABSORBEDLY THE FINE DETAIL ON THE SATELLITE PICTURE RECEIVED IN A ROOM IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.

UNLIKE PREVIOUS COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES WHICH ALLOWED ONLY LIMITED PERIODS OF TRANSMISSION, EARLY BIRD HOVERS SO HIGH -- 22,000 MILES (36,000 KILOMETRES) -- THAT IT STAYS IN A POINT RELATIVE TO THE EARTH. SO TELEVISION CAN BE RELAYED ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AT ANY IT'S WANTED.

THERE WILL BE A REGULAR TWO-WAY TRANSMISSION EVERY MONDAY IN MAY. TOMORROW, LONDON IS TO BE THE FOCAL POINT OF THE BIGGEST TELEVISION LINK-UP OF CAPITAL CITIES EVER ATTEMPTED. WHEN AMERICAN VIEWERS SWITCH ON ABOUT BREAKFAST TIME THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE A TWO-HOUR PROGRAMME "TODAY IN EUROPE". THE POPE IS EXPECTED TO BE SEEN GIVING A MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE; CAMERA CREWS WILL BE AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE TO SEE THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD; AND THERE WILL BE INTERVIEWS WITH THE MAN-IN-THE-STREET.