title: Satellite dish

text: The first satellite television dishes were built to receive signals on the C-band analog, and were very large. The front cover of the 1979 Neiman-Marcus Christmas catalog featured the first home satellite TV stations on sale. The dishes were nearly in diameter. The satellite dishes of the early 1980s were in diameter and made of fiberglass with an embedded layer of wire mesh or aluminium foil, or solid aluminium or steel.


title: Satellite dish

text: Satellite dishes made of wire mesh first came out in the early 1980s, and were at first in diameter. As the front-end technology improved and the noise figure of the LNBs fell, the size shrank to a few years later, and continued to get smaller reducing to feet by the late 1980s and by the early 1990s. Larger dishes continued to be used, however. In December 1988, Luxembourg's Astra 1A satellite began transmitting analog television signals on the K band for the European market. This allowed small dishes (90 cm) to be used reliably for the first time.


title: Satellite dish

text: In the early 1990s, four large American cable companies founded PrimeStar, a direct broadcasting company using medium power satellites. The relatively strong K band transmissions allowed the use of dishes as small as 90 cm for the first time. On 4 March 1996, EchoStar introduced Digital Sky Highway (Dish Network). This was the first widely used direct-broadcast satellite television system and allowed dishes as small as 20 inches to be used. This great decrease of dish size also allowed satellite dishes to be installed on vehicles. Dishes this size are still in use today. Television stations, however, still prefer to transmit their signals on the C-band analog with large dishes due to the fact that C-band signals are less prone to rain fade than K band signals.


title: Satellite dish

text: The parabolic shape of a dish reflects the signal to the dish’s focal point. Mounted on brackets at the dish's focal point is a device called a feedhorn. This feedhorn is essentially the front-end of a waveguide that gathers the signals at or near the focal point and 'conducts' them to a low-noise block downconverter or LNB. The LNB converts the signals from electromagnetic or radio waves to electrical signals and shifts the signals from the downlinked C-band and/or K-band to the L-band range. Direct broadcast satellite dishes use an LNBF, which integrates the feedhorn with the LNB. A new form of omnidirectional satellite antenna, which does not use a directed parabolic dish and can be used on a mobile platform such as a vehicle was announced by the University of Waterloo in 2004.


title: Satellite dish

text: The theoretical gain (directive gain) of a dish increases as the frequency increases. The actual gain depends on many factors including surface finish, accuracy of shape, feedhorn matching. A typical value for a consumer type 60 cm satellite dish at 11.75 GHz is 37.50 dB.


title: Satellite dish

text: With lower frequencies, C-band for example, dish designers have a wider choice of materials. The large size of dish required for lower frequencies led to the dishes being constructed from metal mesh on a metal framework. At higher frequencies, mesh type designs are rarer though some designs have used a solid dish with perforations.


title: Satellite dish

text: A common misconception is that the LNBF (low-noise block/feedhorn), the device at the front of the dish, receives the signal directly from the atmosphere. For instance, one BBC News downlink shows a "red signal" being received by the LNBF directly instead of being beamed to the dish, which because of its parabolic shape will collect the signal into a smaller area and deliver it to the LNBF.


title: Satellite dish

text: Modern dishes intended for home television use are generally 43 cm (18 in) to 80 cm (31 in) in diameter, and are fixed in one position, for Ku-band reception from one orbital position. Prior to the existence of direct broadcast satellite services, home users would generally have a motorised C-band dish of up to 3 m in diameter for reception of channels from different satellites. Overly small dishes can still cause problems, however, including rain fade and interference from adjacent satellites.


title: Satellite dish

text: In Europe, the frequencies used by DBS services are 10.7–12.75 GHz on two polarisations H (Horizontal) and V (Vertical). This range is divided into a "low band" with 10.7–11.7 GHz, and a "high band" with 11.7–12.75 GHz. This results in two frequency bands, each with a bandwidth of about 1 GHz, each with two possible polarizations. In the LNB they become down converted to 950–2150 MHz, which is the frequency range allocated for the satellite service on the coaxial cable between LNBF and receiver. Lower frequencies are allocated to cable and terrestrial TV, FM radio, etc. Only one of these frequency bands fits on the coaxial cable, so each of these bands needs a separate cable from the LNBF to a switching matrix or the receiver needs to select one of the 4 possibilities at a time.


title: Satellite dish

text: In a single receiver residential installation there is a single coaxial cable running from the receiver set-top box in the building to the LNB on the dish. The DC electric power for the LNB is provided through the same coaxial cable conductors that carry the signal to the receiver. In addition, control signals are also transmitted from the receiver to the LNB through the cable. The receiver uses different power supply voltages (13 / 18 V) to select vertical / horizontal antenna polarization, and an on/off pilot tone (22 kHz) to instruct the LNB to select one of the two frequency bands. In larger installations each band and polarization is given its own cable, so there are 4 cables from the LNB to a 'multiswitch' switching matrix, which allows the connection of multiple receivers to the multiswitch in a star topology using the same signalling method as in a single receiver installation.


title: Satellite dish

text: A satellite finder (or sat finder) is a satellite field strength meter used to accurately point satellite dishes at communications satellites in geostationary orbit.


title: Satellite dish

text: Professional satellite finder meters allow better dish alignment and provide received signal parameter values as well.


title: Satellite dish

text: A dish that is mounted on a pole and driven by a stepper motor or a servo can be controlled and rotated to face any satellite position in the sky.


title: Satellite dish

text: There are three competing standards: DiSEqC, USALS, and 36 V positioners. Many receivers support all of these standards.


title: Satellite dish

text: Motor-driven dishes come in a variety of sizes, but a dish of at least is required to receive signals from distant satellites which are intended to serve other areas.


title: Satellite dish

text: With DiSEqC and USALS, the satellite dish will automatically aim itself at one of sixteen satellites programmed in previously when pressing one of the channel buttons on the remote. Motor-driven satellite dishes using USALS can detect other satellites in a constellation after one has been found and aimed at.


title: Satellite dish

text: Every standard-size dish enables simultaneous reception from multiple different satellite positions without re-positioning the dish, just by adding additional LNB or using Special Duo LNB, Triple, or Four Feed Monoblock LNB.


title: Satellite dish

text: However, some designs much more effectively optimize simultaneous reception from multiple different satellite positions without re-positioning the dish. The vertical axis operates as an off-axis concave parabolic concave hyperbolic Cassegrain reflector, while the horizontal axis operates as a concave convex Cassegrain. The spot from the main dish wanders across the secondary, which corrects astigmatism by its varying curvature. The elliptic aperture of the primary is designed to fit the deformed illumination by the horns. Due to double spill-over, this makes more sense for a large dish.


title: Satellite dish

text: Switching between satellites is possible by using DiSEqC switches added to a satellite installation, or built-in Duo LNBs or Monoblock LNBs.


title: Satellite dish

text: Most receivers sold presently are compatible with at least DiSEqC 1.0, which can switch automatically between 4 satellites (all of contemporary Monoblock LNBs) as the user changes channels using the remote control.


title: Satellite dish

text: DiSEqC 1.1 allows for switching automatically between 16 satellite positions or more (through cascading switches).


title: Satellite dish

text: Motor-driven dishes assure better optimal focusing for the given dish size; LNB is always in central alignment with the broadcasting satellite, but DiSEqC switches are faster than DiSEqC motors as no physical movement is required.


title: Satellite dish

text: A common type of dish is the very small aperture terminal (VSAT). This provides two way satellite Internet communications for both individuals and private networks for organizations. At present, most VSATs operate in ; C band is restricted to less populated regions of the world. In 2005, dish manufacturers began moving towards new satellites operating at higher frequencies, offering greater performance at lower cost. These antennas vary from in most applications though C-band VSATs may be as large as .


title: Satellite dish

text: Any metal surface which concentrates a significant fraction of the reflected microwaves at a focus can be used as a dish antenna, at a lower gain. This has led to trash can lids, woks, and other items being used as "dishes". Only modern low noise LNBs and the higher transmission power of DTH satellites allows a usable signal to be received from such inefficient DIY antennas.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The Chrysler Fifth Avenue was a trim level/option package or model name used by Chrysler for its larger sedans from 1979 to 1993. The Fifth Avenue name was no longer used after 1993 when Chrysler introduced its new LH-platform New Yorker and similar LHS. The title "Fifth Avenue" references a street in New York City in the United States which contains many upscale shops and cultural attractions. The Chrysler Building is two blocks southwest of Fifth Avenue.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The Fifth Avenue trim package was introduced shortly after the Imperial coupes, sedans and convertibles, which was introduced as a separate marque in 1955, was discontinued leaving the Chrysler New Yorker as the top level malaise era sedan. Realizing that they needed to offer a comparable luxury sedan to the Cadillac Fleetwood and Lincoln Town Car, the Fifth Avenue was offered as an option to the New Yorker.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: When the Fifth Avenue ended production it was replaced by the Chrysler LHS as the company's premium top level sedan.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The Fifth Avenue name was first used in 1979 on an upmarket sub-model of the R-body Chrysler New Yorker sedan. This generation of Chrysler, although already smaller than its maximum size of the previous 1978 Series CS, remained V8-powered and rear wheel drive. The R-body rode on a wheelbase, which was similar to the downsized Cadillac and Lincoln competitors.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: For 1979, ordering the New Yorker Fifth Avenue Edition package got the buyer a car finished in only two-tone "Designer's Cream-on-Beige" exterior paint, with matching Champagne leather interior and lighter-toned "driftwood" woodgrain dash appliques and a unique "Pentastar" hood ornament. There was a standard landau vinyl roof, and somewhat unusual fixed quarter windows which were integrated with the rear doors, while the body style was a "pillared hardtop", leaving the doors without metal frames around the windows. Added to the upper door frame surrounding the fixed quarter windows was a courtesy light above a leather door handle while a entry footlight was installed in the lower portion of the door.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The package was so thoroughly color-keyed that even the bumper rub strips were beige. The R-body Fifth Avenues ran for three years, although additional Fifth Avenue colors were added for 1980 and 1981. The concealed headlights were a styling feature that carried over from the discontinued Imperial LeBaron and the Chrysler New Yorker Brougham that briefly replaced the marque. The listed retail price of the New Yorker was $8,631 ($ in dollars ) and the Fifth Avenue trim package added $1,500 extra ($ in dollars ). The front suspension continued to offer Chryslers signature, but antiquated, longitudinal front torsion bars, called Torsion-Aire, and anti-sway bar with a solid rear limited-slip differential connected to leaf springs which was introduced on the 1957 Series C-76.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: To add to its exclusivity, Chrysler offered "Convenience and Appearance Options". The list offered Open Road Handling Package, Two-Tone Paint, interior lighting, air conditioning with an upgraded climate control feature, rear window defroster, cruise control, power adjustable front seat, power windows, power electric door locks, power trunk release, luxury appearance steering wheel with an extra cost leather wrapped feature, digital clock, locking gas cap, lighting and mirrors, halogen headlamps, cornering lamps, electric adjustable outside sideview mirrors, several AM/FM radio or separate stereo radio choices to include CB and 8-track cassette player, power electric extendable antenna, various vinyl side moldings and bumper guards, undercoating, color keyed seat belts, wheel covers, and aluminum wheels, all at extra cost.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: For 1980 a second exterior color was offered called "Black Walnut" metallic, an simulated alligator grained padded landau vinyl roof in matching Black Walnut with gold accent body side stripes while the interior color remained only as Champagne leather interior.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The 1981 Fifth Avenues added two new exterior colors, while the Fifth Avenue trim package was now $2,092 ($ in dollars ) to the $10,459 retail price ($ in dollars ). The new colors offered "Mahogany Starmist" and "Heather Mist" exterior paint with gold pinstriping with a matching Mahogany Landau roof with the Mahogany interior offering Heather cloth or leather, or "Nightwatch Blue" with "Heather Mist", the same color treatment on the Landau roof, with Dark Blue interior pieces instead of Mahogany. Corduroy cloth upholstery was available in Heather or Cashmere, while the leather added Dark Blue and Mahogany to the Heather and Cashmere color choices with matching dashboard, door panels and carpeting. No coupe was offered and instead Chrysler reintroduced the Imperial nameplate as a coupe only, and the Fifth Avenue shared an appearance with the Series YS Imperial coupe.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The underlying technology, consisting of engine, transmission chassis, suspension and drivetrain was shared with all full-sized R-body vehicles sold as Dodge and Plymouth products, while the exclusivity of the Chrysler name added sound insulation, color selections and more sound system choices. Overall production of the R-body New Yorkers was low (less than 75,000 from 1979 through 1981) and Fifth Avenue production was approximately 25% of them. 14 were stretched into limousines and several were provided for use during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. The others were loaned to Hollywood movie studios. During this time the Early 1980s recession in the United States began to take effect and impact sales.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: North American luxury sedans began to experience competition from imported European marques, like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and the Jaguar XJ which offered standard equipment like fuel injection, responsive engine performance and heightened levels of luxury appearance and equipment.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: Japanese marques introduced the and the Nissan Maxima offering luxurious appearances, high levels of formerly optional equipment as standard and fuel efficiency for a modest price.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: For 1980 only, a Fifth Avenue package was created by ASC (American Sunroof Corporation) for the Chrysler LeBaron, which shared its Chrysler M platform with the Dodge Diplomat. This rare option package, produced on 654 LeBarons for the year, included many of the exterior features found on the New Yorker Fifth Avenue on a shorter wheelbase.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: For model year 1982, the R-body line was discontinued and the New Yorker nameplate transferred to the smaller M-body line. Up to this point, the Chrysler M-body entry had been sold as LeBaron, but that name was moved to a new K-car based FWD line. Following the nameplate swap, the M-body line was consolidated and simplified. 360 V8 engines were gone, as were coupes and station wagons (the K-car LeBaron's coupe and wagon replaced them).


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The Fifth Avenue option was still available as a $1,244 package ($ in dollars ) to the listed retail price of $10,851 ($ in dollars ). It was adapted from the earlier LeBaron's package, with a distinctive vinyl roof, electro-luminescent opera lamps, and a rear fascia adapted from the Dodge Diplomat, albeit modified. Interiors featured button-tufted, pillow-soft seats covered in either "Kimberley velvet" or "Corinthian leather", choices that would continue unchanged throughout the car's run. In addition, the carpet was thicker than that offered in the base New Yorker, Diplomat and Gran Fury/Caravelle Salon, and the interior had more chrome trim. The Fifth Avenue option also included illuminated entry, AM/FM stereo with a rear amplifier, power door locks, power 6-way driver's seat, power antenna, remote trunk release, dual side mirrors, full undercoating, passenger vanity mirror, tape stripes, locking wire wheel covers, as well as a standard 5.2L (318 in³) V8 engine.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The colors offered were expanded from the previous generations exclusitivy, offering Goldenrod Crystal Coat, Nightwatch Blue, Charcoal Gray metallic, Formal Black, Morocco Red, Sterling Silver Crystal, Mahogany metallic, and Pearl White.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: 1982 was the last year for the optional AM/FM 8-track stereo, and AM/FM stereo with integrated CB. The exterior of a Fifth Avenue Edition New Yorker can be identified from a regular New Yorker by the following: opera lights, hood stripes, and Fifth Avenue Edition badges on the rear door window filler panels—New Yorkers bore "New Yorker" badges.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: In another confusing name swap, the New Yorker name was now used for another new extended K-car line in 1983, the E-body New Yorker. The larger M-body car was now called New Yorker Fifth Avenue to distinguish it from the E-body. 1983 was the last year M-bodies were made in Canada and the last year for the optional "Chronometer" glovebox-mounted clock, the 225 Slant-six six-cylinder engine, and all analog tuned radios and chrome-trimmed pedals.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: For 1984, the car was simply called Fifth Avenue, setting the name that would continue for six successful years. The Fifth Avenue (and its Dodge and Plymouth siblings) would prove to be the last V8-powered, rear wheel drive Chrysler vehicles until the Chrysler 300 was revived in that configuration for 2005.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: All Fifth Avenues from 1984 to 1989 were powered by a V8 engine, mated to Chrysler's well-known Torqueflite three-speed automatic transmission. As this was the largest Chrysler model available, sales took off, especially during 1985–1986, when over 100,000 were made each year.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: Starting with the 1984 models, Fifth Avenue production was moved from Windsor, Ontario to St. Louis, Missouri. Beginning in mid-1987 through mid 1989 model year, they were manufactured at the American Motors plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin which had been purchased by Chrysler in 1987.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The Fifth Avenue also far outsold its Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury siblings, with a much greater proportion of sales going to private customers, despite its higher price tag. Production peaked at 118,000 cars for 1986 and the Fifth Avenue stood out in a by-now K-car dominated lineup as Chrysler's lone concession to traditional RWD American sedans.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: During the years 1982 to 1988, approximately 60 of these cars were stretched into limousines by various coach companies.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: 1982 - 50,509 1983 - 83,501 1984 - 79,441 1985 - 109,971 1986 -104,744 1987 - 70,579 1988 - 43,486 1989 - 26,883


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: 1982 - $10,851 ($ in dollars ) 1983 - $12,487 ($ in dollars ) 1984 - $13,990 ($ in dollars ) 1985 - $13,978 ($ in dollars ) 1986 - $14,910 ($ in dollars ) 1987 - $15,422 ($ in dollars ) 1988 - $17,243 ($ in dollars ) 1989 - $18,345 ($ in dollars )


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: 1990 saw the previous relationship between New Yorker and Fifth Avenue return, as the Fifth Avenue became a model of the New Yorker. There was some substantive difference, however, as the New Yorker Fifth Avenue used a slightly longer chassis than the standard car. The new New Yorker Fifth Avenue's larger interior volume classified it as a full-size model this time; despite having smaller exterior dimensions than the first generation. 1990 also saw the return of hidden headlamps which when off were concealed behind retractable metal covers. Hidden headlamps had not been available since the 1981 R-body New Yorker Fifth Avenue.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The New Yorker Fifth Avenue's famous seats, long noted for their button-tufted appearance and sofa-like comfort, continued to be offered with the customer's choice of velour or leather, with the former "Corinthian leather" replaced by that of the Mark Cross Company. Leather-equipped cars bore the Mark Cross logo on the seats and, externally, on an emblem attached to the brushed aluminum band ahead of the rear door opera windows.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: For 1990, Chrysler's new 3.3-liter V6 engine was the standard and only choice, teamed with the company's A-604 four-speed electronic automatic transaxle. Beginning in 1991, a larger 3.8-liter V-6 became optional. It delivered the same 147 horsepower as the 3.3, but had more torque.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: For the 1992 model year, the New Yorker Fifth Avenue (along with the New Yorker Salon) were restyled with a more rounded-off appearance front and rear.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: All New Yorker Fifth Avenues of this generation were covered by Chrysler's market-leading "Crystal Key Owner Care Program" which included a 5-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and 7-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty. A 24-hour toll-free customer service hotline was also provided.


title: Chrysler Fifth Avenue

text: The Fifth Avenue name was discontinued at the end of the 1993 model year when the New Yorker was replaced by the redesigned, longer, and more aerodynamic 1994 New Yorker and similar LHS.


title: Teladoc Health

text: Teladoc Health, Inc. is a multinational telemedicine and virtual healthcare company headquartered in the United States. Primary services include telehealth, medical opinions, AI and analytics, telehealth devices and licensable platform services. In particular, Teladoc Health uses telephone and videoconferencing software as well as mobile apps to provide on-demand remote medical care. Billed as the first and largest telemedicine company in the United States, Teladoc Health was launched in 2002 and has acquired companies such as BetterHelp in 2015, Best Doctors in 2017, and Advance Medical in 2018. It trades on the NYSE and in 2019 was active in 130 countries and served around 40 million members in 2021.


title: Teladoc Health

text: Teladoc was founded in 2002 in Dallas, Texas by G. Byron Brooks EE MD and Michael Gorton. Billing itself as the oldest telemedicine company in United States, Teladoc's initial business model allowed patients to remotely consult with state-licensed doctors at any time. Companies paid a monthly fee for their employees to access the service, while patients paid a flat fee for each consultation, originally about $35 to $40. With Gorton as both chairman and CEO, Teladoc launched nationally in 2005 at the Consumer Directed Health Care Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Teladoc had around 1 million members by the end of 2007, with large employers such as AT&T providing the service to employees as a health benefit.


title: Teladoc Health

text: Jason Gorevic was named Teladoc's chief executive in 2009. The company's initial private funding rounds raised $9 million in December 2009, $4 million in January 2011, and $18.6 million in September 2011. That year, Aetna began offering Teladoc for its fully insured members in Florida and Texas, later offering Teladoc in all 50 states. Teladoc acquired Consult A Doctor for $16.6 million cash in August 2013, allowing smaller companies to access Teladoc's services. At the time, Teladoc completed 120,000 consults annually. Teladoc raised $15 million in September 2013, with total funding at that point equaling $46.6 million.


title: Teladoc Health

text: The Affordable Care Act led to a large number of insurance companies signing with Teladoc, resulting in a growth surge around 2014. By that time, insurance companies such as Blue Shield of California and Oscar had signed with Teladoc, as well as other companies such as Home Depot, T-Mobile, CalPERS, and Rent-A-Center. Teladoc acquired AmeriDoc for $17.2 million in May 2014. The acquisitions of Consult A Doctor and AmeriDoc, both Teladoc's main competitors, resulted in Teladoc becoming the largest telemedicine provider in the United States. With 8 million individual patients, Teladoc's doctors performed 299,000 consults that year. Teladoc's sales doubled in both 2013 and 2014, and Teladoc raised $50 million from private investors in September 2014, bringing total funding to $100 million.


title: Teladoc Health

text: The company acquired BetterHelp in January 2015 for $3.5 million, followed by Stat Health Services, Inc. (StatDoc) in June 2015 for $30 million. After beginning the process that April, Teladoc went public on the New York Stock Exchange on July 1, 2015. The only telemedicine company on the NYSE, Teladoc's initial public offering listed at $19 per share, giving the company a market capitalization of $758 million and an enterprise value of $620 million. The initial response to the IPO was positive, as shares surged 50 percent on the opening day. Three months after the IPO, health insurer Highmark, which represented 1.5% of Teladoc's 2015 revenue, ceased to renew a contract. Teladoc shares fell significantly as a result, before rising to earlier levels.


title: Teladoc Health

text: Teladoc acquired the behavioral health services provider Compile Inc. in January 2015, followed by the competitor Stat Health Services Inc. in June 2015. In 2016 Teladoc began aggressively expanding, acquiring other companies and launching health segments for dermatology, behavioral health, and sexual health. That year the company won a patent infringement lawsuit filed against competitor American Well. In July 2016, Teladoc acquired HealthiestYou for $45 million. Teladoc had 15 million members by November 2016 and a market share of 75% in the United States. It also operated its full service suite in 48 states, excluding Arkansas and Texas. In December 2016, the American Hospital Association exclusively endorsed Teladoc's telehealth technology platform. Teladoc logged 952,000 patient visits that year.


title: Teladoc Health

text: In its largest acquisition at the time, in 2017 Teladoc spent $440 million purchasing Best Doctors, a medical consultation firm and provider of medical second opinions and pay-to-play medical award listings. On February 28, 2019, non-profit group ProPublica released a report critical of companies like subsidiary Best Doctors that sell physician awards, including "Best Doctors" awards. Teladoc had 7,500 clients in 2017, of which 220 were Fortune 1000 companies. Sales that year were $233 million, 89% higher than the year prior.


title: Teladoc Health

text: As of July 2018, Teladoc Health brands included Teladoc, Advance Medical, Best Doctors, BetterHelp and HealthiestYou. With a market capitalization of $4.1 billion, on August 10, 2018, Teladoc, Inc. changed its name to Teladoc Health, Inc. while continuing to trade on the NYSE. Teladoc Health began partnering with CVS in August 2018 on remote consults at MinuteClinics. In December 2018, Teladoc Health's chief financial officer and chief operating officer Mark Hirschhorn resigned after a report that he engaged in a sexual relationship and insider trading with an employee. According to Yahoo Finance, stock value fell roughly 20% in the days following, while an investor class action lawsuit alleged that Teladoc Health had violated securities laws by failing to disclose Hirschhorn's behavior. Teladoc Health denied making false statements or any legal violations. Joining from American Express, Mala Murthy was appointed CFO in June 2019.


title: Teladoc Health

text: In late 2018, Teladoc Health acquired the telemedicine company Advance Medical for $352 million, which employed doctors in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. In 2019, the French health company MédecinDirect was acquired.


title: Teladoc Health

text: Teladoc Health provides free telehealth visits to natural disaster and hurricane victims, and in 2019 it provided the telemedicine system implemented for patients in Paradise, California after the Camp Fire, working through Blue Shield of California. In April 2019, Teladoc launched in Canada with the Teladoc Telemedicine Service. In May 2019, the company created a virtual care patient safety organization (PSO) dubbed the Institute for Patient Safety and Quality of Virtual Care. Currently headquartered in Purchase, New York, as of 2019, the company was active in 130 countries and had around 27 million members. David Sides was appointed COO in 2019. In 2019, the company had revenues of $533 million and 4.1 million total visits.


title: Teladoc Health

text: In January 2020, Teladoc announced that it was acquiring InTouch Health for both cash and stock. Closing the deal in July 2020, Teladoc predicted that its "hospital-based telemedicine business" would grow significantly as a result. In March 2020, Teladoc was "partnering with the CDC to provide near real-time surveillance data on the spread of the [novel coronavirus]." By July 2020, Teladoc's reported revenue was up 85% from 2019, with its paid US membership doubled from 26.8 million to 51.5 million.


title: Teladoc Health

text: In August 2020, the business announced it would acquire Livongo Health for $18.5 billion. It was the "third-largest deal for a U.S. company" that year, with the combined companies to have a joint enterprise value of around $37 billion.


title: Teladoc Health

text: Teladoc Health divides its services into six categories: platform and program services, guidance and support, expert medical services, mental health services, telehealth, and integrated virtual care. As a software company, Teladoc Health is involved with artificial intelligence, analytics, telehealth devices and "licensable platform services." The company uses telephone and videoconferencing software to provide on-demand remote medical care, with patients able to log on to the service at any time and be connected with a board-certified, state-licensed physician within several minutes.


title: Teladoc Health

text: The company's physicians treat non-emergencies such as the flu, pink eye, infections, sinus issues, mental health issues, and dermatological conditions, among others. The company has an expert network of 55,000 involved in 450 medical subspecialties. While medication can be prescribed remotely, physicians do not prescribe narcotics or "lifestyle" drugs such as Viagra, and refer some cases to clinics or emergency rooms. In 2014, Teladoc Health reported that it sent around 1% of consultations to the emergency room, and around 6% to a primary care physician or urgent care center. In 2019, the company also claimed that 92% of medical issues were resolved after the first visit. Physicians overall follow "more than 100 proprietary clinical guidelines" developed by Teladoc Health, and are prohibited from physically meeting their telemedicine patients. Teams of nurses review around 10% of each physician's consults monthly.


title: Teladoc Health

text: Contracting largely with insurers and large employers, Teladoc Health generates revenue through a yearly or monthly fee charged per subscriber, as well as a fee for individual consults. Some companies waive or subsidize the consult fee for their employees. Teladoc Health has around 3,100 licensed physicians and nurses and services offered in about 30 languages.


title: Teladoc Health

text: By July 2020, the company stated it served "60 of the top 100 hospitals," with telemedical robots being used at hospitals such as Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington and Sheba Medical Center in Israel, minimizing the potential spread of coronavirus.


title: Teladoc Health

text: Teladoc Health has been involved in lobbying for legislation in several states. In 2015 the Texas Medical Board ruled that state physicians had to physically meet patients before remotely treating ailments or prescribing medication. The bill undermined Teladoc Health's business model in Texas, where it had around 2 million subscribers. Teladoc Health sued in federal court over the rule in "Teladoc v. Texas Medical Board", arguing the bill violated antitrust laws by inflating prices and limiting the supply of health care providers in the state. The bill, meant to go active on June 3, 2015, was stalled while the lawsuit went through a federal appeals court, allowing Teladoc Health to continue operating in Texas in the interim. Teladoc voluntarily dropped the lawsuit in 2017 after Texas passed a new bill allowing for remote treatment without a prior in-person interaction, which Teladoc Health had lobbied heavily for.


title: Teladoc Health

text: In January 2019, Teladoc Health opposed a telemedicine bill proposed by the North Dakota Board of Medicine, which required telemedicine providers to perform initial video examinations or have initial exams done by another physician. Proponents argued the bill protected patients, while Teladoc Health and critics argued it decreased access to healthcare in rural areas. The year prior, Teladoc Health had completed 1,500 virtual visits in the state.


title: Professor Tanaka

text: Charles J. Kalani Jr. (January 6, 1930 – August 22, 2000) was an American professional wrestler, professional boxer, college football player, soldier, actor, and martial artist who, in fighting rings, was also known as Professor Toru Tanaka, or simply Professor Tanaka.


title: Professor Tanaka

text: Kalani was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the son of Charles J. Kalani and Christina Leong Kalani. Charlie began studying judo in 1939. He graduated from Iolani School in 1949. His wife, Doris Kalani, later credited Kalani's time on the football team and Kenneth A. Bray's influence with keeping him away from trouble. After graduating from high school, Kalani attended Weber Junior College (now Weber State University), where he met his wife in 1952. Together, they had three children: Cheryle Kalani, Carl Kalani, and Karen Kalani Beck.


title: Professor Tanaka

text: In 1955, Kalani was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. Kalani left the military in 1966 and moved to Monterey, California. He ran a Judo and Danzan-ryu Jujitsu academy with Professor John Chow-Hoon. San Francisco promoter Roy Shire asked Kalani to wrestle in 1967, launching his wrestling career.


title: Professor Tanaka

text: One of the characteristics of Kalani's wrestling gimmick was that he threw salt in his opponents' eyes, a tactic that is most commonly associated with Japanese villain wrestlers. Kalani did play the stereotypical Japanese villain with the requisite knowledge of martial arts. He employed a combination of power skills, martial arts, and his feared Japanese sleeper submission hold. Kalani's most famous tag team partner was Harry Fujiwara (better known as Mr. Fuji), whom he knew from high school in Hawaii. In his book, "Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks", Freddie Blassie explored the relationship between the two "Japanese" heels.


title: Professor Tanaka

text: Tanaka had a long successful run with the WWF in the 1960s, including being #1 contender to champion Bruno Sammartino. Sammartino was the one who requested Tanaka (who was working in Australia) to the WWF's owner at the time, Vince McMahon Sr. In their first Madison Square Garden meeting, Tanaka was disqualified for throwing salt. He was pinned by Sammartino in a rematch six months later, and Tanaka occasionally teamed with Gorilla Monsoon. Tanaka also main evented the Garden in tag matches, twice with Gorilla Monsoon vs. Sammartino and Spyros Arion (Tanaka and his partner winning the first via disqualification; losing the second in a Texas Death Match); a year later with Monsoon against Sammartino and Victor Rivera. Monsoon & Tanaka had other Garden matches, including victories over Al Costello & Dr. Bill Miller; and Bobo Brazil and Earl Maynard.


title: Professor Tanaka

text: Tanaka subsequently teamed with Mitsu Arakawa in the WWF, acquiring the International Tag Team Championship; losing it at Madison Square Garden to Tony Marino and Victor Rivera. The team of Tanaka and Fuji won three WWF World Tag Team Championships, with Blassie as manager for the third reign and The Grand Wizard as manager for the first two. They first won the belts from Sonny King and Chief Jay Strongbow on June 27, 1972, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at a House show. They lost the belts to Haystacks Calhoun and Tony Garea on May 30, 1973, again at a Hamburg house show, but regained them on September 11, 1973, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before losing them again to Tony Garea and Dean Ho on November 14, 1973, again in Hamburg. Their third win came on September 27, 1977, at a Philadelphia house show when they defeated Tony Garea and Larry Zbyszko in a tournament final for the vacant belts, holding them until March 14, 1978, when they lost the titles to Dino Bravo and Dominic DeNucci in Philadelphia. This third reign set a record for number of championship reigns which would be equalized by The Wild Samoans in 1983, Demolition in 1990, Money Inc. in 1993, The Quebecers in 1994 and The Smoking Gunns in 1996, but not bettered until The New Age Outlaws won a fourth reign in 1999.


title: Professor Tanaka

text: Professor Tanaka was also featured in a television commercial for a brand of rice in Puerto Rico. His other appearance in a commercial was for Colgate toothpaste with Pat Morita. Tanaka was seen as an extra in a few of David Lee Roth's music videos in the mid-1980s.


title: Professor Tanaka

text: By the early 1980s, Kalani's body could not handle the beatings in the ring any longer, and he moved into the film world on a more permanent basis. His first film was the 1981 Chuck Norris vehicle "An Eye for an Eye" and his last film was 1995's "Hard Justice". He appeared opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Running Man" as a sadistic ice-skating "stalker" named Subzero who uses a bladed hockey stick which "slices his enemies limb from limb into quivering, bloody sushi". Other notable roles include "", "The Perfect Weapon", and "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure".


title: Professor Tanaka

text: Tanaka was one of three semi-retired professional wrestlers to compete in a tug-of-war match with two other wrestlers teamed up against a large group of children on the Nickelodeon series "Wild and Crazy Kids" in the early 1990s.


title: Sniper Elite (video game)

text: Sniper Elite (also known as Sniper Elite: Berlin 1945) is a 2005 third-person tactical shooter stealth video game developed by Rebellion Developments and published by MC2 France in Europe and by Namco Hometek in North America, in 2005. In 2012, to coincide with the release of the remake "Sniper Elite V2", it was re-issued through Steam by Rebellion itself.


title: Sniper Elite (video game)

text: The protagonist of "Sniper Elite" is Karl Fairburne, a German-born American OSS operative disguised as a German sniper. He is inserted into the Battle of Berlin in 1945 during the final days of World War II, with the critical objective of preventing German nuclear technology from falling into the hands of invading Soviet forces.


title: Sniper Elite (video game)

text: "Sniper Elite" is a third-person shooter that combines stealth and first-person shooter game elements. To reinforce the stealth aspect, there is a camouflage index, measured in percentage, that displays the visibility of the player. Fairburne uses several World War II-era weapons, including various sniper rifles, a silenced pistol, submachine guns, light machine guns, an anti-tank weapon, and hand grenades that can also be used to set up tripwire booby traps.


title: Sniper Elite (video game)

text: One of the main features of the game is the option of realistic ballistics, involving factors such as bullet drop, wind strength, and breathing when attempting a shot. Sniping gameplay is performed in first person scope view, whereas movement and use of all other weapons is in third person view. When the player successfully takes a particularly well-placed sniper shot (such as a head shot or a shot on a moving target), the view follows the path of the bullet in slow motion, while the camera rotates around the bullet.


title: Sniper Elite (video game)

text: Other features include the ability to wound an enemy so that their comrades are forced to come to their rescue and thus expose their positions for sniping, detonating enemy grenades and fuel tanks with well-aimed bullets, and timing shots so that loud noises such as thunder or artillery blasts mask the sound and thus avoid alerting nearby enemies.


title: Sniper Elite (video game)

text: In April 1945, as Berlin is slowly encircled by rival American and Soviet armies, Karl Fairburne, an agent of the American OSS, is deployed into the ruins of the city wearing the uniform of a German soldier. His superiors have tasked him with thwarting efforts by the Soviet Union to obtain information, personnel, and technology from the German nuclear weapons program. Very little information is revealed about Fairburne's background, other than he was raised in Berlin before the war broke out, that he studied at West Point shortly after America's entrance into the war, and the fact that he was primarily chosen for the mission because he's familiar with the city's geography and can easily blend in with Berlin's defenders.


title: Sniper Elite (video game)

text: There are several factions active in the city, including the German resistance, who assist Karl, the Soviet NKVD, who are working against him for access to the spoils of German nuclear research, and the remnants of the Nazi forces in Berlin. The historical Nazi official Martin Bormann, an extremely powerful figure within the Third Reich, is one of Karl's first targets for assassination as he plans to meet up with an NKVD contact at the Brandenburg Gate to defect to the Soviet Union (in real life, Bormann committed suicide rather than be captured by the Soviets). The rest of the characters (such as Dr. Max Lohmann, a key German scientist who Fairburne is assigned to help capture and escort out of Berlin to America in order to prevent him from falling into the hands of the NKVD) are fictional with the exception of George S. Patton, commander of the American forces assaulting Berlin, who is responsible for authorizing Fairburne's mission.


title: Sniper Elite (video game)

text: The Wii version of the game was released by Reef Entertainment in North America in September 2010. It is compatible with the Wii Remote and Wii Zapper and contains a bonus new level. The game was also released in Europe later the same year.


title: Sniper Elite (video game)

text: Rebellion Developments' book imprint Abaddon Books released a novel inspired by the game, "Sniper Elite: The Spear of Destiny" written by Jasper Bark. In this book, Karl Fairburne's mission is to stop a rogue SS officer named Helmstadt from selling Germany's only working atomic bomb to the Soviets.


title: Turok (video game series)

text: Turok is a series of first-person shooter video games based on the comic book character of the same name. It is set in a primitive world inhabited by dinosaurs and other creatures. The series was originally developed by Acclaim Studios Austin as "Iguana Entertainment" and published by Acclaim Entertainment from 1995 until Acclaim's bankruptcy in September 2004. The series was then developed by Propaganda Games and published by Touchstone Games. The series generated more than $250 million in revenue by 2002.


title: Turok (video game series)

text: The first game in the series. Developed by Iguana Entertainment and published by Acclaim for the Nintendo 64 console and personal computer platforms in 1997. A remastered version developed by Nightdive Studios was released for Windows (through Steam) and Xbox One in 2017 and 2018 respectively. The remastered version was also released on the Nintendo Switch on March 18, 2019 and on PlayStation 4 on February 25, 2021.


title: Turok (video game series)

text: The sequel to "Dinosaur Hunter", released for the Nintendo 64 in late 1998 and ported to Windows OS in 1999. A separate game, also titled "Turok 2: Seeds of Evil", was released for the Game Boy Color in 1998. Although set in the same fictional universe, the Game Boy Color game follows a different storyline. Just like the first game, a remastered version developed by Nightdive Studios was released for Windows (through Steam) and Xbox One in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The remastered version also came out on the Nintendo Switch in 2019.


title: Turok (video game series)

text: A non-canon game that was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. A Game Boy Color version followed in 2000 but shared nothing in common with its home console counterpart.


title: Turok (video game series)

text: The sequel to "Seeds of Evil", released in 2000 for the Nintendo 64. A Game Boy Color version was released but shared nothing in common with its console counterpart.


title: Turok (video game series)

text: The prequel to "Dinosaur Hunter", released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube in 2002. A 2D side-scrolling version was also released for the Game Boy Advance. A port for Microsoft Windows was released in 2003 for the European market.


title: Turok (video game series)

text: A reboot that is unrelated to the previous games. Developed by Propaganda Games, published by Touchstone Games and distributed by Disney Interactive Studios. Released in 2008 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was later ported to Microsoft Windows that same year.


title: Turok (video game series)

text: A prototype game for the Game Boy Advance system, planned for release sometime before "Turok: Evolution".


title: Turok (video game series)

text: After the release of "Turok: Evolution", Acclaim Studios Austin placed a small team in charge of creating a sequel. The project was not picked up, and the team moved on to other projects.


title: Turok (video game series)

text: "Turok 2", known chronologically as "Turok 6" in various news articles, was a planned and partially developed sequel to "Turok" from 2008. It was eventually cancelled mid-development, due to many layoffs at Propaganda Games.


title: Ashley Leggat

text: Ashley Leggat (born September 26, 1986) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles as Casey McDonald in the Canadian family comedy series "Life with Derek" and as Tiffany in the MTV television film "Made... The Movie".


title: Ashley Leggat

text: Leggat was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and has Scottish and Irish ancestry on her mother's side. Leggat began her theatrical training with Theatre Aquarius's Performing Arts Program under the direction of Lou Zamprogna. That same year, Leggat made her professional theatre debut playing Marta in Theatre Aquarius's production of "The Sound of Music". Leggat went on to perform in several of the company's productions, including "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "Cinderella", "Anne of Green Gables", "Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang", "Jekyll & Hyde" and "The Wizard of Oz". She also performed the role of Clara in "The Nutcracker" at the Hamilton Place Theatre.


title: Ashley Leggat

text: Beginning in 2004, she appeared in the Disney feature film "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" as Marcia, also starring Lindsay Lohan and Megan Fox, the television movie "A Very Married Christmas", with Joe Mantegna and Jean Smart and played series lead Kat Adams in "Ace Lightning".


title: Ashley Leggat

text: Leggat performed concurrent recurring roles on the series "I Was a Sixth Grade Alien" for Fox and YTV, and "In a Heartbeat" for the Disney Channel. She performed a guest lead role on the series "Real Kids, Real Adventures", and a lead role on the CBC Radio drama "Articles of Faith". As well, she appeared in the cable television film "What Girls Learn", starring Elizabeth Perkins and Scott Bakula; the Disney television movie "The Music Man", starring Matthew Broderick; the comedy series "The Blobheads"; and the fantasy science-fiction series "The Zack Files". In 2005, Leggat performed in Moze Mossanen's short film "Roxana" as part of CBC's "Opening Night" series.


title: Ashley Leggat

text: In 2005, Leggat was cast in the co-lead role of Casey McDonald in the Family Channel family comedy series "Life with Derek". The series ran for four seasons before ending its run in 2009. On July 31, 2009, Leggat commented on her official Facebook page that they would begin shooting "Vacation with Derek" in September of that year; it aired in Canada on the Family Channel in June 2010, and in the U.S. on Starz in 2011.


title: Ashley Leggat

text: Leggat starred as Baby in the Toronto version of the play "Dirty Dancing" in 2008. In 2010, Leggat was cast in MTV's "Made... The Movie" as the main antagonist, Tiffany. In 2011, Leggat starred as Ashley Dunnfield in the Lifetime television movie "The Perfect Roommate". In 2015, she starred in the independent film "People Hold On", directed by "Life with Derek" co-star Michael Seater.


title: Ashley Leggat

text: Leggat is a supporter of Count Me In, the largest youth-led movement of its kind. Based in Canada and founded by activist Shane Feldman, the ultimate mission of Count Me In is to promote student volunteerism, and help connect young people with community service opportunities that match their interests, passions and lifestyle. Count Me In is the link between teenagers and the charitable sector, inspiring community involvement, leadership, and positive social change.


title: Ashley Leggat

text: Leggat hosted the 2012 "Count Me In Conference", which has been recognized as the largest youth-run empowerment event in North America. Following the event, Leggat tweeted her support for Count Me In.


title: Ashley Leggat

text: Leggat has four older brothers. She is close friends with her "Life with Derek" co-star Michael Seater.


title: Ashley Leggat

text: In 2011, she married longtime boyfriend, hockey player Jeremy Williams. They have three daughters, born 2017, 2019 and 2022.


title: Oxygène

text: Oxygène (, ) is the third studio album by French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre. It was first released in France in December 1976 by Disques Motors, and distributed internationally in 1977 by Polydor Records. Jarre recorded the album in a makeshift studio that he set up in his apartment in Paris, using a variety of analog and digital synthesizers, and other electronic instruments and effects.


title: Oxygène

text: French sound engineer, Michel Geiss helped Jarre in the purchase, recording and programming of some instruments used on the album. His musical style was influenced by the musique concrète, developed by Pierre Schaeffer, who mentored Jarre and taught him how to create music from pre-recorded sounds and not from notes. It was supported by two singles, "Oxygène (Part II)" and "Oxygène (Part IV)". Following the international success of the latter, the album became Jarre's breakthrough, reaching number one on the French Albums Charts. "Oxygène (Part IV)" was inspired by the track "Popcorn" by German-American electronic composer Gershon Kingsley.


title: Oxygène

text: On its international release it received negative reviews from "NME" writer Angus MacKinnon, and "Music Week", who, comparing it to work of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Mike Oldfield, described it as a "another interminable cosmic cruise" and "heavy throughout". "Melody Maker" writer, Karl Dallas wrote that "it repays further listening" but added that "seems to lack heart" and which is "too formally precise." Other critics such as Record Mirror's Robin Smith, and Record World were more favorable and stated that Jarre established "a variety of forms joined together by cohesive lines" and they described it as "an unusually melodic theme".


title: Oxygène

text: The album "led the synthesizer revolution of the Seventies" and has been described as "an infectious combination of bouncy, bubbling analog sequences and memorable hook lines". Musicians such as Brian Canham of Pseudo Echo considered the album a major influence. In 1978, it would be followed by "Équinoxe" and in 1979, Jarre held an open-air concert at the Place de la Concorde, causing the sales of both albums to increase, reaching worldwide figures of 15 million copies. It currently sold an estimated 18 million copies and is one of the best-selling French, electronic and instrumental albums in history.


title: Oxygène

text: In 1967 Jarre travelled to London to sell his electric guitar and amplifier to be able to buy his first synthesizer, an EMS VCS 3 (one of the first units of the instrument), which he used on many of his subsequent albums. He also played guitar in a band called "The Dustbins" and mixed instruments including the electric guitar and the flute with tape effects and other sounds. Jarre spent since 1968 working with early analogue synthesizers and tape loops, and in 1969 he joined the "Groupe de Recherches Musicales" (), founded and led by Pierre Schaeffer, who developed musique concrete, a type of music composition that is mainly based on the use of pre-recorded sounds over the musical notes, also originated the concept of sampling. That same year he mixed the harmony, synthesizers and tape effects to record his debut single "La Cage/Erosmachine". In 1971, he left the institution and dedicated himself to design Triangle's electronic sound effects, also he went to the Pathé-Marconi record company to release it. Jarre had also done production work for some rock artists, earning enough to set up a small makeshift recording studio in the kitchen of his apartment on Rue de la Trémoille, near the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Initially it included a very basic equipment consisting of a few guitar pedals, a Farfisa organ, the EMS VCS 3, and an EMS Synthi AKS, these last two were linked to two Revox B77 tape machines.


title: Oxygène

text: One of Schaeffer's former students and artistic director of Disques Motors, Hélène Dreyfus convinced her husband, Francis Dreyfus, to hire Jean-Michel as an employee of his record label. Initially Francis offered Jarre a job as a copyright administrator, however he opted to sign an exclusive songwriting and recording contract. In 1972, the American synth-pop band Hot Butter released a successful version of Gershon Kingsley's "Popcorn". Jarre in that same year released his respective cover version under the pseudonyms Pop Corn Orchestra and Jammie Jeferson. It although unsuccessful, the track would serve as an inspiration for his most successful single, "Oxygène (Part IV)".


title: Oxygène

text: Their first two albums as well as their previous single were recorded on the label, Disques Motors, however they were not published there. Jarre released on Sam Fox Productions his debut experimental album "Deserted Palace" intended to be used in films and on television. It was created using the VCS 3 and RMI Keyboard Computer. In 1973 he composed the soundtrack for the French drama film "Les Granges Brûlées" (English: The Burned Barns). In its beginnings in the label, he was mainly dedicated to writing music and lyrics for other artists inside and outside the label from 1972 to 1975. The royalties received by Jean-Michel during his collaborations with Françoise Hardy, Gérard Lenorman and Patrick Juvet allowed him to purchase the ARP 2600, used in several of his collaborations with the French singer Christophe and solo works.


title: Oxygène

text: In 1974, Jarre attended a conference on the analog synthesizer and the ARP 2600 at the TDF center in Issy-les-Moulineaux. It was carried out by radio and television engineers, and French musical instrument designer Michel Geiss. Later, Jarre contacts Geiss by phone to invite him to his private apartment, Geiss accepted and visited Jean-Michel's makeshift studio, where he had the ARP 2600, the Eminent 310 Unique, the VCS 3 and more. Shortly after meeting, Jarre and Geiss started working together during the recording of Jarre's next album. Geiss, who at that time worked as a maintenance technician at , advised Jarre on the purchase of instruments such as the RMI Harmonic Synthesizer at the Piano Center's music fair, and was in charge of the programming and recording of some of them. Later, Jarre managed to finance the purchase of different products like a Scully 8-track recorder and a mixture of Ampex 256 and 3M tape. In that same year, he composed the opening jingle for the A4 autoroute (also known as "autoroute de l'Est"), some media such as "The Telegraph" pointed out the rumors of the possible original incarnation of "Oxygène (Part IV)" in the jingle.


title: Oxygène

text: Jarre recorded "Oxygène" between August and November 1976, using the makeshift recording studio in his apartment. For the album he mixed the characteristic elements of experimental and pop music. Jarre recovered in the Ferber studio his old Mellotron that had few functional keys to write the first piece of music for the album, "Oxygène (Part II)". During the recording of the album Jarre used a Revox tape to delay the sound coming out of a speaker in order to achieve a "huge sense of space". This liberal use of echo was used on the various sound effects generated by the EMS VCS 3 synthesiser.


title: Oxygène

text: A reverb effect was made through the VCS 3, plus Jean-Michel used a AKG stereo reverb and a EMT plate reverb which was meters long live and eight different stereo echoes. In the EMS Synthi AKS were played some little beep sounds used in the album, and the waves sound used in "Oxygène (Part II)", the album also used "evocations of chirping birds".


title: Oxygène

text: Jarre used various other synthesizers and electronic instruments to create the tracks of "symphonic electronic music" on "Oxygène". The sounds of the Farfisa organ were totally modified. Geiss programmed specific sounds in the ARP 2600, among them the main sound of "Oxygène (Part IV)" and the "breathing" waves sound in "Oxygène (Part VI)". The Eminent 310 organ as well as the VCS 3 went through a phase pedal for guitars Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phaser in order to provide the string pads used on the album. The RMI Harmonic Synthesizer and RMI Keyboard Computer were used on "Oxygène (Part IV)", "Oxygène (Part V)" and "Oxygène (Part VI)"; The sequence of "Oxygène (Part V)" was created with Keyboard Computer.


title: Oxygène

text: Some of the drum sounds on the album were produced using scotch to play two presets on a Korg Mini-Pops 7 drum machine simultaneously – "Oxygène (Part IV)" mixed the "rock" and "slow rock" presets, while "Oxygène (Part VI)" mixed "rhumba" and "bossa nova". "Oxygène (Part II)" instead used only the "swing" preset. The album was mixed by sound engineer Jean-Pierre Janiaud and his assistant Patrick Foulon at the Gang studio, it also was mastered at Translab studio.


title: Oxygène

text: The cover art features a skull inside a dismembered Earth and is an adaptation of a 30 x 40 cm watercolor, also named "Oxygène", by the French painter Michel Granger. A picture of the painting was first published in 1972 in the magazine "Pilote", and in 1976 the artwork was displayed at the Marquet Gallery, in rue Bonaparte in Paris. Jean-Michel visited this gallery and bought it, then Granger received a phone call from the gallery director to inform him that Jarre wanted to see him in person. On 15 September 1976, Jarre met with Granger so that he could modify the background of the watercolor and adapt it to the square shape of an LP record.


title: Oxygène

text: The album title was taken from the artwork because he considered that he "perfectly adheres to the spirit of the songs". Jarre said: "30 years ago there weren't so many people thinking about the planet. But I've always been interested in that, not necessarily in a political way but in a poetic, surrealistic way." Jarre also told the English newspaper "The Guardian" that "in a way, I wanted to link everything to nature and environmental issues". Granger stated that ""Oxygène" was part of a series about the damage being done to our planet. It was a pretty violent image for a record cover." He added, "That picture is the best known of all my work. It's my Mona Lisa. But I don't feel like it belongs to me any more. It belongs to anyone who loves the music of Jean-Michel Jarre."


title: Oxygène

text: "Oxygène" was turned down by several record companies such as Island Records founded by Chris Blackwell—who later considered that he made two mistakes in his life, among them rejecting "Oxygène" and Elton John's first album, "Empty Sky"—. Jean-Michel decided to meet once again with Francis, the head of the Disques Motors label to see if he could release the album, to which he immediately agreed saying: "Right, well we have a world success...".


title: Oxygène

text: "Oxygène" was released on 5 December 1976, and the first pressing of 50,000 copies were given away to a limited number of hi-fi shops vendors. They used a few copies of the album to showcase its stereo sound qualities to their customers, and also as an example of "state-of-the-art sound". These copies were also promoted through clubs and discos. In addition, Jean-Michel and Francis did a promotional poster campaign in Paris.


title: Oxygène

text: In early 1977, Jarre together with long-time collaborator Juvet decided to put together the same team from the album "Mort ou vif" and set about writing the album ', which contained the hit single "". The album was released in June and topped the charts. After another album with Christophe entitled ' in the same year, Jarre decided to stop writing music and lyrics for other artists and preferred to dedicate himself entirely to his solo musical career.


title: Oxygène

text: In 1977, the album was released internationally by Polydor Records, and by April, it had sold 70,000 copies in France. "Oxygène (Part IV)" was Jarre's breakthrough single worldwide, peaking at number four on the UK Singles Chart. This success led to the album reaching number one on the French Albums Charts, number two on the UK Albums and number seventy-eight on the US "Billboard Top LPs & Tape". "Oxygène (Part II)" was edited to about 3 minutes to be released in France as a single.


title: Oxygène

text: "Oxygène (Part IV)" began to play on the most important radio stations in his native country and Great Britain. Europe 1 used it as the theme of two of his regular programs, "Hit Parade" directed by Jean-Loup Lafont and basketball show "Basket sur Europe 1" in the credit titles. The radio station also dedicated an hour and a half program in Jean-Michel's studio, and played the entire album, bringing his music to millions of people. It was played on Dutch radio and television throughout the two days in 1977 that South Moluccan terrorists held. The BBC used the album in a documentary, BBC Radio 1 also played it and was used in television programs such as Antenne 2 or Récré A2.


title: Oxygène

text: When interviewed in "Billboard" magazine, Motors's director Stanislas Witold said, "In a sense we're putting most of our bets on Jean-Michel Jarre. He is quite exceptional and we're sure that by 1980 he will be recognised worldwide." In Dublin, Ireland, a phone-a-disk system was used, whereby a phone call played about two minutes of the album along with an advertising message. On October 2, 1977, he was invited by host Jacques Martin to an episode of his Sunday program "L'orchestre d'Antenne 2", in which the orchestra performed his single "Oxygene (Part IV)". Jarre also received nearly 25 gold records worldwide. In the United States it sold over 100,000 copies in Los Angeles alone, and by the end of 1977, it sold 300,000 copies nationwide.


title: Oxygène

text: Later, Francis created a label called Disques Dreyfus. In 1978, "Équinoxe" was released in that label and in 1979, Jarre performed an open-air concert at the Place de la Concorde, this event caused the sales of both albums to increase, each sold around 1.5 million copies in France and were certified platinum in 1981; both sold 11 million worldwide in November 1979. By 1981, the album sold an estimated 15 million copies worldwide, and by 2016 an estimated 18 million, being one of the best-selling French, electronic and instrumental albums in history.


title: Oxygène

text: Reaction to the album upon its release in the UK in its 1977 release was largely negative: the British music press, more interested in the developing UK punk scene, was oriented towards guitar-based music and hostile to most electronic music. Angus MacKinnon of the "NME" described the album as "another interminable cosmic cruise. The German spacers ([Tangerine] Dream, Schulze et al) mapped this part of the electronic galaxy aeons ago ... The album's [...] infuriatingly derivative. Explore its prime influences instead."


title: Oxygène

text: Considering the album as a French version of Mike Oldfield work, "Music Week" said: "Unfortunately, Jarre has produced a work that is ponderous in its self-conscious musicality – he definitely wears his art on his sleeve. Unlike Oldfield, he never stands back and laughs at his own creation. It is heavy throughout, and his influences continually jog the elbow – particularly the lugubrious touches of Mahler and the almost continuous Bach underpinning." The magazine concluded by saying that "so some interest will be generated but the album is not really suited to our insular and musically antiintellectual Anglo-Saxon island."


title: Oxygène

text: Karl Dallas of "Melody Maker" was kinder towards the album, saying that "the first time I heard this album I hated it ... It seemed so bland, so undemanding, so uneventful. I've got to admit it repays further listening, and that it is not quite the electronic Muzak I had written it off as initially." He also stated that "is not classical music" and that: "Though the track [referring to "Oxygène Part IV"] the discos are playing is, as you might expect, actually its least effective section musically, it has the same relationship to popular music as Tangerine Dream, say, or Oldfield. Personally, it still does not impress me as much as either, except at a technical level. It seems to lack heart, the sense of passionate involvement in the act of music-making which makes Edgar Froese's work almost a musical equivalent of a Jackson Pollock painting. It is almost too accomplished, too formally precise."


title: Oxygène

text: The most positive review came from Robin Smith of "Record Mirror", in which he stated that, "It's pretty tough to communicate warmth through such music and the end product is usually stilted but Jean Michael Jarre has laid down a variety of forms joined together by cohesive lines." He also described Jarre as a "French Mike Oldfield" and affirmed which "possessing the same emotive powers." He concluded saying which the side one "ends on ghost-like notes" while the side two "has a rushing opening like the breaking of a barrier." "Record World" magazine commented that it is "an unusually melodic theme" that "is carried over both sides with all instruments played by Jarre himself".


title: Oxygène

text: Retrospective reviews regard the album as a major work in the development of electronic music. Phil Alexander of "Mojo" listed it as one of Jarre's three key albums and wrote that was "his conscious attempt to unite the worlds of avant-garde, electronic, classical and progressive music." He said that its "dynamic, warm sound is intoxicating" and regarding "Oxygène (Part IV)", he finished saying which is "an unlikely UK Top 5 hit from what remains an elegant cornerstone of electronic music."


title: Oxygène

text: Jim Brenholts from AllMusic stated that it "is one of the original e-music albums" and that it "has withstood the test of time and the evolution of digital electronica." He also considered that "Jarre's compositional style and his rhythmic instincts were his strong points in 1976" and that "the innocence and freshness provide most of its charm. Jarre's techniques and ability provide the rest." The album was considered one of the most influential albums of 1976 by uDiscover Music, and was included in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". "Oxygène (Part I)" was considered by "Billboard" writer Lars Brandle as one of the electronic chillout tunes from back in the day.


title: Oxygène

text: "Oxygène" won the Grand Prix du Disque (English: Disc Grand Prize) award by L'Académie Charles Cros, and American magazine "People" chose Jarre as the "Personality of the Year". His 1978 successor, "Équinoxe" continued with a "familiar style, exploring the emotive power of orchestrated electronic rhythms and melody." A sequel, "Oxygène 7–13", was released two decades later in 1997, in 2007, a new version of the original album titled "" was released, and in 2016 another sequel titled "Oxygène 3" was released on the 40th anniversary of "Oxygène".


title: Oxygène

text: The persistent allusions to terrestrial elements and the biosphere always associated the album with the musical movement new-age. Welsh music writer, Mark Jenkins commented that the album "achieved a dynamic compromise between imaginative sound textures and accessible melodies that for one reason or another had been denied to earlier synthesizer artists." The album was used in music therapy, meditation and births. It was also used in the soundtrack of the 1978 film "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" and 1981 film "Gallipoli".


title: Oxygène

text: "Oxygène" was "one of the biggest catalysts to widespread use of the synthesizer in the 1970s" and influenced electronic artists like Moby, who collaborated with Jarre on his 2015 album, "" and recalled the influence the album had on him saying that: "When I first heard Oxygene it sounded like it was coming from a different universe". Australian band Pseudo Echo member Brian Canham considered it was a "major influence on my production, song-writing and synthesizer programming with Pseudo Echo, and another of my projects, Origene, hence the homage in the namesake".


title: Contra (album)

text: Contra is the second studio album by the American indie pop band Vampire Weekend, produced by band member Rostam Batmanglij and released in January 2010 on XL Recordings.


title: Contra (album)

text: The album received critical praise and debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200. It was recognized as one of The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far by "Pitchfork" in August 2014.


title: Contra (album)

text: The release of "Contra" was announced on September 15, 2009, and was released in the UK on January 11, 2010. It was released in the US on the next day. "Horchata" was released as a free download on October 5, 2009 on the band's website. The first single was "Cousins", accompanied by a 7" single, and a music video. The album was available for streaming on the band's MySpace starting on January 3, 2010. It was also available for streaming from their official website, as of January 5, 2010.


title: Contra (album)

text: In addition to their established blend of African music influences with indie rock, the album draws from genres such as ska, dancehall, and dance music. It also incorporates the electro-pop and AutoTune found on Batmanglij's Discovery side-project. The album has been characterized as pop, "eclectic, intellectual indie rock," and "diffident haute bourgeoisie synth pop." The band made an effort to make their second album a natural expansion on the universe created in their debut album; as a result, "Contra" covers a far greater gamut of musical influences than their debut album, drawing inspiration from genres such as ska on "Holiday", synth-pop on "Giving Up the Gun", speed rap on "California English" and even rave music on "Run". The production of the album, directed by Rostam Batmanglij, was also different from their former work in that it did not use chamber echo and natural reverb but instead used digital effects to give the album an eighties aesthetic. Other distinguishing features of "Contra" are the use of backing vocals as textural elements, the debut of Rostam as a lead guitarist and more layered drumwork in which fundamental Latin beats are blended with drum machines to create a busier rhythm section.


title: Contra (album)

text: The album title is intended as a thematic allegory and reference, not to the Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries, but to the 1987 video game "Contra". The title "Contra" is a Romance language (Latin-based) word meaning "against" or "opposite", and is sometimes given as a one-word interjection, used to indicate objection or opposition to an idea or explanation. Ezra Koenig has stated in multiple interviews that the album contains lyrical themes of opposition consistent with its title, and feels it is important to understand that the word "Contra" is a fundamental concept of conflict, without any implication that one side is right or wrong. The lyrics of "Contra" are also meant to express a desire to be compassionate even towards people and things one disagrees with. He also states the lyrics of "Contra" deal with reconciling feeling of privilege and guilt, for which he uses the term "first-world guilt". "Contra" is considered by critics to be instrumental in cementing the cultural significance of Vampire Weekend first formed with their debut record, as "Contra" deepens and commits to a general attitude of rejecting traditional notions that rock musicians are poor, underprivileged rebels. Whereas their first album brought to light the prejudices against affluence and wealth in rock music, "Contra", even in its title, openly argues this stigma.


title: Contra (album)

text: The lyrics of "I Think Ur a Contra" include the phrase "Complete Control", the title of a Clash single (notably, an influential 1980 triple album by The Clash was entitled "Sandinista!" after the socialist militancy opposed by the Contras during the Nicaraguan Contra war). This refers partially to the controversy surrounding their punk roots. The title "Diplomat's Son" is a reference to a story singer Koenig wrote while in college about boarding school, though the content lyrically talks about a relationship told by Rostam Batmanglij. The song also features a vocal sample from M.I.A.'s "Hussel". "Holiday" begins with the opening lyrics of Fairport Convention's 1969 rendition of "Matty Groves".


title: Contra (album)

text: The cover of "Contra" features a candid Polaroid of a girl from 1983. The photo was found by Rostam while searching "New York City 1983" on Flickr. Lead singer Koenig states that when he first saw the image, he felt he read "some sort of hesitation" in her face, and that the band discussed at length what her possible age or emotional state could be in the photograph, without ever becoming certain of either. Koenig believed that "wrapped up in her expression is this question: 'How is she feeling?'" and that "maybe she wasn't even really sure at the time."


title: Contra (album)

text: In an interview, Koenig revealed that the girl pictured on the front cover is "now living in Malibu". Koenig has confirmed that the picture was taken in 1983 by photographer Tod Brody and was chosen as a juxtaposition to the debut album's cover which, while taken in 2006, looks as if it "inhabits the same world". Koenig also referred to the girl as "Kirsten" in a post on Twitter. Koenig likens the image to the Rorschach test as multiple meanings can be extrapolated from just a few signifiers, saying, "Some people get very mad when they see a white blonde girl in a Polo shirt."


title: Contra (album)

text: On July 15, 2010, Vampire Weekend, along with XL Recordings and Brody, were sued by Ann Kirsten Kennis, the woman who identified herself as the woman on the cover, for $2 million for using the photo without her permission. Kennis has said that the photo was taken while she was "a high-fashion model under contract with prestigious agencies in New York City." In addition, Kennis said that the release forms for the photo that was allegedly signed by Kennis herself, were forged. In a statement released by Kennis' lawyer Alan Neigher, Neigher said that Kennis discovered herself on the cover when her daughter brought home a copy of "Contra" and showed it to Kennis. Neigher also mentioned that Brody did not take the photo and said that it was taken by Kennis' mother. Despite this claim, Brody claims that he took the photo and says that he had the photo for 26 years until Vampire Weekend discovered it on his Flickr page and bought it for five thousand dollars. Kennis' own former agent, Sue Charney, told "Vanity Fair", "To me it is very clearly a Polaroid taken at a casting session." Koenig later responded on the matter and said that "this is the first time any of us have ever been sued, so we're still learning how it works." He added, "There's nothing we can say about it. We're not trying to be mysterious. I imagine in the next few months there'll be plenty to talk about. Given it's our first time, we just want to do it properly."


title: Contra (album)

text: In December 2010, Vampire Weekend filed their own lawsuit against Brody, which argued that he would be liable for any damages Kennis would receive, due to misrepresentation.


title: Contra (album)

text: On August 15, 2011, it was announced that Kennis had dropped her lawsuit against XL Recordings and Vampire Weekend after they paid Kennis an undisclosed sum. However, the separate lawsuits against Brody from Kennis and Vampire Weekend were not dropped.


title: Contra (album)

text: The song "Cousins" was used in various media, such as Peter Rabbit, , Pro Evolution Soccer 2011, and The Kids are All Right.


title: Contra (album)

text: "Contra" received acclaim from music critics. Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, reported an average score of 81 based on 39 reviews, described as "universal acclaim". Dave Simpson of "The Guardian" stated that "Contra" "will probably be among this year's most played and most joyful tunes." "Spin"s Jon Dolan wrote that "the balance of classical, rock, and world instrumentation, cagey rhythms, and stunning prettiness isn't just architecturally resplendent, it's reassuringly sweet and strangely moving." Paul Stokes of "NME" described Vampire Weekend as "one of the most unique bands on the planet." "The A.V. Club" called it "a career statement, one that’s letting the world know that these Columbia University preps have more than just a fleeting interest in world music," and added that the band "continues to be Talking Heads’ heir apparent, with a good amount of Smiths-like literate pop thrown in."


title: Contra (album)

text: On December 1, 2010, it was announced that "Contra" was nominated for a Grammy for "Best Alternative Music Album". "Contra" was ranked number 6 on "Rolling Stone" list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010. "Pitchfork" placed it at number 6 on its list "The Top 50 Albums of 2010". "Consequence of Sound" named it the best album of 2010.


title: Contra (album)

text: It is the band's first album to reach number one on the "Billboard" 200, and the 12th independently-distributed album in history to reach the number one spot on the "Billboard" 200 since Nielsen Soundscan began recording data in 1991, while also being the first independent artist to have done so without ever having signed with a major label, after already established rock bands Radiohead and Pearl Jam and before Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs". The album sold 124,000 copies in its first week and was awarded Gold by the RIAA on November 21, 2011 which means it has sold over 500,000 units in the US alone. In 2010. It was awarded a diamond certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 250,000 copies throughout Europe.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: Relations between the European Union (EU) and Turkey were established in 1959, and the institutional framework was formalised with the 1963 Ankara Agreement. Albeit not officially part of the European Union, Turkey is one of the EU's main partners and both are members of the European Union–Turkey Customs Union. Turkey borders two EU member states: Bulgaria and Greece.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: Turkey has been an applicant to accede to the EU since 1987, but since 2016 accession negotiations have stalled. The EU has criticised Turkey for human rights violations and deficits in rule of law. In 2017, EU officials expressed the view that planned Turkish policies violate the Copenhagen criteria of eligibility for EU membership. On 26 June 2018, the EU's General Affairs Council stated that "the Council notes that Turkey has been moving further away from the European Union. Turkey's accession negotiations have therefore effectively come to a standstill and no further chapters can be considered for opening or closing and no further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union is foreseen."


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: After the Ottoman Empire's collapse following World War I, Turkish revolutionaries led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk emerged victorious in the Turkish War of Independence, establishing the modern Turkish Republic as it exists today. Atatürk, President of Turkey, implemented a series of reforms, including secularisation and industrialisation, intended to "Europeanise" or Westernise the country. During World War II, Turkey remained neutral until February 1945, when it joined the Allies. The country took part in the Marshall Plan of 1947, became a member of the Council of Europe in 1950, and a member of NATO in 1952. During the Cold War, Turkey allied itself with the United States and Western Europe. The Turkish expert Meltem Ahıska outlines the Turkish position vis-à-vis Europe, explaining how "Europe has been an object of desire as well as a source of frustration for Turkish national identity in a long and strained history".


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: Foreign relations policies of the Republic of Turkey have – based on the Western-inspired reforms of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk – placed heavy emphasis on Turkey's relationship with the Western world, especially in relation to the United States, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union. The post-Cold War period has seen a diversification of relations, with Turkey seeking to strengthen its regional presence in the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus, as well as its historical goal of EU membership. Under the AKP government, Turkey's influence has grown in the Middle East based on the strategic depth doctrine, also called Neo-Ottomanism. Debate on Turkey in the West is sharply divided between those who see Turkey moving away from the West toward a more Middle Eastern and Islamic orientation and those who see Ankara's improved ties with its Islamic neighbors as a natural progression toward balance and diversification.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: Turkey was one of the first countries, in 1959, to seek close cooperation with the young European Economic Community (EEC). This cooperation was realised in the framework of an association agreement, known as the Ankara Agreement, which was signed on 12 September 1963. An important element in this plan was establishing a customs union so that Turkey could trade goods and agricultural products with EEC countries without restrictions. The main aim of the Ankara agreement was to achieve "continuous improvement in living conditions in Turkey and in the European Economic Community through accelerated economic progress and the harmonious expansion of trade, and to reduce the disparity between the Turkish economy and … the Community".


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: Enlargement is one of the EU's most powerful policy tools. It is a carefully managed process which helps the transformation of the countries involved, extending peace, stability, prosperity, democracy, human rights and the rule of law across Europe. The European Union enlargement process took a bold step on 3 October 2005 when accession negotiations were opened with Turkey and Croatia. After years of preparation the two candidates formally opened the next stage of the accession process. The negotiations relate to the adoption and implementation of the EU body of law, known as the "acquis. The acquis" is approximately 130,000 pages of legal documents grouped into 35 chapters and forms the rules by which Member States of the EU should adhere. As a candidate country, Turkey needs to adapt a considerable part of its national legislation in line with EU law"." This means fundamental changes for society that will affect almost all sectors of the country, from the environment to the judiciary, from transport to agriculture, and across all sections of the population. However, the candidate country does not 'negotiate' on the "acquis communautaire" itself as these 'rules' must be fully adopted by the candidate country. The negotiation aspect is on the conditions for harmonisation and implementation of the "acquis", that is, how the rules are going to be applied and when. It is for this reason that accession negotiations are not considered to be negotiations in the classical sense. In order to become a Member State, the candidate country must bring its institutions, management capacity and administrative and judicial systems up to EU standards, both at national and regional level. This allows them to implement the "acquis" effectively upon accession and, where necessary, to be able to implement it effectively in good time before accession. This requires a well-functioning and stable public administration built on an efficient and impartial civil service, and an independent and efficient judicial system.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: On 24 November 2016 the European Parliament voted to suspend accession negotiations with Turkey over human rights and rule of law concerns; however, this decision was non-binding. On 13 December, the European Council (comprising the heads of state or government of the member states) resolved that it would open no new areas in Turkey's membership talks in the "prevailing circumstances", as Turkey's path toward autocratic rule makes progress on EU accession impossible.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: In 2016, EU member Austria opposed Turkey's EU membership. In March 2018, former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz opposed Turkey's EU accession talks and urged it to halt membership talks.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: In 2017, EU officials expressed that planned Turkish policies violate the Copenhagen criteria of eligibility for an EU membership.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: On 26 June 2018, the EU's General Affairs Council stated that "the Council notes that Turkey has been moving further away from the European Union. Turkey's accession negotiations have therefore effectively come to a standstill and no further chapters can be considered for opening or closing and no further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union is foreseen." The Council added that it is "especially concerned about the continuing and deeply worrying backsliding on the rule of law and on fundamental rights including the freedom of expression."


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The association agreement that Turkey has with the EU serves as the basis for implementation of the accession process. Several institutions have been set up to ensure political dialogue and cooperation throughout the membership preparation process.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The Council is made up of representatives of the Turkish government, the European Council and the European Commission. It is instrumental in shaping and orienting Turkey-EU relations. Its aim is to implement the association agreement in political, economic and commercial issues. The Association Council meets twice a year at ministerial level. The Council takes decisions unanimously. Turkey and the EU side have one vote each.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The Association Committee brings together experts from EU and Turkey to examine Association related technical issues and to prepare the agenda of the Association Council. The negotiations chapters are discussed in eight subcommittees organised as follows:


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The Joint Parliamentary Commission is the control body of the Turkey-EU association. Its task is to analyze the annual activity reports submitted to it by the Association Council and to make recommendations on EU-Turkey Association related issues.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: It consists of 18 members selected from the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the European Parliament, who meet twice a year.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The main task of the Customs Union Joint Committee (CUJC) is to establish a consultative procedure in order to ensure legislative harmony foreseen in the fields directly related to the functioning of the customs union between Turkey and the EU. The CUJC makes recommendations to the Association Council. It is planned to meet regularly once a month.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) was formed on 16 November 1995 in accordance with Article 25 of the Ankara Agreement. The Committee aims to promote dialogue and cooperation between the economic and social interest groups in the European Community and Turkey and to facilitate the institutionalisation of the partners of that dialogue in Turkey. The Joint Consultative Committee has a mixed, cooperative and two-winged structure, with EU and Turkey wings. It has 36 members in total, composed of 18 Turkish and 18 EU representatives and it has two elected co-chairmen, one from the Turkish side and the other from the EU side.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The Secretariat General for European Union Affairs was established in July 2000 to ensure internal coordination and harmony in the preparation of Turkey for EU membership.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The Under secretariat of Foreign Trade EU Executive Board was established to ensure the direction, follow-up and finalisation of work carried out within the scope of the Customs Union and the aim of integration.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: Relations with Turkey significantly deteriorated after the 2016–17 Turkish purges, including the suppression of its media freedom and the arrests of journalists, as well as the country's turn to authoritarianism under the AKP and Erdoğan.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The 1996 Customs Union between the EU and Turkey in the view of both sides needs an upgrade to accommodate developments since its conclusion; however, as of 2017, technical negotiations to upgrade the customs union agreement to the advantage of both sides are complicated by ongoing tension between Ankara and Brussels. On 26 June 2018, reacting to the Turkish general election two days earlier, the EU's General Affairs Council stated that "the Council notes that Turkey has been moving further away from the European Union" and thus "no further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union is foreseen."


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: Turkey receives payments from the EU budget as pre-accession support, currently 4.5 billion allocated for the 2014–2020 period (about 740 million Euros per year). The European Parliament's resolution in November 2016 to suspend accession negotiations with Turkey over human rights and rule of law concerns called for the Commission to "reflect on the latest developments in Turkey" in its review of the funding program, The ALDE faction has called for a freezing of pre-accession funding. The EP's rapporteur on Turkey, Kati Piri, in April 2017 suggested the funds should be converted and concentrated to support those of the losing "No" side in the constitutional referendum, who share European values and are now under "tremendous pressure".


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: In June 2017, the EU's financial watchdog, the European Court of Auditors, announced that it would investigate the effectiveness of the pre-accessions funds which Turkey has received since 2007 to support rule of law, civil society, fundamental rights, democracy and governance reforms. Turkish media commented that "perhaps it can explain why this money apparently failed to have the slightest effect on efforts to prevent the deterioration of democracy in this country."


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The European Commission's long-term budget proposal for the 2021–2027 period released in May 2018 included pre-accession funding for a Western Balkan Strategy for further enlargement, but omitted Turkey.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The increasing persecution of political dissenters as alleged "terrorists" in Turkey creates political tension between the EU and Turkey in both ways: while the EU criticises the abuse of "anti-terror" rhetoric and legislation to curb freedom of speech, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan frequently accuses EU member countries as well as the EU as a whole of "harboring terrorists" for giving safe haven to Turkish citizens who are persecuted because of their political opinions.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: In April 2017, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted to reopen its monitoring procedure against Turkey. This vote is widely understood to deal a major blow to Turkey's goal of eventual EU membership, as exiting that process was made a precondition of EU accession negotiations back in 2004.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: The 2015 refugee crisis had a great impact on relations. They became functional, based on interdependence as well as the EU's relative retreat from political membership conditionality. The March 2016 EU-Turkey 'refugee deal' made for deeper functional cooperation with material and normative concessions made by the EU.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: On 20 March 2016, a deal between the EU and Turkey to tackle the migrant crisis formally came into effect. The agreement was intended to limit the influx of irregular migrants entering the EU through Turkey. A central aspect of the deal is the return to the Turkish capital of Ankara any irregular migrant who is found to have entered the EU through Turkey without having already undergone a formal asylum application process. Those that had bypassed the asylum process in Turkey would be returned and placed at the end of the application line.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: Greece is often the first EU member-state entered by irregular migrants who have passed through Turkey. Greek islands such as Lesbos are hosting increasing numbers of irregular migrants who must now wait for the determination of asylum status before moving to their ultimate destinations elsewhere in Europe. Some 2,300 experts, including security and migration officials and translators, were set to arrive in Greece to help enforce the deal. "A plan like this cannot be put in place in only 24 hours," said government migration spokesman Giorgos Kyritsis, quoted by AFP. Additional administrative help will be necessary to process the increasing backlogs of migrants detained in Greece as a result of the EU-Turkey deal.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: In exchange for Turkey's willingness to secure its borders and host irregular migrants, the EU agreed to resettle, on a 1:1 basis, Syrian migrants living in Turkey who had qualified for asylum and resettlement within the EU. The EU further incentivised Turkey to agree to the deal with a promise of lessening visa restrictions for Turkish citizens and by offering the Turkish government a payment of roughly six billion euros. Of these funds, roughly three billion euros were earmarked to support Syrian refugee communities living in Turkey.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: By the end of 2017, the EU-Turkey deal had been successful in limiting irregular migration into Europe through Turkey. However, there are still many doubts about the implementation of the agreement, including how the deal may violate human rights protections outlined in the 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Critics have argued that the deal is essentially a deterrence strategy that seeks to encourage irregular migrants to file their asylum applications in Turkey rather than face being apprehended and sent back to Ankara, ultimately prolonging their application process.


title: Turkey–European Union relations

text: In December 2020, the contract finished and EU extended it until 2022, giving extra €485 million to Turkey.