News on News - Satellite

RRsat and Thaicom Extend Contract for Global Distribution of Vietnam Television

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:54:54 +0000

RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. (NASDAQ: RRST) and THAICOM Plc., Asia's leading commercial satellite operator, have announced that the contract for the global distribution of the Vietnam Television (VTV) channel has been extended.

The VTV-4 channel is downlinked from THAICOM 5 Satellite to RRsat's main teleport, Emek HaEla, and from there uplinked to the Eutelsat Hot Bird Satellite for delivery to Europe, and the Middle East. In addition, the channel is delivered from Emek HaEla over fiber to RRsat's USA based teleport Hawley, Pennsylvania. From the Hawley teleport, the content of the channel is uplinked to Galaxy 19 Satellite and Intelsat 805 Satellite, for distribution to North and South America.

THAICOM has been provided satellite services for 20 years and Vietnam Television is the longest-running international customer on the THAICOM fleet.

Lior Rival, Deputy CEO and VP Sales & Marketing, commented, "We are glad to continue serving, together with THAICOM, our mutual long lasting customer VTV. Our state-of-the-art teleports guarantee the quality delivery of the VTV channel to their end customers."

Komson Seripapong, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, said, "We are pleased that VTV has extended the contract with THAICOM for global television service. THAICOM has broadcasted the VTV-4 channel on its C-band Global beam for more than ten years. We have provided a turnkey global broadcasting solution from Europe to America. We would like to thank RRsat for its long term commitment and collaboration with THAICOM. We look forward for more cooperation in the future."

Eutelsat Capacity Increased for French Presidential Elections

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:51:00 +0000

Capacity on four satellites operated by Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) will be mobilised by French and international media to assure live coverage of the French presidential elections on Sunday 22 April and 6 May 2012.

Over 400 hours of capacity has so far been booked on EUTELSAT 12 West A, EUTELSAT 8 West A, EUTELSAT 7A and EUTELSAT 5 West A in order to transmit live coverage from major sites across France including voting booths, the HQs of the country's political parties and the Elysée Palace.

Resources leased on Eutelsat satellites will meet significant broadcaster requirements by France Télévision Group, and Globe Cast France and Arqiva France operators which secure capacity for their own TV channel customers.

For Jean-François Leprince-Ringuet, Eutelsat's Commercial Director: "The French presidential elections set the stage for a year of strong activity for our on-demand allocation service with elections in several major countries and iconic sports events. Our on-demand service is mainly used for covering SNG news and large events broadcast live on TV. Furthermore, it adds flexibility to our customers' pool of permanent resources through occasional contracts designed to address an uptick in activity."

Eutelsat's Booking Centre coordinates the allocation of occasional satellite capacity from minimum periods of 10 minutes for SNGs up to several days for the coverage of sporting events such as the Olympic Games or the FIFA World Cup.

In addition to these Ku-band services and following the roll-out of the KA-SAT satellite, Eutelsat has launched a new SNG solution dubbed NewsSpotter enabling the use of Ka-band terminals that can be carried in a back-pack for Fly-away use or fitted onto a small car.

SES grows its 23.5 degrees East reach in Benelux by 20 percent

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:27:50 +0000

LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SES (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) announced today that the technical reach of its ASTRA Satellite System in the Benelux markets from the 23.5 degrees East orbital position has increased by more than 140,000 households to 870,000, an annual growth of 20 percent. In total, 1.1 million homes in the Benelux are today receiving their programmes from ASTRA. 80 percent of them are receiving programmes from the two orbital positions 23.5 and 19.2 degrees East while the other 20 percent are served from 19.2 degrees East only.

These are the results of the year-end Satellite Monitor that SES presents annually.

The rapid growth of the ASTRA 23.5 degrees East reach in the Netherlands and Belgium has been fuelled by the launch of Dutch regional channels and a wide range of HD channels via M7 Group-owned providers CanalDigitaal and TV VLAANDEREN. The orbital position 23.5 degrees East is also used for the transmission of the Luxembourg TV channels.

The dual reception device DUO LNB enables ASTRA households to receive programmes from both orbital positions, 19.2 and 23.5 degrees East, allowing them to watch a wide range of free-to-air HD channels from the neighbouring German speaking market. The ASTRA Satellite System is home to the largest HD platform in the Benelux, with more than 40 HD channels. The French-speaking part of Belgium receives a wide range of channels including all Wallonian and French channels via the 19.2 degrees East position as part of the M7-owned TéléSAT bouquet.

Norbert Hölzle, Senior Vice President Commercial Europe, said: “We are very happy with the outcome of the SES Satellite Monitor. It confirms that, in only five years time, ASTRA 23.5 degrees East has firmly established itself as the leading and fastest growing satellite position for the Benelux region, in conjunction with the ASTRA 19.2 degrees East position. This great success in a region formerly dominated by terrestrial infrastructures is the result of a very close and solid cooperation between all market partners involved: M7 Group, free-tv broadcasters, the satellite equipment resellers, installers and SES.”.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SES.YourSatelliteCompany

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SESVideoChannel

Blog: http://en.ses.com/4243715/blog

Find pictures and videos under: http://www.ses.com/4245221/library

About SES

SES is a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of 50 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.

SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the broadcasting industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements.

SES (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) holds participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. Further information under: www.ses.com.

Contacts

SES
Markus Payer
Market Communication & PR
Tel. +352 710 725 500

Source: SES

View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120418006065/en

RRsat Signs Contract with Indian Broadcaster ETV

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:53:12 +0000

RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. (NASDAQ: RRST) has announced that it has signed a contract with ETV, one of the largest networks of satellite television channels in India.

ETV Kannada and ETV Marathi are downlinked at RRsats' main teleport in Emek HaEla from Insat 4a satellite. The channels are converted from PAL to NTSC, encoded, and with a time delay delivered by fiber over the RRsat Global Network to Dish Network USA.

"We are very pleased that ETV has chosen the RRsat Global Network to further expand its global reach to the USA," commented Lior Rival, VP Sales & Marketing of RRsat. "ETV is joining our extensive list of customers and we are looking forward to a long term business relationship."

"RRsat Global Communication Network Ltd provides reliable, good-quality, turnkey delivery solutions," said ETV Network's Vice President Mr. K. Bapineedu. "RRsat has been instrumental in delivering signals of ETV Channels to USA with necessary time shift according to one of our requirements."

Macedonian Broadcaster MRT Grows With Euro World Network

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:22:38 +0000

EURO World Network (EWN) has announced that Macedonian public broadcaster Macedonian Radio Television (MRT) has signed a multi-year deal with EWN not only to continue to deliver content over Hotbird, but to extend their Macedonian and Albanian programing around the world.

In addition to Europe, MRT will now reach into the regions served by EWN's Platforms in North America, Australia and New Zealand.

EWN provides MRT with a full end-to-end solution from marketing and advertising to distribution (Satellite and IPTV), billing, credit and collections, local call centers, an order fulfillment center, installation services and local representation within their target markets.

In addition to DTH satellite delivery, EWN will be providing MRT's Macedonian & Albanian television & radio services on EWN's NexTV IPTV platforms in North America & Australia. NexTV will help maximize MRT's distribution & presence within the target market in order to reach the largest potential of viewers & subscribers.

"We are so proud that MRT entrusted EURO World Network to continue and expand its services with us," said Mark Lobwein Chairman of EURO World Network. "There is nothing prouder then seeing a channel partner continue to grow strength by strength."

EURO World Network's Vice President of Sales for Central & Eastern Europe Robert Sveb added, "MRT has been a valuable part of our European services. We are thrilled to help them bring their programming to even more of their audience. Their expansion gives them the perfect platform to maximize viewership both locally and abroad."

EWN will deliver their services for MRT as follows:

Europe:

Hot Bird One TV & one Radio channel: Macedonian
Eutelsat W3C: One TV & one Radio channel: Albanian

North America:

Galaxy19 Two TV & two Radio channels: Macedonian and Albanian

Australia & New Zealand:

Optus D2 Two TV & two Radio channels: Macedonian and Albanian

Fransat, Samsung and Neotion Break new Ground for Satellite TV Reception in France

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:18:27 +0000

FRANSAT, SAMSUNG and NEOTION have unveiled the new face of satellite reception of free DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) channels in France.

The three companies have combined their skills to integrate a satellite receiver and a DTT module for FRANSAT into Samsung televisions in its 2012 range (ES series). The pack comprises a decryption module produced by Neotion and an access card for subscription-free reception of FRANSAT, the French satellite TV platform owned by Eutelsat.

This new product takes reception of FRANSAT to new levels of simplicity. Viewers no longer need an external set-top-box or a second remote control. They simply need to slot the FRANSAT access card into the module and then insert the module into the Common Interface (CI) of the TV set which is already pre-equipped with a satellite tuner.

The system uses the CI Plus specification which is designed to support the authentication and encryption mechanisms that provide a secure channel between the Conditional Access Module (CAM) and Samsung's integrated digital TV (IDTV). The module developed by Neotion uses Viaccess conditional access and complies with the high technical, functionality and security parameters set by FRANSAT.

This integrated solution is compatible in the first phase with Samsung's ES series of IDTVs (5700/6300/65X0/6710/7000/8000). Using the HbbTV standard, these LED displays also enable access to interactive services that will progressively be rolled out on the FRANSAT platform. FRANSAT modules will be commercialised in France at the recommended retail price of 129€. Sales will start in the Boulanger chain of stores and via the Andom, Pulsat, Compétence and DEFI networks of antenna specialists, prior to being progressively extended to other retail outlets.

Eutelsat Hybrid TV Services Using HbbTV Standard go Live in Germany

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:07:43 +0000

The blending of traditional TV channels with Internet content is now possible for cable homes in Germany using the 'KabelKiosk choice' service based on the HbbTV standard developed by the German subsidiary of Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL).

With 'KabelKiosk choice', Eutelsat's KabelKiosk platform is evolving beyond its first phase as a programme delivery solution for independent cable operators. The launch of an interactive portal is fully in step with how viewers are progressively enhancing linear channels with on-demand information. For broadcasters, network operators and content providers it offers new opportunities to extend the reach of linear and non-linear content, and to generate new revenues.

Services available through 'KabelKiosk choice' include VOD, catch-up TV, access to news portals and local information. Users access this portfolio of interactive solutions via set-top boxes or a connected TV supporting HbbTV. An extension to tablets and smartphones is being developed to expand services to mobile devices.

Eutelsat is accelerating user access to HbbTV services with 'KabelKiosk choice' by removing the requirement for operators to make significant investments in their own service platforms and infrastructure. the service works as a white label to enable operators to provide and market the portal under their own brand. They can also create their own sites with local news, RSS feeds, clips and promotions. Using an integrated Content Management System, operators can also easily update content and applications.

For Marc Welinski, Marketing Director at Eutelsat: "Europe that sits at the heart of Eutelsat's footprintis forecast to become the worldwide centre of excellence for long-term development of hybrid TV services. Our ambition, as a longstanding partner of linear TV broadcasters, is to remain ahead of the curve on how to bolt web-based services onto traditional TV. The 'KabelKiosk choice' service in Germany is just the beginning of a new generation of hybrid solutions that we plan to develop to support our clients - broadcasters, content providers and network operators - and their relationship with viewers."

Tribune Broadcasting Reaches Agreement With DirecTV

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:00:44 +0000

Tribune Broadcasting has announced that it has reached an agreement with DirecTV that will enable DirecTV subscribers to avoid any further disruption in service and to once again enjoy Tribune's 23 local television stations as well as WGN America, Tribune's national cable network.

"We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement with DirecTV and to return our valuable news, entertainment and sports programming to DirecTV subscribers," said Nils Larsen, Tribune Broadcasting president. "On behalf of Tribune Broadcasting, I want to thank viewers across all of our markets for their support, understanding and patience during the negotiating process—we truly regret the service interruptions of the last several days."

The agreement comes as baseball season is about to open, and enables DirecTV subscribers to see Chicago Cubs and White Sox baseball on WGN-TV in Chicago and on WGN America, as well as the Mets on WPIX-TV in New York, Phillies baseball on PHL17 in Philadelphia, and the Washington Nationals on WDCW-TV in Washington, D.C.

DirecTV subscribers also will again have access to the more than 700 hours of local news, weather, traffic, and sports coverage produced by Tribune's local television stations, as well as prime-time entertainment programming like "American Idol," "Glee," and "New Girl," on the company's Fox affiliates, and "One Tree Hill," "Vampire Diaries," and "Gossip Girl" on its CW affiliates.

Board Changes Announced at BSkyB

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:47:12 +0000

The Board of British Sky Broadcasting Group has announced that James Murdoch has stepped down as Chairman and will continue to serve in his capacity as a Non-Executive Director of the Company.

Mr Murdoch is succeeded as Chairman of BSkyB by Nicholas Ferguson, who was appointed as a Director of the Company in June 2004 and previously served as Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Non-Executive Director. Tom Mockridge, who joined the Board in February 2009, has been appointed as Deputy Chairman. Andrew Higginson, who has been a Director of BSkyB since September 2004, succeeds Nicholas Ferguson as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director.

In a letter to the Board setting out the reasons for his resignation, Mr Murdoch said: "I have been privileged to serve first as Chief Executive and then as Chairman of this outstanding company and I am proud of what we have achieved over this period."

Mr Murdoch continued: "As attention continues to be paid to past events at News International, I am determined that the interests of BSkyB should not be undermined by matters outside the scope of this Company." He added: "I am aware that my role as Chairman could become a lightning rod for BSkyB and I believe that my resignation will help to ensure that there is no false conflation with events at a separate organisation."

Mr Ferguson commented: "On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank James Murdoch for the outstanding contribution he has made both as CEO and Chairman of BSkyB. With his vision, drive and strategic insight, the Company has performed exceptionally and continues to transform itself to take advantage of a broader growth opportunity in home entertainment and communications.

"The Board’s support for James and belief in his integrity remain strong. We understand his decision to step aside at this time and we both welcome and look forward to his continued contribution as a non-executive director. The entire Board and management remain fully focused on maintaining BSkyB’s strong progress, delivering an outstanding service for customers and creating value for all shareholders."

SES: Sky, Freesat from Sky and Freesat to Broadcast 48 Dedicated BBC Channels Created for the London 2012 Olympics

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:08:54 +0000

LUXEMBOURG & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- BSkyB will broadcast 48 new BBC channels dedicated to London 2012 Olympic coverage. Over 40 of the new channels will broadcast in the UK through the ASTRA Satellite System. The 24 HD and 24 SD channels will cover each of the Olympic locations and show the full range of different events during the Games. Both Freesat and Freesat from Sky will also benefit from the satellite capacity acquitted by Sky to facilitate and broadcast the new channels.

This live transmission will use ASTRA satellite capacity at the 28.2 degrees East orbital position. SES (Paris:SESG)(LuxX:SESG) owns and operates the ASTRA Satellite System.

“The ability to stream these live Olympics channels shows the strength of satellite in delivering high bandwidth video, especially in HD”, said Norbert Hölzle, Senior Vice President Sales Europe at SES. “Two dozen live feeds from the different Olympic locations will give viewers a fantastic opportunity to follow multiple events live, in both SD and HD. We are proud that SES will be used by our long-standing customers to deliver this fantastic showcase.”

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SES_Satellites

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SES.YourSatelliteCompany

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SESVideoChannel

Blog: http://en.ses.com/4243715/blog

Find pictures and videos under: http://www.ses.com/4245221/library

About SES

SES (Paris:SESG)(LuxX:SESG) holds participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. Further information under: www.ses.com.

Contacts

SES
Markus Payer
Market Communication & PR
Tel. +352 710 725 500

Source: SES

View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120404005964/en

Sky Anytime+ Now Available to Millions More Homes

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 11:49:48 +0000

Sky's on demand service Sky Anytime+, is now available to any Sky+HD home with a broadband connection.

This means that over 5 million homes will be able to enjoy even more flexibility, control and value from their Sky subscription.

Previously Sky Anytime+ was available to Sky Broadband customers, but from today the service is available across any internet service provider. By connecting their Sky+HD box to their broadband router, Sky homes will be able to access a wide range of great entertainment on demand including movies, entertainment, documentaries and drama 'box sets', such as An Idiot Abroad and Boardwalk Empire at a time that suits them. In addition to programmes from Sky's own channels, customers can access content from partner channels such as MTV, Discovery, FX, History, Disney, UK TV and National Geographic Channel whenever suits them.

With Sky Anytime+, Sky Movies customers have flexibility of what they watch and when, with up to 450 movies airing weekly on Sky Movies channels and hundreds* available for download with Sky Anytime+ and through Sky Go. Sky Movies subscribers can enjoy more than 70 of the UK's 100 highest grossing movies at least a year before any other free or subscription television service. In addition, through Sky Store on Sky Anytime+ all Sky TV customers with a Sky+ HD box are able to choose from over a thousand movies available to rent, spanning from the latest blockbusters available at the same time as they are released on DVD, through to classic titles.

Earlier this year, Sky announced new content agreements with the BBC and ITV with ITV archive content such as Secret Diary of A Call Girl and Cold Feet box sets available to customers immediately. BBC's iPlayer service is due to arrive later this year. Popular programmes such as Doctor Who, Outnumbered and Top Gear are already available through Sky's existing deal with UK TV.

This announcement comes as Sky introduces a new, enhanced Sky+ HD 1TB box with even more storage capacity for on demand content. Alongside the existing 1TB of personal storage, there is now a full additional terabyte of space dedicated to Sky Anytime showing the best of the week's Sky TV and Movies.

Luke Bradley-Jones, Director of TV Products, Sky, commented:

"It's great to be able to bring our on demand service Sky Anytime+ to even more customers, helping them to get more out of their Sky subscription. We already know how popular Sky Anytime+ is and how the flexibility of the service gives customers more choice and control over how they watch an amazing range of content. We've seen strong demand for it to date which we hope to increase now that the service is available with any broadband provider."

Customers can access Anytime+ by simply connecting their Sky+ HD set-top box to their broadband router, either with an Ethernet wire or wireless connector.

Eutelsat's NewsSpotter Service via the KASAT Satellite Puts a new Face on Newsgathering in Europe

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:11:17 +0000

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) has officially launched its innovative newsgathering service called 'NewsSpotter'.

The service expands the range of professional services provided through Eutelsat's high-performance KA-SAT satellite and is provided by its Skylogic affiliate. Using a new generation of lightweight equipment, NewsSpotter broadens opportunities for newsgathering by offering broadcasters and service providers the ability to transmit High Definition and/or Standard Definition live video from the field in a fast and highly cost efficient manner. The service is also ideal for fast transmission of film rushes and proxy file transfer from the field.

Compact enough to be carried in a back-pack for Fly-Away use and small enough to be fitted onto a small car for rooftop mounting, NewsSpotter can instantly connect mobile news crews to studios for transmission of live recordings, images and data. Providing native IP connectivity, NewsSpotter is perfectly integrated for the workflows of modern newsgathering operations and is available across KA-SAT's footprint that covers Europe, North Africa and large parts of the Middle East.

Offering a fast link from scene to screen, the NewsSpotter satellite dish and terminal can be set up in two minutes, including deployment, auto pointing, and connection. Bandwidth can be reserved online by news crews, using a self-booking application or pre-booked for planned use and guaranteed reservations. Users simply log-on to the Skylogic OSS portal, enter their user terminal number, location, time slots and bit rate required on return and forward links.

NewsSpotter uses professional-grade KA-SAT terminals for video contribution from crews in the field to a broadcaster's master control room. Using standard IP routing, the service is capable of transmitting at speeds of up to 20Mbps via KA-SAT and its dedicated ground network fibre infrastructure.

NewsSpotter user terminals have been developed by multiple manufacturers in three versions: Fly-Away, Vehicular Compact and Vehicular Rugged. Flyaway terminals require manual pointing and come in the form of backpack or flight case configuration, weighing in the range of 5 to 10 kg, with dish sizes in the range of 60 to 75cm. The Vehicle Compact terminal has motorised and autopoint capability and is available with dish sizes from 75 to 90cm. Rugged Vehicle mounted terminals are available with dish sizes from 75 to 120 cm.

Cristiano Benzi, Director of Pre-Sales and Customer Care at Eutelsat, said: "Satellites are an unbeatable platform for covering breaking news and transmitting live sports and cultural events back to studios. NewsSpotter complements these daily operations with a fast, light andcost-effective service for broadcasters and news crews. Broadcasters that set the highest standards of quality, including the BBC, RTL, Rai and Sky,have already tested the system and performed live transmissions in Europe,illustrating NewsSpotter'simmediate interest to the news industry."

NewsSpotter is delivered by Eutelsat's KA-SAT High Throughput Satellite, which entered commercial service in May 2011. With its total capacity of more than 70 Gbps, KA-SAT ushers in a new era of competitively-priced, satellite-delivered services for broadcasters, businesses and consumers. The satellite forms the cornerstone of a new satellite infrastructure, which includes eight main satellite gateways across Europe connected to the Internet by a fibre backbone ring.

Sky reveals NOW TV brand for new internet TV service

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:08:43 +0000

Sky has announced that its new internet TV service, offering access to Sky content on a wide range of broadband-connected devices, will be called NOW TV.

The new brand was revealed this morning by Sky’s Chief Executive, Jeremy Darroch, as he delivered the opening keynote at the Media Guardian Changing Media Summit in London.

Launching later this year, NOW TV will provide instant access to some of Sky’s most popular content, including hundreds of films from Sky Movies. With a distinctive look and identity, it will stand out from the existing Sky TV service and offer even more choice and flexibility to customers.

In his speech, Jeremy Darroch explained the significance of introducing an entirely new brand:

"The launch of a second brand is an exciting opportunity for us and the rationale is very simple. Having two brands will allow us to meet the needs and preferences of different customer segments more effectively.

"We’ll offer two distinctive ways to watch: the market-leading full Sky service for the whole family, complete with the widest range of channels, high quality products like Sky+, HD and Sky Go, and the peace of mind of a monthly bill; or the flexible, more spontaneous, pay-as-you-go service of NOW TV.

"Because NOW TV will also be ‘powered by Sky’, customers will still know that it will give them the best, exclusive content and a high quality experience, from a provider they can trust. Either way, we believe we can offer even more customers a product that’s just right for them."

Providing detail on the NOW TV service itself, he added:

"It will be available on a wide range of devices and offer instant access to a range of high quality Sky content, with no install and no contract. Starting with movies, it will soon expand to offer sport and entertainment as well. And customers will be able to pay monthly or rent a movie on a simple, pay as you go basis."

NOW TV is part of Sky’s mission to make it as easy as possible for customers to access and enjoy its content. Mr Darroch told the conference that, alongside the continued growth of its satellite TV service, broader distribution on other platforms is an opportunity for Sky to reach even more customers:

"As the quality of the TV experience over broadband has improved, people have become more willing to consume content in different ways.

"That presents a great opportunity to distribute our programmes which wasn’t there even a year or two ago. With the long-awaited explosion of connected devices now upon us, this opportunity is only going to grow. And it’s something we believe is highly complementary to our existing service.

"Today, we know that around 13 million homes don’t yet take pay TV from any provider. So we can reach out to them and offer them another way to access and watch our content."

Key features of the NOW TV experience will include:

Great content – the new service will offer some of Sky’s most popular programming. Sky Movies will be available from launch and the service will expand to offer sport and entertainment soon afterwards.
Flexible pricing – with no minimum contract, customers will be able to choose from a variety of pricing options. For example, people will be able to pay monthly for unlimited access to Sky Movies or rent a single movie on a simple, pay-as-you-go basis.
Easy access – the new service will roll out across a wide range of connected devices, including PCs, Macs, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, games consoles and connected TVs.
Ease of use – with immediate streaming through an intuitive interface, backed up by recommendations and editorial support, customers will quickly and easily find the content they most want to watch.

More details about NOW TV will be revealed closer to launch.

To receive the latest information, customers can register their interest by visiting NOWTV.com

Sky Anytime to Grow with BBC and ITV Content

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:26:12 +0000

Sky has announced a series of enhancements to its video on demand service, Sky Anytime+, which will expand the choice of programmes available for customers and make it available to millions of homes for the first time.

The move follows strong growth for Sky Anytime+, which is already in more than a million Sky homes and has seen weekly usage increase by 80% in the three months to 31 December 2011.

The enhancements form part of Sky’s commitment to bring more value to customers through their subscription. Sky Anytime+ comes at no extra charge and already provides access to a wide range of on-demand content including movies, entertainment, documentaries and drama ‘box sets’. In addition to programmes from Sky’s own channels, it offers access to content from partner channels such as MTV, Discovery, FX, History, Disney, UK TV and National Geographic Channel.

To expand the range of high-quality content available on Sky Anytime+, Sky has reached new agreements with the BBC and ITV.

This means that ITV archive content, including popular shows such as Prime Suspect, Lewis and Cold Feet, will join the service from tomorrow, accessible through the main Sky Anytime+ menu as well as a new dedicated ITV Player section. And later this year, customers will be able to use Sky Anytime+ to catch up on programmes from both the BBC and ITV when the BBC iPlayer joins the service and more programming is added to ITV Player.

Archive BBC content - including the likes of Doctor Who, Outnumbered and Top Gear - is already available on Sky Anytime+ through Sky’s existing deal with UK TV.

And to help even more customers enjoy the service, Sky is extending the reach of Sky Anytime+ by making it available to all Sky+HD homes with an internet connection, across all broadband providers. This means more than 5 million homes will soon be able to access the comprehensive video on demand service. The extension of the service builds on the 1.2 million Sky Broadband homes that already use the service.

Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s Chief Executive, comments: "We want customers to get the best out of their Sky subscription and Anytime+ is a great way to give them more control and choice over how they enjoy TV. We already know how popular Sky+ is and how it puts customers back in charge of their TV viewing. Anytime+ builds on that control and it’s no wonder we’ve seen such strong demand for it.

"Sky Anytime+ will go from strength to strength in 2012 and we are delighted that the addition of the BBC iPlayer and ITV Player will allow customers to also enjoy the best of terrestrial TV, whenever they want. We’re also delighted to be able to widen access to the service so that millions more Sky customers can enjoy the added flexibility it offers."

SES Relocates Satellite to Meet Growing Customer Demand

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:47:01 +0000

LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SES S.A. (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) today announced that the SES-3 satellite is being relocated from its former location over North America to Asia, an area experiencing great demand for state-of-the-art, reliable satellite capacity.

The SES-3 satellite is being relocated to 108.2° East to provide coverage of the Middle East and South Asia regions, where SES experiences growing customer demand. The drift began in mid-December 2011 and the satellite is expected to arrive at its new orbital location on February 6, 2012.

SES-3 is a young satellite as it was just launched in July of 2011. Once reaching 108.2° East, the planned coverage is capable of supporting such applications as video, voice, data, and end-to-end communications networks. With MAC-1 compliance and encrypted tracking, telemetry and control, the satellite is also well positioned to meet the secure communications needs of government customers.

Romain Bausch, President and CEO of SES, stated: “With a fleet of 49 spacecraft in orbit around the globe, SES has the operational flexibility to swiftly respond to shifting customer demand by re-deploying in-orbit capacity without affecting existing services.”

Tip Osterthaler, President and CEO of SES Government Solutions added, ““The relocation of the SES-3 satellite is a result of continued engagement and dialogue with our customers and in response to the growing demand for bandwidth to support critical communications capabilities. This move is a confirmation of our commitment to provide affordable and vital capability for our government customers.”

About SES

SES is a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of 49 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.

About SES Government Solutions www.ses-gs.com

SES Government Solutions, a subsidiary of global satellite operator SES, is exclusively focused on meeting the satellite communications needs of the U.S. Government. Leveraging more than three decades of experience in the government SATCOM market, SES Government Solutions offers robust and secure satellite-based communications solutions. Supported by SES’s fleet of 49 satellites offering comprehensive global coverage, SES Government Solutions offers highly reliable fixed and on-the-move capacity.

Contacts

Yves Feltes
Media Relations
Tel. +352 710 725 311

Source: SES

View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120131006330/en

Sky Customers to Enjoy Ground Breaking 'Augmented TV' Through zeebox Partnership

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:40:47 +0000

Sky has entered into a strategic partnership with zeebox, the innovative ‘second-screen' consumer service that brings together broadcast TV and the Internet.

Launching in the first half of 2012, Sky and zeebox will offer a ground breaking companion app experience for Sky customers which offers unique ‘augmented’ TV viewing features, such as connecting with friends around TV shows, finding more information about what's on TV, and buying products relating to their favourite programmes.

Sky will become the only TV platform in the UK to integrate zeebox’s technology into its own applications – which include Sky+ and the multi award-winning Sky Go - to give its customers an even richer companion experience to complement their main set viewing.

The zeebox service – currently available on iPhone, iPad and the Web – serves up social media feeds and conversations via Twitter and Facebook, as well as additional information on the topics, people and products featured within specific programmes. Consumers use these ‘zeetags’ to search the web for more information, read up on characters or actors, purchase music, buy products featured on-screen - whether during programmes or ad breaks, or simply share their views with friends and followers on social media.

From later this year, Sky customers will also be able to use a zeebox powered Sky app to access their Sky+ box on the move, so they can manage their Sky+ recording remotely, as well as using their iPhone or iPad as a remote control for their Sky box, creating a comprehensive and fully integrated companion TV experience.

Led by Ernesto Schmitt, a former EMI board director, and Anthony Rose, who developed and launched the BBC iPlayer, zeebox has enjoyed considerable success since the public launch of its app in late October 2011.

As part of this multi-million pound strategic partnership, Sky has become an investor in zeebox and has taken a 10% equity stake, providing funding to support the company’s future product roadmap and global rollout plans. As part of the deal Sky Media will become the exclusive advertising sales agent for zeebox’s synchronised advertising inventory. zeebox remains an independent company continuing to operate its own zeebox branded social TV platform in the UK and elsewhere. It will continue to deliver an innovative second-screen platform that broadcasters and programme-makers can use to support and enrich their shows, connect with fans, and obtain new insights into viewer behaviour.

Emma Lloyd, Sky’s Director of Emerging Products, comments: "Sky took an early position of leadership with companion devices, having recognised the demand from our customers to use second screens to discover, enjoy and interact with their favourite content. The integration of zeebox’s innovative technology will enable us to make the companion device experience even richer and more engaging. We know that millions of our customers have smartphones and tablets and regularly use them to engage with Sky on mobile devices, so it’s a natural next step for us."

Ernesto Schmitt, zeebox’s co-founder and CEO, adds: "Sky has a strong track record of innovation, and we are delighted to partner with them to deliver zeebox's social TV vision to millions of Sky homes. Thanks to Sky's backing we now also have the resources and expertise to set our sights firmly on international expansion alongside further innovation here in the UK and Ireland."

Sky already offers customers more than a dozen high quality apps across Apple devices, Android and other phones. Sky’s apps include the award-winning Sky Go, Sky News for iPad, Sky Movies, and the recently launched Sky Sports News on iPad app. According to comScore data for October 2011, three of Sky’s apps appeared in the top 20 UK apps by cellular data usage in the UK. Collectively, Sky’s apps have been downloaded more than 20 million times. Sky is one of the UK’s leading media content providers and is the number one commercial content brand in news and sport.

AMOS-5 Communications Satellite Launched

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:40:40 +0000

Spacecom (Tel Aviv Stock Exchange: SCC), operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, announced that its AMOS-5 satellite has been launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

AMOS-5 soared upward aboard a Proton Breeze-M launcher last Sunday (11th December) at 13.17 Israel time (11.17 GMT). En route to its 17°E orbital position, the satellite is scheduled to separate from the launcher’s last stage within nine-and-one-half hours following ignition and later will unfold its solar panels and communication
antennas.

In the coming weeks, AMOS-5 will undergo a sequence of in-orbit tests, after which its manufacturer, ISS Reshetnev, will officially hand over control of the satellite to Spacecom. Commercial operation of the satellite’s pan-African C-band and Ku-band payload is scheduled to commence in early 2012.

“AMOS-5’s launch further transforms Spacecom into a leading multi-regional satellite operator is truly a landmark event for us as we prepare to bring our reliable high-quality services to Africa,” stated Spacecom president and CEO David Pollack. “The satellite will offer excellent coverage and ready capacity to a rapidly growing region. Spacecom is excited and looks forward to providing comprehensive and quality communications solutions to Africa.”

AMOS-5’s high-power 14x72 MHz and 4x36 MHz C-band transponders, combined with 18x72 MHz Ku-band transponders, will enable it to be a prime carrier of African satellite communications traffic in both broadcast and data services in the years to come. Spacecom’s AMOS-2 and AMOS-3 satellites co-located at the 4°W orbital “hot spot,” together with AMOS-5 at the 17°E orbital position, will provide coverage over many of the world’s fastest-growing and highest-demand satellite markets in the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe and Africa.

Prior to launch, Spacecom pre-sold over 55 percent of AMOS-5 capacity to a variety of customers, including broadcasters, telecom providers, communications companies and government agencies.

Eutelsat Communications Successfully Refinances Debt

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:15:50 +0000

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) has announced the refinancing of Eutelsat Communications' existing €1,765 million credit facilities which were due in June 2013.

The refinancing will take place through:

the issuance of 7-year senior unsecured bonds (the "Bonds") for a total of €800 million by Eutelsat S.A.; and
a new 5-year bullet senior unsecured term loan for €700 million and senior unsecured revolving credit facility granted to Eutelsat Communications in a maximum amount of €200 million, both maturing in December 2016

The order book for the Bonds reached more than €4 billion, demonstrating the market's confidence in the long term business model of the Eutelsat Group. The Bonds will be issued at 99.186 percent and redeemed at 100 per cent of their principal amount and will have a coupon of 5.00 percent per annum. The Bonds will be cleared through Clearstream and Euroclear. Application has been made for the Bonds to be listed on the Official List and admitted to trading on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The Bonds will mature on the seventh anniversary of their issue. The delivery and settlement of the Bonds are expected to occur on 14 December 2011.

The Bond issue is accompanied by a new five-year bullet €700 million senior unsecured term loan and a €200 million senior revolving credit facility, also with a five-year maturity allowing Eutelsat Communications to refinance the existing outstanding term loan, as well as the existing revolving credit lines which are currently undrawn.

As a result of this refinancing, the Eutelsat Communications Group will extend the maturity of its financing from 3.8 years as at 30 June 2011, to 5.1 years today.

The net proceeds of the Bonds and the new credit facilities will be used to reimburse current indebtedness of €1,465 million of the existing Eutelsat Communications' term loan; the current undrawn revolving credit facility of €300 million will be replaced by a €200 million revolving credit facility. These credit agreements, which were made in June 2006 and mature in June 2013, will be reimbursed in part following the issuance of the Bonds in December 2011 then, fully reimbursed and cancelled once the new credit facilities are available as from January 2012.

Commenting on this refinancing, Catherine Guillouard, Eutelsat's Chief Financial Officer, said: "The market's positive response to Eutelsat S.A.'s bond issue and new credit facilities confirm the strength of our unique business model, which sits at the heart of the digital revolution, and combines growth, profitability and visibility over the long term. With this overall refinancing of the Eutelsat Communications existing indebtedness, our Group will have all the flexibility to continue its long-term strategy, reinforcing its leadership in markets where digital broadcasting and broadband services are experiencing rapid growth."

This refinancing allows the company to diversify its funding sources, to reinforce its financial flexibility and to extend the maturity of its debt. The overall transaction is concluded with terms and conditions that are very competitive given current credit markets.

Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International plc and Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking acted as Joint Global Coordinators and Bookrunners and Banca IMI and Goldman Sachs International acted as Joint Bookrunners of the Bonds. The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., Crédit Agricole Corporate Investment Bank and Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners and Goldman Sachs International, Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., Paris branch, and WestLB London branch acted as Mandated Lead Arrangers for the new senior term loan and revolving credit facilities.

Rothschild & Cie acted as financial advisors, Latham & Watkins acted as legal advisors and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP acted as tax advisors to Eutelsat in this transaction. Allen & Overy LLP acted as legal advisors to the Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners in this transaction.

Freesat Agrees Marketing Deal with Channel 5

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:58:35 +0000

Freesat and Channel 5 have announced a marketing partnership, which will see Freesat sponsoring Charley Boorman’s Extreme Frontiers, beginning on Monday 28th November at 9pm.

The deal represents Freesat’s first programme sponsorship and comes one week after the launch of Freesat’s latest TV advertising campaign, which is running on Channel 5 (as well as the other main commercial TV channels), and focuses on Freesat’s ‘Catch-free TV’ proposition.

Extreme Frontiers is Charley Boorman’s debut series for Channel 5.

Nick Bampton, Commercial Sales Director at Channel 5 says: “Freesat has become a key player in free TV. This sponsorship is the beginning of a deeper partnership utilising Channel 5’s assets to help with the growth of the Freesat platform”.

Will Abbott, Freesat’s Marketing and Communications Director says: “This is an exciting development for Freesat – our first TV sponsorship. Charley Boorman’s Extreme Frontiers was the perfect fit for the Freesat brand, reflecting the sense of freedom at the heart of our offer.”

RRsat Announces Retirement of Chief Executive Officer

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:25:07 +0000

RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. (NASDAQ: RRST) has announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. David Rivel, will retire on June 30, 2012.

Mr. Rivel's current contract with the company, which expires on December 31, 2011, will be extended until June 30, 2012 to ensure a seamless transition. During this period Mr. Rivel will assist the Company's Board of Directors in selecting and appointing a new CEO. After said date, Mr. Rivel will remain as an advisor to the Company and a member of the Company's Board of Directors.

Mr. David Rivel, Founder and CEO of RRsat, stated: "I started RRsat over 30 years ago with an idea and a vision and built it to a successful and profitable company with annual revenues of over $100 million. Together, with the help of a talented and dedicated team of employees, we created one of the leading global solutions providers to the television and radio industries for content management and distribution. I am very proud of our achievements and now, after so many years, it is the right time for me to step aside and let someone new lead RRsat to the next level. After June 30, 2012, I will remain on board as a Director and special advisor to the Company and will, as always, remain committed to making RRsat the leading global content management provider and distributor."

Dr. Shlomo Shamir, Chairman of RRsat's Board of Directors, noted: "During the time that I have had the pleasure of working with David I have discovered that he is a true entrepreneur. He tapped into an industry with great opportunity and continued growth potential and built a global Company and a great team. We are sorry to see David step down, yet we are fortunate that he will continue to work with the company and share with us his industry knowledge, experience and creativity."

Winners of 2011 Hotbird TV Awards Announced

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:38:08 +0000

The winners of this year's Hotbird TV Awards, the unique international event distinguishing the quality of content creation and innovation by thematic satellite television channels, were honoured on November 25th at a gala ceremony in Venice in the company of over 200 international broadcasting executives.

Winning public and private channels from eight countries reflected the vitality of the satellite broadcasting market and its capacity to innovate.

"The winners at this year's HOT BIRD™ TV Awards showcase global excellence in programming and a capacity for creative inspiration and quality," said Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO. "The strength of the winners in each of the categories demonstrates a wealth of talent and our congratulations go out to them all and to the participating channels who combine to make this an exceptional event."

Founded in 1998, the Awards comprise 10 thematic categories, the People's Choice Award, and Awards for Best Programme and Best New Channel launched over the last 12 months.

HOT BIRD(TM) TV AWARDS WINNERS 2011

    Children's                             Cinema
    Carousel (Russia)                 Joint Winners
                                                Kino Soyuz (Russia)
                                                Sky Cinema 1 HD (Italy)

    Culture/Education                 Documentaries
    Babel (Italy)                         DMAX (Germany)
    Rai Storia (Italy) Special
    Mention

    Fiction/General Entertainment     Lifestyle
    SkyUno (Italy)                          Rai 5 (Italy)
                                                     NRJ Paris (France) Special Mention

    Music                                       News
    France Ô (France)                   BBC Arabic (United Kingdom)
                                                  TG Norba 24 (Italy) Special Mention

    National Window                    Sports
    TVE Internacional (Spain)         TRACE Sports (France)
    SMtv San Marino

(San Marino) Special Mention

    People's Choice                            Best Programme
    MiniMini (Poland)                          The Beethoven Project (Germany)
                                                         (Deutsche Welle TV)
                                                         CCN (Comedy Central Polska)
                                                         (Poland) Special Mention
    Best New Channel
    TG Norba 24 (Italy)

The HOT BIRD™ TV Awards Jury includes experts from leading publications and TV associations: Jerzy Barski, Tv-Sat Magazine (Poland), Jacques Braun, Eurodata TV (France), Sergey Buntman, Echo de Moscow (Russia), Paolo Dalla Chiara, Pentastudio (Italy), Paolo Lutteri EGTA (Europe), Giovanna Maggioni, Upa (Italy), Fusun Nebil, Turk Internet (Turkey), Giacomo Mazzone, Eurovisioni (Europe), Mimi Turner, The Hollywood Reporter (Europe). Jury Chairman, Duilio Giammaria, Rai (Italy); technical expert Mauro Roffi, Millecanali (Italy).

The HOT BIRD™ TV AWARDS is an event promoted by Eutelsat, Europe's leading satellite operator, in collaboration with Eurovisioni, a European festival dedicated to cinema and television and SAT Expo, the international exhibition of advanced digital and satellite telecommunications. This year's event is sponsored by Thales Alenia Space and Astrium.

RRSat Announces Appointment of New Chief Financial Officer

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:59:32 +0000

RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. (NASDAQ: RRST), a leading provider of comprehensive content management and global distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industries, today announced the appointment of Mr. Itzhak Zion as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective December 1st, 2011.

Mr. Zion is replacing Mr. David Aber, the current CFO.

Mr. David Rivel, Founder and CEO of RRsat stated: "Mr. Zion is a seasoned CFO and comes with significant experience across a range of industries. I believe his background and skills are aligned with RRsat's goals and that he will have much to contribute to the Company. I am happy to welcome him to the team."

Commenting on the departing CFO, Mr. David Aber, Mr. Rivel added: "David played an important role during the time that he was with RRsat. On behalf of the Board and the management, I thank him for his professional service and wish him much success in the future."
Mr. Zion has held several CFO positions in the technology, communications and retail industries in both private and publicly traded companies. He was most recently the CFO of ECI Telecom, one of the largest Hi Tech companies in Israel, with worldwide presence. Before that he served as CFO of Motorola Israel (2004-2007) during which he also served on the board of directors of MIRS Communications, an Israeli cellular operator.

From 1999-2003 he was the CFO of Super-Sol, one of Israel's largest retail companies which at the time was traded on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. From 1995-1999, Mr. Zion was CFO of NASDAQ-traded New Dimension Software, which was eventually acquired by BMC Software. Mr. Zion is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a B.A. in Accounting and Economics from Tel Aviv University.

Spacecom's AMOS-5 Communications Satellite Transported to Baikonur

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:42:50 +0000

Spacecom (Tel Aviv Stock Exchange: SCC), operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, has announced that the AMOS-5 satellite has completed its test phase and has been transported to the launch-site in Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

The AMOS-5 is scheduled to be launched on December 11th, 2011 to its 17°E orbital position and begin commercial operations in early 2012 with both pan-African C-band and Ku-band capacity.

In Baikonur, the satellite will undergo final testing and integration with the Proton launcher and Breeze-M prior to its launch.

“The AMOS team is excited to see the satellite on its way to Baikonur Kazakhstan, the final step prior to its scheduled launch on December 11th, 2011,” stated Spacecom president and CEO, David Pollack. “With AMOS-5’s addition, Spacecom is further fulfilling our corporate vision of becoming an emerging multi-regional satellite operator. AMOS-5 will provide excellent solutions for our clients with superb C-band and Ku-band coverage and enable satellite services throughout the entire African continent.”

Satellite developer ISS Reshetnev led the AMOS-5 construction process, overseeing the satellite’s design and production.

SatLink Increasing African Presence with New C-band Platform on AMOS-5

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:40:12 +0000

SatLink Communications Ltd. has announced it is augmenting its presence in Africa with a powerful MCPC (Multi Channel Per Carrier) platform on AMOS-5’s Pan African C-beam.

The new MCPC will provide international and local African broadcasters with a robust contribution platform offering total continental coverage. SatLink’s ideal location in the Middle East, its added value broadcast services and Playout solutions and AMOS-5’s 17E high EIRP levels, make this platform a Gateway to Africa for European, Asian, and American broadcasters.

SatLink’s team will discuss pre launch opportunities with broadcasters at the AfricaCom show in Cape Town, South Africa 10-11 November 2011.

From Day One of satellite operation, SatLink's platform will have a Tier 1 broadcast neighborhood including leading European, American and Asian channels. SatLink has already developed a ground reception network at Africa's leading media centers with antennas pointed at the satellite ready for downloading signals to cable head ends, Pay TV operators, IPTV providers and mobile head ends to bring an array of entertainment, news and sports to customers throughout Africa. In addition, the company is offering a full complement of cost effective and reliable playout services to clients utilizing the MCPC platform.

“Expanding operations in Africa with our new AMOS 5 C-band platform together with our strategic location and our global satellite and fiber network makes SatLink a true Gateway to Africa,” remarked David Hochner, CEO of SatLink.

“With our platform taking advantage of AMOS-5’s pan-African C-band reach, we will meet the needs of this growing market and enabling more leading broadcasters to reach the entire continent with a powerful and popular beam.”

In addition to the C-band MCPC platform, SatLink will be the prime provider of satellite engineering services including TT&C and IOT services for the AMOS-5.

MBC Group Picks Eutelsat's Atlantic Bird 7 Satellite to Support HDTV Roll-Out

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:33:32 +0000

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) and MBC Group announce the signature of a multiyear contract for capacity on Eutelsat's new ATLANTIC BIRD 7 satellite at 7 degrees West.

The lease of a full transponder will enable MBC to expand its platform of channels addressing viewers in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly new HD content which the Group is preparing to launch in January 2012. The announcement was made at Digital TV Middle East, the broadcast and broadband conference taking place in Dubai from November 1 to 2.

The new contract cements a 20-year relationship between Eutelsat and MBC Group which began in 1991 with the launch of MBC1, the first pan-Arab free-to-air satellite station. Over the past 18 years, MBC has developed a network comprising ten TV channels, two radio stations and a production house to forge a leading media and broadcasting group in the Middle East, among other media platforms such as VOD (shahid.net), SMS and MMS services. The move into HDTV reflects the Group's commitment to delivering the latest technology and superior television content.

Launched on September 24, ATLANTIC BIRD™ 7 brings first-class resources to 7 degrees West, an established video neighbourhood delivering Arab and international channels into almost 30 million satellite homes. The satellite's significant Ku-band resources enable broadcasters to launch new Standard Digital and HD content. Its broad footprint expands reach of satellite TV homes located from the North African Atlantic coastline across to the Gulf States.

Commenting on the new contract, MBC Group's COO Sam Barnett said: "We are enthusiastic about this additional capacity on the ATLANTIC BIRD™ 7 satellite that will allow us to further expand in the future and meet the expectations of our loyal viewers across the MENA region."

Andrew Wallace, Eutelsat Chief Commercial Officer, added: "With MBC Group's selection of ATLANTIC BIRD™ 7 as their chosen platform to move into HDTV we are even more excited about the potential of our new satellite to partner broadcasters in the Middle East and North Africa. This is a great start for ATLANTIC BIRD™ 7 and we look forward to furthering our longstanding presence and strong partnerships across the region and playing our part in the ongoing roll-out of HDTV."

RRsat Providing Playout and Uplink Services for Nat Geo Music Channel

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:18:53 +0000

RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. (NASDAQ: RRST) has announced that it is providing its advanced playout and uplink services for Nat Geo Music Channel, the music channel brought to viewers by FOX International Channels.

Nat Geo Music joins over 130 TV channels making use of the state-of-the-art RRsat Playout Center with its automated, high capacity, 24/7 facility and a full range of end-to-end HD, SD and 3D content management and processing services. Nat Geo Music transfers digital content using an advanced file accelerator directly into RRsat's Media Asset Management system where it is decrypted, backed up, and archived for further use. Other playout services employed for Nat Geo Music include graphic overlay, using the Miranda-ImageStore graphic system, and automated QC and digital scheduling.

The Nat Geo Music Channel is then encrypted, reencoded and uplinked to the RRsat MCPC platform on MEASAT-3a, a satellite reaching over 50 million pay-TV households in the Middle East, North Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, Australia/Oceana and parts of Africa.

Lior Rival, VP Sales and Marketing of RRsat said: "We are very excited to add another valuable customer such as Nat Geo Music to our growing list of play-out channels being played out from RRsat Playout Center's state-of-the-art automated, high capacity, 24/7 facility. RRsat offers its customers a full range of advanced end-to-end solutions providing innovation while maintaining robust and reliable quality of service."

"RRsat's advanced media asset solutions result in efficient, robust, high quality performance," said Victor Chan, Vice President of Broadcast Technical Operations at FOX International Channels Asia. "Their attention to our needs, in both playout and uplink services, combined with a high level of technological know-how, is why we chose RRsat to playout and deliver our channel."

Freesat Adds CCTV News and Argos TV

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 06:32:09 +0000

Freesat, the UK subscription-free satellite TV service, has announced the addition of Argos TV shopping channel to its line-up of over 150 channels and on Demand TV.

The Argos TV shopping channel will be bringing big name brands and great value deals straight into Freesat viewers’ homes on Freesat Channel 819.

Argos TV is the latest shopping channel to join Freesat’s strong shopping offering. With live product demonstrations, Freesat viewers will be able see the latest Argos products before they buy, all from the comfort of their sofa.

Freesat’s Head of Channels, Mark Briggs said: “With the Christmas shopping rush approaching, we’re delighted to offer Freesat customers another great way to pick up deals or find the perfect gift. Freesat is the fastest growing TV platform in the UK, and having recently hit the 2 million sales mark, we’re constantly working to make sure we have a diverse set of channels to suit our growing audience. Argos is a key retail partner for us and we’re delighted to have them on board”

Darren Frost, Head of Argos TV said: “We are very excited about the launch of Argos TV shopping channel on Freesat as it gives us the opportunity to reach substantially more customers with another way to explore and shop the Argos range. Viewers will be able to watch the same shows at the same time that they are available elsewhere, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As the UK's biggest retailer of Freesat devices we know that many of our customers are already using the service so it was a logical place for us to be. We are looking forward to our great programming being seen by a whole new audience."

Freesat also confirmed that Chinese news service CCTV-NEWS will be joining the platform this month and will be available on channel 211.

Eutelsat's Atlantic Bird 7 Satellite Goes Live

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:13:55 +0000

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) announces the full entry into commercial service of its high-capacity Atlantic Bird 7 satellite one month after its launch to 7 degrees West.

The transfer of all television channels onto Atlantic Bird 7 at 7 degrees West from the Atlantic Bird 4A satellite was completed in the early hours of October 23 by Eutelsat's control centre, working in close collaboration with broadcast clients and providers of uplink services.

More than 400 TV channels are now broadcasting via Atlantic Bird 7 into almost 30 million homes located from the North African Atlantic coastline across to the Gulf states. The satellite's increased Ku-band capacity delivers headroom for growth at the premier video neighbourhood in the region. Its significantly enhanced footprint will also enable broadcasters to expand reach into satellite homes, notably across North Africa and in the Gulf.

With Atlantic Bird 7's entry into service, Eutelsat is strengthening its relationship with Nilesat, the Egyptian satellite operator that also manages its own system of three satellites at the 7 degrees West neighbourhood. Nilesat is leasing new transponders on Eutelsat's satellite in addition to leases transferred from Atlantic Bird 4A. The supplemental capacity will further anchor the 7° West neighbourhood in the satellite broadcasting market across the MENA region, enabling Nilesat and Eutelsat to boost resources for digital channels and HDTV which is rapidly making inroads at 7 degrees West, with 30 HDTV channels already broadcasting.

Having completed its mission at 7 degrees West, the Atlantic Bird 4A satellite is now released to continue full commercial service at another Eutelsat location. The satellite is being redeployed to 3 degrees East to address data and telecoms markets in Europe and South-West Asia. It will be called EUTELSAT 3C and will be colocated at 3 degrees East with EUTELSAT 3A.

Built for Eutelsat by Astrium, ATLANTIC BIRD[TM] 7 is based on the Eurostar E3000 platform, with a launch mass of 4.6 tonnes and a spacecraft power of 12kW. Astrium was in charge of flight operations and specialised support during the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) operations, and will continue to support Eutelsat by monitoring the satellite throughout its more than 15 year mission from its satellite monitoring centre in Toulouse.

Click on the link below for Atlantic Bird 7's frequencies for TV reception:

http://www.eutelsat.com/satellites/7w-ab7.html

5 Million Italian Families Chose Sky Italia

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:30:07 +0000

Sky Italia has announced that it has exceeded 5 million customers reaching 15 million people across Italy.

Since its launch in July 2003, Sky has established itself as Italy's most comprehensive multi-channel TV platform. The company has delivered strong subscriber growth by consistently investing in the highest quality programming, providing customers with an increasing choice of entertainment and a better viewing experience.

Sky has significantly broadened its product offering and driven innovation in the Italian TV market. It has pioneered high definition broadcasting. Today more than two-thirds of all Sky subscribers take HD TV, while one-in-three take the MySky PVR. The company recently launched Sky Go, a new service that enables customers to watch live TV on the move via tablet devices. Another first has been the launch of Sky3D, Italy's first TV channel with 24 hour 3D programming.

Since inception Sky has played a vital role in nurturing the Italian TV industry, contributing to the economic growth and cultural success of the nation. Initiatives include:

SkyTG24 – Italy's most respected all-news channel
SkySport – evolutionizing the way live sports are broadcast, offering customers a unique viewing experience. This has contributed to not only the growth of Sky but also to the growth and development of the Italian football and sports industry
Original programming – Productions such as "Romanzo Criminale" have set a new standard for storytelling while SkyCinema is the leading supporter and promoter of the Italian film industry
Helping create more jobs – Thanks to Sky, dozens of Italian companies have entered the Italian TV market. As a result, Sky Italia has created directly and indirectly more than 15,000 jobs and generated over €15.9 billion to the Italian economy.

James Murdoch, Chairman of Sky Italia and Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Chairman and CEO, International, News Corporation commented: "It is a great achievement to be chosen by over 5 million Italian families. It is to the credit of Sky's first-class management team that the company has continued to deliver against a tough economic environment and I would like to thank Tom Mockridge, who led Sky Italia since its inception, for his contribution. Sky has always been a forward-looking company and we stand today better placed to grow than ever before. I am confident that, under the leadership of Andrea Zappia, Sky Italia has a great future that will bring many benefits to our customers and to the wider creative industries in Italy."

Andrea Zappia, Chief Executive Officer of Sky Italia, commented: "First and foremost, I'd like to thank our customers for entrusting their viewing to Sky. The achievement of the 5 million milestone encourages us to continue to strive to be the best in all that we do and to continue to innovate. In a challenging market, I feel confident that we can continue to grow by continuing to invest in creativity and innovation."

Eutelsat to Increase Capacity at 9 Degrees with Additional Satellite

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 14:13:43 +0000

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) has announced that it is initiating a new satellite programme that will significantly expand and diversify resources at its 9° East location which addresses high-growth video markets across Europe.

A high-capacity Ku-band satellite called EUTELSAT 9B, ordered from Astrium, will be launched to 9° East at the end of 2014.

Open for business since 2007, Eutelsat's 9° East position is currently occupied by the 38-transponder EUROBIRD™ 9A satellite. Broadcasting 320 channels, of which over 10% already in HD, it is one of the Group's fastest-growing neighbourhoods. Its close proximity to Eutelsat's flagship HOT BIRD™ satellites at 13° East also gives satellite viewers the opportunity to increase viewing choice through a dual-feed antenna.

The deployment of the 66-transponder EUTELSAT 9B satellite will take 9° East to a new level of performance, increasing resources by over 70%. Capacity will be spread across five footprints, with frequency reuse significantly increasing overall bandwidth.

One pan-European footprint will deliver wide coverage for channels seeking maximum reach into satellite homes and to terrestrial headends (cable, ADSL, DTT …). Four focused footprints will individually address high-growth digital TV markets in Italy, Germany, Greece and the Nordic/Baltic regions. This regional footprint model will enable pay-TV platforms and national DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) programmes to efficiently address linguistic markets and in parallel leverage reception from the HOT BIRD™ neighbourhood. The regional mission for Italy has been designed in partnership with ASI (the Italian Space Agency). Its usage will be shared between ASI, for Italian institutional requirements, and Eutelsat, for video broadcasting in one of Europe's most dynamic TV markets.

The EUTELSAT 9B satellite has also been selected by Astrium Services to host the first data relay payload for the European Data Relay Satellite System (EDRS) being implemented through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between Astrium and ESA. The EDRS system of telecommunications satellites in geostationary orbit will allow very high data rate, bi-directional data relay communications between Low Earth Orbit Earth Observation satellites and an associated ground segment.

Commenting on the new programme, Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO, said. "This new satellite underscores our commitment to continue to invest in fast growing regions in our core video markets and to address new markets. We are delighted to partner with ASI, Italy's national space agency, on building complementary resources for the Italian market which add toits selection of KA-SAT to develop broadband connectivity for public administrations. Eutelsat is also proud to be part of ESA's flagship EDRS programme, driven by Astrium Services, to provide Europe with independent, on demand access to Earth observation data from LEO satellites in real-time."

Based on the successful Eurostar E3000 platform, EUTELSAT 9B will have a launch mass of 5,300 kg and an electrical power of 12 kW. It is the 21st satellite ordered by Eutelsat from Astrium. The share of the investment required for this programme over the next three years is included in Eutelsat's capital expenditure outlook for the period July 2011 to June 2014.