Al Jazeera Balkans Chooses Eutelsat's W3C Satellite at the 16° East Neighbourhood to Launch its New TV Service on November 11
PARIS, November 10, 2011/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) announces that its W3C
satellite has been selected by Al Jazeera Balkans to broadcast its new
network to viewers across Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia,
Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro. Al Jazeera Balkans has signed a multi-year
contract with Eutelsat for capacity on W3C for its new channel which will go
live tomorrow at 6 pm. Al Jazeera Balkans is the 23rd to launch in the Al
Jazeera network.
Broadcasting free-to-air, Al Jazeera Balkans will use Eutelsat's W3C
satellite at 16degree(s) East to reach homes in Central Europe connected to
cable networks or equipped for Direct-to-Home reception. The channel's focus
will be on news, with one-hour and shorter news programmes as well as
documentaries and political and economic shows. Its state-of-the-art studios
in Sarajevo also host the satellite uplink to W3C. Reporting will be
complemented by studios in Zagreb Belgrade and Skopje and correspondents in
Podgorica, Pri?tina, Mostar and Banja Luka, as well as Washington, London,
Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, Istanbul and Jerusalem. The channel will also
receive support from more than 70 Al Jazeera network bureaux around the
globe.
Launched in October and in full commercial service since November 9,
Eutelsat's W3C satellite is delivering new resources for dynamic
broadcasting markets in Central Europe via a high-power beam optimised for
TV reception. Eutelsat's 16degree(s) East location is already the leading
neighbourhood for Central Europe, broadcasting into 11 million homes. W3C
will further consolidate Eutelsat's support for individual channels and
pay-TV platforms.
Tarik Dodic, Managing Director of Al Jazeera Balkans, commented: "We are
very pleased to partner with a renowned company such as Eutelsat that offers
the most reliable service and provides wide coverage of the entire region.
Eutelsat's 16degree(s) East neighbourhood and its new W3C satellite are the
natural choice for us to optimise reach into TV homes in the Balkans and we
are delighted to have their support for our new venture."
Andrew Wallace, Eutelsat's Chief Commercial Officer, said: "We welcome
Al Jazeera Balkans on board W3C just two days after our newest satellite
went live. The selection of 16degree(s) East by a new flagship channel in
the Balkan region underscores the strength of this longstanding
neighbourhood in Central Europe. We look forward to forging further
longstanding partnerships with channels in one of Europe's most dynamic
regions for satellite TV."
How to receive Al Jazeera Balkans
Satellite: W3C
Orbital position: 16degree(s) East
Downlink frequency: 12.677 MHz
Polarisation: horizontal
FEC: 3/4
About Eutelsat Communications
Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234)
is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 29
satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well
as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the
Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators
in terms of revenues. As of 30 June 2011, Eutelsat's satellites were
broadcasting more than 3,800 television channels. More than 1,100 channels
are broadcast via its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East
alone which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the
Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range
of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets,
corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and
for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband
subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates access to high speed internet
services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local
communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa,
Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries
employ just over 700 commercial, technical and operational professionals
from 30 countries.