Clear TV: New Dutch TV Channel from September 5
Free-to-air via ASTRA
(EMAILWIRE.COM, September 10, 2004 ) Amsterdam -- At the IBC 2004 in Amsterdam, Luxembourg based satellite operator SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris, Frankfurt and Luxembourg Stock Exchanges: SESG) and Clear Television Network from the Netherlands, announced today a contract for the digital free-to-air satellite distribution of Clear TV, a new Dutch TV channel across Europe. The channel, which primarily serves viewers interested in other cultures, will start on 15 September via the ASTRA Satellite System at 19.2° East. All programs will be broadcast in the original languages and subtitled in Dutch.
“We believe that the amount of interesting and entertaining programs from other countries and cultures broadcasted via the existing Dutch TV networks is rather limited”, says Vanessa Somers, general manager of Clear TV. From 15 September onwards, Clear TV will therefore broadcast free-to-air via ASTRA a broad mix of entertaining and interesting programs from a variety of countries from all over the world. Somers says: “We have programs from Japan, Turkey, England, America, Morocco and India, just to name a few countries. Clear TV will feature multiple genres: films, series, game shows and lots of sport. We focus on non-mainstream sports, which are currently offered only limited airtime on Dutch television. This means not only sports such as martial arts and water sports, but also squash, rugby and basketball.
For Dutch people with an interest in what happens outside their borders, Clear TV is an enrichment of the current offer of Dutch television stations. Though the programs will be broadcasted in the original languages, they will all be subtitled in Dutch. “By subtitling the programs, we hope to make a modest contribution to the process of creating more respect and understanding among different cultures,” says Somers.
Alexander Oudendijk, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing of SES ASTRA says: “By aiming at viewing groups which are underserved by the existing TV stations, we expect that Clear TV will be an interesting addition to the Dutch television landscape. Since Clear TV will broadcast its programs in the original languages, the many millions of ASTRA DTH viewers in other European countries will welcome Clear TV as an attractive addition to the free-to-air program offer on ASTRA.”
Broadcasting free-to-air via ASTRA at 19.2 degrees East, Clear TV can be received by 10,4 million digital DTH homes throughout Europe, of which circa 500.000 are in the Netherlands.
From 15 September Clear TV will be broadcasting free-to-air via the ASTRA Satellite System at 19.2 degrees East (transponder 112, 12610,50 MHz.). For more information on Clear TV: www.cleartelevision.com
For more information:
Yves Feltes
Press Relations SES ASTRA
Tel 352 710 725 311
Yves.Feltes@ses-astra.com
www.ses-astra.com
Vanessa Somers
General Manager Clear TV
Tel. 31 (0)6 48 33 80 41
qtv@wanadoo.nl
www.cleartelevision.com
Bill Wijdeveld
Sales Manager, Broadcast SES ASTRA
Tel. 352 021 166935
Bill.Wijdeveld@ses-astra.com
www.ses-astra.com
About ASTRA
The ASTRA Satellite System is Europe’s leading Direct-to-Home satellite system, delivering services to more than 94 million Direct-to-Home and cable households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 13 satellites, transmitting in excess of 1400 analogue and digital television and radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services. ASTRA’s two prime orbital positions for DTH (Direct-To-Home) services are 19.2° East and 28.2° East. Professional services like Direct-to-Cable (DTC), Satellite Newsgathering (SNG) and Occasional Use are offered from the orbital positions of 23.5°/24.2° East and 5.2° East.
SES ASTRA is an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris, Luxembourg and Frankfurt stock exchanges: SESG). SES GLOBAL owns two market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, and SES AMERICOM in the US. The Company also holds strategic participations in AsiaSat in Asia, Star One and Nahuelsat in Latin America, and NSAB in Europe. Via its WORLDSAT subsidiary it provides unparalleled connections to the premier regional satellite fleets of these SES GLOBAL partners. Americom Government Services provides network solutions and bandwidth to the US government and its contractors. SES GLOBAL can provide outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 40 satellites across the globe. In addition, SES GLOBAL is a shareholder in ORBCOMM, a provider of wireless data communications services through a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite network, and in satellite technology companies Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. and ND Satcom. Last but not least, SES GLOBAL is a founding shareholder in SATLYNX, a Luxembourg based joint venture with Gilat and Alcatel Space, which has created an unrivalled portfolio of reliable and cost-efficient two-way satellite broadband service solutions to enterprises/corporates, small office/home office (SOHO) users and local communities all over Europe. Additional info on SES GLOBAL at: www.ses-global.com.
“We believe that the amount of interesting and entertaining programs from other countries and cultures broadcasted via the existing Dutch TV networks is rather limited”, says Vanessa Somers, general manager of Clear TV. From 15 September onwards, Clear TV will therefore broadcast free-to-air via ASTRA a broad mix of entertaining and interesting programs from a variety of countries from all over the world. Somers says: “We have programs from Japan, Turkey, England, America, Morocco and India, just to name a few countries. Clear TV will feature multiple genres: films, series, game shows and lots of sport. We focus on non-mainstream sports, which are currently offered only limited airtime on Dutch television. This means not only sports such as martial arts and water sports, but also squash, rugby and basketball.
For Dutch people with an interest in what happens outside their borders, Clear TV is an enrichment of the current offer of Dutch television stations. Though the programs will be broadcasted in the original languages, they will all be subtitled in Dutch. “By subtitling the programs, we hope to make a modest contribution to the process of creating more respect and understanding among different cultures,” says Somers.
Alexander Oudendijk, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing of SES ASTRA says: “By aiming at viewing groups which are underserved by the existing TV stations, we expect that Clear TV will be an interesting addition to the Dutch television landscape. Since Clear TV will broadcast its programs in the original languages, the many millions of ASTRA DTH viewers in other European countries will welcome Clear TV as an attractive addition to the free-to-air program offer on ASTRA.”
Broadcasting free-to-air via ASTRA at 19.2 degrees East, Clear TV can be received by 10,4 million digital DTH homes throughout Europe, of which circa 500.000 are in the Netherlands.
From 15 September Clear TV will be broadcasting free-to-air via the ASTRA Satellite System at 19.2 degrees East (transponder 112, 12610,50 MHz.). For more information on Clear TV: www.cleartelevision.com
For more information:
Yves Feltes
Press Relations SES ASTRA
Tel 352 710 725 311
Yves.Feltes@ses-astra.com
www.ses-astra.com
Vanessa Somers
General Manager Clear TV
Tel. 31 (0)6 48 33 80 41
qtv@wanadoo.nl
www.cleartelevision.com
Bill Wijdeveld
Sales Manager, Broadcast SES ASTRA
Tel. 352 021 166935
Bill.Wijdeveld@ses-astra.com
www.ses-astra.com
About ASTRA
The ASTRA Satellite System is Europe’s leading Direct-to-Home satellite system, delivering services to more than 94 million Direct-to-Home and cable households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 13 satellites, transmitting in excess of 1400 analogue and digital television and radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services. ASTRA’s two prime orbital positions for DTH (Direct-To-Home) services are 19.2° East and 28.2° East. Professional services like Direct-to-Cable (DTC), Satellite Newsgathering (SNG) and Occasional Use are offered from the orbital positions of 23.5°/24.2° East and 5.2° East.
SES ASTRA is an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris, Luxembourg and Frankfurt stock exchanges: SESG). SES GLOBAL owns two market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, and SES AMERICOM in the US. The Company also holds strategic participations in AsiaSat in Asia, Star One and Nahuelsat in Latin America, and NSAB in Europe. Via its WORLDSAT subsidiary it provides unparalleled connections to the premier regional satellite fleets of these SES GLOBAL partners. Americom Government Services provides network solutions and bandwidth to the US government and its contractors. SES GLOBAL can provide outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 40 satellites across the globe. In addition, SES GLOBAL is a shareholder in ORBCOMM, a provider of wireless data communications services through a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite network, and in satellite technology companies Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. and ND Satcom. Last but not least, SES GLOBAL is a founding shareholder in SATLYNX, a Luxembourg based joint venture with Gilat and Alcatel Space, which has created an unrivalled portfolio of reliable and cost-efficient two-way satellite broadband service solutions to enterprises/corporates, small office/home office (SOHO) users and local communities all over Europe. Additional info on SES GLOBAL at: www.ses-global.com.