SES ASTRA, an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG), announced
today that it has signed a contract with the Czech music channel Ocko
based in Prague to be broadcast from ASTRA´s orbital position 23.5
degrees East. The transmission has started on 30 October. The current
free-to-air transmission from ASTRA´s orbital slot 19.2 degrees East
will end on 28 February 2008.
"The switch of Ocko from 19.2 degrees East to 23.5 degrees East is
further evidence that we are successfully building this orbital slot
into an important position for Direct-to-Home (DTH) reception in
Europe, especially for the Benelux and Central and Eastern Europe
markets," said Alexander Oudendijk, Chief Commercial Officer of SES
ASTRA. "With Sky Link from Slovakia and CS Link from the Czech
Republic, we already have two very successful regional bouquets on
this orbital position. We are certain that the increasingly attractive
neighbourhood at 23.5 degrees East will attract other program
operators and channels and create a very positive dynamic."
"Ocko was the first Czech free-to-air channel broadcasting on
ASTRA. With the switch to 23.5 degrees East it is now part of the most
important satellite platform in Czech Republic. We are very pleased to
support the further development of this orbital position and look
forward to seeing our audience grow," Jiri Balvin, General Director of
Ocko, said.
SES ASTRA had recently announced that it has moved its satellite
ASTRA 1E from 19.2 degrees East to 23.5 degrees East. Specific
satellite dish devices - DUO LNBs - allow the simultaneous reception
from both orbital positions. The new uplink facilities of Ocko can
also serve other local TV and radio channels for a satellite
transmission.
The new transmission parameters of Ocko on 23.5 degrees East are
-0-
*T
Satellite: ASTRA 1E
Transponder: 3.111
Download signal frequency: 10861.75 MHz
Pol: Horizontal
Symbol rate: 22 Ms/s
Fec: 5/6
*T
About SES ASTRA www.ses-astra.com
SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in
Europe, delivering services to more than 109 million DTH and cable
households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 13
satellites, transmitting 1,864 analogue and digital television and
radio channels. SES ASTRA also provides satellite-based multimedia,
internet and telecommunication services to enterprises, governments
and their agencies. With 26 High Definition (HD) channels available
via its satellites today, ASTRA is also the most important HDTV
broadcasting platform in Europe. ASTRA´s prime orbital positions are
19.2 degrees East, 28.2 degrees East, and 23.5 degrees East.
SES ASTRA is an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG). SES owns
three market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES
AMERICOM in North America, and SES NEW SKIES, which provide global
coverage and connectivity. The Company also holds strategic
participations in SES Sirius in Europe, Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in
Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions
via a fleet of 37 satellites in 25 orbital positions around the globe.
Additional information on SES is available at: www.ses.com
