(4 May 2009 4:00 pm)

MUMBAI: UTV Network has appointed BT's media and broadcasting arm for distribution of its Hindi movie channel – UTV Movies - in the US.

UTV Movies, which was launched on the DirecTV DTH Platform in the US on 18 March, is airing a separate feed tailored for the US market. The feed is being played out of India and is delivered to the DirecTV Broadcast Center in Los Angeles, US through BT’s Global Media Network.

UTV Global Broadcasting Ltd executive director Shantonu Aditya said, “For today’s broadcasters the big business opportunity is to leverage the best means to take advantage of globalisation. We are confident that the BT network is not only reliable and resilient but will also provide the additional benefits of cost effectiveness and point-to-multipoint connectivity, giving us more flexibility to expand our services going forward.”

BT Asia Pacific COO Kevin Taylor added, “BT offers a resilient platform to assist UTV take its business globally. BT’s media and broadcast media-IP network is the only IP network which can connect customer’s to multiple platforms across many countries without getting out of the network and this is a key reason why UTV chose BT.”

BT’s Global Media Network provides secure and seamless connectivity, linking all the different stages of the media ecosystem, from production through to distribution.

BT claims that it is one of the IP networks which can connect the customer to multiple platforms across many countries without having to move out of the network. This, it says, significantly guards against risk, provides resilience, disaster recovery and continuity planning.

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