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ZEE TV TIES UP
TRANSPONDER DEAL WITH ASIASAT
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company
Limited (AsiaSat) and Expand Fast Limited (EFL), a
wholly owned subsidiary of Zee Multimedia Worldwide
Limited (ZMWL), have signed a new lease agreement
for three C-band transponders on AsiaSat 3S.
EFL will launch its brand new package
of digital and analogue television services off AsiaSat
3S early next year, including Hindi channels Zee TV,
Zee News, Zee Cinema, Music Asia, and the newly launched
regional language channels, Alpha TV Marathi, Alpha
TV Bangla and Alpha Punjabi --- an exciting mix of
entertainment, sports, movies, music, news and public
affairs programming appealing to the Indian masses
and other ethnic communities will be available to
millions of viewers across the region.
According to R K Singh, CEO of Zee
Network, "Acquiring the 3 C-band transponders on AsiaSat
3S is testimony to Zee Network's strive for excellence
in providing quality programming and the latest in
technology."
He said that this transponder capacity
will be used to offer digital and analogue services
for delivering high-quality regional and international
programming, and thus provide greater choice to our
viewers, advertisers and cable operators across South
Asia and Asia. In addition to the existing services
on AsiaSat 3S, the new services from Zee Network on
the additional transponders on AsiaSat 3S should help
AsiaSat and Zee TV cement their partnership in the
years ahead.
"This is a significant deal for AsiaSat.
We are excited to further strengthen our television
bouquet in India, one of the world's largest television
markets. By using AsiaSat 3S Zee also gains access
to the Indian community in the countries covered by
AsiaSat 3S' extensive footprint," says Peter Jackson,
chief executive of AsiaSat. He added: "We see this
as a great step forward in our long term relationship
with Zee, the largest satellite television network
in South Asia."
In addition to the existing services
on AsiaSat 3S, the new services from Zee Network on
the additional transponders on AsiaSat 3S should help
AsiaSat and Zee TV cement their partnership in the
years ahead.
In the following months, Zee will
utilise its remaining two transponders to launch new
analogue, free to air television services. AsiaSat
3S replaced AsiaSat 1 at the orbital location of 105.5
degrees East on 8 May. The share market meanwhile
reacted extremely positively to the news around the
Zee Telefilms stock taking it past the Rs 6,000 mark
today to trade at Rs 6,300 plus.
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