Panamsat has announced a centralcasting by satellite solution to enhance and expand the way its broadcast customers distribute their content.

An official release informs that this satellite distribution capability enables a broadcaster to automate the delivery of programming from a central source to multiple affiliate stations. Through this solution, broadcasters can increase their market penetration, improve the quality of service delivered to their affiliates and reduce their overall operational costs.

America's ninth largest broadcast company Equity Broadcasting has launched a centralcasting system by utilising capacity on the Panamsat fleet. Supported by Panamsat's Galaxy XR satellite at 123 degrees west longitude, Equity will use this system to manage and distribute programming from its Colorado headquarters to 13 of its remote television operations. Now, Equity will be able to simultaneously deliver a high-quality digital signal to all of its must-carry cable systems while experiencing a substantial cost savings.

Panamsat has stated that through the centralcasting technology, its large broadcast customers such as Equity Broadcasting can leverage the point-to-multipoint efficiency of satellite-based broadcast systems, resulting in the highest quality transmission at a reduced operational cost. The company claims that its centralcasting solution is just another example of how it continually works with its customers to develop innovative and efficient ways to distribute their content in the market.

Equity Broadcasting owns and operates more than 100 licenses for television and radio stations in the US. The company has grown from owning and operating one full-power television station to 22 over a three-year period.