n-tv and tm3 join free-to-air digital line-up at 19.2° East more than 60 digital TV channels free to-air via Europe’s prime DTH position

New channels and the launch of an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) are poised make digital direct-to-home reception via the ASTRA satellite system increasingly attractive, not least for German speaking audiences.

The German news channel n-tv (co-owned by CNN), as well as tm3, the News International owned theme channel who recently secured exclusive transmissions rights for the popular football Champions League, join the digital free-to-air line-up on ASTRA at 19.2 East as of today.

The announcement comes on the eve of the opening of IFA ’99, the worlds largest consumer electronic show, in Berlin (27.8 – 5.9. 1999). Société Européenne des Satellites (SES), the operator of Europe’s leading ASTRA satellite system, is showcasing digital satellite TV and innovative multimedia and internet applications via satellite in Hall 4.2, Stand 1.

Including ntv and tm3, the digital free-to-air offer on ASTRA 19.2° East now boasts 61 TV channels. The offer includes 39 services broadcasting in German language (representing virtually all existing public and private channels in the market), 5 French speaking services, 4 English speaking services, 3 Arabic, 3 Spanish, 2 Italian, as well as services in four other languages (see list attached).

RTL WORLD: A FREE-TV EPG IN GERMAN

In time for IFA, the well-known German broadcasters RTL Television, RTL 2 and Super RTL are also launching the EPG ‘RTL World’ on ASTRA. RTL World offers, at the tip of a button, on-screen programming and scheduling information as well as associated information for all German digital-free-tv stations on ASTRA.

Comments Yves Elsen, Commercial and Marketing Director at SES: "ASTRA offers unparalleled digital program choice, not least for German speaking audiences. Free-to-air DTH-reception across Europe only requires a small dish fitted with a Universal LNB looking at the orbital position of 19.2° East and a DVB-compatible digital satellite decoder. 19.2° East, Europe’s prime orbital slot for DTH-reception with an audience approaching 77 million households, also offers pay-TV packages for various language markets, a multitude of audio services and, increasingly, innovative new multimedia and Internet applications."

By mid 1999, some 76.97 million European households were receiving ASTRA delivered programming, either DTH (27.92 million households), or via cable redistribution (49,05 million households). In Germany alone, 12.0 million households are equipped for ASTRA DTH reception, with 2.5 million of these installations currently "digital-ready", i.e. equipped with a Universal LNB. To date, some 500.000 German households receive digital TV directly via ASTRA, another 480.000 via cable. The overall number of households equipped for digital ASTRA reception throughout Europe stands by mid 1999 at 3.3 million. This represents an increase of 1.5 million homes or 79.9% compared to 1998. According to the latest market research by SES and Infratest Burke, some 1.66 million German households are considering switching to digital reception in the near future. The corresponding figure across Europe is 8.79 million.

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About SES/ASTRA:

Société Européenne des Satellites S.A. (SES) is the operator of ASTRA, Europe’s leading direct-to-home Satellite System. ASTRA currently transmits on 152 transponders (120 at 19.2° East and 32 at 28.2° East) in analogue and digital more than 800 different television and radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services to an audience of close to 77 million homes in Europe.

The company to date operates 9 active satellites (ASTRA 1A – 1H at 19.2° East; ASTRA 2A at 28.2° East). ASTRA 2B and ASTRA 1K are currently under construction with Matra Marconi Space and Alcatel Space respectively and are due for launch in 1999 and 2001. ASTRA 2C and ASTRA 2D, the 12th and 13th spacecraft in the ASTRA fleet, have been commissioned in August 1999 with Hughes Space and Communications.

SES is also a major shareholder in ASIASAT (34.13% since January 15th, 1999), the prime Asian satellite operator providing broadcast and telecommunications services to 53 countries in the Asian/Pacific region. The combined footprints of ASTRA and ASIASAT cover three quarters of the world’s population.

SES is listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange under the form of Fiduciary Depositary Receipts (symbol: SES) and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (symbol: SDSL).

For further information: www.astra.lu