ASTRA 28.2° EAST: BBC CONTRACTS 3rd DIGITAL SATELLITE TRANSPONDER
Société Européenne des Satellites (Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SES; Frankfurt Exchange: SDSL) is delighted to announce a long-term contract with the BBC, the world renowned public service broadcaster, for an additional digital transponder on the ASTRA Satellite System at 28.2º East.
The new five year agreement increases the BBC's ASTRA transponder capacity by 50 per cent. The additional capacity (transponder nr. 38; 12.44100 GHz, V-polarization) will enable the BBC to introduce multiple screen coverage of the important Wimbledon tennis tournament this summer.
The BBC already digitally transmits all their major and specialist TV channels BBC 1, BBC 2, BBC News 24, BBC Knowledge, BBC Parliament and BBC Choice together with their regional variations and their radio services on ASTRA 28.2° East. These are already freely available to viewers in the 4.7 million British homes equipped for digital satellite reception at the end of 2000.*
Carolyn Fairbairn, BBC Director of Strategy & Distribution, who signed the agreement on behalf of the BBC said, "The agreement with SES will help ensure the BBC remains at the forefront of broadcasting innovation as interactive services become an ever more important part of people's viewing habits. This year will see the first truly interactive services from the BBC, and thanks to this agreement we can build on those initiatives to offer imaginative applications that will truly enhance and enrich the viewing experience for all our licence fee payers."
Commenting on the agreement, Yves Elsen, Commercial and Marketing Director of SES, said "We are delighted that the BBC, the world's premier public service broadcaster, has chosen ASTRA , Europe's leading satellite system, to introduce enhanced television programming. Interactive Wimbledon coverage is excellent news for tennis fans throughout Britain. The BBC's decision to introduce the service on ASTRA means that satellite viewers, wherever they live in the country, can enjoy all the top quality tennis with top quality pictures and sound to match".
* SES Satellite Monitors Year End 2000
For further information please contact:
Yves Feltes
Press Relations Manager
SES/ASTRA
Tel. (352) 710 725 311
E-Mail: Yves_Feltes@ses-astra.comChris Charlton
BBC New Media
Tel. 020 755 73280
E-Mail: chris.charlton@bbc.co.uk
About SES Group:
The SES Group operates a satellite services network providing seamless broadband communications spanning four continents. Based in Luxembourg, Société Européenne des Satellites S.A. (Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SES; Frankfurt Exchange: SDSL) is the operator of ASTRA, Europe's leading direct-to-home Satellite System, and a strategic shareholder in premier satellite operations like AsiaSat (34.10%), NSAB in Scandinavia (50%), and Star One in Latin America (19.99%).
On March 28th, 2001, SES announced the acquisition of 100% of US operator GE Americom in a $ 5 bn transaction still subject to regulatory approval. To that effect, SES has created SES Global S.A. which will hold all SES Group participations.
SES Global will become the world's premier broadband satellite services provider with a combined fleet of 28 wholly-owned spacecraft: 11 ASTRA and 17 Americom satellites as well as 13 additional satellites through partnerships and investments (3 AsiaSat, 3 SIRIUS, 5 Brasilsat and 2 other through Americom's interests in Latin America and Asia). The SES Global fleet will provide seamless global connectivity.
Americom operates 13 communications satellites over North America as well as 4 transoceanic spacecraft and reaches approximately 115 million viewers through an array of high-quality customers. NSAB operates the SIRIUS satellites providing audiovisual and multimedia services to more than 5 million homes in the Northern and Eastern European countries. AsiaSat is the leading satellite system in the Asian/Pacific region reaching over 80 million households with more than 300 million viewers. Star One operates Brasilsat, the largest satellite fleet over Latin America, whose broadcasts are received by more than 7 million households in Brazil.
SES' core business builds on ASTRA, Europe's leading direct-to-home satellite system. ASTRA transmits in analogue and digital format over 1000 television and radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services to an audience of more than 87million homes in Europe. Three additional ASTRA satellites are currently under construction and due for launch before mid 2002.
SES Multimedia operates the ASTRA-NET platform, enabling service and content providers to transmit data directly, via satellite, to personal computers in businesses and homes. SES is also the first European satellite operator to commercially exploit the Ka-band frequencies for its ASTRA Broadband Interactive System, a DVB-RCS based return channel system for interactive satellite applications. In addition, SES is extending its direct involvement in multimedia with partnerships, joint ventures and direct investment.
In the year ended December 2000, SES Group had revenues of EURO 835.9mn, EBITDA of EURO 708.7mn and operating income of EURO 516.6mn with an EBITDA margin of 84.8% and 426 employees (including AsiaSat). Its contracted backlog amounts to EURO 4.6bn.
For additional information about SES Group, its partners and GE Americom, visit: www.ses-astra.com, www.nsab.se, www.asiasat.com, www.starone.com.br and www.geamericom.com.