Astra Nabs Transponder Deals from GlobeCast, BBC

Betzdorf, July 12, 2005/Satnews Daily/ — SES Astra, an SES Global company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), announced on Tuesday its first transponder deal with GlobeCast and a further transponder agreement with BBC.

SES Astra said GlobeCast will use the transponder to provide additional transmission capacity for new start-up channels, as well as for existing customers looking to expand channels and offer new services such as interactive content.

Juliet Bayliss, director for Broadcast Services for GlobeCast UK, said the addition of this transponder to GlobeCast’s offer will help GlobeCast broadcast clients to target the British satellite television market and will also contribute to the development of new services in the region – most notably in the domain of HDTV.

GlobeCast - a subsidiary of France Telecom - operates on five continents and employs over 900 personnel worldwide. It uses a global network of satellite platforms to deliver professional broadcast, enterprise and retail media, government communications and a growing range of file-based multimedia content.

BBC has also contracted a further transponder deal on the Astra 2A satellite at 28.2ºE. SES Astra said BBC, which already has six ASTRA transponders on Astra 2B and 2D, will use the additional capacity to reconfigure the satellite delivery of its portfolio of TV, radio and interactive services.

BBC’s acting controller of distribution Richard Waghorn, said BBC aims to deliver its services across the UK on the platforms where its audiences expect to find them, free-to-air.

“The new transponder will increase our flexibility to meet our audiences’ changing aspirations for the satellite platform,” he said.

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