In full text too (as things disappear on yahoo after a while) :-)
Thursday May 20, 7:46 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
MBT International to Provide EchoStar With Interactive Content for Television
- EchoStar, MBTI to Combine the Best Features of the Internet and Television for High-Speed Interactive Channel Subscribers -
CASTLE ROCK, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 20, 1999-- MBT International Inc. (OTC: MBTI - news), the leading provider of agricultural products and services over the Internet, announced today that it will supply EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH - news, DISHP - news), the fastest growing direct broadcast satellite (DBS) provider, with multimedia content for its high-speed interactive broadcast service. MBTI's interactive channel will deliver programming and online purchasing covering a broad spectrum of equine and agricultural interests.
EchoStar's high-speed interactive broadcast service, to debut in 1999, will offer subscribers on-demand multimedia information and entertainment through their televisions using specially designed EchoStar satellite receivers, all delivered through a small satellite dish. EchoStar's satellite broadcast will incorporate the best features of the Internet and TV - providing interactive content with high quality audio, smooth video images, dynamic graphics and text -- accessible by a remote control.
MBTI will incorporate its website content with visually dynamic multimedia and online purchasing capabilities, such as passive auctions like the current Horse Exchange (www.agrimall.com), where customers can view horses and participate in the action of cattle auctions through high-quality audio and full-motion video, as well as purchase farm and heavy equipment such as combines and tractors. In addition, MBTI will utilize its vast library of established titles on the agricultural industry and is prepared to deliver over 1,000 special interest video programs to EchoStar's rapidly growing customer base.
MBTI's focus on the $300 billion agricultural marketplace combined with its highly regarded websites, www.agrimall.com, www.horsenet.com, www.lifeathome.com and www.bookstable.com, creates a tremendous opportunity to provide new and desired services to an affluent, growing audience.
''We are tremendously excited to be working on thisrevolutionary project with EchoStar,'' said Andy McKinnon, CEO of MBT International. ''The convergence of the PC and TV is creating a market opportunity the likes of which have not been seen before. Although computers have become a familiar household item, many people are still intimidated by them, whereas the TV is an old friend. We anticipate an extremely successful launch.''
''MBTI is an attractive addition to our line of high-speed, interactive channels,'' said Mark Jackson, EchoStar's senior vice president of Satellite Services. ''We are committed to providing a wide variety of choices for our interactive customers from a multitude of subject areas. MBTI is a prime example of our aggressive strategy to offer diverse content.''
MBTI has over 400,000 users and is the parent company of AgriMall.com (www.agrimall.com), Horsenet.com (www.horsenet.com), LifeAtHome.com (www.lifeathome.com) and Bookstable.com (www.bookstable.com). MBTI's strategy is to acquire content-rich, value-added and sophisticated yet navigable websites, and to become a leader in the $300 billion agricultural industry. MBTI continually evaluates highly focused acquisitions that will further increase both the traffic and volume of e-commerce at its Agrimall.com site. MBTI applies methodologies currently in use by online auction and marketing. MBTI anticipates filing an application for listing on the Nasdaq Small Cap Market in the first half of 1999.
For additional information on MBTI, please visit the Company's website at www.mbtinet.com.
EchoStar Communications Corp., includes three interrelated business units:
- DISH Network(TM) is EchoStar's state-of-the-art DBS system that offers customers over 300 channels of digital video and CD-quality audio programming, fully MPEG-2/DVB compliant hardware and installation.
- EchoStar Technologies Corporation (ETC, formerly HTS(TM) - Houston Tracker Systems, Inc.), designs, manufactures and distributes DBS set-top boxes, antennas and other digital equipment for DISH Network and various international customers that include ExpressVu Canada and Telefonica's Via Digital system in Spain. ETC also provides uplink-center design, construction oversight and project-integration services for customers internationally.
- Satellite Services provides the delivery of video, audio and data services to business television customers and other satellite users. These services include satellite uplink, satellite transponder space-usage and other services. Satellite Services also administers SKY VISTA, a direct broadcast satellite service offering up to 27 channels of popular digital satellite television programming to viewers in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories in the Caribbean.
DISH Network currently serves over 2.3 million customers. DISH Network is a trademark of EchoStar Communications Corporation. HTS is a trademark of Houston Tracker Systems, Inc. DISH Network is located on the Internet at: www.dishnetwork.com
Certain statements in this release are forward looking. Although MBT International, Inc. believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from its expectations. For factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations and underlying assumptions, see reports by MBT International filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact:
MBT International, Inc., Castle Rock
Andy McKinnon, CEO
303/688-0244
Fax: 303/814-2382
or
Wolfe Axelrod Associates, New York
Stephen D. Axelrod, CFA
Donald Weinberger
Allen Salzberg
212/370-4500
Fax: 212/370-4505 |
