DTV in Africa.........................
PanAmSat Deal Beaming TV Into Africa's 32 Mil Households
Newsbyte News Network
Fri, Nov 07 1997
GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A., 1997 NOV 7 (NB) -- By Bill Pietrucha, Newsbytes. PanAmSat Corp. {NASDAQ:SPOT} is expanding its African footprint, striking satellite deals in Nigeria and Sudan.
Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.
According to Elizabeth Ridley, PanAmSat's regional manager for Africa, the Nigeria-based Minaj Group has contracted to use PanAmSat's PAS-3 Atlantic Ocean Region satellite to distribute the new Minaj Broadcast International (MBI) television network throughout Africa. PAS-3's continent-wide African coverage for program distribution services will allow Minaj "to reach Africa's potential television audience of approximately 38 million TV households," she said.
"Through the use of a digital channel on the PAS-3 satellite, Minaj has tapped into a high-quality, cost-effective communications pipeline to expand its reach beyond Nigeria's borders to growing television audiences throughout the African continent," Ridley said.
Saleem Khan, head of Minaj's London-based International Div., said the use of the PAS-3 satellite "will enable us to offer our diverse blend of programming to television viewers in Africa. With this capability, and our plans for continued international expansion, Minaj can realize its goal of becoming Africa's leading global media company."
Ridley said Minaj will use a 9 megahertz (MHz) digital channel on the PAS-3 C-band Africa beam to distribute a combination of popular and sports-oriented television programming to its growing base of broadcast affiliates.
PAS-3, launched in January 1996, is a Hughes HS 601 satellite with 16 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders. The satellite provide comprehensive coverage of the Americas, Europe and Africa.
The Minaj Group, the African-oriented information and entertainment media conglomerate founded in 1980, includes terrestrial and satellite-based television, Minaj Systems Television and Minaj Broadcast International (MBI); cable, Minaj Cable Network; radio, Minaj Systems Radio; and diversified media production and program content, Minaj Productions. The company also has printing operations in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
In Africa's largest country, Ridley said the Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority in Sudan is using PanAmSat's PAS-4 Indian Ocean region satellite as part of its new air traffic control communications network designed by NSN Network Services, a division of Jacor Communications of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The air traffic control network, developed by NSN Network Services, uses 700 kilohertz (KHz) PAS-4 digital capacity to transmit air traffic control data and communications among multiple sites equipped with small, low-cost antennas, known as very small aperture terminals (VSATs), she said.
"PanAmSat satellites are providing vital communications links between pilots and control towers throughout Sudan, ensuring the safety of all air travelers in the region," Ridley said.
The PAS-4 satellite, launched in August 1995, contains 16 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders. The satellite provides broadcast and telecommunications services throughout Africa, including continent-wide program distribution, direct-to-home television services in South Africa and international Internet access.
PanAmSat also provides satellite services in Africa over the PAS-3 Atlantic Ocean Region satellite, Ridley said, and plans further service expansion upon the launch of the PAS-7 Indian Ocean Region satellite next year. PAS-7 will be located in the same orbital location as PAS-4, she said, "easing service expansion for television programming distribution and VSAT network sites.
PanAmSat Corporation operates a global network of 16 state-of-the-art satellites supported by PanAmSat professionals on five continents. PanAmSat resources and services include cable and broadcast television satellites in the United States, Latin America, the Indian subcontinent and the Asia- Pacific; satellite platforms for direct-to-home television services in Latin America, South Africa, the Middle East and India; live transmission services for news, sports and special events coverage worldwide; and global satellite-based telecommunications services and Internet access.
Ridley said PanAmSat plans to launch five additional satellites by late 1998, including the Galaxy VIII-i satellite launch in December 1997.
Reported by Newsbytes News Network: newsbytes.com
(19971107/Press & Reader Contact: Dan Marcus, PanAmSat, 203- 622-6664)
(Copyright 1997) |
