MIAMI (October 2, 2000) – Fast expanding its world TV DBS service over North America, GlobeCast announced today that it has added major Arabic-language broadcaster ANA Television Network Inc. (ANA)/Middle East Broadcast Center (MBC) and ANA Radio Network Inc. to its digital platform for foreign broadcasters on Telstar 5, increasing its offer to 19 channels, according to Robert Behar, president and chief executive officer of GlobeCast America.
The broadcast services unit of France Telecom (NYSE:FTE), GlobeCast is the world market leader in delivering complete end-to-end transmission and production services for traditional and new broadcast media, and the fastest growing provider of world television programming to consumers in the U.S. and Canada, via direct-to-home and cable headend distribution.
ANA TV/MBC and ANA Radio provide 24-hour programming by subscription to entertain, inform and promote the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of Arabs living worldwide with broadcasts in both Arabic and English languages.
‘Foreign broadcast networks committed to serving nationals living in other countries continue to choose GlobeCast to deliver their signals to the North American market efficiently, economically, and without infringement on programming, advertising or subscription fees,’ Behar said.
GlobeCast’s DBS service offers an extended bouquet of regional Middle Eastern, Asian and European programming neighborhoods. These include Arabic services Abu Dhabi TV (EBC), ANA TV/MBC, ANA Radio, Kuwait TV, Saudi Arabian Television Channel One and Syria Satellite Channel; Asian channels Macroview Satellite TV (MSTV) from Taiwan, North American Television (NATV) in Chinese, Royal Thai Army Radio and VTV4 from Vietnam; Iranian services IRIB, Iran TV Network and National Iranian Television (NITV); and Italian channels Video Italia, Radio Italia and Radio Dimensione Suono (RDS). Most channels are free-to-air.
According to Behar, GlobeCast will be announcing other carriage agreements with key broadcasters from around the world in the coming weeks.
GlobeCast offers foreign broadcasters comprehensive end-to-end services, including seamless delivery of programming from their native countries, multiplexing, encryption, full-time transmission, distribution of decoders and antennas, and consumer marketing. Further, GlobeCast’s world television platform is open and flexible to allow broadcasters the option to deliver their programming free-to-air, by subscription or as pay-per-view. The platform is compatible with any MPEG-2/DVB decoder.
In addition, GlobeCast markets a complete DBS home receiver package, with private-label decoder, 30-inch antenna, low-noise block-converter (LNB) and mounting hardware for $399, with no monthly fee. The system is easy to install in under 30 minutes. In addition, GlobeCast maintains a call center staffed with multilingual customer service representatives, which can be reached toll free at 1-888-988-5288.
GlobeCast is the world’s largest provider of end-to-end transmission and production services, offering specialized products for every segment of the broadcasting industry in all of the emerging standards, including digital, HDTV and IP. These include master control and network origination, DBS distribution of world television programming, IP webcasting and multicasting, business television, Internet backbone, satellite distribution of syndicated programming, studio and mobile production and post production, language conversion, sports and event transmission and production, satellite newsgathering and audio distribution.
In America, GlobeCast operates four international teleports and production facilities in Los Angeles, New York and Miami, technical operations centers in Washington DC and Salt Lake City, and a regional office in Dallas. For further information, please contact Robert Marking at 212-885-8732 or visit GlobeCast’s consumer world television website, www.globecastwtv.com.
CONTACT:
Gigi Otero
Gigi Otero Public Relations
305-856-6452
goteropr@aol.com