The Associated Press (AP), the world’s largest and most-experienced news agency and Munich based earth television network GmbH, which owns and operates the largest world-wide, fully remote controlled broadcast camera network, have announced a new content distribution partnership. AP will distribute three key earthTV products to its broadcast and online clients through Europe, and in other selected territories.

The partnership also allows AP to license earthTV’s unique webTVplayer to its newspaper and publishing clients as well as other web portals seeking high quality daily video content. The three earthTV products are the hourly The World Live programmes; the network’s weather programmes including 3-Day Forecast, the first weather report with real images of the future and earthTV’s event programming which includes the 2010 World Cup Countdown (daily LIVE from the host cities in South Africa) and the New Year’s Eve spectacular. The distribution deal will commence on 1 November 2009.

Thomas Hohenacker, CEO and founder of earthTV’s mother company Telcast Media Group GmbH, comments: ‘AP has offered earthTV a global satellite transmission service for a number of years and this new partnership is a logical progression of the two company’s relationship of mutual respect and trust. I think earthTV programmes which are available in the language and local design of the client’s individual countries are a perfect complement for AP’s video news feeds. Both earth television network and AP are committed to delivering clients the highest quality products and services and we at earthTV are very excited that our two teams will be working together.’

Markus Ickstadt, AP’s Director of Sales Europe, Middle East & Africa: “While AP has enjoyed a commercial relationship with earthTV for a number of years, this development is an exciting departure that for the first time matches the content needs of our customers with the output both AP and earthTV can offer. earthTV’s state-of-the-art technology and compelling business models represent the kind of break-through our customers are looking for, as we aim to secure income not just for us who create and deliver the content, but also our customers who display and distribute it”.