Asia’s leading satellite operator, Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) and Fashion TV (FTV) today announced the signing of an agreement for C-band capacity on AsiaSat 2 to launch FTV HD, the new high definition channel by FTV, in Asia Pacific.
Broadcast of FTV HD has commenced on AsiaSat 2. Through AsiaSat 2s powerful coverage and excellent penetration, the channel is distributed to all major cable and satellite networks, and pay TV platforms across the region, providing Asian viewers access to exceptional picture and sound quality of new programming on fashion, beauty, lifestyle and luxury.
FTV has also chosen once again RRsat Global Communication Network Ltd., a provider of comprehensive content management and global distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industries, to provide the advanced playout and uplink services for the FTV HD channel to AsiaSat 2.
Following the successful launch of our HD service in Europe, we are delighted to work with AsiaSat, our long-term partner, to continue to roll out FTV HD in Asia. We have been using AsiaSat satellite for our Asian services since 1998, and AsiaSat has proved itself to be a highly valued satellite partner over the years. We are pleased to further extend our relationship through distributing both our high definition and standard definition channels on AsiaSat satellites, said Michel Adam, President and Founder of Fashion TV. Taking the opportunity that many pay TV platforms in Asia are rapidly expanding their HD offerings as their differentiating feature, we have successfully concluded carriage arrangements with several major Asian platform operators prior to our official launch of service.
We are very pleased to welcome FTV HD on board AsiaSat 2. FTVs extension of services on AsiaSat satellites has again demonstrated broadcaster confidence in AsiaSat to be the ideal satellite platform for distribution service in Asia Pacific. This new HD channel is an exciting addition to AsiaSats HD service offering. We shall continue our efforts to grow our HD neighbourhood on AsiaSat to meet the fast growing demand from Asian TV platform operators for HD services in the region, said Peter Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.
“RRsat is pleased to be once again chosen by its long standing partner, Fashion TV, to provide advanced playout and uplink services for its FTV HD channel. This is in addition to the playout and uplink services already provided for FTV SD channel via AsiaSat 3S. We are proud to be part of such a strong group comprising a major satellite organisation covering all of Asia, a high quality programming channel as well as an advanced technological playout and uplink service provider namely AsiaSat, Fashion TV and RRsat,” said David Rivel, Founder and CEO of RRsat.