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EchoStar and Asiasat FORM DTH Joint
Venture
EchoStar Corporation
June 1, 2009
Englewood, CO & Hong Kong, China -- EchoStar Corporation
(Nasdaq: SATS), a leading provider of end-to-end pay TV delivery
systems and a designer and manufacturer of equipment for satellite,
IPTV, cable, terrestrial and consumer electronics markets, and Asia
Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), a wholly
owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings
Limited (HKSE:1135) and Asia's leading satellite operator, announced
today the formation of a joint venture for the delivery of a
direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television service to Taiwan and
other targeted regions in Asia. |
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The satellite TV service
will broadcast from AsiaSat 4, providing a wide variety of audio and
video channels in an all digital format distributed directly to
consumer homes via a small satellite antenna and a digital set-top
box.
EchoStar, bringing more than 25 years of experience in satellite
television and consumer pay television operations, is leveraging its
DTH operations expertise and award-winning set-top box technology to
deliver superior television to Asian viewers.
AsiaSat, Asia’s premier satellite operator with
20 years of marketing and operational excellence, is the owner and
operator of the AsiaSat 4 satellite with a Broadcast Satellite
Service (BSS) payload that enables viewers to receive the DTH
offerings using satellite antennas as small as 30 cm in diameter.
"This joint venture between AsiaSat and EchoStar makes it possible
to enter the growing Asian market that seeks a popular lineup of all
digital television channels at an attractive price,” said Steve
Schaver, President of EchoStar International Corporation, a wholly
owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corp. “The opportunity to partner with
AsiaSat for delivery of video services creates an exciting
opportunity for EchoStar as we enter the DTH market in Asia.”
“Our alliance with EchoStar for the launch of a DTH satellite TV
service creates an innovative and high quality product for an
increasing number of technology-aware consumers in Asia demanding a
greater choice for pay television service,” said Peter Jackson,
Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat.
Under the joint venture agreement, EchoStar, a leading provider of
DTH services and satellite TV equipment in the United States,
Canada, Mexico and Europe, including to the world’s second largest
DTH operator, is contributing its operational expertise and digital
satellite TV equipment to the joint venture. AsiaSat, an
award-winning market leader in Asian satellite services, is
providing satellite capacity for the DTH satellite TV platform.
The service is expected to be available to consumers in the second
half of 2009. Announcements on programming packages, equipment
availability and targeted territories will be made in the coming
months.
About AsiaSat
AsiaSat, the leading regional satellite
operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world's population
with its three satellites, AsiaSat 2 at 100.5ºE, AsiaSat 3S at
105.5ºE and AsiaSat 4 at 122ºE. The AsiaSat satellite fleet provides
services to both the broadcast and telecommunications industries.
Some 300 television channels are now delivered by the company's
satellites, reaching over 96 million households, with more than 360
million viewers across the Asia Pacific region. Many
telecommunications customers use AsiaSat for services such as public
telephone networks, private VSAT networks and broadband multimedia
services. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite
Telecommunications Holdings Limited, a company listed on The Stock
Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (HKSE: 1135). AsiaSat was voted the
“Best Asian Satellite Carrier” by Telecom Asia magazine in March
2009. Visit www.asiasat.com
About EchoStar Corporation
EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) provides equipment sales,
digital broadcast operations, and satellite services worldwide.
EchoStar has 25 years of experience designing and distributing
advanced award-winning set-top boxes and related products for pay
television providers. The company includes a network of 10 digital
broadcast centers and leased fiber optic capacity with points of
presence in approximately 160 U.S. cities. EchoStar also delivers
satellite services from eight satellites and related FCC licenses |
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