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Weigel Broadcasting Launches ME TV with SES

Dépèche transmise le 12 avril 2011 par Business Wire

Weigel Broadcasting Launches ME TV with SES

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Turning ambitions into reality, SES WORLD SKIES, a division of SES S.A. (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG), today announced a capacity agreement to deliver Weigel’s new digital ME TV channel to broadcast stations and viewers across the U.S.

“SES WORLD SKIES enabled us to meet our key requirements by ensuring that ME TV and THIS TV shared the same polarity on AMC-3, making the new channel an easy add-on for broadcasters.”

As part of the 12MHz C-band deal on SES WORLD SKIES’ AMC-3 satellite, Weigel is using 8MHz to distribute timeless TV classics from the 60s, 70s and 80s to a growing number of affiliates that cover more than 45% of the US TV households. ME TV (Memorable Entertainment Television) favorites include Gilligan’s Island, Cannon, Bonanza, M*A*S*H, Mary Tyler Moore, Cheers, Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone and dozens more coveted titles.

The launch of ME TV follows Weigel’s successful 24-hour movie channel partnership with MGM named THIS TV, currently carried by more than 140 broadcast stations nationwide. The digital subchannel THIS TV is also delivered over AMC-3 using a 4MHz slice of C-band capacity.

“ME TV has been a huge hit with our local Chicago viewers since 2005, and it represents a win-win for audiences and affiliates across the country as we launch nationwide,” said Kyle Walker, Director of Engineering and Operations for Weigel Broadcasting. “We’ve opened the vault to share a refreshing mix of TV classics that haven’t been seen in years, and we’re delivering them over the most reliable and flexible satellite distribution platform in the business,” noted Walker.

“We had to make affiliate access to ME TV simple to give our new classics channel the best shot at success,” Walker added. “SES WORLD SKIES enabled us to meet our key requirements by ensuring that ME TV and THIS TV shared the same polarity on AMC-3, making the new channel an easy add-on for broadcasters.”

“Weigel Broadcasting’s innovative use of digital bandwidth offers broadcast stations new revenue-generating sub channels and provides viewers with great alternative channel choices,” said Steve Bunke, Vice President of North America Sales for SES WORLD SKIES. “We look forward to enabling Weigel’s vision and playing a key role in the success of ME TV and THIS TV for years to come.”

About AMC-3

The C-band satellite supports a diverse group of customers ranging from the oil and gas industry to broadcasters and direct-to-home internet service providers.

About SES WORLD SKIES

SES WORLD SKIES is the global SES division that operates a fleet of 28 satellites – part of the 44 spacecraft of the SES group – delivering services as diverse as television distribution and broadcast, internet access, data transmission and business and government communications to customers worldwide. The company’s unique customer-focused approach allows it to offer the best satellite solutions for a host of business and government requirements, with a view toward helping customers meet their short-term challenges and realize their longer-term goals. SES WORLD SKIES comprises a world-class team of customer care and technical professionals located in Princeton (NJ), The Hague, Washington, D.C., Singapore, London, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Sydney, Accra and Johannesburg.

About SES

SES (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) wholly owns the market-leading satellite operators SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES and participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a global fleet of 44 satellites. For further information: www.ses.com