SES enables local TV stations to reach out of their regions. Viewers receiving via the ASTRA service now may enjoy a wider and more varied programme offer.

Prague, 23. May 2012 – SES (Euronext Paris a Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) reflects the rising demand for regional TV broadcast and offers local TV platforms support in spreading their signal.

„With supporting local TV projects we accommodate the customers’ and the market’s demand,“ says Martin Ornass-Kubacki, SES Vice President and Chief Regional Officer in the CEE region. „We are also happy that by spreading regional broadcast via ASTRA we contribute to the growth and increasing quality of local TV production in the Czech Republic.“

About 150 regional TV studios are operating in the Czech Republic, making up the country’s largest TV infrastructure with a significant viewership potential. Until now these platforms had a very difficult access into nationwide broadcasting. Proportionally to its reach, direct-to-home broadcasting (DTH) as well as satellite-based spread into cable networks are the cheapest and most effective ways to reach out for new viewers. Communal or regional broadcast may thus be watched by locals as well as by those, who don’t live in the particular area, but want to stay in touch with the region.

SES’ first regional partner is the regionalnitelevize.cz platform that airs local tourism offers. The 24/7 broadcast is based on periodically repeated loops comprised of content from different regions as well as nationwide news.

„We found several good reasons for transmitting via satellite: widest reach for the money invested, almost immediate entry into broadcast and 40% penetration in the Czech Republic. In SES we found a professional partner delivering cutting-edge services,“ claimed Eva Stejskalová, CEO of Regionální televize CZ s.r.o.

Regionálnítelevize.cz airs the content of over a hundred local TV stations from the Astra 3B satellite on 23,5°East position without coding (FTA).