USA/India: GlobeCast Expands South Asian Bouquet
Text of press release from Washington DC-based GlobeCast WorldTV on 7 September
Washington, DC, 7 September: GlobeCast WorldTV (www.globecastworldtv.com) – America’s premier international direct- to-home satellite television provider – announced today the launch of three new channels with the addition of Amrita TV, Aakaash TV and Tara International. Amrita TV originates in Kerala and is broadcast in Malayalam with English subtitles; Aakaash TV and Tara International are Bangla channels from West Bengal.
These new channels augment GlobeCast WorldTV’s South Asian bouquet and address the viewing interests of this expanding community in the US According to the US Census Bureau the Asian population in the US has increased 100 per centin the last 15 years and currently numbers 12.3 million. Amrita TV, Aakaash TV and Tara International join a bouquet of 29 Asian channels – including 12 South Asian – currently available on GlobeCast WorldTV and reaffirm the company’s presence as a major player in the US Direct-to-Home satellite market.
Amrita TV is a general entertainment channel with a focus on family living, self-help and spirituality. The channel presents value-based entertainment with options for everyone in the family including a mix of dramas, musical performances, game shows, competitions, and spiritual growth programmes as well as news and specials about India’s history and cultural heritage. Amrita TV is based in Kerala and broadcasts 24/7, in Malayalam with English subtitles.
Aakaash TV is the second highest rated channel among Indian Bengali programmers and presents a vibrant mix of programmes also aimed at the entire family. Subjects include news and current affairs, with hourly news bulletins and three 30-minute news programmes daily; sporting events, game shows, talk shows, children’s series, investigative crime series and modern and classic films.
Tara International serves the Bengali diaspora around the world and is the first channel of its kind. With programming catering to the demands of a global Bengali audience, the network features a variety of art, culture, lifestyle and news programming. Tara International’s line-up includes dramas, films, talk, cooking, travel and games shows as well as children’s programming to name a few of the many television genres that comprise a comprehensive array of options for all members of the Bengali community living around the world.
GlobeCast WorldTV – a subsidiary of satellite service provider GlobeCast – is the leading source for international programming via satellite in America, delivering more than 140 market leading television and radio channels in over 30 languages representing 40 countries from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, via Direct- to-Home Ku-band satellite on Intelsat Americas 5.
GlobeCast WorldTV furnishes a complete channel distribution package to programmers, including subscriber management and activation, consumer retailing of a private-label receiver and dish package, marketing, technical support and access to a regional installer network. Further, GlobeCast WorldTV facilitates carriage agreements between cable operators and channels to promote access to programmers by cable subscribers. A complete channel line-up is available at www.globecastworldtv.com.
GlobeCast (www.globecast.com) – a subsidiary of France Telecom – is the world’s leading satellite services company, operating a global network of satellite distribution platforms for DTH and cable broadcast, enterprise media and advanced IP-based content delivery. The company’s global presence includes 15 teleports and technical operations centers throughout America, Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. GlobeCast offers the complete range of satellite broadcast solutions, including TV channel distribution, secure satellite internet delivery, webcasting, satellite newsgathering, direct-to-home distribution, sports programming backhaul, programme origination, studio production, special events mobile production and audio distribution.