AL Jazeera Balkans Chooses Eutelsat's W3c Satellite At The 16° East Neighbourhood
10 November 2011
Eutelsat Communications has been selected by Al Jazeera Balkans to broadcast its new network to viewers across Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro. Al Jazeera Balkans has signed a multi-year contract with Eutelsat for capacity on W3C for its new channel which will go live tomorrow at 6 pm. Al Jazeera Balkans is the 23rd to launch in the Al Jazeera network.
Broadcasting free-to-air, Al Jazeera Balkans will use Eutelsat's W3C satellite at 16° East to reach homes in Central Europe connected to cable networks or equipped for Direct-to-Home reception. The channel's focus will be on news, with one-hour and shorter news programmes as well as documentaries and political and economic shows. Its state-of-the-art studios in Sarajevo also host the satellite uplink to W3C. Reporting will be complemented by studios in Zagreb Belgrade and Skopje and correspondents in Podgorica, Priština, Mostar and Banja Luka, as well as Washington, London, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, Istanbul and Jerusalem. The channel will also receive support from more than 70 Al Jazeera network bureaux around the globe.
Launched in October and in full commercial service since November 9, Eutelsat's W3C satellite is delivering new resources for dynamic broadcasting markets in Central Europe via a high-power beam optimised for TV reception. Eutelsat's 16° East location is already the leading neighbourhood for Central Europe, broadcasting into 11 million homes. W3C will further consolidate Eutelsat's support for individual channels and pay-TV platforms.
Tarik Dodic, Managing Director of Al Jazeera Balkans, commented: "We are very pleased to partner with a renowned company such as Eutelsat that offers the most reliable service and provides wide coverage of the entire region. Eutelsat's 16° East neighbourhood and its new W3C satellite are the natural choice for us to optimise reach into TV homes in the Balkans and we are delighted to have their support for our new venture."
Andrew Wallace, Eutelsat's Chief Commercial Officer, said: "We welcome Al Jazeera Balkans on board W3C just two days after our newest satellite went live. The selection of 16° East by a new flagship channel in the Balkan region underscores the strength of this longstanding neighbourhood in Central Europe. We look forward to forging further longstanding partnerships with channels in one of Europe's most dynamic regions for satellite TV."
