TS News - New South African Satellite Network Approved

• From: martyn@twics.com (Martyn Williams)
• Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 08:41:54 +0900
• From owner-ts-news@tele-satellit.com Sat Sep 28 19: 58:40 1996

TELE-satellit News, 29 September 1996

New South African Satellite Network Approved
  JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 96/09/29 (TS) -- South Africa's Independent
Broadcasting Authority has given permission for Uplink Broadcasting Ltd to
launch a new satellite television network. The seven channel digital package
is due to begin service in December.

  Via a programming agreement with BSkyB, the service will offer Sky News in
addition to channels offering family entertainment, sports, education,
Christian family programming, Afrikaans language entertainment and a service
aimed at Europeans with programs for Portuguese, Italian, Greek, German and
Jewish communities.

  BSkyB is in negotiations to buy 20% of the Christian channel, according to
local media reports. Around 500 local Christian business people are also
involved in financing the channel which will be free of sex or violence.

  The new package will compete with a digital service offered by MultiChoice
and a new analog multi-channel service from the SABC. An audience of around
300,000 viewers is hoped for the channel which is also planning to launch a
service for other southern African nations next year.

(c)TELE-satellit 1996. All rights reserved.

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