AsiaSat 7 Set for Launch from Baikonur on November 26

Hong Kong, 21 November 2011 – AsiaSat 7, a new communications satellite of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), is scheduled for launch at Hong Kong Time 3:10 a.m. on the 26th of November by an ILS Proton Breeze M launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

AsiaSat 7 is a new generation satellite designed to replace AsiaSat 3S at the orbital location of 105.5 degrees East. Based on the Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform, AsiaSat 7 will support a broad range of applications for the Asia-Pacific region, including television broadcast and VSAT networks.

AsiaSat 7 will carry 28 C-band and 17 Ku-band transponders, and a Ka-band payload. Its region-wide high power C-band beam covers Asia, the Middle East, Australasia and Central Asia, with Ku-band beams serving East Asia, South Asia and a steerable Ku beam.

AsiaSat 3S, one of AsiaSat’s flagship satellites, is operating at the orbital location of 105.5°E. The launch of AsiaSat 7, well ahead of the planned date for AsiaSat 3S’s replacement, is a testament to AsiaSat’s continued commitment to quality, reliability and uninterrupted services. AsiaSat 3S is expected to reach its end of life in 2014.

Live broadcast of the AsiaSat 7 launch will be available on the 26th of November on:

Satellite: AsiaSat 5 C-band
Orbital Location: 100.5 degrees East
Transponder: C11V
Frequency: 4080 MHz
Polarisation: Vertical
Video Format: MPEG-2, DVB-S2
Symbol Rate: 4.9373 Msym/sec
Modulation: 8PSK
FEC: ¾

Live coverage will start at approximately Hong Kong Time 2:50 a.m

Live webcast of the launch at www.asiasat.com or www.ilslaunch.com will begin approximately 20 minutes before liftoff, at about Hong Kong Time 2:50 a.m. on the 26th of November.

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About AsiaSat

AsiaSat, the leading regional satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world’s population with its three satellites, AsiaSat 3S at 105.5ºE, AsiaSat 4 at 122ºE and AsiaSat 5 at 100.5ºE. The AsiaSat satellite fleet provides services to both the broadcast and telecommunications industries. Over 500 television and radio channels are now delivered by the company’s satellites offering access to over 620 million TV households across the Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat also provides telecommunications operators and end users services such as voice networks, private VSAT networks and broadband multimedia. AsiaSat has ordered two more satellites, AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8, planned to be launched by early 2014. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited, a company listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (Stock Code: 1135). For more information, please visit www.asiasat.com.

Media Inquiries:
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited

Sabrina Cubbon, Vice President, Sales and Marketing 
Tel : (852) 2500 0899 
Mobile : (852) 9097 1210 
Email : scubbon@asiasat.com

Winnie Pang, Manager, Corporate Affairs
Tel : (852) 2500 0880 
Email : wpang@asiasat.com 

DISCOVERY TURBO EXPANDS REACH IN INDIA WITH LAUNCH ON LEADING DTH PLATFORM RELIANCE DIGITAL TV

November 18, 2011 – India’s first and only 24-hour channel dedicated to speed, Discovery Turbo, is now available on one of India’s leading direct-to-home (DTH) platforms, Reliance Digital TV. Discovery Turbo is available across analogue and on leading DTH platforms in India – Dish TV, Tata Sky, Airtel Digital TV, Videocon D2H and now Reliance Digital TV, reaching over 17 million subscribers in India.

Having Turbo-charged the Indian market since its launch last January, the channel has been entertaining viewers who love the adrenaline rush of all things motored.

Commenting on the announcement, Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said, “We have received tremendous response for Discovery Turbo across India, where people watch and connect with our engaging and unmatched content. The availability of Discovery Turbo on Reliance Digital TV expands the reach of the channel, as it continues to offer the best entertainment experience to our viewers.”

Offering adrenaline-fuelled entertainment for those who love the thrill of speed, Discovery Turbo brings viewers along for the ride to experience the most exciting vehicles on Earth. From Formula One to motocross and aircraft shows to car clubs, Discovery Turbo satisfies the passions of weekend warriors and fervent fans alike by showing all aspects of motoring life. Among the exciting programmes that viewers can look forward to are AMERICAN CHOPPER, MONSTER GARAGE, FIFTH GEAR, TRICK MY TRUCK and WHEELER DEALERS.

Discovery Turbo is available on Reliance Digital TV on channel number 560.

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About Discovery Turbo

Offering adrenaline-fuelled entertainment for those who love the thrill of speed, Discovery Turbo brings viewers along for the ride to experience the most exciting vehicles on Earth. From cars, trucks and motorbikes to planes, trains and everything in between, Discovery Turbo celebrates all aspects of speed by covering a range of inspirational and practical topics including the history, science and engineering of everything motored; car, boat, bike and air shows; Formula One racing; DIY; car clubs and motoring trends. In Asia Pacific, Discovery Turbo reaches over 20 million subscribers. For more information, visit Discovery Turbo at www.asia.discovery.com.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world’s #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 210 countries and territories. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 140-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Discovery Science and Discovery HD, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. In Asia-Pacific, seven Discovery brands reach 528 million cumulative subscribers in 34 countries with programming customized in 14 languages.

Contact:
Charmaine Huet/Stephanie Tan
charmaine_huet@discovery.com/stephanie_tan@discovery.com
DID: (65) 6510 7545/(65) 6510 7699

$250 MILLION CONTENT DEVELOPMENT FUND CREATED FOR WELLNESS NETWORK: VERIA LIVING

Earmarked for Development, Production, Co-Production and Acquisition of High Quality, Multimedia Health and Wellness Programming as Network Prepares for January 2012 Re-Branding

ZEE Group Chairman Subhash Chandra Makes Strategic Announcement during New York Visit

Mumbai, NOVEMBER 18, 2011 — Subhash Chandra, Chairman of ZEE Group, today announced the creation of a $250 million (U.S.) content development, production, co-production and acquisition fund that will benefit Veria Living (www.veria.com), a network devoted to showcasing wellness programming and related content across multiple media platforms.

The New York-headquartered Veria Living television network is available throughout the U.S. to DISH Network, Verizon FiOS and Frontier Communications subscribers. Veria Living offers the world’s largest line-up of first-run, original programming – connecting viewers in a contemporary and accessible manner to the benefits and joys of living a healthy lifestyle.

Veria.com complements the network by extending the Veria Living philosophy through online recipes and nutrition, holistic health tips, body-mind conditioning and all-natural products. Embracing its mission, Veria Living passionately advocates for quality and vitality of life.

Noted Mr. Chandra, the establishment of the $250 million fund is yet another step in ZEE Groups’ strategic five-year plan to further expand Veria Living’s presence in the U.S. and beyond as the go-to-source for all things health and wellness. Said Mr. Chandra, “We are firmly committed to growing the Veria brand across television, Internet, mobile and OTT platforms. By focusing on original content development and production we’re not only looking to build a broad U.S. audience for Veria Living, but also setting the table for the expansion of the brand globally over the next couple of years.”

The news comes on the heels of Veria’s recent announcement regarding its new primetime programming line-up, launch of its new comprehensive website (www.Veria.com) and rebranding as Veria Living scheduled for a January 2012 premiere. The new primetime line-up will include programming featuring such well-known celebrity talent as international recording artist Jewel (hosting the new season of The Incurables) and NFL Hall of Fame inductee Deion Sanders (hosting new series Sports Dads), a new reality series to be hosted by yogic master, international author and former high-fashion supermodel, Yogi Cameron who applies Ayurvedic practices and yogic principles to individuals with a variety of health issues, to name a few. The network also recently unveiled a new lifecycle logo combining Eastern influence with Western design (sunshine yellow and tangerine orange) and its new tagline — “Go Well”.

Veria Living, as well as its Zee TV suite of Indian language channels, are managed in the U.S. by Asia TV USA Ltd. and overseen by its CEO Suresh Bala Iyer. Remarked Mr. Iyer, “We not only want to appeal to our core 35-44 Adult and 25-54 Women demos, but to all Americans who are looking to lead healthier lives. Veria Living helps them to achieve this by passionately advocating for quality and vitality of life by following proven wellness and nutritional activities. This fund will go a long way towards helping us to achieve our goals while creating the most entertaining content possible that fits our mission.”

Mr. Chandra, who founded Veria as way to promote wellness to the West, was in New York to receive the 2011 International Emmy® Directorate Award. Wellness is a topic of personal interest to the health conscious Mr. Chandra is a regular Vipassana practitioner who also works out for 50-minutes each morning. While in New York, Mr. Chandra also addressed the burgeoning opportunity in the U.S. for South Asian media content. He noted, “We have experienced strong consumer support for Zee TV in the States. In the New York metro area alone, viewers watch the channel for nearly one hour daily, Monday-Friday in the primetime period (per Nielsen).”

About Asia TV USA Ltd.

Asia TV USA Ltd. is a premier distributor of a wide variety of television, entertainment and media content in the United States across DTH, telco, satellite, broadband and cable platforms and offers viewers more than 300,000 hours of original, entertaining content. The company has become the leading provider of South Asian entertainment channels with television and film programming in a wide range of genres, including soap operas, costume/period dramas, reality shows, Bollywood movies, musicals, suspense, comedies, culinary, children’s entertainment and lifestyle. The Asia TV USA Ltd. portfolio includes nine leading South Asian entertainment channels. The ZEE brand is the undisputed leader in the South Asian entertainment space in the U.S. with the largest number of channels by any South Asian broadcaster and the first to be Nielsen rated. These include Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Ten Cricket, Alpha ETC Punjabi, Zee Business, Zing, Zee Kanada, Zee Marathi and Zee Smile.

During the June 2010 Sweeps period, Zee TV had more primetime viewers among all 18-34 Adults in the New York DMA than many of the leading American cable networks including: Lifetime, Oxygen, Style, BBC America, CNBC, CNN, HGTV, Univision, Travel Channel, WE tv and VH-1.

About Veria Living

Veria Living (www.veria.com) is a company devoted to showcasing wellness programming and related content across multiple media platforms in the United States and beyond. Spearheaded by its forward-thinking Veria Living and Veria.com distribution platforms, the privately held company, headquartered in New York, offers the world’s largest line-up of first-run, original programming – connecting viewers in a contemporary and accessible manner to the benefits and joys of living a healthy lifestyle. In the U.S., the Veria Living network is primarily available on DISH Network (Channel 218), Verizon FiOS (Channel 162) and Frontier Communications (Channel 162). Veria.com complements the network by extending the Veria Living philosophy through online recipes and nutrition, holistic health tips, body-mind conditioning and all-natural products. Embracing its mission, Veria Living passionately advocates for quality and vitality of life.

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Media Contacts:

Jayshree Kumar – Mumbai / Abhishek Agrawal – Delhi 
Corporate Brand Development, ZEE 
Mobile: 097692 86661 / 098114 38591 
Email: jayshreek@zeenetwork.com / abhishek.agrawal@zeenetwork.com 

Don Ciaramella / Matt Biscuiti
The Lippin Group 
212-986-7080 
don@lippingroup.com / matt@lippingroup.com 

Celestial Movies secures widest pay-TV carriage for an Asian movie channel in Indonesia with two new carriage deals
Celestial Movies and Celestial Classic Movies launch on PT Mega Media Indonesia and PT Central TiVi Digital’s new platforms.

[November 17, 2011 – HONG KONG] – Celestial Pictures, the Chinese filmed content company and operator of regional pay-TV channels, announced today the signing of two carriage deals with newly launched direct-to-home (DTH) satellite pay television platforms in Indonesia. Celestial Movies (CM) joins PT Central Tivi Digital’s Centrin TV platform, while both Celestial Movies (CM) and Celestial Classic Movies (CCM) joins PT Mega Media Indonesia’s Parabola Orange TV service. With carriage on the two new platforms, Celestial Movies becomes the only Asian movie channel and one of a few regional channels to be carried by six of the seven pay TV operators in Indonesia. In addition, Celestial Classic Movies’ carriage on Parabola Orange TV marks the third platform in Indonesia to carry the channel.

Ofanny Choi, Senior Vice President of TV Channels at Celestial Pictures, said, “We are proud to be part of Centrin TV’s and Parabola Orange TV’s initial channel line-ups. Our wide coverage in Indonesia is a testament to the quality of our channels and the recognition of our brand. Between Celestial Movies and Celestial Classic Movies, we offer a complete and exclusive package of Chinese and Asian movie entertainment in Indonesia; from the latest blockbusters to perennial favorites and iconic classics.”

New pay-TV service Centrin TV adds Celestial Movies, Celestial Pictures’ flagship channel and the most widely-distributed 24-hour Chinese movie channel in the region, to their Packet Seru or “Fun Pack.” Upcoming exclusive blockbusters on CM include the remake of Hong Kong classic A Chinese Ghost Story, starring Louis Koo and Liu Yifei; the all-star martial arts comedy Treasure Inn with Nicholas Tse, Nick Cheung and Charlene Choi; and the hit romantic comedy Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, from an internationally-acclaimed director Johnnie To and starring Daniel Wu, Louis Koo and Gao Yuanyuan. Celestial Movies can be found on Channel 312 on Centrin TV.

PT Mega Media Indonesia is launching their service Parabola Orange TV with Celestial Classic Movies in its initial line-up of 26 channels. CCM offers classic films from half a century of popular and acclaimed Chinese cinema history, and exclusively features many favorites from the vast Shaw Brothers Film Library. Known especially for their legendary martial arts movies like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and The One Armed Swordsman, the Shaw Brothers Film Library includes masterpieces covering a range of genres and features iconic stars like Gordon Liu, Cheng Pei Pei, Jimmy Wang Yu, Ti Lung, David Chiang and more. CCM can be found on Channel 161 on Parabola Orange TV. CM will launch on the platform as part of its Asia Pack in early 2012.

Media enquiries

Pauline Poon
Celestial Pictures
T: (852) 2626 8131/ 9776 5564
E: pauline.poon@celestialpictures.com

About Celestial Pictures

Celestial Pictures is a diversified entertainment company that brings the best of Asian entertainment to the world. The company focuses on Asian-language film and television content origination, aggregation and worldwide distribution, as well as the operation of global television channels, including CELESTIAL MOVIES, CELESTIAL CLASSIC MOVIES and WaTV.

The company owns the Shaw Brothers Film Library, the world’s largest Chinese film collection, with over 760 feature films originally released over a forty-year time frame. These award-winning Shaw Brothers films have been digitally restored frame-by-frame, and distributed in cinemas and on home video, television, and new media markets worldwide.

Celestial Pictures is also active in producing new feature films and acquiring third-party film content for worldwide distribution with an option to broadcast on its television channels. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Celestial Pictures is a subsidiary of ASTRO ALL ASIA NETWORKS plc.

About Celestial Movies

CELESTIAL MOVIES is currently the most broadly distributed 24-hour Chinese movie channel. The channel brings current Chinese blockbusters to the world and also showcases internationally acclaimed titles from Japan and Korea. Also featured: peeks behind-the-scenes and interviews with the hottest stars and directors, entertainment news and film award ceremonies. CELESTIAL MOVIES is now available in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei.

About Celestial Classics Movies

CELESTIAL CLASSIC MOVIES presents Chinese movie masterpieces from various classic Chinese movie collections including the renowned Shaw Brothers Film Library – the largest Chinese movie library in the world. All movies featured are digitally restored to bring viewers sound and picture quality matching the original cinematic prints. Broadcasting 24 hours a day, Celestial Classic Movies gives audiences access to some of the best Chinese films ever produced.

Al Jazeera English launched on DDish TV in Mongolia

15th November, 2011 – Al Jazeera is pleased to announce today that it has launched on DDish TV in Mongolia, the only satellite TV operator in the country.

Al Jazeera English delivers a fresh perspective on world news to over 250 million households worldwide in more than 130 countries. The channel has a unique editorial mission to balance the current global information flow by giving voice to stories that often are under-reported, promoting debate, and challenging established perceptions.

“Al Jazeera has a great reputation in Mongolia,” DDish TV CEO Dendev Ganbold said, “and it is thanks to their way of reporting global news. Al Jazeera represents free, independent media which is something that is lacking in the market. The new generation of Mongolian citizens understand media integrity and modern journalism and Al Jazeera is our contribution to the Mongolian society in providing just that. It is our honor to have Al Jazeera on our platform.”

“We are very excited to launch Al Jazeera English in Mongolia,” Mr. Roch Pellerin, Head of Global Distribution, “Al Jazeera continues its expansion in Asia, and all indicators show an increase in our viewership. Our launch on DDish TV takes our reach further and we look forward to working with DDish TV and bringing more international news to their viewers. “

Al Jazeera has opened a number of news bureaus in Asia, including Beijing, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta, Delhi and Sydney. With over 70 bureaus worldwide, many are now considering it the leading international news channel.

In addition to Mongolia, Al Jazeera is also available in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand in Asian Region.

-END-

About DDish TV

DDishTV is one and only satellite TV operator which has exclusive right to transmit in whole Mongolia.

It has about 40,000 customer and almost 80% of these are nomadic herdsmen which Satellite TV is only way to them getting information in rural area. Right now DDish TV is starting DVB-S2 standard, which gives customers as well as in cities and rural area possibility to enjoy more channels, comfort and quality.

The main activities of DDishTV is distribution of STBs, Transmission of TV signals to the Satellite, SNG (Satellite News Gathering) and VSAT Activities in rural area. Recently, DDishTV is starting new Satellite Radio network which covers also all Mongolian major cities and towns via FM Transmitter.

For further information about DDish TV, please contact:
Khosbayar P.
khosbayar@ddishtv.mn

About Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English is an international news channel, holding over 70 bureaus around the world which span six different continents. Since being established in 2006, it has continued to grow in reach and popularity. The channel currently broadcasts to over 250m households across 130 countries.

Al Jazeera English has been recognized for its distinguished reporting and programming including being awarded this year’s Columbia Journalism Award and “Best 24 Hour News Program” at the 48th and 50th Annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Al Jazeera English has also won Best News Channel three years running at the UK’s Freesat awards and received awards from the Royal Television Society, Amnesty International and YouTube. The channel has received nominations for international Emmy awards in both the News and Current Affairs categories, and from the Royal Television Society awards as the 2009 and 2010 “News Channel of the Year” in the UK.

Visit www.aljazeera.com for more details.

For further information please contact:
Press.int@aljazeera.net

ASIASAT SELECTS SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL TO PROVIDE TWO COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES

PALO ALTO, Calif./Hong Kong– 11 November 2011 – Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the leading provider of commercial satellites, and Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), Asia’s leading satellite operator, today announced the signing of two construction agreements for two communications satellites, AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8.

“We are committed to expanding our fleet in order to provide a broader range of services to meet increasing market demands for quality satellite capacity in this region,” said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat. “Our experience with Space Systems/Loral has been very positive and we look forward to continuing to work together to serve our customers with some of the world’s best communications satellites.”

The contracts include AsiaSat 6 with a C-band payload and AsiaSat 8, with both Ku-band and Ka-band. The two satellites will serve Asia, the Middle East and Australasia and are designed on the decade’s proven SS/L 1300 satellite platform which provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications and technology advances. The satellites are planned to be launched by early 2014.

“AsiaSat and Space Systems/Loral both share a commitment to excellent performance and the highest quality service,” said John Celli, President of Space Systems/Loral. “We delivered AsiaSat 5 in 2009 and AsiaSat 7 was shipped one month ahead of schedule and is currently at launch base in preparation for launch on November 26. I can think of no better endorsement of our success than a repeat order from a satisfied customer.”

With these new contracts Space Systems/Loral has secured six satellite contract awards for 2011.

AsiaSat 6 will have 28 high-power C-band transponders while AsiaSat 8 will have 24 Ku-band transponders and a Ka-band beam. The high-power transponders on the satellite will enable the use of small antennas on the ground.

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About AsiaSat

AsiaSat, the leading regional satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world’s population with its three satellites, AsiaSat 3S at 105.5ºE, AsiaSat 4 at 122ºE and AsiaSat 5 at 100.5ºE. The AsiaSat satellite fleet provides services to both the broadcast and telecommunications industries. Over 500 television and radio channels are now delivered by the company’s satellites offering access to over 620 million TV households across the Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat also provides telecommunications operators and end users services such as voice networks, private VSAT networks and broadband multimedia. AsiaSat’s new satellite AsiaSat 7 is currently in preparation for launch from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on 26 November 2011. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited, a company listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (Stock Code: 1135). For more information, please visit www.asiasat.com.

About Space Systems/Loral

Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL), has a long history of delivering reliable satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As the world’s leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to provide spacecraft for a broad range of services including television and radio distribution, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and mobile communications. Billions of people around the world depend on SS/L satellites every day. For more information, visit www.ssloral.com.

About Loral Space & Communications

Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company. Through its Space Systems/Loral subsidiary, the company is a world-class leader in the design and manufacture of satellites and satellite systems for commercial and government applications including direct-to-home television, broadband communications, wireless telephony, weather monitoring, and air traffic management. Loral also owns 64 percent of Telesat, one of the world’s largest providers of satellite services. Telesat operates a fleet of telecommunications satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, distribute direct-to-home video and broadband data services, and other value-added communications services. For more information, visit Loral’s Web site at www.loral.com. LORL-G

Media Inquiries:

Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited
Sabrina Cubbon, Vice President, Sales and Marketing 
Tel : (852) 2500 0899 
Mobile : (852) 9097 1210
Email : scubbon@asiasat.com

Winnie Pang, Manager, Corporate Affairs
Tel : (852) 2500 0880 
Email : wpang@asiasat.com 

Space Systems/Loral
Wendy Lewis
Tel : +1 (650) 852-5188
Email: Lewis.wendy@ssd.loral.com