IBC 2007 – AMSTERDAM. SES Astra and Canal Digitaal have announced the signing of two new transponder lease on the Astra-3 position at 23.5 degrees East. The Dutch based DTH platform plans to launch an HD and a thematic bouquet on this orbital position, which will be used alongside the main 19.2 degrees East position for the Dutch and Belgian market.
Canal Digitaal plans to launch the first HD DTH bouquet for the Dutch and Belgian markets as well as a bouquet of thematic channels before the end of the year. The line-up of the two offers will be announced shortly. In order to promote this second orbital position, Astra and Canal Digitaal have subsidised 50,000 duo-LNBs for the Dutch market, and they sold out within days. Another 30,000 units are on order.
In The Netherlands, between 750,000 and 800,000 dishes are now pointed at 19.2 degrees East.
“This position is now developing into a new DTH position with six transponders active, ” said Astra’s Alexander Oudendijk during a pre-IBC press briefing. The others are now leased by ROOS, the Dutch association of regional public broadcasters for 10 regional channels; SkyLink, a pay-TV bouquet for Slovakia and CS Link, a pay-TV bouquet for the Czech Republic.
See also our story ‘Dutch regional broadcasters leaving 19.2 degrees East’
