ITV Launches Granada TV Channel on Asia Broadcast Satellite

Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) and ITV Global Entertainment Ltd. announced today that they have signed a multi-year contract to broadcast Granada TV channel across Asia on the C-band MCPC platform on the ABS-1 Satellite (75°E).

The C-band MCPC platform on ABS-1 opens an important gateway for broadcasters looking to reach the many pay TV system operators in Asia. ABS will be providing equipment co-location, encoding, encryption, uplink, and satellite bandwidth services to ITV.

Granada TV, a brand new general entertainment channel for Asia, will offer programmes from ITV’s extensive library including hit contemporary dramas, cutting edge reality, the best in talk and entertainment and many more programmes never seen before in Asia. Granada TV has been available for limited preview in Asia since late June and will debut on 1st November as a full channel on ABS-1 satellite.

Tom Choi, CEO of ABS said “ABS is excited to welcome ITV, one of the largest and most well-known broadcasters in the world, to our premier Asian TV distribution platform on the ABS-1 satellite. Our proven reliability, professional end-to-end broadcast solutions, and ideal orbital location and coverage are key factors attracting an increasing number of broadcast customers to ABS.”

“With over 50 years of experience as the UK’s number one commercial television network, we are tapping into our unique catalogue of quality content and commercial skills as a broadcaster to bring this new must-see channel to Asia,“ commented Peter Iacono, President and Managing Director of ITV Global Entertainment.

“The region is ripe for the launch of a channel which brings high quality, commercially successful TV hits in a contemporary format, and feedback from pay TV operators on the preview channel has been very positive,” said James Ross, Regional Director for ITV Global Entertainment in Asia. “With ITV’s ongoing commitment to creating new content, Granada TV will bring discerning viewers in Asia a continuous offering of fresh world-class entertainment.

About Asia Broadcast Satellite

Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) is one of Asia’s most valued and premium satellite operators. Located at 75°E, ABS-1 connects 4/5th of the world’s population covering all of Asia, the CIS region, the Middle East, most of Africa and Eastern Europe.

Leveraging its extensive coverage and operating state of the art, redundant teleport facilities in both Hong Kong and Germany, ABS is able to strategically and effectively offer a broad range of End-to-End solutions including CATV distribution, Direct to Home, Cellular Backhaul, VSAT and Internet Backbone services with diverse IP transit through its European and Asian internet gateways. ABS currently host over 100 channels on ABS-1, making it as one of the fastest growing and top satellite distribution platform for CATV distribution in the Indian Ocean Region.

ABS will expand its presence with the launch of its second satellite (ABS-2) in 2011 and will continue to expand its coverage and business worldwide.

For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.absatellite.net

About ITV Global Entertainment Ltd

ITV Global Entertainment Ltd is one of the World’s leading Merchandising & Licensing, Home Entertainment, Publishing, International Television Distribution and International Television Network businesses.

For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.itv.com