Press release -
Benin’s Golfe TV AFRICA favours EUTELSAT 16A satellite for transition into High Definition
First free-to-air channel in Sub-Saharan Africa to upscale to High Definition standard
Johannesburg, Paris, 5 November 2015 – On the occasion of Discop, Africa’s premier event for the media and advertising industry, Beninese private news channel Golfe TV AFRICA announces it has chosen Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) to support its transition to high definition broadcasting. Golfe TV AFRICA has taken a three-year capacity lease on the EUTELSAT 16A satellite to broadcast Sub-Saharan Africa’s first free-to-air High Definition channel. Broadcasts kicked off on October 1.
Golfe TV AFRICA is operated by Golfe Gazette Press Group, which was established 30 years ago. The channel has been transmitting in Standard Definition in Benin, both terrestrially and by satellite. Its ambition is now to offer an enhanced viewing experience to a television audience both in Benin and beyond, in 20 Anglophone and Francophone countries from Senegal to Mozambique. Using new equipment and state-of-the-art HD and 3D studios, Golfe TV AFRICA is further bolstering its reputation as a reference news channel and strengthening its position among major broadcasters across Africa. The capacity booked on EUTELSAT 16A also enables Golfe TV AFRICA to offer live broadcast services to other channels in the region.
Ishmael Soumanou, Chairman and Founder of the Golfe Gazette Press Group, said: "In order to accelerate our transition to HD in Africa, we naturally turned to the EUTELSAT 16A satellite that represents one of the continent’s flagship neighbourhoods. Its booming audience and its strong line-up of over 150 channels played decisive roles in our decision making."
Michel Azibert, Commercial and Development Director at Eutelsat, added: "We are delighted to see channels in Africa embrace the opportunity to deliver an enhanced viewing experience with High Definition and to be chosen to broadcast Sub-Saharan Africa’s first free-to-air High Definition channel. EUTELSAT 16A is more than ever a hallmark for choice and quality.”
Where to find us at Discop (Sandton ConventionCentre, Johannesburg): stand Eutelsat n°A1-B1.
Topics
For more about Golfe TV AFRICA please visitwww.golfemediaonline.com
About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world's leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 38 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.
Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.
Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.
For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com
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