Press Release

PanAmSat Expands Agreement with China Central Television for Global Distribution of Programming

By SpaceRef Editor
June 8, 2005
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CCTV, a Decade-Long Customer, Expands Multi-Year Agreement to Deliver Premium Programming to Tens of Millions Worldwide

WILTON, CT, June 8, 2005 — PanAmSat announced today that China Central Television (CCTV), the national broadcaster of the People’s Republic of China, signed a multi-year expansion agreement for the distribution of its premium programming to Western Africa. The new contract enables CCTV to expand the geographic reach of its programming to millions more viewers around the world.

“CCTV is an international broadcasting powerhouse, reaching viewers worldwide via five PanAmSat satellites. As PanAmSat has grown, so has our relationship with CCTV,” said David Ball, vice president, Asia Pacific, PanAmSat. “We look forward to continuing our support of CCTV’s global expansion and growth with our highly reliable and technologically advanced fleet.”

CCTV has been a PanAmSat customer since the launch of the company’s PAS-2 satellite in 1994. In 1995, it became the world’s first global Mandarin Chinese television service when it expanded its services internationally via the PAS-3 satellite.

PanAmSat currently provides full-time program distribution services for CCTV via the Company’s PAS-1R Atlantic Ocean Region satellite, PAS-8 Pacific Ocean Region satellite, PAS-9 Atlantic Ocean Region satellite and PAS-10 Indian Ocean Region satellites. PanAmSat also provides CCTV with capacity on its Galaxy 3C satellite for direct-to-home (DTH) services in the United States. CCTV uses PanAmSat’s teleports in Napa, California and Atlanta, Georgia for satellite downlinks, standard conversions, multiplexing and satellite uplinks. This new agreement is for capacity on the Ku-band payload of the PAS-1R satellite.

“PanAmSat’s global fleet has enabled us to deliver our programming beyond China to viewers around the world,” said He Zong Jiu, Vice President of CCTV. “As PanAmSat has expanded its global services, we have been able to utilize the greater power and coverage for the efficient and economical distribution of our global programming.”

PanAmSat began operations in the Asia-Pacific region in 1994 with the launch of the PAS-2 satellite. Today, the company has five high-powered satellites in orbit over Asia offering a wide range of services for broadcasters, businesses and events in the Asia-Pacific region.

About PanAmSat

Through its owned and operated fleet of 23 satellites, PanAmSat (NYSE: PA) is a leading global provider of video, broadcasting and network distribution and delivery services. In total, the Company’s in-orbit fleet is capable of reaching over 98 percent of the world’s population through cable television systems, broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home operators, Internet service providers and telecommunications companies. In addition, PanAmSat supports the largest concentration of satellite-based business networks in the U.S., as well as specialized communications services in remote areas throughout the world. For more information, visit the Company’s web site at www.panamsat.com.

SpaceRef staff editor.