New French international news channel to broadcast via Eutelsat

France 24, the new French international news channel owned by France Télévisions and TF1 has retained capacity on three Eutelsat satellites (Hot Birdâ„¢ 7A, Atlantic Birdâ„¢ 2 and Eurobirdâ„¢ 1) for broadcasting when it launches in December this year. Eutelsat was selected following a public competitive tendering process conducted in accordance with European Union regulations.

Through Hot Birdâ„¢ 7A, France 24 will be able to reach up to 80 per cent of cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The channel will be available free-to-air and through electronic programme guides of pay-TV platforms broadcasting from the Hot Birdâ„¢ position.

Atlantic Birdâ„¢ 2 will further enhance the reach of France 24 by offering privileged access to more than 140 regional cable networks in Germany who offer the Kabelkiosk package commercialised by Eutelsat’s German subsidiary. In addition to live coverage of Germany’s Bundesliga championship football matches, Kabelkiosk offers cable homes more than 50 television channels including over 30 channels targeting international communities living in Germany.

Eutelsat’s longstanding partner GlobeCast has been selected by France 24 for United Kingdom and Ireland markets. The channel will be offered through a digital multiplex broadcast by GlobeCast for the UK and Ireland via Eutelsat’s Eurobirdâ„¢ 1 satellite.

France 24 will broadcast round-the-clock in two versions, one in French and the other principally in English. The channel’s editorial team will include 170 journalists at its studios in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, and its own network of correspondents. It will also benefit from the foreign bureaux of AFP (Agence France Presse), RFI (Radio France Internationale) and TV5 Monde.

As a free-to-air channel broadcasting from Eutelsat’s Hot Birdâ„¢ video neighbourhood, France 24 has potential access to more than 45 million homes throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa equipped for direct-to-home reception and over 70 million homes cable homes. Eutelsat will uplink the channel to Hot Birdâ„¢ 7A in a multiplex managed at its Rambouillet teleport, near Paris. Broadcasts to Atlantic Birdâ„¢ 2 will be handled by Eutelsat’s Skylogic subsidiary from its new teleport in Turin. GlobeCast will handle transmissions to Eurobirdâ„¢ 1 via its teleport in London.

(Source: Eutelsat)