ME to switch on high definition

Arabsat has signed a deal with LUXE.TV to bring the first High Definition (HD) channel to the Middle East and North Africa region. The deal was signed between Khalid Balkheyour, CEO and president of Arabsat and Jean Stock, executive chairperson of LUXE.TV. The channel is broadcast on Badr-4, Arabsat's recently launched satellite.

LUXE.TV is an international network dedicated to the luxury world. Fully produced in HD, and broadcast both in HD and SD, LUXE.TV covers Real Estate & Home Design, Sports & Leisure, Hotels & Gastronomy, Beauty & Fashion, Cars & Yachting, and Jewelry & Watches. All content is produced in HD. The channel is broadcast in French, English and German throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, via five satellites.

"The LUXE.TV team is delighted to be the first channel to provide the 130 million Middle East and North Africa viewers of Arabsat BADR-4 with HD pictures," says Stock. "We believe this channel will cater to the Middle East audience."

Arabsat launched its Badr 4 satellite late last year to ensure that it had ample capacity to offer broadcasters in the region, when they migrated to HD transmission. However, Arabsat says Badr-4's satellite capacity will be fully sold out by mid 2007. The company has plans to launch another three satellites within the next year-and-a-half to keep up with the regional demand.

"The arrival of LUXE.tv's High Definition channel constitutes a critical milestone in achieving Arabsat's strategy of introducing the latest TV technology across the entire MENA region," says Khaled Bakkheyour. "We are committed to supporting the growth of technology throughout the region as well as staying at the forefront of high-end technological developments. We're convinced that the dual-broadcast approach of both SD and HD signals is definitely the way forward to rapidly motivate the region's viewers for switching over to the crispy picture quality and enjoyment of HD."

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