Winners Announced of the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards 2008

Winners Announced of the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards 2008

PARIS, November 17/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The winners of the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards, which recognizes excellence in thematic satellite television broadcasting, were honoured on November 14 at a gala ceremony in Venice.

The Awards are administered by a jury of media experts and organised annually by Eutelsat, together with Eurovisioni and Sat Expo. This year's event assembled broadcasting talent and innovation from over 130 thematic channels from 17 countries.

                           HOT BIRD(TM) TV AWARD Winners for 2008      CATEGORY                CHANNEL                  LANGUAGE     HDTV                    Melodyzen.Tv             French     Children's              Raisat Smash             Italian     Cinema                  Propeller TV             English     Culture/Education       365 Days TV              Russian       Special Mention         Edusat                   Polish     Documentaries           The Biography Channel    German     Fiction                 Fox                      Italian     Lifestyle Joint winners Alice                    Italian                               Turkmax                  Turkish       Special Mention         Fashion TV               English       Special Mention         Nigezie                  English - Nigerian     Music                   C Music TV               English     News                    RBC-TV                   Russian     Sport                   Setanta Ireland          English     National Window         TVR International        Romanian     Excellence Award        Planete                  Polish     Special Award           SKY Cinema 1             Italian     Special Recognition     Euronews                 English, French,                                                      German, Italian,                                                      Portuguese,                                                      Russian, Spanish,                                                      Arabic  

This year, for the third year, viewers had the possibility enter their favourite channel for the People's Choice Award. The winner was the channel that received the majority of votes in Europe via leading satellite TV websites.

                                  The People's Choice Award      DUNA TV                                         Hungarian  

In recognition of particular achievements in broadcasting, Eutelsat gave its own Special Award to NTV-Plus, the well-established Russian broadcasting group that has consistently striven to generate diverse and quality content, and to Orange TV a new force in broadcasting, motivated by the objective to maximise the delivery of content over multiple technology platforms, including satellite, ADSL and fibre.

"The HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards continues to go from strength to strength," said Giuliano Berretta, CEO of Eutelsat Communications. "This year's participants enable us to celebrate the highest quality of content creation and innovative programming formats. Since Eutelsat initiated the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards in 1998 we have seen a constant flow of new thematic channels broadcasting through our satellites across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. Further growth of our video neighbourhoods, which will come with the upcoming launches of new broadcast satellites, will open increasing opportunities for new channels to reach television homes and further expand the satellite broadcasting universe."

The Jury

The international jury for the HOT BIRD(TM) TV AWARDS is composed of international television critics in Europe and representatives of European satellite television organisations. The members are:

Jerzy Barski, TV-Sat Magazine (Poland), Sergheij Buntman, Echo Moscow Radio (Russia), Jacques Braun, Eurodata TV (France), Paolo Dalla Chiara, Sat Expo (Italy), Giovanna Maggioni, Upa (Italy), Asu Maro, Milliyet Sanat e Milliyet Daily (Turkey), Giacomo Mazzone, Eurovisioni (Europe), Mimi Turner, Hollywood Reporter (Europe), Patricia Wynn Davies, The Daily Telegraph (United Kingdom).

Jury co-ordinator: Duilio Giammaria, Rai (Itay). Technical expert: Mauro Roffi, Mille Canali (Italy).

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 24 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 30 September 2008, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,180 television channels and 1,100 radio stations. Almost 1,100 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates services through its teleport in Italy that serves enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ 538 commercial, technical and operational experts from 27 countries. http://www.eutelsat.com

About Eurovisioni

Eurovisioni is an International Film and Television Festival, established in 1987 and this year is its XXII edition. The 2008 edition theme - Rome, 18-24 October - was "Digital television as conveyor of social cohesion or social fragmentation". Eurovisioni 2008 was organised with the patronage of Giorgio Napolitano President of the Italian Republic, the European Commissioner for the Society of the information and Media, the European Council, the Presidency of the Ministry Council, the Presidency of the Italian Senate, Presidency of the House of Deputies, Lazio Region, Province and Municipality of Rome and many others. Among all the others supporters, the event was supported by, ARD, BBC, Canal +, Eutelsat, France Television, RAI, RTVE, TVP, ZDF. The 2008 edition took place in the framework of the Third Rome International Film Festival. http://www.eurovisioni.it

          For further information     Press Contacts     Eutelsat     Vanessa O'Connor     Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88       voconnor@eutelsat.fr     HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards     Press Office in Italy:     Eurovisioni       Alessandra Lombardi     Tel. +39-06-59606371,      cell +39-347-7589385     alexlomb@gmail.com       http://www.hotbirdtvawards.com       Sat Expo     Matteo Sassano     +39-0444-543133     matteo.sassano@pentastudio.it  

Source: Eutelsat Communications

Press contacts: Eutelsat, Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, voconnor@eutelsat.fr. HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards, Press Office in Italy: Eurovisioni, Alessandra Lombardi, Tel. +39-06-59606371, cell +39-347-7589385, alexlomb@gmail.com. Sat Expo, Matteo Sassano, +39-0444-543133, matteo.sassano@pentastudio.it

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Profile: International Entertainment