France's International News Channel, France 24, Selects Three Eutelsat Satellites for Broadcasting

France's International News Channel, France 24, Selects Three Eutelsat Satellites for Broadcasting

PARIS, August 31/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) announces that
FRANCE 24, the new French international news channel owned by France
Televisions and TF1 has retained capacity on three Eutelsat satellites (HOT
BIRD(TM) 7A, ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 2 and EUROBIRD(TM) 1) for broadcasting when it
starts broadcasting in December this year. Eutelsat was selected following a
public competitive tendering process conducted in accordance with European
Union regulations.

Through HOT BIRD(TM) 7A, located at Eutelsat's premium video
neighbourhood, 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 BIRD(TM) position.

ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 2 will further enhance 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 EUROBIRD(TM) 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), TV5 Monde.

As a free-to-air channel broadcasting from Eutelsat's HOT
BIRD(TM) 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 BIRD(TM) 7A in a multiplex managed at its
Rambouillet teleport, near Paris. Broadcasts to ATLANTIC BIRD(TM) 2 will be
handled by Eutelsat's Skylogic subsidiary from its new teleport in Turin.
GlobeCast will handle transmissions to EUROBIRD(TM) 1 via its teleport in
London.

"We are delighted with the confidence that FRANCE 24 has shown
in Eutelsat by selecting three of our satellites for broadcasting their
channel from launch at the end of the year. This decision highlights the
attractiveness of our premium video positions for new channels whose
objective is to maximise their audience in Europe, the Middle East and North
Africa," commented Eutelsat's Chairman and CEO, Giuliano Berretta. "Backed by
France Televisions and TF1, FRANCE 24 is well-placed to rapidly reach its
objectives which we intend to support by mobilising the full expertise of our
teams".

"The world's leading opinion-leaders are avid for information
and sceptical. They increasingly look for multiple contradictory opinions in
order to have their own viewpoint. FRANCE 24 must by one of their reference
sources of information. Our selection of Eutelsat will ensure we can reach
this audience as efficiently as possible," commented Alain de Pouzilhac,
Chairman of the Board of FRANCE 24.

About FRANCE 24

The 24-hour news channel FRANCE 24 will broadcast
international news from a French perspective. FRANCE 24 will be broadcasting
7 days a week, 24 hours a day in both French and English from December 2006.
The channel will be available through cable, satellite and DSL in France,
Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and in the eastern coast of United
States, in New York and Washington DC.

For further
information from
FRANCE 24
Nathalie Lenfant Tel: +33-1-40-93-85-77 nlenfant@france24.com

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234)
is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A. The Group is a leading satellite
operator with capacity commercialised on 23 satellites providing coverage
over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India
and significant parts of Asia and the Americas. The Group is one of the
world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. Its
satellites are used for broadcasting more than 2,100 TV and 970 radio
stations to more than 120 million cable and satellite homes. The Group also
provides TV contribution services, corporate networks, mobile positioning and
communications, Internet backbone connectivity and broadband access for
terrestrial, maritime and inflight applications. Eutelsat Communications is
headquartered in Paris, and the Group's workforce comprises over 480 from 27
countries.

www.eutelsat.com

For further information from Eutelsat
Press contacts
Vanessa O'Connor Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88 voconnor@eutelsat.fr
Frederique Gautier Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88 fgautier@eutelsat.fr
Investor relations
Gilles Janvier Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-35
investors@eutelsat-communications.com

Source: Eutelsat Communications

Vanessa O'Connor, Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88, voconnor@eutelsat.fr, Frederique Gautier Tel: +33-1-53-98-38-88 fgautier@eutelsat.fr, Gilles Janvier, Tel: +33-1-53-98-35-35, investors@eutelsat-communications.com

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