HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards 2009

HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards 2009

Record Number of Thematic TV Channels Take Part in This Year's Event

PARIS, September 29/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

- Viewers Now Voting for Popular People's Choice Award!

From rewarding a fresh take on videoclips, to documentaries exposing the
most spectacular human achievements, and sports coverage putting you at the
wheel of a Formula 1 car, the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards is a unique event for
celebrating the achievements of thematic satellite channels. Now in its 12th
edition, this international award is bestowed annually on thematic channels
broadcast by Eutelsat satellites that are considered by an international jury
to have excelled in terms of programming ideas and innovation.

For this year's event, the jury of journalists and media experts assessed
a record number of channels broadcasting in Europe, the Middle East and, for
the first time, in Africa. Among the 144 channels viewed, a total of 34 in 11
thematic categories have been shortlisted for an Award on the basis of the
quality of their programme production and innovative concepts.

The nominations for 2009 are:

THEME CHANNEL COUNTRY
HDTV Deutsche Welle TV Germany
HD Suisse Switzerland
National Geographic Italy
Channel HD

Childrens' Baraem Qatar
K2 Italy
Tv-nanny Russia
Cinema ale kino! Poland

Hi Nolly Nigeria/UK
Wojna i Pokoj Poland
Culture/
Education
Nostalgia Russia
Red Italy
Zakon-TV Russia

Documentaries BBC Knowledge UK
IZ TV Turkey
Vremya Russia

Fiction Fox Retro Italy
M-Net Action South Africa
Tele Klub Russia

Lifestyle Auto Plus Russia
Body in Balance Germany
World Fashion Channel Switzerland

Music C Music TV UK
Nigezie Nigeria/UK
Trace Tropical France

News BBC Persian UK
France 24 France
SKY TG24 Italy
TVN CNBC Biznes Poland

Sport ESPN Classic Italy
SKY Sport24 Italy
Yacht & Sail Italy

National Window CCTV 9 China
Duna TV Hungary
Yes Italia Italy

Votes open for People's Choice Award!

Repeating the popularity of the past three years, this year's HOT
BIRD(TM) TV Awards includes the People's Choice Award, which will go to the
channel with the largest number of votes from viewers. All participating
channels are eligible to take part in the People's Choice, with viewers
invited to vote through each channel's website and key industry sites
including hotbirdtvawards.com, eutelsat.com, eurovisioni.net, satexpo.com and
lyngsat.com/hotbird.html.

3D - a first Award in 2009

Continuing the HOT BIRD(TM) TV Award's strong tradition of celebrating
technical innovation, an Award will be presented for the first time for
pioneering developments in 3D transmissions.

The 2009 HOT BIRD(TM) TV AWARDS ceremony event will be held on November
20 in Venice at the Scuola Grande of San Giovanni Evangelista.

HOT BIRD(TM) TV AWARDS Jury

Jerzy Barski, TV-Sat Magazine (Poland), Jacques Braun, Eurodata TV
(France), Paolo Dalla Chiara, Pentastudio (Italy), Giovanna Maggioni, Upa
(Italy), Asu Maro, Milliyet Sanat and Milliyet Daily (Turkey), Mimi Turner,
Hollywood Reporter (Europe), Stefanie Von Beoczy, EGTA (Europe). Jury
coordinator: Duilio Giammaria, Rai (Italy); technical expert Mauro Roffi,
Mille Canali (Italy).

The HOT BIRD(TM) TV AWARDS is an event promoted by Eutelsat, Europe's
leading satellite operator, with the collaboration of Eurovisioni, a leading
European event dedicated to the video market, to be held in Rome from 11 to
14 of October as part of the International Film Festival of Rome, and SAT
Expo, the international exhibition of advanced digital and satellite
telecommunications, which will be held in Rome from 4 to 6 February, 2010.

Eutelsat Communications

With capacity commercialised on 27 satellites providing
coverage over the entire Europe 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 turnover. At 30 June 2009,
Eutelsat's satellites broadcast almost 3,200 television channels and 1,100
radio stations. More than 1,000 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD (TM)
video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 123 million cable
and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group
also provides TV contribution services, data services and broadband solutions
on ground, at sea and in flight.

http://www.eutelsat.com

SAT Expo

SAT Expo Europe is the international event dedicated to the
aerospace industry, its services and applications and integrated
telecommunications. Held annually in Rome, it houses an exhibition area,
which comprises representatives of the industries, applications and services
of the four aerospace macro areas (Earth observation, navigation, exploration
and space transportation, integrated telecommunications) and three days
congresses (Mediterranean Space Conference), dedicated to aerospace market
and its internationalization. SAT Expo Europe enjoys the patronage of the
Presidency of the Italian Republic and the scientific collaboration of ESA
and ASI.

http://www.satexpo.it

Eurovisioni

Eurovisioni, International Festival of Cinema and Television,
was created in 1987 and now in its 23rd edition. Eurovisioni 2009 (from 11 to
14 of October) is dedicated to creativity and innovation in the audiovisual
market, is part of the European events for the Year of Creativity, and
received the patronage of the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano, the
European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, the Council of
Europe, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Presidency of the
Senate, the Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies, the Lazio Region, the
Province and Municipality of Rome, and others. Among others, the initiative
is supported by ARD, BBC, Canal +, Eutelsat, France Television, RAI, RTVE,
TVP, ZDF.

2009 edition takes place during the fourth International Film
Festival of Rome.

http://www.eurovisioni.it

Press Contacts:
Press Contacts HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards
Eutelsat: Vanessa O'Connor, Tel. +33-1-5398-3888, e-mail:
voconnor@eutelsat.fr
Promospace: Matteo Sassano, Tel. +39-0444-543-133, email
msassano@pentastudio.it

Organisation:
Promospace - Tel. +39-0444-543-133 - e-mail:
hba@satexpo.it

Source: Eutelsat Communications

Press Contacts: Press Contacts HOT BIRD(TM) TV Awards, Eutelsat: Vanessa O'Connor, Tel. +33-1-5398-3888, e-mail: voconnor@eutelsat.fr, Promospace: Matteo Sassano, Tel. +39-0444-543-133, email: msassano@pentastudio.it; Organisation: Promospace - Tel. +39-0444-543-133 - e-mail: hba@satexpo.it

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