Bermuda-based Intelsat is set to expand its global reach to millions of viewers in North America with the launch of an additional television programming platform on its Galaxy 19 satellite.

The fixed satellite services provider announced yesterday that RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd., a global provider of comprehensive content management and distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industries, has just launched the new platform, which will be operated from its Hawley Teleport in Pike County, Pennsylvania.

Intelsat's Galaxy 19 satellite, which hosts the largest ethnic video platform in North America, distributing almost 180 international channels, is located at 97 W. RRsat will leverage this capacity to distribute regional programming into the US cable market and Canada's DTH community.

"Through our long-standing relationship with Intelsat, we have been able to offer our customers' programming to almost the entire North American region, reaching millions of cable and DTH viewers," said Lior Rival, RRsat's deputy CEO and vice-president of sales and marketing. "This new multi-year contract enables us to continue meeting our customers' global distribution needs."

"Global distribution, especially for regional content, is one of the most important business drivers in programming today," said Jean-Philippe Gillet, Intelsat's regional vice-president of Europe & Middle East. "Within our satellite fleet, 27 satellites are part of video neighborhoods around the world that provide unparalleled transmission services to leading cable and DTH communities, offering programmers the access they need to reach key demographic viewers."

Intelsat will be exhibiting at Satellite 2009, a tradeshow for the global satellite industry, which is being held at the Washington Convention Center from tomorrow to Friday.

l Intelsat and International Launch Services (ILS) have signed a contract for the launch of the Intelsat 16 satellite on an ILS Proton later this year.

Contract terms were not disclosed, but the satellite, which was built by Orbital Sciences, is expected to be delivered to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan later this autumn.

Intelsat 16 is a 2,500-kilogramme satellite that will be placed at the orbital location of 58 degrees west longitude. It will provide high power Ku-band capacity to support expanded services to direct-to-home customers in Latin America.

Ken Lee, Intelsat's senior vice-president of space systems, said: "ILS Proton is the right solution for our business; it provides the critical schedule assurance we need to place the Intelsat 16 into orbit. We can count on ILS and Proton to ensure on-time delivery for the success of our business."

Frank McKenna, president of ILS, said: "ILS is pleased to launch another Intelsat mission on Proton to support their requirements for on-time delivery of the Intelsat 16 satellite.

"We have demonstrated responsiveness to our customer's near term needs and created real, bottom-line value for Intelsat and their customers."