Local News Stations Join the Front Line in News Serving Their Communities with Live, Instantaneous Remote Broadcasts
ORANGE COUNTY, CA and WILTON, CT, April 18, 2006: PanAmSat (NYSE:PA)
and On Call Communications today announced the development of a new
satellite-based communications solution to enable the coverage of
breaking news and live events by local and independent news stations.
By using PanAmSat's QuickSPOT on-demand satellite technology and On
Call's OnSPOT auto-deploying broadband satellite communications
systems, broadcasters can now report on breaking news events as they
happen and then transmit the coverage to viewers in real time with
unrivaled simplicity, mobility and cost-efficiency.
KOCE, a PBS-affiliate based in
Huntington Beach, CA., is using the new system to provide live news
coverage to viewers of events that previously could only be
pre-recorded. "The QuickSPOT/OnSPOT solution gives us the opportunity
to deliver live remote broadcasts at far lower costs and convenience
than anything we had been able to do in the past," said Michael Taylor,
news director, KOCE's evening newscast, Real Orange. "Being live on the
scene gives us a new dimension, covering the news as it happens, making
the story much more ‘real' to our viewers. The recent fires in Southern
California exemplified this as we reported from the field, delivering
the latest updates from fire officials, what areas were being evacuated
and what schools remained open. Our news was much more relevant to our
viewers compared to something written and broadcast from the studio."
The QuickSPOT/OnSPOT solution provides a
powerful, cost-effective broadcast delivery system making it possible
for smaller broadcasters, such as KOCE, to access the formerly
cost-prohibitive world of live broadcasts. These stations can now avoid
the expense of dedicated satellite space by paying only for their
on-air time. And, no technical knowledge is required to operate the
auto-deploying terminals.
"Through our work with OnCall, we've
developed a truly game-changing broadcasting solution that transforms
the world of satellite news gathering," said Mike Antonovich, executive
vice president, Global Sales and Marketing for PanAmSat. "By using
smaller auto-pointing antennas in conjunction with the latest
generation of digital encoding and compression and our
bandwidth-on-demand provisioning service, live news coverage is now
simpler, smarter and smaller then ever before. These lower-cost systems
can now affordably be made available to support everyone from major
market television stations to local community cable channels. Smaller
communities benefit by getting up-to-the-minute reports on local
weather, storm conditions and developing news events. And, independent
stations can provide a wider variety of coverage and perspectives as
they serve up their own live reports. It is a win-win for everyone-the
broadcaster and the viewer."
About OnCall
On Call Communications, headquartered in Orange County, CA specializes
in providing quick deployments of mobile satellite telecommunications
systems for broadcasting, disaster recovery & government
applications. They design, integrate and install custom satellite
communications networks. On Call also owns and operates teleports in
Hawaii and Miami as well as switched voice facilities in Hawaii, Miami,
New York and Madrid.
About PanAmSat
Through its owned and operated fleet of 23 satellites, PanAmSat (NYSE:
PA) is a leading global provider of video, broadcasting and network
distribution and delivery services. It transmits nearly 2,000
television channels worldwide and, as such, is the leading carrier of
standard and high-definition signals. In total, the Company's in-orbit
fleet is capable of reaching over 98 percent of the world's population
through cable television systems, broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home
operators, Internet service providers and telecommunications companies.
In addition, PanAmSat supports the largest concentration of
satellite-based business networks in the U.S., as well as specialized
communications services in remote areas throughout the world. For more
information, visit the Company's Web site at www.panamsat.com.
|