Cyprus

[CY] Satellite Television Service to Be Upgraded

IRIS 2002-8:1/8

Andreas Christodoulou

Cyprus

More specifically, its current programming of essentially CyBC, the national broadcasting service, output is expected to be enriched with additional informational, cultural and entertainment programming appealing mainly to overseas viewers - primarily overseas Cypriot communities.

As regards CyprusSat's geographical reach it is expected to expand considerably during 2003 in order to cover the continents of North America and Australia, in addition to Europe, where the service has been in operation since the early 1990s via the Sirius system of satellites.

These developments are the result of a recent Cyprus Council of Ministers' decision (31 July 2002) which has, inter alia, allocated an amount of CYP 650.000 (about EUR 1.100.000 Euros) annually for the improvement of CyprusSat programming.

The Council of Ministers has also decided to give the `green light' to negotiations with satellite programme providers in North America and Australia for the inclusion of CyprusSat programmes in their overseas menus. For this purpose the Cyprus Government has set aside CYP 1.350.000 (about EUR 2.350.000) for 2003.

The expansion in geographical coverage will give the opportunity to sizeable Cypriot communities in the US, Canada and Australia to have instant access to the latest Cyprus news, economic and cultural developments as well as to entertainment programming. The improved programming also aims at establishing two-way communication between communities of overseas Cypriots with Cyprus.