Bavaria’s bmt extends SES deal
April 27, 2021
By Chris Forrester
Satellite operator SES says it has signed a multi-year extension agreement with German regional public broadcaster Bayerische Medien Technik GmbH (bmt) for its 14 free-to-air channels. The agreement extends the existing relationship for HD capacity from Astra’s satellites at 19.2 degrees East.
bmt is a subsidiary of the Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien (BLM), the regulatory authority for new media in Bavaria, and of the Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), the Bavarian broadcasting association.
bmt will continue to receive funding from the Free State of Bavaria, enabling the broadcasting of 14 free-to-air channels, including local TV stations from Munich and Nuremberg, to audiences across Bavaria.
“SES’s partnership with bmt underscores the growing significance of regional TV offerings and the value local content brings to audiences that look for a tailored viewing experience. With our prime satellites at 19.2 degrees East, we ensure consistent delivery of local programming to the millions of viewers in Bavaria with the best image and sound quality,” said Christoph Mühleib, MD of Astra Deutschland.
“The increasing viewership and high popularity ratings of the current programming in the past two years show how much viewers appreciate reliable information from their region, especially in the news-heavy times of the pandemic. With the transmission of local TV programmes via SES’s Astra satellites, we are able to successfully reach the widest audiences and bring their favourite content in HD quality,” said Siegfried Schneider, President of BLM.