• Playout, uplinking and space arranged in just five days
• Launched onto Sky platform via Eurobird satellite
• Fully managed playout from Arqiva's state-of-the-art facilities

Arqiva has today announced a five-year contract with Urban TV, after a successful launch of the channel onto the Sky platform in November 2007.  Urban TV aims to cater for a broad audience interested in urban style, including music, film and fashion.  Working with Urban TV's chief operating officer, experienced broadcast specialist Paul Kalwa, Arqiva's technical expertise and extensive experience of launching TV channels onto the Sky platform enabled the rapid turnaround required to meet the launch date: the negotiations, contractual elements and allocation of resources were completed within five days in October 2007.

Arqiva is providing uplinking and space on the Eurobird satellite for Urban TV's 3Mb/s channel, as well as fully managed playout from Arqiva's state-of-the-art Chalfont Grove MCR facility.

Paul Kalwa said: "Having overseen the launch of eleven television channels, I was very impressed by the quick and efficient way in which Arqiva responded to our needs.  The team took everything in their stride, prioritising our requirements and acting on them both rapidly and diligently.  Their level of understanding, both of our particular situation and the processes we needed to go through to launch the channel, was invaluable."  

John Bozza, director of sales for Arqiva's Satellite Media Solutions division, added: "We were delighted to be able to help Urban TV meet their launch date.  Our extensive experience of launching TV channels, and our ability to provide a complete and co-located end-to-end service, greatly simplifies what can be a complicated process.  We wish them every success for the future."

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