German television channel ARD has chosen Eutelsat to reach television viewers in southeast Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

ARD Das Erste will broadcast in digital free-to-air via Widebeam capacity on Eutelsat’s Hot Bird 5 satellite (downlink frequency 11.604GHz, horizontal polarisation, Symbol rate 27.5, FEC 5/6).

Broadcasting via Hit Bird gives ARD access to an estimated new market of eight million German speakers who holiday or travel for business reasons in Greece, Turkey, North Africa and eastern Europe, said the channel.

According to Eutelsat research 98 per cent of three, four and five star hotels in southeast Europe, North Africa and the Middle East already offer television channels broadcast by the Hot Bird satellites.

Installations in equivalent categories in eastern Europe are currently 75 per cent and Eutelsat says these are on the increase.