Hong Kong, 14 January 2005 – Phoenix Satellite Television Company Limited (Phoenix TV) (鳳凰衛視有限公司) and Astro, Malaysia’s leading cross-media operator, today held a joint press conference in Kuala Lumpur to announce that Phoenix InfoNews channel (Phoenix InfoNews) (鳳凰衛視資訊台) will officially begin to broadcast in Malaysia via Astro’s direct-to-home satellite broadcast platform on 19 January 2005.
Astro will carry Phoenix InfoNews on channel 37 as part of its “Emperor”package (皇朝配套). Phoenix InfoNews, together with Phoenix Chinese channel (Phoenix Chinese) (鳳凰衛視中文台), which began broadcasting in Malaysia via Astro’s channel 32 in 1999, will provide round-the-clock quality Mandarin Chinese programming to viewers in Malaysia.
Mr. Liu Qing Dong (劉慶東), Vice President of Phoenix TV’s International Operations Division as well as Miss Sally Wu (吳小莉) and Mr. Dong Jia Yao (董嘉耀), both of whom are Deputy Heads of Phoenix InfoNews and renowned presenters, flew from Hong Kong to Malaysia to join Mr. Choo Chi Han (朱志恒), General Manager of Chinese Programming, Astro, in officiating at the press conference.
Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Choo said, “Astro’s further collaboration this time with Phoenix TV, enabling Phoenix InfoNews’ to be
available in Malaysia, aims to meet the local viewers’ increasing demand for quality Mandarin Chinese news reporting.”
According to Mr. Liu Qing Dong, “Phoenix InfoNews has been striving to expand its network of services. Phoenix TV’s further partnership with
Astro is part of the new round of the company’s market expansion strategy in South East Asia to meet its objective of providing varied, high-quality
programming to the global Chinese population. Astro channels have been in popular demand. Phoenix TV is very pleased that Astro’s carriage of Phoenix InfoNews will be realised well ahead of its original schedule.”
Phoenix InfoNews is the first 24-hour Mandarin Chinese TV channel providing general/financial news and information for Chinese communities worldwide. It broadcasts to audiences in China and some 50 countries/regions in the Asia Pacific via AsiaSat3. In October 2004, it began broadcasting in the United Stated via ECHOSTAR.
Launched on 1 January 2001, Phoenix InfoNews delivers first-hand, quality news coverage of current events with impartial and objective analysis for
viewers in the global Chinese community. Among its many popular productions, its 30-minute live news on each hour and up-to-the-minute reporting on the latest world issues have earned much acclaim from both other news organisations and its viewers worldwide. This is supported by Phoenix TV’s comprehensive network of news bureaux operating in some 10 cities across three continents.
Information on Phoenix TV’s programme listing is available on
www.ifeng.com
About Phoenix Satellite Television (鳳凰衛視)
Since it began operating on 31 March 1996, Phoenix Satellite Television has
now grown into a multi-national enterprise running five TV channels, namely,
Phoenix Chinese (鳳凰衛視中文台), Phoenix Movies (鳳凰衛視電影台), Phoenix
InfoNews (鳳凰衛視資訊台), Phoenix Chinese News and Entertainment (鳳凰衛視
歐洲台), and Phoenix North America Chinese (鳳凰衛視美洲台) channels, which
together broadcast to audiences in the Asia Pacific, as well as in Europe,
North America and North Africa, covering more than 100 countries and
regions. The group aims to offer varied, high-quality content to the global
Chinese population.
Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Limited (鳳凰衛視控股有限公司) was
listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) on
30 June 2000 (GEM stock code 8002). Besides its TV operations, the group’s
multi-media business also runs the Phoenix Weekly magazine and the Phoenix
Website.
Website: www.ifeng.com
About ASTRO
ASTRO is Malaysia’s leading cross-media operator specialising in the
origination, aggregation and distribution of content across multiple
platforms. It is the sole provider of Direct-To-Home satellite multi-channel
television services in Malaysia, and houses the country’s largest
television program production facility. ASTRO is the country’s leader in
commercial radio, and publishes Malaysia’s most widely circulated magazine,
the Astro Guide. Celestial Pictures owns the world’s largest Chinese Film
library and its digitally remastered films are released internationally
through theatrical, video, television and new media distribution, and the
Celestial Movies channels. The strength of these complementary brands has
extended into interactive and multi-media services including provision of
content for mobile telephony.
Website: www.astroplc.com | 
