Belarus' Satellite Channel Starts to Be Broadcast to North America

Belarus TV, a satellite channel run by the Belarusian State Television and Radio Company (BSTRC), has started to be broadcast to North America, Valery Radutski, director general of the channel, told BelaPAN.

According to him, since March 28, the channel has been available for viewers in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala.

Under a contract with the BSTRC, France Telecom transmits Belarus TV to those countries via Galaxy 25 satellite in a package together with Russian, Ukrainian, Azerbaijani, Armenian, and other channels, Mr. Radutski said.

The channel has thereby increased its constant audience by 10 million people and the number of its potential viewers by 90 million to some 200 million, Mr. Radutski said.

Belarus TV was launched on February 1, 2005 for the purpose of disseminating “true” information about the situation in Belarus. Last year the BSTRC signed contracts for transmissions to Cuba, Syria, Moldova, and Kazakhstan.