VOA Chinese TV Goes on New Satellite

WASHINGTON, D.C — 
Good news for Voice of America fans in China. VOA TV programs in Chinese, Tibetan and English can now be watched on two direct-to-home satellites.

The VOA programs were added this month to the lineup on Telstar 18, also known as ApStar5, which broadcasts on the powerful Ku band, and is rated as one of the most popular direct-to-home satellites in China, according to Dishpointer.com. The programs are also available on the AsiaSat 3 C-band.
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“Earlier this year we completely revamped our flagship Chinese TV news show, expanding it to two hours a day, and adding fast-paced program elements and features,” says VOA Director David Ensor. “Now we have the program on two satellites, including Telstar 18. We hope these changes will make it easier for our audience to get the news and information that they have come to expect from the Voice of America,” Ensor says.

In addition to Mandarin TV, VOA’s twice-weekly, Tibetan news show, and shorter news updates, will be broadcast, along with VOA English features aimed at the Chinese audience.

The Mandarin program, VOA Weishi, (VOA Satellite TV), goes beyond the latest headlines, with live reports from VOA correspondents, and information viewers can’t get on state owned stations. The segment, Error 404, focuses on Chinese censorship, and shows what is actually being blocked by China’s Internet filters. Other segments, including “Democracy in America” and “American Legal Issues” delve into American society and culture.
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“The program gives our audience a uniquely American blend of news and information,” says VOA China Branch Chief Sasha Gong. “And we are really pleased to be able to deliver it to our audience on one of the most widely used direct to home satellites.”

Direct-to-home satellite is an increasingly popular source of news and information in many countries. Although satellite dishes are restricted in China, more than 10 percent of the adult population has access to a dish, according to independent surveys.

VOA Chinese, Tibetan and English broadcasts are also distributed on VOA websites, mobile apps and social media platforms, where millions of viewers often turn for news and information.

For more information about this release contact Kyle King at the VOA Public Relations office in Washington at (202) 203-4959, or write [email protected]. For more information about VOA visit the Public Relations website at www.insidevoa.com, or the main news site at www.voanews.com.