FetchTV launches Hindi and Pakistani channels via its broadband delivered subscription TV service

Sydney, 3 November 2010 - FetchTV today announced two new subscription TV packages - 1) Fourteen leading Hindi channels, and 2) Thirteen leading channels popular in Pakistan.

The new packages will dramatically expand the entertainment options available for the 230,000 plus Australians of Indian origin, and the up to 35,000 Australians of Pakistani origin.

The new packages can be purchased as add ons to the FetchTV Basic subscription package which offers twenty leading subscription channels including six Video on Demand (VOD) channels, thirty free movies every month, access to new-release pay-per-view movies from major movie studios, five specialty subscription channels and great interactive applications and games.

The new packages will be available from 1 November via iiNet, the first Australian ISP to offer the FetchTV service, accessed via a standard ADSL2+ broadband connection. iiNets fetchtv2 service is available from $29.95 per month with no additional set up fee. iiNet will offer each of the language packages for an additional $19.95 per month.

The fourteen channels available through the new Hindi language package include:

• Five General Entertainment channels - Zee TV; Star Plus; Colours; Imagine; and Sahara One - featuring prime time comedy, drama series, Bollywood movies, mini-series, childrens programs, game shows, late night shows and reality TV;
• NDTV 24x7 - the leading Indian News channel presented in English;
• NDTV India - a 24 hour Hindi news Channel;
• Two Movie channels, Zee Cinema and Star Gold - featuring the best of Hindi Movies;
• Two Music channels - MTV India and Zing;
• Travel , food and lifestyle programming from NDTV Good Times and Masala TV; and
• Sanskar, comprising Hindu spiritual and religious content (coming soon).

The thirteen channels available through the new Pakistani package include:

• Two Urdu News channels - Geo News and ARY News - featuring breaking news from Pakistan and around the world;
• Three Urdu General Entertainment channels - Geo Entertainment, ARY Digital and Hum TV- featuring leading dramas, reality shows, prime time infotainment and movies;
• Aag - an Urdu Youth General Entertainment and Music channel;
• Masala TV- an Urdu food channel featuring local and international chefs and cuisine;
• Style 360 fashion TV;
• QTV an Islamic Religious channels in Urdu;
• Zee Salaam - an Urdu General Entertainment channel;
• Zee TV and Zee Cinema - Hindi channels also popular in Pakistan; and
• NDTV - the leading Indian News channel presented in English

Channels will be delayed so that prime time programs appear during AEST prime time.

Scott Lorson, CEO, FetchTV said: FetchTV is committed to providing quality programming options for Australias diverse population and the inclusion of Hindi and Pakistani channels are just the beginning. We will continue to introduce multicultural programming, including South Indian and Sri Lankan packages which will be announced shortly, to cater for Australias diverse range of cultural backgrounds.

The addition of these language packages, alongside recently announced international news channels, will continue to strengthen the appeal of FetchTV to Australias multicultural population.

Greg Bader, iiNets Chief Technology Officer said: Were proud to be the first internet provider in Australia to offer this revolutionary service. Todays announcement is part of iiNets commitment to adding value for our customers and we look forward to making further announcements on new FetchTV content in the future.

Saba Zaidi Abdi, South Asian Media Expert who worked with FetchTV on the creation of these packages, said: While packaging the two bouquets, we have selected only the premium channels and best quality content available from South Asia. Acknowledging the diverse cultural, linguistic, religious and entertainment needs within the South Asian community we have created compelling and comprehensive bouquets which offer a rich variety of channel s for all generations. We are proud to be offering for the first time a Pakistani TV subscription service and the largest Hindi package in Australia at a very affordable price.

FetchTV is available via Australian ISPs and is delivered to the customers TV via a standard broadband connection and a FetchTV set top box (STB). Programming is available in broadcast quality (including HD where available) and is unmetered, meaning it doesnt count towards internet downloading quotas.

Because FetchTV is delivered over broadband, a satellite dish is not required to receive the packages. This means that the new service can be accessed by a larger proportion of the South Asian community than can receive existing subscription TV options.

The basic subscription includes:

• Fifteen leading linear subscription channels including:
  • CNBC Australia, BBC World News, Fox Sports News; National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Adventure, Baby TV, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Home & Health, TLC, Discovery Science, Animal Planet, E! Entertainment Television, MTV Music Television, MTV Classic and MTV Hits.
• Six VOD channels:
  • Gekko and HiJinx -childrens channels featuring Bob the Builder, The Wiggles, Bananas in Pajamas and more;
  • Warner TV - featuring Gossip Girl, The Big Bang Theory and other series;
  • Frontiers - science fiction programming including Stargate, Outer Limits and Poltergeist the legacy; and
  • Profiles and Chronicles -featuring award winning biography and history programs from AETN.
• Five international News channels in English - NDTV 24x7 from India; CCTV News from China; France 24; euronews and Al Jazeera English.
• Movie Box including 30 movies from Roadshow Entertainment, Warner, Disney Media Distribution and MGM available at any time:
  • Movies are refreshed 7 each week, with each movie available instantly on-demand for 30 days.
• Access to a pay-per-view library of new-release and classic movies from the main movie studios. PPV movies are priced at $3.95 for a library film, $5.95 for a standard definition film and $6.95 for an HD film.
• Interactive content such as games and applications for Facebook, Wiki, Twitter and more.
• The FetchTV set-top-box provides access t o all available digital free-to air channels. It also contains a digital video recorder with a 1 TB hard disk, three digital tuners (so you can record two and watch a third channel), the ability to pause, rewind and record live TV and true 1080p HD quality.

About FetchTV

FetchTV is an Australian founded and owned business, with backing from the Malaysian based ASTRO ALL ASIA NETWORKS subscription TV group.

FetchTV is a wholesale subscription TV provider to leading Australian ISPs. The fetchtv service is unique in that it provides access to digital free-to-air channels, subscription channels, video on-demand and interactive content via an unmetered broadband connection. Content is delivered to the TV in SD and HD quality, instantly with no downloading delays.

FetchTV Australia is not affiliated with Fetch TV UK of the same name. The technology deployed and business model are substantively different.

About iiNet

iiNet is Australias second largest DSL Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the leading challenger in the telecommunications market. We employ more than 1800 inquisitive staff across four countries and support over 1.3 million broadband, telephony and Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) services nationwide.

Were a publicly listed company and we maintain our own super-fast broadband network. Our vision is to lead the market with products that harness the potential of the Internet and then differentiate with award-winning customer service.

To achieve this, we employ creative thinkers and true advocates of technology. Our people are a huge part of the iiNet success story, so weve developed a unique and stimulating work culture to ensure they remain engaged and inspired.

A lot has changed since our CEO founded iiNet in a suburban garage back in 1993 and the broadband landscape continues to evolve. What hasnt changed is our passion for the transformative benefits of the Internet and our commitment to helping Australians connect better.