MUMBAI: Loral Skynet, the International satellite company specialised in entertainment, telecom, government and defense, and education has announced its renewal of the agreement with HBO Pacific Partners, V.O.F., to distribute the region's leading entertainment channels, HBO and Cinemax, across Asia through its television arm HBO Asia.

In accordance with the long- term agreement, Loral's Telstar 10 satellite (earlier Apstar IIR) will continue to distribute HBO Asia's programming to thousands of cable outlets across Asia.

"We welcome this significant service renewal by HBO for the distribution of quality video broadcast services to its audiences in Asia," said Loral Skynet president Terry Hart. "Telstar 10 hosts a robust video neighborhood over Asia, attracting the region's top programmers and when Telstar 18 joins the fleet in the next few weeks, Loral's extensive coverage of Asia will stretch from Europe to Australia and Hawaii," Hart said in an official release.

Launched in 1997, Telstar 10 is located at 76.5 degrees East longitude and carries 27 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders (36 MHz equivalents). The C- band payload provides coverage of Asia, Australia, parts of Europe and Africa. The Ku-band payload covers Korea, Taiwan, Macau and China, including Hong Kong. Telstar 10, which hosts one of the most extensive cable neighborhoods in Asia, distributes cable TV programming, direct-to-home services, and telecommunications, as well as Internet and VSAT (very small aperture terminal) services.

The Singapore-based HBO Asia produces HBO Original series and also works with a number of prominent independent studios to secure exclusive rights to a host of quality movies. HBO Pacific Partners, V.O.F. is a joint venture of media giants Paramount Films, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Time Warner and Universal Studios.