DIRECTV to broadcast Ukrainian programs (03/22/98)

DIRECTV to broadcast Ukrainian programs

FORT LEE, N.J. - DIRECTV, America's largest direct satellite system provider, will begin broadcasting Ukrainian television programs over its satellite network in May, announced the Ukrainian American Broadcasting Co. (UABC).

Los Angeles-based DIRECTV, which currently has 3.5 million subscribers, has made an agreement with UABC's owner, Ethnic-American Broadcasting Co. (EABC) to broadcast the Ukrainian Broadcasting Network (UBN).

"For Ukrainian Americans, this agreement means that members of our community can for the first time watch television programs from Ukraine and about Ukrainians on their home television sets at any time they wish," said Ihor Dlaboha, director of UABC.

In order to view UBN programs on DIRECTV, viewers must subscribe to the DIRECTV satellite service and have a receiver and antenna installed. The television schedule of the Ukrainian Broadcasting Network will appear on DIRECTV's electronic television guide.

The Ukrainian American Broadcasting Co. (UABC), a division of the Ethnic-American Broadcasting Co. of Fort Lee, N.J., through its Ukrainian Broadcasting Network (UBN) will offer the Ukrainian American community digital-quality television programs from Ukraine and about the Ukrainian diaspora.

The city-by-city roll out of UBN will begin in May. The Ukrainian Broadcasting Network will operate all-day, everyday, in viewing hours that are convenient for both the East and West coasts. Viewers will be able to watch Ukrainian news reports, talk shows, concerts, sports, movies and diaspora programs. Some of the programs will be in English.

UBN already broadcasts 24 hours a day on radio, providing programs of the National Radio Company of Ukraine from Kyiv, as well as original radio programming about the life of the Ukrainian diaspora produced in the network's studio in Fort Lee, N.J.

UBN also offers the Ukrainian community in the New York-New Jersey market a one-hour, weekday morning radio program, "This Morning with Us."