Columbia Communications to carry digital global service for Associated Press Television.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 19, 1994--Columbia Communications Corp. (CCC) Monday announced that Associated Press Television (APTV) has selected the COLUMBIA/TDRSS International Satellite System to provide a full-system digitally compressed video service which will span three continents.

CCC will utilize transponders on both its Atlantic and Pacific satellites to provide the service.

The Federal Communications Commission recently granted CCC authority to provide simultaneous domestic and international service via its two satellite system which was a key factor in the selection process.

The integrated turnkey service for APTV which is based on use of the COLUMBIA/TDRSS satellite system was put together by Teleport London International. In addition to using TLI's own TDRSS earth station, the APTV service also uses the TDRSS earth stations of Hong Kong Telecom, Washington International Teleport and Teleport Denver, which relays the service between the two COLUMBIA/TDRSS satellites.

Chris Russell, general manager of TLI said, "Providing a turnkey service for APTV on a short time schedule was an ambitious undertaking that would not have been possible without the operational flexibility and co-operation from Columbia Communications Corporation."

Columbia Chief Executive Officer Clifford Laughton, commented, "We welcome APTV as the first of our customers to take full advantage of Columbia's unique regulatory and technical abilities. Since the Federal Communications Commission has recently granted CCC the authority to provide simultaneous international and U.S. domestic service, APTV will have the ability to uplink and downlink from anywhere within the three continent footprint covered by the COLUMBIA/TDRSS system."

Laughton noted that the landmark FCC decision also permits broadcasters, program distributors and others in the film and television industry to now reach a potential viewing audience of over 1.7 billion people for little more than what is presently being spent for U.S. domestic satellite services alone.

He added, "We believe that once the industry fully understands what is now available as a result of this decision -- video distribution will never be the same."

The COLUMBIA/TDRSS International Satellite System provides its customers single-system connectivity stretching from Hainan Island and the Philippines, north to Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, and the Russian Far East, across the Pacific and throughout North America, crossing the Atlantic and covering all of Europe, including Eastern Europe and The Mediterranean.

CONTACT: Columbia Communications

Arthur Hill or Kenneth Gross, 310/907-8800