Skyrocketing demand for soap operas beat satellites

NICOSIA - Anatolia News Agency

Cast members from the hit show Muhteşem Yüzyıl (The Magnificent Century) Hürriyet photo

Turkish television and cinema representatives have requested an increase in both domestic and international satellite capacity to meet skyrocketing demand, according to the general manager of Türksat Satellite Communications and Cable TV Management.

Türksat, Turkey’s current satellite infrastructure provider, does not have the necessary capacity to meet the needs of the booming Turkish television and cinema sector’s domestic and international satellite requirements, Özkan Dalbay said.

New satellites needed

The provider’s new 4A and 4B satellites, which are slated to soon go into service, will help ease some of the demand, he said, but added that even they would be insufficient in meeting demand at the current rate of development.

Dalbay also said Turkey’s plans to create its own domestic satellite were continuing in tandem with the 4A and 4B satellite project and that eight Japanese satellite production specialists were currently working on the endeavor.

“If we don’t face any problems, we plan to have a satellite production center in place by the end of 2013. Our domestic communications satellite project will also be completed by that date and production will begin at the facility,” said Dalbay, adding that Turkey would have its first domestically designed and produced satellite communications system in place by 2015 barring any glitches.