NBC UNIVERSAL AND DISH NETWORK CONNECT VIEWERS WITH INTERACTIVE TELEVISION APPLICATION FOR 'TOP CHEF 3 MIAMI'
First-Ever Satellite Synchronized Voting and Polling Interactive TV Programming Application Developed by Ensequence
NEW YORK and ENGLEWOOD, Colo. � July 10, 2007 � NBC Universal and EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) and its DISH Network satellite TV service today announced that viewers of Bravo's "Top Chef 3 Miami" can now interact with the program in ways never before possible on satellite television in the United States. This marks the first-ever satellite synchronized voting and polling interactive TV (iTV) application for Bravo's "Top Chef 3 Miami," which currently airs Wednesdays at 10:00pm ET/PT on DISH Network channel 129.
DISH Network, through its use of Ensequence's iTV application, allows viewers with compatible interactive receivers to interact with the program with a single click of the remote. This interactive application gives fans the ability to vote, view fun facts, and answer trivia questions that are synched to each episode of "Top Chef 3 Miami."
"We're delighted to team up with DISH Network and offer fans an engaging way to watch 'Top Chef,'" commented Henry Ahn, Executive Vice President, NBC Universal TV Networks Distribution. "With the phenomenal trend of interactive TV, we've been highly successful in pairing our top programs with distribution partners to deliver a more meaningful experience for our viewers."
"We are pleased to offer DISH Network subscribers exciting interactive content from Bravo's third season of 'Top Chef,'" said Michael Kelly, executive vice president of Interactive Applications for EchoStar. "DISH Network continues to innovate and bring customers new services and technology to be the industry-leader in interactive TV."
"We're excited to deliver this new interactive experience for Bravo and it's a great demonstration of what is finally possible with interactive TV," said Dalen Harrison, Ensequence CEO. "This application showcases the power of real-time interactivity, giving fans a powerful way to get more involved with the program and driving more audience participation for Bravo during the show."
"What better way to give our avid 'Chef' fans a more enriched experience than by offering them interactivity during the airing of the show," said Lisa Hsia, Senior Vice President, New Media, Bravo.
For each episode of "Top Chef 3 Miami," DISH Network viewers go interactive directly through the TV remote-without requiring another device-to answer polls about which chef should "pack their knives" each week. They can also participate in trivia questions about the judges and specific episodic content. Viewers get real-time notification of correct answers, and voting results are tallied and broadcast to viewers in real-time, enhancing their experience with the show.
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About Bravo
Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed drama series, movies, comedy and music specials, and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 84 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process, and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed original programming includes the Emmy-nominated "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," 12-time Emmy-nominated "Inside the Actors Studio," "The Real Housewives of Orange County," "Top Chef," as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye," and the four-time Emmy-nominated hit competition series, "Project Runway."
About EchoStar Communications Corporation
EchoStar Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DISH) has been a leader for more than 26 years in satellite TV equipment sales and support worldwide. The Company's DISH Network(tm) is the fastest-growing pay-TV provider in the country since 2000 and currently serves more than 13.4 million satellite TV customers. DISH Network offers a premier line of industry-leading Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and hundreds of video and audio channels as well as the most national HD and International channels in the U.S., Interactive TV, Latino and sports programming. DISH Network also provides a variety of package and price options including the lowest all-digital price in America and the DishDVR Advantage Package. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 300 company. Visit www.echostar.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474) for more information.
About Ensequence
Ensequence, the interactive TV company, is the world's leading provider of software used to create, manage and distribute interactive content across TVs, PCs and mobile devices. Ensequence's award-winning on-Q(r) software suites and professional services deliver multi-platform interactive capabilities to advertisers, programmers and operators worldwide. Since 2000, leading programmers, advertisers and operators have relied on Ensequence software and services to create and broadcast their interactive TV content, including the BBC, Bravo, BSkyB, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Disney, Hewlett-Packard, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, MTV Networks UK & Ireland, QVC UK, Sky Sports, TV Guide and UKTV. For more information about Ensequence, visit www.ensequence.com .
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