From next week, nine exciting new channels will come on Astro. This will bring to 75 Astro’s number of channels and services to satisfy the viewing pleasure of sports fans, knowledge hunters and movie junkies.Together with the 11 channels that Astro launched on Aug 31 last year, the new channels will be offered free until Aug 31 this year. The English programmes are Discovery Science (Channel 53), E! (Channel 76), Discovery Home & Health (Channel 77), Discovery Real Time (Channel 78), Golf Channel (Channel 83) and Eurosport (Channel 84).

Cantonese channel Jia Yu (Channel 35) and Tamil Astro Vellithirai (Channel 74) and Sun Music (Channel 75) complete the lineup. Astro TV chief executive Rohana Rozhan said the new channels, encompassing genre ranging from sports, science, lifestyle and entertainment, would offer viewers more choices. She said the additional capacity from the new Measat-3 satellite would enable Astro to reach and touch more people with the introduction of the channels.

“In the near future, we shall be rolling out additional channels aimed at satisfying the growing appetite of our customers for local content. “In view of changing customer needs, we are considering offering more flexibility and affordability,” Rohana said.Discovery Home & Health is a lifestyle channel for women and families, focusing on relationships, parenting, beauty and well-being.

E! is a 24-hour channel that offers all the latest entertainment and celebrity news, gossip and behind-the-scene happenings. Golf Channel is dedicated to golfers, offering comprehensive coverage of competitions around the world as well as news, instructional and original productions, such as the popular Big Break series. Eurosport provides non-stop extensive coverage of diverse sporting events, including cycling, athletics, winter sports, motor sports, water sports, football, rugby, badminton and gymnastics.

Discovery Science is dedicated to making science programming accessible, relevant and entertaining. Discovery Real Time covers pursuits and interests such as motors, workshops, home improvement, sports, gaming and technology.

Sun Music is a music channel focusing on entertainment and variety programmes, including interviews with some of the biggest stars in the Tamil industry. Astro Vellithirai will provide 24-hour, non-stop Tamil movies, featuring a mix of classics and the best new and recent releases. The Jia Yu channel has been recognised as the premier source of Chinese and Asian entertainment.

-nst.com-