COMPANY TOWN ANNEX

NBC Leases Asian Satellite TV Channels: NBC, eager to break into the potentially lucrative Asian satellite TV market, has leased two channels on the new APSTAR-2 satellite, set for launch later this year. Tom Rogers, president of NBC Cable, said the network is developing a Pan-Asian CNBC business news channel in association with the Financial Times and Reuters in addition to an entertainment and news channel modeled after NBC’s Super Channel satellite service in Europe. APSTAR-2 is the so-called hot bird that will carry other Pan-Asian networks such as ESPN. NBC is said to be spending about $40 million for the satellite lease.