(28 August 2007 3:05 pm)

MUMBAI: US entertainment firm Cablevision Systems has added an iO Chinese package to its iO International programming service.

The new iO Chinese package, consisting of The Chinese Channel (Sino TV), on Channel 238; ET Global NY on Channel 239; and CCTV-4, on Channel 240; is available across Cablevision's service area.

ET Global NY is a Mandarin Chinese channel from Taiwan that focusses on general entertainment, news, and local content. CCTV-4, from China Central Television (CCTV), is China's largest provider of cultural, news and entertainment programming, primarily in Mandarin, but includes regular newscasts in English and Cantonese.

The Chinese Channel (Sino TV) features locally produced content and programming from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, spoken in Mandarin and Cantonese.

Cablevision's senior VP product management John Trierweiler says, "The addition of iO Chinese is a meaningful expansion of our iO International programming service and further demonstrates Cablevision's leadership position in the delivery of in-language programming to our diverse customer base.

With more than 2.5 million iO customers, more than 81 per cent of Cablevision's cable customers are iO digital cable customers, the highest digital penetration in the US.

iO offers customers access to more than 240 channels, including 50 premium movie channels.