News Corporation's STAR Launches 4-Channels on Comcast's DC Metro and City of Philadelphia Cable Platforms; Flagship Channel Also Launches in Colorado

PHILADELPHIA and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- STAR India, a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation (Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA; ASX:NWS, NWSLV) and India's leading media and entertainment company, today announced that it has expanded its partnership with Comcast, launching 4-channels into two additional U.S. markets, Washington, DC and the city of Philadelphia, PA.  The Washington DC market availability includes the District of Columbia, Loudoun County in Virginia, and Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland.  In addition, STAR India PLUS is now available on Comcast throughout its Colorado service area including Denver and Colorado Springs.  STAR channels are already distributed by Comcast in multiple locations across the United States, including California, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Florida and Washington State.  

The STAR channels now available to Comcast subscribers in the DC Metro and City of Philadelphia service areas are India's # 1 GEC channel for the last 10 years, STAR India PLUS, youth-orientated entertainment channel STAR ONE, Hindi news channel STAR India NEWS and Bollywood movie channel STAR India GOLD. STAR is North America's largest provider of ethnic channels.

"The increasing penetration of our top quality channels is a testament of our ongoing efforts, and growing partnership, with Comcast to bring the best of South Asian entertainment to viewers across the nation," said David Wisnia, STAR's Senior Vice President of Distribution, Sales and Marketing and head of STAR's North American office. "Our current Comcast subscribers have already witnessed and applauded the superior programming content which STAR offers and we are looking forward to creating the same experience for our new viewers in DC Metro, the City of Philadelphia and Colorado."

This multicultural programming offering is part of the Comcast's commitment to deliver more choice and control to its customers through its Xfinity services, which include 100+ HD channels, 50 to 70 foreign-language channels, On Demand video choices increasing to 25,000 and increased broadband speeds of up to 50-100+ Mbps.  Xfinity also offers thousands of online entertainment choices through Xfinity TV online as well as applications that enable customers to program a DVR from the Internet or a mobile device, and cross-platform features like Caller ID to the TV and PC.

In Colorado, STAR India PLUS is available on Comcast Digital TV channel 674.  In the Philadelphia and Washington DC markets, STAR India PLUS can be found on Comcast Digital TV channel 693, STAR India NEWS on Comcast Digital TV channel 690, STAR India GOLD on Comcast Digital TV channel 696 and STAR ONE on Comcast Digital TV channel 692. More information can be found online at www.comcast.com/internationaltv or by calling toll-free at 1-800-XFINITY (1-800-934-6489).

SOURCE STAR India PLUS