Arab Satellites Communication Organization  (Arabsat) has suspended the Woyanne-controlled Ethiopian Television (ETV) after the Meles regime has repeatedly interfered with Arabsat signals to jam Ethiopian Satellite TV (ESAT), according to Addisvoice. Arabsat, which is owned by the Arab League, has been forced to take retaliatory action after the lawless regime in Ethiopia jammed ESAT for the third time yesterday. ESAT was airing a captivating story about an Ethiopian air force officer when it suddenly went off air.

ESAT has issued the following press release on the matter:

Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) Intercepted for Third Time

For the past 24 hours, Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) broadcasts and transmissions in Ethiopia, the Middle East and Europe have been disrupted for the third time since it began service on May 2010. Along with ESAT, the satellite service of state-controlled Ethiopian Television was also knocked off the air.

Our evidence on the source of the illegal signal interference points exclusively in the direction of the Ethiopian Government Woyanne junta. Beginning on July 20, the satellite system carrying ESAT signals was bombarded by intense and sustained radio frequency interference disrupting a whole set of services provided by various public and private entities. The evidence gathered by ESAT shows that the Ethiopian Government in illegal collaboration with certain parties in the satellite business attempted to isolate and disrupt ESAT signals. Appartently, that effort backfired and knocked off the broadcast signals of the Ethiopian Government Woyanne junta along with a number of other international satellite service providers. The Ethiopian Government Woyanne junta by attempting to knock out ESAT ended up knocking itself off the air.

ESAT in cooperation with other impacted parties shall seek appropriate legal remedies to stop the Ethiopian Government Woyanne junta from engaging in patently illegal interference in satellite communications.

ESAT continues to receive messages of public support and encouragement for its mission to bring news, information and entertainment to the Ethiopian public. As we have done recently when our satellite services were jammed, we again wish to extend our appreciation to the friends and supporters of ESAT. We wish to assure our viewers that we will seek all legal and technological methods to overcome any interference directed at ESAT programming by the Ethiopian Government Woyanne junta. We ask again for the support and patience of our viewers as we continue to struggle to go back on the air.

Press Release in PDF can be downloaded here

ESAT Management
+0031203317176
Amsterdam
www.ethsat.com

From AddisVoice

Arabsat suspends ETV broadcasts
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 @ 05:07 PM AV

One of the world’s top satellite TV operators, the Arab Satellites Communication Organization (Arabsat), has decided to suspend the Meles regime from using its services after repeatedly engaging in illegal signal interference and jamming efforts affecting a number of TV channels including ESAT and its own ETV satellite broadcasts. According to well-informed sources, Arabsat, which is owned by the Arab Leaugue, had previously warned the regime to stop its backward and illegal frequency interference activities that has been affecting the operations of the organization.

Using expensive Chinese frequency interference technology, the Meles regime has been jamming radio broadcasts such as the Voice of America and Deutsche Welle Amharic broadcasts to Ethiopia. After the launch of ESAT, Meles reportedly gave direct orders to his subordinates to jam the channel at any cost. ESAT management team is currently making efforts to restore services. Both ETV and ESAT’s broadcasts are off the air at the moment.