"Leonardo", already currently available on 4 continents (Europe, Africa, Australia, and Canada, in North America) is to be launched in the US by 3ndQ of 2003, firstly in only in Italian language but by the end of year 2003 available also in the English version.

Leonardo will be 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and will use a Tarbs platform (www.tarbs.com) See more about TARBS below.

This new avenue of enjoying Italian centric information is certainly welcome.
It will be interesting to see how much penetration it will be able to gain. Since it will be doing little original programming, and therefore avoiding the huge initial capitalization costs, and it's cost of transmission will probably be low, it chances for success appear to be good.

However, it is to be seen whether the same or similar information transmitted over telephonic Internet lines, which currently are at somewhat lower quality, but at a substantially lesser cost, will be competition.

TARBS had it's beginning in the transmission of Greek programming.
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ITALY
Leonardo is the television devoted to Italian style. Presenting Italian immense cultural heritage to the world. Italy as an incredible resource for anyone fascinated by its traditions, cuisine, itineraries, art, music, fashion, design, talents and innovations. Leonardo is a unique television with high quality productions and exclusive contents. Setting trends and determining style. The only television that showcase the best of Italy. Leonardo is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

WORLD
Leonardo is currently available through the major satellite and cable platforms in Europe, Africa, Canada and Australia both in Italian and German language versions with a potential audience of several millions viewers.

USA
Leonardo also will be launched on Tarbs platform (www.tarbs.com) by 3ndQ of 2003, firstly in only in Italian language but by the end of year 2003 available also in the English version.

THE CHANNEL FEATURES

Fashion: fashion shows, the collections, emerging talent, the personalities and their ideas about style. It also looks at the classic tailors, the industry and artisans who are the first to define taste.

Clothing and society: what creates a trend in terms of style, habits, and consumer tastes. Fashion and the new trends which have developed from, and have helped the spread of, globalization. Style and shows: contemporary music, film, famous people and how these condition the development of our tastes and our style. The search is on for influences that represent new standards and tastes of the future.

Design and architecture: houses and spaces, and restaurants, architecture and objects. Style transposed into objects, in furniture, in the places where the various tribes of the new millennium will live, a chapter devoted to the evolution of taste and demand. Food design and restaurants: style as created by the great chefs together with styles in food packaging, and trends in eating which draw the consumer to food.

Travel and culture:  the most fashionable locations, the most beautiful places and the concept of style as witnessed in different countries in the world.

Famous people: portraits of the most influential personalities in Italy, those who have created a way of being and have given the world their style.
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MORE ABOUT TARBS: An apparent Satellite/Cable Subscriber Service.

TARBS (TARBS World TV Australia Pty.Ltd.) was established in 1995 by Mike and Regina Boulos to provide television and radio services within Australia and internationally.

These services include a broad range of digital transmission and broadcast facilities as well as creative and post-production services for television and radio broadcast clients globally.

In 1999, TARBS began operations as a multicultural subscription TV and radio broadcaster dedicated to serving the unique blend of cultures that exist in Australia's estimated 1.2 million households.

Elsewhere in the world, TARBS' potential market runs up to about 20 million ethnic households. With offices across the globe, TARBS is proud to be the world's leading multicultural broadcaster.

Our Mission TARBS' mission is totally focused on delivering quality television and radio programming to non-English speaking ethnic audiences around the world, no matter where they live.

This goal aims at fulfilling an undeniable need that exists within ethnic people all over the world, to grow and maintain strong linkages with their cultural heritage, and to strengthen ties between their old and new cultures.

Under the umbrella of World TV Australia Pty Ltd, the holding company that owns TARBS World TV Australia Pty Ltd and a host of other TARBS-related companies that are being set up worldwide, TARBS is now serving this need on a global scale. TARBS World TV  currently broadcasts 65 channels covering 20 different languages, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

TARBS offers more multicultural programs than those currently available on all five free-to-air TV channels in Australia. In 2002, TARBS launched a fifth transponder, expanding its capacity further to a record 65 channels.

Australian subscribers to TARBS World TV receive:
Their choice of language channels;
A complementary English channel package including CNN, ESPN, Cartoon Network, National Geographic, MCM and Turner Classic Movies;
Optional premium-tiered services comprising a Pay Per View channel, the Nightmoves adult channel and the Movie Network package made up of three channels: Movie One, Movie Extra and Movie Greats.
Plus a wide range of premium TV channels and radio stations from around the world.

To produce the TARBS World TV package, TARBS has secured long-term distribution rights for quality television and radio programming relevant to the world's major ethnic communities and supplements this with quality English programming to broaden appeal and enhance over-all viewing experience.

TARBS' programming relationships and long-term marketing and distribution rights now extend across government broadcasters in 30 non-English speaking countries worldwide, as well as with key private broadcasters in those countries.

TARBS has established a global satellite platform and world-class broadcast operations facilities that enable its programming content to be efficiently sourced and distributed anywhere in the world.

TARBS continually develops strong ties with the ethnic communities and customers that it serves to constantly improve and expand the quality and range of its services to various ethnic markets, worldwide.

Global OperationsTARBS World TV has operations in Europe, with a regional office and a teleport facility located in Athens, Greece.

In October 2002, TARBS commenced Direct-To-Home satellite services in the United States, where the company intends to launch full-scale commercial operations during the second half of 2003.

TARBS also operates a third teleport facility in Napa Valley, California, USA. By working closely with governments, broadcasters, business sectors, community leaders and multicultural communities globally, TARBS is continually building its network to strengthen its position as the world's leading multicultural broadcaster.