A&E to launch Bio HD in Latin America

A&E Ole Networks, the Latin American arm of the US broadcaster, is to launch its Bio channel in high definition across the region later this year, TBIvision understands.

The company, which is a joint venture between A&E and Ole Communications, is currently in negotiations with a raft of Latin American cable and satellite pay TV operators.

Eddy Ruiz, executive vice president and general manager, A&E Ole Networks, told TBIVision that it is ramping up the presence of its high definition networks as HD take up increases across the region, highlighting Brazil, where analysts suggest that there will be one million HD subscribers by the end of the year. “We launched History high definition [in 2010] and [in 2011] we’ll be launching Bio in high definition,” he said.

Bio is currently in 15 million homes across Latin America, while A&E is in 32 million homes and the History channel is in 34 million.