5-25-05, 9:53am

Caracas, May 24 (Prensa Latina) The test signal of TELESUR, a broadcasting project creating great expectations in Latin America, is coming on air Tuesday, in the first phase towards its full realization next September.

Colombian journalist and TELESUR Information Chief Jorge Enrique Botero told Prensa Latina 30-40 percent of the personnel had already started work.

The first phase's goal is to present the project to thousands of international distributors through the signal broadcasting on satellite 806.

On TELESUR characteristics, Jorge Enrique Botero said it would be new and original, and could not be compared to CNN or Al Jazeera.

'That is TELESUR: a channel to get to know each other, to see ourselves with our own eyes, and the setting in which we are going to do it is very favorable. I think we will help strengthen that setting,' Botero assured.

He also described it as a channel for rapprochement and said its executives were well aware of the great expectations it had created.

We have good professionals and talented young producers on this continent whose creativity and expertise has helped us a lot, he added.

Logos and signs were produced by Casa 4, a group of creative young Cubans. The first phase includes a two-hour transmission of journalist services, documentaries, movies and news.

According to the plan, the second phase will start on July 24, and the last in September, when there will be three eight-hour segments of broadcastings per day.

TELESUR seeks to offer services similar to those of CNN, TVE or BBC, but includes documentaries and films.

Unlike other television networks, it will show audiovisual productions by the Latin American social movement and independent producers.

It has stemmed from a proposal by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, included in the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas.

So far Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay and Cuba have participated in the project but discussions to distribute the signal in Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia and other countries are also underway.

mh/ecq/ml/jwp www.prensa-latina.cu --------------

END NOTE: IF YOU WISH TO RECEIVE MORE DETAILS ON ANY OF THE STORIES THAT ARE REPORTED HERE, OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE INFORMATION ON ANOTHER SUBJECT NOT INCLUDED IN THIS CAST, LET US KNOW VIA E-MAIL: