Shaw Direct customers will now be able to watch BC1 - <a href="http://globalnews.ca/bc/program/bc-1/" target="_blank">the province's first 24-hour news channel</a>. BC1 provides viewers with the very latest news, weather and sports from around the province - as well as two talk shows - AM/BC - hosted by Jill Krop and Top Story - an in depth look at the news making headlines that day. Along with the all-news channel, Shaw Direct customers will now be able to watch more than 120 new HD channels as part of the largest High Definition channel launch in Canadian history. Telesat's Anik G1 satellite launched April 15, and now that it is successfully in orbit, and is now beaming the new channels across the province. “The launch of Anik G1 represents a significant investment by Shaw to bring our customers the next level of satellite entertainment and deliver the programming they want and need,” said Peter Bissonnette, president, Shaw Communications Inc. “With leading customer service alongside best in class entertainment options, including over 500 channels, 7,000 on-demand options and 3D capability — Shaw Direct customers won’t miss a thing.” A full list of new channels is available at <a href="http://www.shawdirect.ca/mostHD">www.shawdirect.ca/mostHD</a>. Many new channels are part of existing channel packages, so subscribers with the necessary equipment will automatically receive several new channels at no additional cost. Shaw says some customers may require a hardware upgrade to access the channels carried by Anik G1 to be compatible with MPEG-4 technology. Shaw Direct customers can get a message about the status of their hardware by opening their Shaw Direct guide, typing in channel 988/987 (en/fr) and pressing the INFO button on their remote.