Eutelsat Communications said first half net profit was E94.7 million, up from E79.9 million a year earlier, driven by strong business growth from two key sectors using satellite communications, digital TV and high-speed internet. EBITDA was E349.2 million, up from E329.6 million. Sales were E429.4 million, up from E415.3 million.

German commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 has opted to halt simulcasting the HD versions of its two main channels, ProSieben and Sat.1, on Astra. No official reason has been given for the termination of the HD broadcasts, but it likely arises from a lack of suitable receivers, the additional costs and the inability to increase advertising revenues […]

Modern Times Group posted a 40 per cent increase in fourth quarter pre-tax profit to a better-than-expected SEK607 million, helped by organic sales growth, acquisitions, and sharply increased margins at its free-to-air Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe divisions. For the full year group sales were up 12 per cent year on year to SEK […]

Cumulative shipments in Japan of mobile phone handsets with the one-segment terrestrial digital broadcasting function topped 20 million units as of the end of December, reports the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association Domestic shipments of handsets that can receive terrestrial digital television broadcasts reached 20.47 million units at the end of 2007. The […]

Three of the UK's largest Internet Service Providers have signed up to use a new advertising platform that will give them a slice of the growing online targeted ad market. BT, Virgin Media and Carphone Warehouse’s TalkTalk have signed up to use a system created by Phorm that connects advertisers, Web sites and the ISPs […]

Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) and VTR, a division of Liberty Global, will partner to launch CNN Chile, the first 24-hour, pay television news network specifically programmed for the Chilean market. The channel is scheduled to debut this year. TBS Latin America and VTR are equal partners in CNN Chile, which represents the first joint-venture of […]

Virgin Media has appointed Alex Green as MD of its portal, responsible for accelerating growth of Virginmedia.com. Green takes on a new role within Virgin Media, which the media company says is unrelated to the departure of its director of portal Chris Bunyan, who leaves the company this week. Green will be charged with overseeing […]

ITV has appointed Patricia Wagstaff to the new post of director for digital productions. Wagstaff joins ITV Productions from the US cable network HBO. She has also worked as vice-president at the web video site iFilm.com. The new role will see her develop ITV content for new platforms and technologies, working as part of Dawn […]

Inuk Networks claims 40,000 students are now receiving digital television through the company's Freewire TV IPTV service. The current size of the Freewire TV customer-base means the company more than doubles the total number of UK viewers who receive linear television using IPTV as the delivery mechanism. Freewire TV is supplied free at the point […]

The body representing internet service providers in the UK has cast doubt on government proposals to make them responsible for identifying and punishing illegal music and video downloaders. The Internet Service Providers' Association opposes the idea that it should take responsibility. “ISPs are no more able to inspect and filter every single packet passing across […]