Advanced Television

Inside Satellite

Chris Forrester

Chris Forrester is one of the most experienced and highly regarded journalists in the field. His insight and analysis, particularly in the satellite and pay-TV arena, is highly prized. He has written for all the major business journals in the sector as well as several national newspapers.

Six crises for the satellite industry

Analyst Roger Rusch, CEO at TelAstra, says in a report that the commercial satellite industry is facing 6 different and worrying crises. Rusch suggests that terrestrial growth from fibre and wireless is threatening future growth of the satellite sector, and this is his Crises Number 1. “The wireless and fibre providers are more agile at […]

December 10, 2019

Sony/Warner battle TuneIn over ‘UK infringements’

A copyright infringement dispute between Warner Music and Sony against streaming service TuneIn Radio, filed in 2017, alleges that some 800 unlicensed TuneIn music streams were available in the UK, is likely to go the UK’s Court of Appeal. A judgement by Judge Colin Birss back on November 1st favoured Warner and Sony and found […]

December 9, 2019

Bank: “Worse to come for EU commercial broadcasters”

An ‘end of year’ assessment report from investment bank Exane/BNPP on Europe’s commercial broadcasters praises some, but warns clients on others. The problem, says the bank’s report, is that for some broadcasters “the worst is yet to come”. The study says TV – for some broadcasters – is looking bleak this winter; “Audience share is […]

December 6, 2019

Mediaset and Vivendi: “Doubts on MFE”

It seems everything is now firmly off the table as far as any discussions are concerned between Mediaset and Vivendi, and with the additional risk that Mediaset’s plans for its ‘MediaForEurope’ platform are now also in jeopardy. Widespread report are that discussions between the two media giants have collapsed with the attempts at conciliation having […]

December 3, 2019

Verizon and AT&T want early CBA action

Preston Padden, the first head of advocacy at the C-Band Alliance (he stepped down in March, and had been EVP of Government Relations at Disney) issued a slice of advice to his former colleagues in the Alliance. In a Tweet this week he said: “C-Band lesson to all Spectrum licensees, Federal and Private – cling […]

November 29, 2019

Eutelsat reaffirms financial expectations

Eutelsat has spent the past few days meeting financial analysts, and supplying its mid-term outlook as to its trading expectations. One investment bank, in a note to clients, advised that Eutelsat reaffirmed its mid-term outlook of a return to group top line growth driven by positive stability in revenues of the core Video broadcast business […]

November 28, 2019

Netflix hit by hiring rule?

A court case this week in Los Angeles Superior Court (20th Century Fox Film vs Netflix) looks like its final decision will rule against Netflix. The case revolves around allegations that Netflix is – and has been – hiring executives from Fox who were under contract. Back in June the Court hear allegations that in […]

November 27, 2019

CBA: FCC adds detail to its thinking

Last week, Eutelsat’s CEO Rodolphe Belmer met with the FCC’s Chairman Ajit Pai. Belmer said that satellite operators should receive an upfront ‘stage’ payment for handing over their spectrum. A report from analyst Sami Kassab at Exane/BNPP gives a detailed background to the event, saying that  Belmer discussed the principles that should govern the transition, […]

November 26, 2019

Analyst: How to lose $1m

There’s an old joke that boaters will know all about, which is how do you end up with a $1 million-value boat? The answer is to start off with a $2 million-value vessel and wait a year or two. Gareth Hollis, an analyst at investment bank Exane/BNPP has a variation on the joke, and he […]

November 22, 2019

Could broadband-by-balloons gain momentum?

There’s no shortage of public interest in the growth of new ‘mega-constellations’ of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites from the likes of Elon Musk (Starlink), Jeff Bezos (Kuiper) and Telesat of Canada. However, there’s plenty of other aerial activity taking place somewhat closer to the ground in the shape of high-altitude balloons and airships. These, […]

November 21, 2019