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.
Korea Telecom has sold two valuable satellites for a bargain price of $4.24 million, according to a statement made in South Korea’s parliament. The sales, to Europe*Star and to Hong Kong-based Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) could also be illegal, claimed opposition parliamentarians. The two satellites cost around $400 million to construct. The two satellites (Mugungwha […]
Jean-Marie Messier, once Chairman & CEO of Vivendi, is appealing to a French court to overturn a 2011 verdict that punished him with a 3-year suspended sentence and a €300,000 fine for embezzlement and deliberately misleading shareholders. The conviction followed on from his time at Compagnie Generale des Eaux during 1994 and the following 8 […]
Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat will deliver its Q1 numbers after the market shuts on October 29th, but most analysts expect a ‘steady as she goes’ report. Investment banker Morgan Stanley, in a note to clients, says candidly that ”very little happened in Q1” although that statement ignores the mid-September Tribunal decision to award key transmission […]
The German stock market seems to be enjoying a strong love affair with Rupert Murdoch’s Sky Deutschland pay-TV company. 21st Century Fox owns 54.5 per cent of Sky Deutschland, and the past few weeks have seen a remarkable rise in the broadcaster’s share price. Back on June 24 the price stood at €4.63. By October […]
The Middle East/North Africa region is to get a powerful new satellite, Eutelsat’s 8-WB, positioned at 8 degrees West and alongside its Nilesat neighbour (which operates at 7 deg W). Eutelsat is planning to re-locate an existing satellite to the 8 deg West position in order to fulfil demand. The new craft will be built […]
Not everything in the BSkyB garden is rosy, implies Sarah Simon, media analyst at Berenberg Bank. She says that there’s much to worry about in the broadcaster’s latest quarterly numbers, and in fact maintains a ‘SELL’ note anticipating a fall in BSkyB’s share price. One of her observations concerns Sky’s ARPU which she says has […]
Satellite operator SES has borrowed €500 million by way of a 5 year bond. Proceeds will be used to pay down existing debt. The borrowing, at 1.875 per cent, is the lowest-ever charge in the company’s history, which reflect both the current state of the debt market and also confidence in SES. SES said “The […]
BSkyB’s Q1 numbers are out on Thursday and all eyes will be looking for the impact of BT Sports and its competitive challenge to Sky. Investment bank Berenberg, in a report to clients, say that while the market has been well aware of the competition from BT, “the actual effect on BSkyB numbers will only […]
Turkey will now launch a new satellite – Türksat 5A – in 2016, said Binali Yildirim, Minister for Transportation and Communication. The relatively small 16 Ku-band transponder satellite (plus 4 C-band transponders) is being built by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and Mitsubishi Electric and construction of the satellite will start next year. The 2016 launch […]
Much of the recent focus on India’s cable operators has been concentrated on the complex – and often troubled – conversion from analogue to digital. However, October 10th saw regulators pounce on 32 smaller Local Cable Operators (LCOs) and closed them down completely. It seems that none of the 32 LCOs have paid their entertainment […]
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