“Democracy is the worst way to run a country, except all the others,’” said Winston Churchill. The same may well be true of a licence fee and a PSB national broadcaster. But that doesn’t stop every new Tory government concerning itself with scrapping it, no matter how many much more urgent things they have to […]

Eutelsat’s CEO Rodolphe Belmer, in his results discussion with analysts, stressed again that the operator’s business was healthy. At one stage, and grumbling about the company’s low share price, he rhetorically asked one analyst why would Eutelsat be continuing to invest long-term in replacement satellites if its overall business was in decline. “Our Video Broadcast […]

France’s new combined TV streaming service Salto is due to beta launch on June 3rd ahead of a full roll-out during September. However, a bank report suggests it remains cautious on other European free-to-air broadcasters’ prospects because of their limited libraries and lack of marketing firepower. CEO Thomas Follin has already announced that the French […]

On February 11th, US District Judge Victor Marrero approved the merger between Sprint and T-Mobile. A report from research company MoffettNathanson (MN) says the deal represents a potential positive for what will now be a new wireless service for the US in the shape of Charlie Ergen who – at long last – can make […]

A report from investment bank Jefferies on broadband-by-satellite operator ViaSat, and following on from last week’s Q3/20 results, was positive. For example, ViaSat’s Satellite Services revenue growth grew 19.2 per cent, although subscriber numbers are – at best – flat at about 580,000 but the company’s subscriber ARPU has grown nicely (+15.1 per cent) and […]

Eutelsat has been downgraded from ‘Buy’ to ‘Neutral’ by analysts at investment bank Exane/BNPP with the satellite operator’s ‘top line’ trends remaining under pressure. The FCC is set to reveal details of its C-band restructuring plan today (February 6th). Analyst Sami Kassab, in a 27-page report, reminds investors that Eutelsat’s share price has fallen 25 […]

Northrop Grumman’s ‘Mission Extension Vehicle’  the robotic MEV-1 has arrived on station. Launched in October 2019 it is now resting, in orbit, a few hundred kilometres away from its target satellite to be rescued, the 18-years-old Intelsat’s I-901 which is running out of fuel. MEV-1’s task is to rescue the Intelsat craft, and extend the […]

Brian Roberts, CEO at Comcast – and arguably one of the most powerful figures in UK broadcasting – speaking at an advertising industry event in London last week, praised Sky and in a major feature in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper there was much comment about the next step for the entertainment giant. One option, according […]

Jeff Bezos’ mega-constellation Project Kuiper is advertising (at ‘Amazon Jobs’) for a “Senior Opto-Mechanical Engineer”. This is just one position amongst many which suggests that Project Kuiper is dramatically ramping up its hiring, and with a specification that calls for laser linking between satellites. This position needs a talent to fulfil a task specified as: […]

There has been a week-long drum roll here in the UK leading up to today’s announcement about vendor inclusion in 5G roll out. When the ‘ta da’ moment came it was, of course, a completely predictable political fudge: Huawei (whose name wasn’t mentioned in the statement) will be allowed in, just not in the really […]