As slip-ups go, hitting the button that let out Google’s quarterlies early was expensive – try 9 per cent of the value of one of the world’s most valuable companies. It was a printer’s mistake – how ironic an old world communicator should undermine such a cutting edge outfit. The market was spooked by the […]

Satellite operator Intelsat says it is not required to drop Iran’s international TV channels from its satellite services, as did France-based satellite operator Eutelsat earlier this week. A report carried by BBC Monitoring regarding Luxembourg-based Intelsat’s position in relation to increased EU sanctions on Iran, Intelsat’s director of corporate communications, Alex Horwitz, said Intelsat’s situation […]

Eutelsat has stopped carrying channels from Iranian state broadcaster IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting).  UK-based Arqiva is the service supplier and holds the IRIB contract, and has terminated its contract with IRIB.  19 TV and radio channels are affected, mostly transmitting from Eutelsat’s popular ‘Hotbird’ satellites. French media regulator, the Conseil Superieur de l’Audiovisuel […]

Modern Times Group is in an envious position in the Scandinavian and Baltic markets, with pay-TV and free-to-air channels as part of its portfolio. However, there seems to be some major events that are already affecting MTG’s position and prospects. A major report from investment bankers Morgan Stanley suggests that other elements are also in […]

It’s American election time again. A few elections ago, Bill Clinton, then running for his first term, pinned up a notice in campaign HQ that read: “It’s the Economy, stupid!” The sign was to remind all there that whatever the hue and cry of the election, ultimately voters would pick who they thought was competent […]

“Our friends in the EU commission are telling us today that the telecoms industry is now mature, and that further funding needs are falling,” stated Giuseppe Viriglio, Vice President at trade organisation Eurospace, and a highly vocal critic of many of today’s European space policies, speaking at ESOA’s European Satellite Day in Brussels recently. “One […]

Investment bank Credit Suisse, in a note for investors, says that it remains positive on the long-term outlook for the satellite industry, and says it favours Paris-based Eutelsat as its “top pick” amongst operators. However, it also used its report to upgrade its rating on Luxembourg’s SES, from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Outperform’. The report also says […]

With a jury in place, the $2.3 billion Cablevision/Voom lawsuit against EchoStar/DISH got into its stride on Friday, with Voom’s lawyers  arguing that the its all-HDTV service died because EchoStar reneged on a 15-year carriage agreement it had with Voom’s owners. EchoStar denies the allegation, and argued that its commitment to the agreement hinged on […]

Ray Dolby, the founder of Dolby Labs and famed for his work in noise reduction for film and sound technologies, is to receive the Charles S Schwartz Award from the Hollywood Post Alliance (HPA). The award will be received by Dolby’s son David at a ceremony on November 1st in Los Angeles. Leon Silverman, president […]

Content piracy is often cited as the biggest threat to pay-TV and, by extension, the creative industries. Stopping it is the job of content security technologists and law enforcement. Comparisons are sometimes drawn with the drug trade – indeed, rights organisations sometimes claim the same organised criminals are involved and that by infringing an owner’s […]