On October 24, UK media regulator Ofcom cancelled the licences of three channels (Babeworld, House of Fun and The Other Side). These channels are perhaps not the most important UK broadcasters, but now Ofcom is looking at the licensing of channels that do have a somewhat higher profile. Ofcom’s concerns revolve around who actually controls […]
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK is cutting its annual licence fee by 120 Yen (about $1.60) a month. This is the first such cut since 1968 when the nation’s radio licence was terminated. The monthly fee is currently 1345 Yen (about $17.74). Viewers who want the additional free-to-air satellite services pay an extra 945 Yen ($12.40). […]
Giant Norwegian telco has unveiled its Q3 results, and most of its various broadcasting-related divisions reported fairly flat revenues. For example, Canal Digital, Telenor’s pay-TV arm, saw overall revenues drop by NOK12 million (1 per cent), to NOK1,047 million (from NOK 1,059m) although total EBITDA improved by 9 per cent. Canal Digital’s DTH subs numbers […]
The ‘Democratic Voice of Burma’ (DVB) web-site says that licences for satellite television receivers are likely to be issued again in Burma following a six-year ban claimed at the time by observers to be an attempt to control the flow of information into the country. The notification came from communications minister Thein Htun after […]
Technology company NDS is now serving more than 20 million homes in India, representing more than 100 million viewers, with its encryption and middleware expertise. Dr Abe Peled, executive chairman of NDS, speaking exclusively to Advanced-Television.com from New Delhi where he was attending an event to celebrate the milestone, said the best part of the […]
Satellite operator SES and German cable giant Kabel Deutschland both make Morgan Stanley’s stock pick of “20 for 2015” which the investment bank says helps identify those companies with long-term sustainable competitive advantages. KDG, says the bank’s report to investors, “is Germany’s largest cable TV operator (by revenues), Europe’s largest cable TV company and amongst […]
Discovery Communications, one of the TV industry’s highest-regarded broadcasters, needs to make its corporate governance more transparent. Same with News Corp, says corporate research firm GMI Risk List, which regularly reports on quoted companies which have, in the view of GMI, “particular [risk] factors that may correlate with negative events,” said Kimberly Gladman, GMI’s Director […]
It is easy (I find it particularly easy) to criticise businesses that seem to spend endless energy, time and money on consumer research and focus groups. As with bringing in consultants, it often seems mostly a way for management to avoid making the decisions it’s paid to make or, at the very least, to establish […]
Pro7/Sat1 is Germany’s second-largest commercial broadcaster (after RTL) and in a fresh report from investment bank Morgan Stanley it seems the broadcaster is in much better shape than this time last year. Pro7/Sat1’s management is committed to paying investors “at least” 80 per cent of its underlying Earnings/Share in the future, which the bank translates […]
The past few months have seemed to herald a softer time for foreign channels trying to gain entry into India’s buoyant broadcasting market. Not quite. New rules issued October7 by India’s powerful Information and Broadcasting Ministry has set high tariff rules for would-be broadcasters. The rules come with a message designed to deter non-serious applicants […]