Advanced Television

DTH/Satellite

UKTV’s Dave and Home to launch on Freesat

UK subscription-free satellite TV service Freesat is to carry UKTV’s Dave and Home, two of the UK’s best-known and highly-regarded television channels on the platform August 1st. Dave will be available on channel number 157 and Home on 166. Dave is one of the UK’s most-watched non-PSB channels and hosts a mix of comedy and […]

July 18, 2017

Telenor making cutbacks

Telenor Group says it is aiming for significant savings across all functional cost areas between now and 2020. At its half-year results the Norwegian telco giant said it was looking for 27 per cent reduction in head office support functions starting next year and reaching their full effect in 2019. Additionally, a 20 per cent […]

July 17, 2017By Chris Forrester

Inmarsat: “Eutelsat/ViaSat complaints without merit”

A complaint has been lodged at the European Court of Justice by Eutelsat, ViaSat of California and Panasonic Aviation alleging that Inmarsat is violating is abusing its licence by passing off a terrestrial network as a satellite system.  The Inmarsat system itself will provide connectivity for passengers on aircraft and as part of Inmarsat’s European […]

July 17, 2017

AsiaSat refinances $220m

AsiaSat of Hong Kong has refinanced $220 million (€192m) of long-term loans and revolving credit. The new facility replaces a $240 million borrowing already in place. The borrowing has a 5-year term, which is the same as the previous borrowing negotiated in June 2015. The new terms were negotiated with Cathay United Bank Co., Ltd., […]

July 17, 2017By Chris Forrester

Bangladesh confirms sovereign satellite business

Bangladesh is to form a public company to own and operate its upcoming debut satellite, Bangabandhu Satellite-1. Bangladesh’s cabinet secretary, Mohammad Shafiul Alam, briefing journalists, said Bangladesh will join the Satellite Club as the process for launching the satellite is nearing completion. “The satellite will be launched into the orbit very soon, and to operate […]

July 17, 2017By Chris Forrester

Netherlands: Joyne selects Eutelsat

Joyne, a new multi-channel TV venture for Dutch viewers and the country’s recreational market, has selected the Eutelsat 9B satellite as its platform to reach viewers in the Netherlands and across Europe. Joyne has signed a multi-year, multi-transponder contract with Eutelsat Communications and is preparing to officially launch on July 24th, using Eutelsat’s Paris-Rambouillet teleport […]

July 17, 2017

SpaceX winning launch race

In 2014 Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket business won 20 per cent of the Global Commercial market for launches during the year, and where supply had typically been dominated by Europe’s Arianespace with 45 per cent of launches during the year.  This current year SpaceX claims to have secured 45 per cent of the available contracts, […]

July 14, 2017By Chris Forrester

Murdoch wants TataSky India stake

Perhaps if 21st Century Fox’s bid to mop up Sky Europe fails, Rupert Murdoch will focus instead on India, where 21st Century Fox owns a 30 per cent stake in the TataSky joint-venture and DTH platform. India’s Television Post is reporting that exploratory talks have been held between TataSky and Bharti Airtel’s DTH operation about […]

July 14, 2017By Chris Forrester

AsiaSat, Globecast distribute RTR-Planeta Asia

AsiaSat, Asia’s leading satellite operator, and global media solutions provider Globecast, have reached an agreement to deliver RTR-Planeta Asia to viewers via AsiaSat 5. The deal continues expanding the exposure of Russian-language programming available in the Asia-Pacific region. Globecast is providing RTR-Planeta with complete distribution services to the channel via this deal, including across Asia-Pacific, […]

July 14, 2017

SIA: “Satellite industry in positive state”

The annual report from the Satellite Industry Association (SIA), and which compares and contrasts the state of the industry in 2016 with 2015 and previous years, in general terms says that 2016 was “once again a positive year,” though results for the four key industry market segments varied quite widely.  For example, Global satellite manufacturing […]

July 13, 2017By Chris Forrester