The UK’s Channel 4 has taken an extra complete transponder from satellite operator SES. The capacity is in the form of a long-term contract, and is additional to the three already used by Channel 4 from SES’s orbital position of 28.2 degrees East. The new capacity on ASTRA 1N will be used to transmit […]
Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat is investing in a new satellite for its increasingly important 9 degrees East slot. The high-capacity craft will add bandwidth for expansion beyond the current 320 channel neighbourhood already transmitting from Eurobird 9. Eurobird 9B is being ordered from Astrium and will have 66 transponders on board, with re-useable frequency beams, […]
Luxembourg’s M7 Group has acquired Czech and Slovak satellite pay TV platform Skylink. M7 Group, which acquired Dutch service Canal Digitaal, Flemish service TV Vlaanderen and Wallonia operator Télé Sat, is said to have paid around CZK2 billion (€80 million) for Skylink, owned by local investment group J&T. The acquisition gives M7 Group a total […]
Spain’s largest pay-TV platform, Digital Plus, is changing its name and from mid-October will use the brand Canal Plus. The current channel Canal Plus will be branded as Canal Plus 1 to avoid misunderstanding. So, the Canal Plus family of channels will be named: Canal + 1, Canal+ Dos, Canal+ Acción, Canal+ Acción… 30, Canal+ […]
The European Union has imposed sanctions on Syria’s Al-Dounia TV channel. The decision has provoked a strong response from Lebanon’s Al Manar TV, itself often criticised for its lack of balance in its broadcasting. Europeans are forbidden to do business with the Syrian channel, along with similar proscriptions against Syria’s largest cellular operator (Syriatel) […]
US pay-TV provider DISH Network and its Blockbuster movie and game rental subsidiary have unveiled Blockbuster Movie Pass, claimed as the most comprehensive TV entertainment programming package ever delivered by a multichannel pay TV provider. From the beginning of October, Blockbuster Movie Pass will be available for DISH Network customers, starting at $10 per month, […]
Luxembourg-based SES has been involved in a dispute with Lockheed Martin Space Systems involving millions of dollars, and specifically involving one of Lockheed’s A2100 satellites. While details are of the dispute are sketchy, SES bought two satellites from Lockheed, (SES Astra’s 1KR craft, and Astra 1L) and the argument involved the performance of a satellite […]
Eutelsat’s Atlantic Bird 7 has been successfully delivered into orbit by a Zenit-3SL rocket operated by Sea Launch AG from the ocean-based Odyssey Launch Platform in international waters of the Pacific Ocean. Lift-off of the rocket carrying the Astrium-built 4.6 tonne satellite took place on Saturday 24 September at 20:18 GMT (22:18 CET). After a […]
Poland’s TVN is in the sights of Time Warner of the US and Vivendi of France according to reports. Time Warner wants to buy TVN directly rather than through Central European Media Enterprises, in which Time Warner owns 31 per cent. TVN, valued at €1.03 billion is controlled by ITI Group, a Polish media company. […]
Media group Prisa TV, owner of digital DTH platform and Canal Plus with 1.7 million pay-TV subscribers, and telco Jazztel have made an alliance to distribute online TV content through its high speed ADSL service with 1 million clients. The joint service will be launching in the last quarter of the year with the distribution […]