Arab viewers to Nilesat need to look elsewhere for the Al Jazeera news channel. Egypt’s powerful information ministry ordered the signal to be cut from Nilesat. A broadcast information card alerted viewers as to other satellites still carrying the channel, notably the Arabsat system. Al Jazeera, in a statement, said it was with “utter disappointment” […]
UK-based broadband-by-satellite provider Avanti Communications is involved in a legal dispute with new launch provider SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies) over use of its groundbreaking Falcon-9 rocket. Nevertheless, Avanti’s CEO David Williams says the new company has sufficient spectrum available to “launch perhaps 20 satellites”. Details of the legal spat were revealed in Avanti’s annual report. […]
Football’s governing body FIFA has confirmed the extension of its broadcast rights agreement with Al Jazeera Sport for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. The agreement is the first to be signed in FIFA’s media rights distribution process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, which it […]
BBC Monitoring is reporting that the government of Azerbaijan is to ban satellite dishes in this country. “A lot of channels broadcast in Azerbaijan via satellite will be banned and after a switch to digital broadcasting satellite dishes will be dismantled by force,” Information and Technologies Minister Ali Abbasov said. Transition to digital broadcasting is […]
Kuwait Projects Co (KIPCO) says there will not be an IPO this year for its Middle East pay TV Orbit Showtime Network. Mr Faisal al-Ayyar, Kipco’s CEO and vice-chairman, was quoted in an interview with Kuwaiti daily newspaper al-Watan, saying KIPCO would present the issue to shareholders and seek their approval prior to considering an […]
Satellite Broadband Ireland (SBI) has signed a commercial agreement with Eutelsat Communications to sell broadband services via KA-SAT. The initial 3-year broadband utility contract, worth more than €5 million, will allow SBI to sell Eutelsat’s next-generation Tooway satellite broadband service, with download speeds of up to 10 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 4 […]
Korean satellite and hybrid services operator SkyLife and digital security and convergent media solutions specialist the Kudelski Group have agreed to form a joint venture to develop Advanced Advertising solutions, enabling operators to offer and monetise addressable and interactive advertising. The pair say that this will enable TV advertising to become more relevant and interesting, […]
Continuing a 28-year relationship marked by 25 launch campaigns, Eutelsat Communications and Arianespace have concluded a new contract for a satellite launch in the 2012 period. The contract for an Ariane 5 launch from the Guiana Space Centre, provides Eutelsat with launch diversity and schedule assurance for its significant in-orbit expansion programme of six satellites […]
SES Astra has won the contract to carry Bulgaria’s Satellite BG pay TV platform, heading off stiff competition from a number of rival satellite operators. Satellite BG will transmit from Astra’s increasingly busy 23.5 degrees East position, and take three transponders effective today in readiness for the platform’s 70-channel debut on February 1. Central and […]
T-HT, Croatia’s leading telecom operator has selected the 16 degrees East satellite neighbourhood operated by Eutelsat to extend the reach of its MAXtv pay-TV platform to all homes across Croatia. The two companies have concluded a 10-year contract for three satellite transponders, enabling MAXtv, which launched as an IP platform in September 2006, to consolidate […]