Advanced Television

DTH/Satellite

BT snatches Champions League rights

In what is a major blow to BSkyB’s premium and ITV’s free-to-air coverage, UK telco BT has secured the live broadcasting rights to UEFA Champions League football matches from 2015 as well as for UEFA’s Europa League in a €1 billion + deal. UEFA said that an announcement on the awarding of co-exclusive highlights rights […]

November 11, 2013By Colin Mann

SES: 4K/Ultra-HD schedule

Romain Bausch, CEO at Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES, was very specific on the likely roll-out of 4K/Ultra-HD services. Speaking to analysts following on from its November 8th results, Bausch said SES was extremely confident about 4K happening. While test services are already up and running on its satellites, Bausch said that he expected 4K broadcasts […]

November 11, 2013By Chris Forrester

Amos-6 fully financed

Israel’s Amos-6 satellite is now fully financed, says operator Spacecom. The company has borrowed $293 million from a consortium of banks to finance the build, launch, insurance and financing for the new satellite. Amos-6 will launch in 2015 to the 4 degrees West slot. The consortium is led by Export Development Canada (EDC) which will […]

November 11, 2013By Chris Forrester

SES enjoys “robust performance”

Satellite operator SES reported a revenue increase of 2.4 per cent in its first nine months to €1.378 million, although profits for the period fell from €456 million to €413 million. The fall in profits was attributed to an increase in taxes paid (of €28 million) as well as continued investment in its O3b high-throughput […]

November 8, 2013By Chris Forrester

US to rescue dead satellites

The USA’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARP) is planning to attempt to rescue parts from retired orbiting satellites as part of its Project Phoenix.  The DARPA scheme calls for a new satellite to be built with a remote-control arm in order to salvage useful components. DARPA has already identified about 140 satellites and is […]

November 8, 2013

Press TV argues satellite ban is illegal

UK transmission specialists Arqiva and satellite operator Eutelsat have been accused of “illegally” banning carriage of Iran’s Press TV.  “The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) has contracts going back 20 years with Eutelsat, which were renewed for five- or 10-year periods,” IRIB vice president Mohammed Sarafraz was quoted as saying, and he accused Eutelsat […]

November 7, 2013By Chris Forrester

Karl Pilkington series sets On Demand viewing records

BSkyB has revealed that its Sky 1 travelogue programme The Moaning of Life, featuring television personality Karl Pilkington has become the biggest home-grown show on Sky 1 so far this year, as well as generating record On Demand and Sky Go viewing figures. Writing in the Sky Views blog, Stuart Murphy, Director, Entertainment Channels, notes […]

November 7, 2013By Colin Mann

Télédiffusion d’Algérie selects Eutelsat 7

Eutelsat Communications and Télédiffusion d’Algérie (TDA) have announced the signature of a capacity agreement on the Eutelsat 7 West A satellite. The long-term contract for one 72 MHz transponder opens access for TDA to Eutelsat’s flagship 7/8 degrees West video neighbourhood that broadcasts the largest line-up of television channels across the Arab world to homes […]

November 7, 2013

Minister criticises SABC’s STB stance

South Africa’s Communications Minister Yunus Carrim has criticised state broadcaster the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) over its declaration that it will not support conditional access of digital terrestrial set-top boxes, suggesting that the public broadcaster cannot decide for government, with any such policy being determined by the Cabinet. Carrim said while the SABC’s views […]

November 6, 2013By Colin Mann

India DTH consolidation plans

Three major DTH operators in India’s giant pay-TV market are in talks to form a joint-venture, according to local reports.  The plan is to see content and programming costs trimmed and see increased carriage fees coming from India’s broadcasters. The three companies are: Dish TV, Videocon d2h and Airtel Digital TV, and are in discussions […]

November 6, 2013By Chris Forrester