Eutelsat on July 4 announced that the Italian Space Agency would be cooperating with Eutelsat and its broadband distribution arm SkyLogic to boost connectivity throughout Italy by using Eutelsat’s new Ka-band satellite. The Agency is planning the progressive use of 550 Mbps of KA-SAT capacity across 10 spot-beams that together provide full coverage of Italian […]

EchoStar co-founder Charlie Ergen is famously careful with his cash, actions which have helped the former poker player to build his net worth to some $7 billion and a position as the 51st richest American (according to Forbes). But suddenly he is on a spending spree.  In April this year (via sister company Dish Network) […]

No, nor does anyone else. Except, I guess, Randy Falco, the hapless AOL manager who signed off the $850 million to buy it just three years ago. Oh, and, of course, Joanna Shields the brilliant ex-Google exec who engineered that spectacular deal for a business already in decline. Shields is now with Facebook. Is it […]

Middle East satellite operator Nilesat has had a long history with problem TV channels: for example, there were the ones selling expensive ‘medical’ solutions to male impotence, or the ones ‘guaranteeing’ huge cash prizes to lucky quiz winners. Nilesat’s latest problems are a couple of channels (Wisal and Safa TV) that beam out sectarianism and […]

Spanish free-to-air commercial TV remains in bad shape with advertising income still suffering badly from the economic downturn. A new report from investment bankers Morgan Stanley says that ad-income is down again since March, and unlikely to recover for some months. Indeed, Spain’s three leading commercial broadcasters, Mediaset MES (formerly Telecinco), Mediaset MS, and Antena […]

Last Friday June 17th another tedious Motion was submitted to the Delaware bankruptcy court in the long-running, never-ending saga that is “Worldspace Inc. Et al (Debtors)” and its chapter 11 proceedings. Worldspace was a would-be pay-radio operator which spent – and arguably wasted – billions in its attempt to match internationally what Sirius-XM had achieved […]

Norwegian public broadcaster NRK is about to embark on its longest-ever transmissions from sea. It takes the shape of a very real reality TV show during the ‘world’s most beautiful voyage’ aboard the Hurtigruten as it visits 34 ports along the Norwegian coast. NRK will install multiple cameras onboard the Hurtigruten ship, broadcasting and recording […]

Imagine, if you will, that some of our great tech companies are football (i.e. soccer) teams. Would Microsoft be Real Madrid perhaps? A great history – even if some of it, in both cases, remains shrouded in mystery – very rich and very powerful. But living a bit on past glories? A deserved reputation for […]

Canadian satellite operator Telesat is up for sale. But there’s now a highly public dispute between two of its shareholders as to the sale price. Canada’s Public Sector Investment Board holds a 36 per cent stake in Telesat but has the majority of directors because of complex local ownership rules. It is holding out for […]

It seems everyone in the satellite business wants to cosy up to Qatar’s billions! A few weeks ago, Paris-based Eutelsat struck a “strategic alliance” to build a new satellite (from Space Systems/Loral). Now Luxembourg-based SES has signed a MoU with ictQatar covering the provision of joint satellite platforms, networks and services. The agreement was reached […]