Charlie Ergen’s Dish Network is in dispute with a major TV broadcaster. Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group is the USA’s biggest local broadcasting combine, owing or operating more than 150 local TV stations, mostly in the South and Midwest of the US. They reach some 30 per cent of US viewers, with 87 of the stations […]
Cairo-based Nilesat saw net profits leap to $47.9 million (€42.9m) in the first half of this year ($38.1 million last year) to June 30t. Nilesat, which shares its operational slot with Eutelsat, enjoyed net profits during Q1 of $21.1 million, compared with $17.7 million for 2014, a rise of 19.1 per cent. While not stated […]
Data from India’s broadcast regulator (the Telecom Regulatory Authority – TRAI) reveals that there are huge numbers of inactive DTH subscribers. Households have the dishes and set-top boxes, but they are not subscribing to pay-TV. TRAI says there are almost 34.9 million “inactive” DTH subscribers. The number of registered subscribers with India’s ‘big six’ pay-TV […]
The European Space Agency has signed contract worth a total of $3.8 billion (€3.4bn) covering a fleet of rockets for satellite launchers over the next few years. One batch covers the supply of the Italian-built Vega-C small satellite launchers, due to be available for launch in 2018. Italy’s ELV SpA, a joint-venture between Avio (70 […]
Abu Dhabi’s Yahsat will have a Ka-band payload included on an upcoming satellite that is co-owned by DirecTV and Intelsat. The satellite, currently named as Intelsat 32e (by Intelsat) and Sky B1 (by DirecTV Latin America) and will be positioned at 43.1 degrees West, currently in use by two Intelsat craft. Airbus Defence & Space […]
Japanese satellite operator B-SAT, backed in part by public broadcaster NHK, says its latest spacecraft B-Sat 4a, now on order from Space Systems/Loral, will be ready for widescale 4K and 8K broadcasts. B-Sat’s CEO Takashi Yabashi, says that the satellite will be used for 4K and 8K direct-to-home services, starting in 2018. The satellite is […]
The European Space Agency (ESA) last week successfully beamed 100 laser-based signals between two orbiting satellites. The success opens up the possibility of the technology being added to ‘conventional’ DTH orbiting satellites. The signals were beamed from an experimental low-orbiting Sentinel-1A satellite to AlphaSat, operating in geostationary orbit, and with 48,000 kms between the two […]
Australia’s NewSat, having struggled financially for some months and most recently been in administration in Australia and Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US, is to be liquidated. An announcement from the company, via its liquidators to the Australian Securities Exchange on August 10th, said that all of the company’s subsidiary businesses would also be […]
Slovakia’s telecoms regulator, RU, says that the country’s TV viewers can choose from 4 different DTH platforms, and more than 1 million households are now taking one or other of the services. Cable still has a definite roll, with some 470,000 active TV lines in use with more than 209,000 viewing digital transmissions. IPTV is […]
UK subscription-free satellite TV service Freesat has continued its positive start to the year with strong take-up of Freetime, its connected TV service, which has seen a 200 per cent year-on-year increase in new connected customers. Increased awareness and understanding of the Freetime service has resulted in Freetime sales growing by 48 per cent year-on-year […]