Despite signs of market maturity, cord-cutting is not expected to make much of an impact in Western Europe, according to a report from Digital TV Research. The Digital TV Western Europe Forecasts report (which covers 18 countries) states that pay TV penetration is expected to grow from 56.7 per cent at end-2014 to 60.4 per […]
After an unexpected 20 minute delay, which was not related to either the rocket or its precious cargo, the Arianespace rocket lifted off flawlessly on a text-book launch from the Kourou rocket site in French Guiana. The Ariane 5 rocket released Thor-7 for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc) just 28 minutes after lift-off. Thor-7 will now […]
In what must be another nail-biting period for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s upcoming launch of its important Thor-7 satellite, the planned April 24th launch has been scrapped. The giant Ariane rocket, complete with Thor-7, has been shifted from the launchpad back to the Final Assembly Building for safekeeping while an “anomaly” in the rocket’s technology is […]
South Africa’s struggling pay-TV service StarSat went off air on April 19th. Local reports state that the service has been affected by a problem at the uplink site “in Slovenia” where there had been a fibre break. However, this is somewhat confusing given that most of the StarSat (which used to be known by its […]
A long-running and complex lawsuit between Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera and the Egyptian state over the banning of one of Al Jazeera’s channels has been expanded to include Nilesat, and the adjacent General Authority for Investment & Free Zones which is the formal name given to the Cairo Media City free zone area which […]
Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s (TSBc) giant Thor-7 satellite is again ready for launch. The important launch readiness review was successful on April 22nd, and the go-ahead given to Arianespace to launch the satellite late in the afternoon of April 24th. The launch window opens (Paris time) at 9.38pm and closes at 11.32pm (Kourou-time 4.38-6.32pm). Arianespace’s web-site […]
Motel 6, one of the largest motel chains in the US, and World Cinema, a specialist in delivering satellite TV to hotels, and DISH Network have completed a multi-year agreement through which DISH and World Cinema will deliver HD satellite TV service and high speedIinternet access to the motel chain’s more than 500 corporately owned […]
The government of Turkmenistan has banned all satellite dishes, and is in the process of “demolishing” existing satellite installations. The intention is to fully block access to international TV and radio signals coming into the country via satellite. In an official statement the government is demanding all dishes to be removed from apartments of private […]
Sky has posted its highest Q3 subs growth in 11 years. “We have delivered an excellent third quarter as customers across the enlarged Sky group respond to the quality and breadth of what we offer. In all, we attracted almost 70 per cent more new customers than the prior year and over one million new […]
Billionaire Elon Musk blamed a slower than expected throttle valve response as causing the first stage of one of his SpaceX rockets to collapse at it hit the floating landing stage. Landing, and then re-using the rocket, is a key part of Musk’s strategy for dramatically trimming the cost of launching satellites into orbit. SpaceX’s […]