Advanced Television

Broadcast

Analyst: Record growth for MENA pay-TV

The pay-TV market in the Middle East and North Africa saw record growth in 2016 despite harsh economic conditions, according to new analysis released by critical information, analytics and solutions source IHS Markit. Pay-TV households topped the five million mark for the first time in the region’s history, growing 8 per cent year-on-year. Revenues rose […]

April 11, 2017

Talpa takes control of SBS

Talpa Holding has bought a 67% share in SBS broadcasting from Finnish publisher Sanoma. This gives Talpa full ownership of SBS stations SBS6, NET5, Veronica and SBS9 as well as a new Dutch multimedia company with investments in television, radio, print and online. Talpa is the vehicle for John de Mol, founder of Holland’s Endermol […]

April 10, 2017

Eastern Europe to lose 1m pay-TV subs

Tough times continue in Eastern Europe, with poor job prospects forcing many to seek work abroad. This migration, married with low birth rates, mean that populations will fall in 15 of the 22 countries covered in Digital TV Research’s Eastern Europe Pay TV Forecasts report between 2016 and 2022. Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital […]

April 10, 2017

Fox brings in lawyers as harassment woes mount

Fox News parent 21st Century Fox says it is bringing in a law firm to investigate a sexual harassment claim against its anchor Bill O’Reilly. Several companies pull their ads from his top-rated news show in the past week. The investigation comes after the latest complaint was phoned in to the network’s hotline by Wendy […]

April 10, 2017

Peters in, Hunt out at Netflix

Neil Hunt, considered by many as the architect of Netflix’s success as a premium entertainment streaming service, is to be replaced as Chief Product Officer in July 2017 by Greg Peters. Hunt has led the product team which designs, builds, and delivers the Netflix experience for the last eighteen years. Peters most recently has led […]

April 10, 2017

Doubling-up and bundling TV’s new drivers

According to market analysis specialist Ampere Analysis, a lot of jargon used to describe what’s happening in the constantly evolving television services market. The latest research from the firm, of 53,000 Internet users across Europe and North America, shows that, far from deserting their pay-TV operators through cord-cutting, viewers are building their own TV bundles […]

April 10, 2017By Colin Mann

Nilesat confirms satellite for 4K, even 8K

Cairo-based satellite operator Nilesatis to invest $300 million in a new satellite (and its launch costs), Nilesat 301. Further details on its build and launch plans are not yet available. The report comes fresh after news that Nilesat is to ‘partner’ with New Delhi-based Tata Communications in a new service for delivering regional media over […]

April 10, 2017By Chris Forrester

STV2 for Scotland

STV announces that new channel, STV2, will launch 24 April to viewers across Scotland. STV2 will reflect what is happening across Scotland with a distinct and exciting schedule, featuring live events, news and new programming including soap, drama and movies. STV’s existing city TV channels for Glasgow and Edinburgh will be rebranded and combined with […]

April 10, 2017

Ergen hit by Mexican fine

Charlie Ergen’s joint-venture in Dish Mexico with billionaire Carlos Slim’s Telmex operation has been hit with a fine by Mexico’s Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT) for failing to observe the rules of its DTH concession to operate over Mexico. However, the problem is not likely to ruffle too many feathers. The Telmex fine was for […]

April 10, 2017By Chris Forrester

SpaceX seeks 100% rocket recovery

Rocket company SpaceX, already happy that it can recover the all-important first (or main booster) stage of its Falcon 9 rockets, is working towards recovering 100 per cent of the rocket. This includes the protective fairings (which envelop the actual satellite on top to the rocket) and also the rocket’s second stage. Each portion of the […]

April 10, 2017