Advanced Television

Broadcast

Dish drops subs but sales up 30%

Dish Network’s third-quarter earnings rose 30 per cent as increased equipment, merchandise and rental revenue supported a double-digit jump in sales. Meanwhile its former unit EchoStar swung to a loss amid sharply higher costs. The satellite-television operator has been working to diversify its business in the face of a maturing US subscription television market and […]

November 7, 2011

CME plans SVoD business model

Media and entertainment company Central European Media Enterprises (CME) is moving towards a subscription model of its video on demand service in all of its regions. Following the roll out of the VOD brand Voyo in six central and eastern European countries during 2011, the next step, says the company, is to monetise the service […]

November 7, 2011By Colin Mann

Telesat reports flat revenues

Dan Goldberg, CEO at Ottawa-based Telesat, has reported flat revenues for the nine month period to September 30th, but he stated that new craft coming on stream next year will boost income for the satellite operator. Two satellites are due for launch in 2012: Nimiq-6 and Anik G1. Telesat’s revenues were $585 million for the […]

November 7, 2011By Chris Forrester

Rare win for Astrium in USA

DirecTV has made what some see as an ‘emergency’ contract with Astrium to build DirecTV-15. The satellite is needed because DirecTV-10 (launched July 2007) suffered problems with its primary propulsion this past summer and while the satellite is operating well on its back-up system, full in-orbit back-up is needed. Additionally, DirecTV is also bringing forward […]

November 7, 2011By Chris Forrester

German DAB+ boosts sales

Germany launched digital radio format DAB+ in August at IFA and market research company GfK says DAB+ “is set to significantly impact on sales of portable audio devices (e.g. portable radios, clock radios, radio recorders and other product categories) in Germany.” Indeed, GfK data shows there was a “considerable” increase in radio sales in August […]

November 7, 2011By Chris Forrester

GlobeCast brings Trace Sports HD to the Americas

GlobeCast has signed a contract with broadcaster Trace to broadcast its new HD channel, Trace Sports, on the NSS-806 satellite. Thanks to this new coverage, Trace Sports HD will enter the region with strong growth in the pay-TV sector and have access to a potential audience of 18 million DTH and cable homes in North, […]

November 7, 2011

Google to trial pay-TV

Google is considering delivering a subscription TV service over its experimental fibre-to-the-home network in Kansas City, next year. The company has held exploratory talks with Walt Disney, Time Warner and Discovery Communications about carrying TV channels on the test network, according to the WSJ. Google selected both Kansas City for the build out of an […]

November 4, 2011

Spain’s telco and TV must pay more RTVE tax

Spanish telcos, pay-TV operators and TV broadcasters will have to pay more to cover RTVE’s losses. The Telecommunications Market Commission (CMT) has ruled that the funds already provided do not meet the approved legal taxes on revenues of 0.9 per cent, 1.5 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively imposed on those players to finance […]

November 4, 2011From David Del Valle in Madrid

AT&T and DirecTV extend co-branding agreement

DirecTV and AT&T have signed a three-year extension to their commercial agreement and will continue to offer a co-branded version of DirecTV ‘s satellite television service across the 22 states where AT&T offers residential broadband and voice service. This agreement, which has been extended through March 2015, will enable both companies to provide customers with […]

November 4, 2011

Eutelsat revenues edge up 3.4%

Eutelsat’s Q1 revenues were up 3.4 per cent to just shy of €300 million, and it is now saying that it is likely to see accelerated top-line growth in the second half of the year, and is confirming its guidance that this year’s outlook is positive, and that looking forward three years it is confirming […]

November 4, 2011By Chris Forrester