Calls by industry competitors for BT’s network subsidiary Openreach to be spun off have been resisted, but UK comms regulator Ofcom has decided it is necessary to overhaul Openreach’s governance and strengthen its independence from BT. Ofcom has set out how it plans to improve telecoms quality and coverage, so that UK consumers and businesses […]
The two largest TV groups in Spain, Mediaset and Atresmedia, have managed to multiply by three and two, respectively, their profits in 2015 with the ad revenues significantly increasing. Mediaset, operator of Tele 5 and Cuatro among others, had a profit of €166.2 million, almost 3 times the €59.5 million profit the previous year, with […]
Taiwan’s technology giant Foxconn had looked set to take control of Japan’s electronics business Sharp in a $4.3 billion (€3bn) take-over. The end result would see Foxconn owning about two-thirds of Sharp’s shares. However, the deal has been thrown into question by a last-minute delay regarding new information from Sharp which needs to be clarified. […]
German media group ProSiebenSat.1 has made a strong start to 2016 after reporting slightly better than expected profits and revenues for 2015 and an increased market share in German TV advertising. Recurring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, excluding special items, from continuing operations (REBITDA), rose 9 per cent to €925.5 million. Its share […]
These are troubled times for Intelsat. February 25th saw further dramatic falls in its share price on the New York Stock Exchange despite reporting that it had appointed Guggenheim Securities to make a complete examination of its financing structure. On February 22nd its share price tumbled from $2.93 to $2.54, although it recovered somewhat as […]
On February 26th satellite operator SES will unveil its latest results but earlier this week it announced it had entered into a major capacity agreement with In Flight Entertainment (IFE) specialists GOGO. The deal guarantees bandwidth over the Americas with dedicated beams for IFE use on SES-14 and SES-15, and using SES-12 which covers Asia, […]
Describing it as “a key focus going forward” and “an exciting revenue opportunity”, US triple-play operator Frontier Communications has unveiled plans to introduce video service in a number of its existing markets with a minimal capital outlay. It made the announcement during the company Fourth Quarter Earnings Call. Dan McCarthy, President and CEO, said the […]
Measat has announced the appointment of Dr. Edmund Kong as the company’s Chief Technology Officer. Kong will focus on developing Measat’s long term technology strategy. He will be responsible for understanding technology trends in the satellite and communication sectors, and in developing opportunities for the Malaysian comms satellite operator,. “This is an exciting time for […]
France’s main commercial broadcaster TF1 is making some dramatic changes. Recently appointed CEO/chairman Gilles Pelisson unveiled a new strategy on February 23rd, saying the broadcaster “needs to respond to increased competition, in television and also for its digital offerings”. New ‘heads of department’ have been appointed in Content, News and Advertising & Diversification. Laurie Davison, […]
A Select Committee on Communications of the House of Lords, the UK’s upper legislative chamber, has found no need for fundamental changes to the BBC’s core mission – to ‘inform, educate and entertain’ – which was set out by the BBC’s founder Director General, Lord Reith, around 50 years ago, suggesting in a report – […]