Advanced Television

Inside Satellite

Chris Forrester

Chris Forrester is one of the most experienced and highly regarded journalists in the field. His insight and analysis, particularly in the satellite and pay-TV arena, is highly prized. He has written for all the major business journals in the sector as well as several national newspapers.

CBA and FCC: “Let’s get moving”

The FCC held a meeting last week part of the agenda was the planned auction of C-band spectrum over the US and offered up by four satellite operators; Intelsat, SES, Telesat and Eutelsat. Some of the FCC all-important Commissioners have now been quoted favourably supporting prompt action on getting the auction up and running. Commissioner […]

December 17, 2019

Starlink revenue plans questioned

Elon Musk’s plans for a potential mega-constellation of 42,000 broadband satellites have been called into question. There are already more than 120 Starlink satellites in orbit, and another 60 will be orbited later in December. But there are concerns. Tim Farrar, an analyst at TMF Associates, questions the vague business plans for Musk’s system and […]

December 16, 2019

ProSiebenSat.1 moves away from traditional TV

While most people still see ProSiebenSat.1 as a traditional TV broadcaster and dependent on commercials for survival, a report from investment bank Berenberg suggests that the market needs to take a fresh view of the company, and in particular its ‘NuCom’ division. The report is headlined More than meets the eye and reminds readers that […]

December 12, 2019

More details to emerge on C-band from FCC?

On December 10th in Washington DC the chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, was due to deliver a speech at the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) and observers were expecting some comments and his latest thoughts on C-Band, and the planned auction of satellite spectrum. Today, December 11th, the US Senate’s Committee on Commerce will […]

December 11, 2019

Six crises for the satellite industry

Analyst Roger Rusch, CEO at TelAstra, says in a report that the commercial satellite industry is facing 6 different and worrying crises. Rusch suggests that terrestrial growth from fibre and wireless is threatening future growth of the satellite sector, and this is his Crises Number 1. “The wireless and fibre providers are more agile at […]

December 10, 2019

Sony/Warner battle TuneIn over ‘UK infringements’

A copyright infringement dispute between Warner Music and Sony against streaming service TuneIn Radio, filed in 2017, alleges that some 800 unlicensed TuneIn music streams were available in the UK, is likely to go the UK’s Court of Appeal. A judgement by Judge Colin Birss back on November 1st favoured Warner and Sony and found […]

December 9, 2019

Bank: “Worse to come for EU commercial broadcasters”

An ‘end of year’ assessment report from investment bank Exane/BNPP on Europe’s commercial broadcasters praises some, but warns clients on others. The problem, says the bank’s report, is that for some broadcasters “the worst is yet to come”. The study says TV – for some broadcasters – is looking bleak this winter; “Audience share is […]

December 6, 2019

Mediaset and Vivendi: “Doubts on MFE”

It seems everything is now firmly off the table as far as any discussions are concerned between Mediaset and Vivendi, and with the additional risk that Mediaset’s plans for its ‘MediaForEurope’ platform are now also in jeopardy. Widespread report are that discussions between the two media giants have collapsed with the attempts at conciliation having […]

December 3, 2019

Verizon and AT&T want early CBA action

Preston Padden, the first head of advocacy at the C-Band Alliance (he stepped down in March, and had been EVP of Government Relations at Disney) issued a slice of advice to his former colleagues in the Alliance. In a Tweet this week he said: “C-Band lesson to all Spectrum licensees, Federal and Private – cling […]

November 29, 2019

Eutelsat reaffirms financial expectations

Eutelsat has spent the past few days meeting financial analysts, and supplying its mid-term outlook as to its trading expectations. One investment bank, in a note to clients, advised that Eutelsat reaffirmed its mid-term outlook of a return to group top line growth driven by positive stability in revenues of the core Video broadcast business […]

November 28, 2019