Central and Eastern Europe was until recently quite low down in News Corp.’s list of priorities. Russia, certainly, wetted the appetite, and a foothold of sorts had been established in the Balkans through the Bulgarian national commercial station bTV. But for the region as a whole, investing in the TV industry was largely out of bounds and left to other, much more experienced players in the local market such as CME, MTG and SBS Broadcasting.
All this is changing, and no more so than in Poland, where the Rupert Murdoch-backed company has sensed a real opportunity. It made its first move last summer, securing a minority stake in TV Puls, a station controlled by the Franciscan Brothers, and has since been gradually transforming the service while still retaining its essentially family and religious orientation. News Corp. has recently hinted at the possibility of increasing its stake in TV Puls should an appeal to the National Broadcasting Council (KKRiT) for changes in the station’s licence conditions – essentially allowing it more control over the percentage of airtime allocated to various types of content – receive approval.
Although TV Puls is likely to develop into a more successful station, News Corp.’s ambitions extend much, much further. There has been speculation for some time about its interest in the regional broadcaster TV4, which is owned by Polskie Media and has close links with Zygmunt Solorz-Zak’s Polsat, and a bid could be in the offing. In the meantime, the launch of Fox Life and announcement that the company will open an office in Poland sends out a strong signal that News Corp. plans to get in on the action in what is becoming an increasingly dynamic marketplace.
Next week, for instance, will see TVP launch its long-anticipated interactive service iTVP, and local reports indicate that the country’s leading alternative telco Telefonia Dialog will shortly start its IPTV service.
News Corp. knows instinctively when to act, and in the case of Poland the time is clearly now.
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