The Polish alternative telco Spray is reported to be planning to spend PLN100 million (€27.3 million) on upgrading its infrastructure in 2008-9. Already a triple play company with some 20,000 subscribers in the capital, Warsaw, it will also introduce digital TV and the HD channels Voom HD and Nat Geo HD next month, along with [...]
Tricolor expands to Siberia
November 29, 2007 12.29 Europe/London By
The Russian MPEG-4-delivered DTH platform Tricolor TV has announced that it will extend its coverage to Siberia from December 10 this year. By doing so, it should each a further 22 million viewers. Its programme packages will also have a new format from March 1, 2008. One of three DTH operations in Russia, Tricolor TV [...]
KDG reports less analogue, more digital TV subs
November 29, 2007 10.37 Europe/London By
This morning Kabel Deutschland KDG published its figures for Q3, 2007 reporting a total of 9,155,900 cable homes (Kabel Anschluss), down from 9,571,500 a year before. However, the number of digital homes grew from 132,500 to 654,200. The Kabel Digital pay TV subscription numbers rose from 601,300 to 731,400. During the quarter ended September 30, [...]
France plans new holding for international services
November 29, 2007 10.23 Europe/London By
The three international French broadcasters, TV5 Monde, France 24 and Radio France International, should come under a single holding company, France Monde, but remain as separate entities. This is the proposal put forward by Jean-David Levitte and Georges-Marc Benamou to the country’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy. The proposal does not call for the abolition of one [...]
Speed rains in Virgin Media
November 29, 2007 10.13 Europe/London By
Water pipes rather than cable pipes were the primary concern to Virgin Media’s head of content Malcolm Wall at Informa’s European Media Leaders Summit in London yesterday. Wall was outlining the problems facing TV over the internet in a market where speeds of 2 Mbps were common, when according to local reports, a water pipe [...]
Record RGUs for Unitymedia in Q3
November 29, 2007 10.06 Europe/London By
Unitymedia CEO Parm Sandhu has declared the ‘Jetzt digital’ campaign a success, securing about 100,000 new digital subscribers in eight weeks. Speaking to Broadband TV News this morning, Sandhu said its success was due to a number of factors. “We launched it with state media authorities, which gives it more credibilty in consumers eyes. Also, [...]
First ProSiebenSat.1 Group results after SBS take-over
November 29, 2007 09.22 Europe/London By
ProSiebenSat.1 Group today announced its first results following the consolidation of the SBS Broadcasting Group, acquired in July 2007 and subsequently included in the company’s accounts. Revenues were up €237.1 million, or 55 %, to €668.4 million in the third quarter 2007. Most of the increase came from the consolidation of SBS Broadcasting. Earnings were [...]
TV Clips to drive 4oD buys
November 29, 2007 09.15 Europe/London By
Channel 4 has signed a new agreement with the internet TV platform Brightcove to support the inclusion of video content across all of its online properties. The UK broadcaster will kick off the agreement with a new promotional destination known as TV Clips that will include excerpts from current TV programmes, a flavour of the [...]
MultiChoice Africa reaches 2 million
November 28, 2007 17.42 Europe/London By
MultiChoice Africa and MultiChoice South Africa have reached the combined total of two million subscribers. MultiChoice Africa, which serves no fewer than 47 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa itself, has added 30,000 subscribers in recent months despite the launch of a number of high profile competitors. Eben Greyling, CEO of MultiChoice Africa said [...]
Sky News grows in France
November 28, 2007 17.30 Europe/London By
Sky News has expanded its distribution in the French market through a series of deals with IPTV operators. Last month Sky News launched on France Telecom’s Orange, the former Ma Ligne, and Telecom Italia’s Alice. Next month the channel will be added to the SFR line-up. Sky News has also renewed its agreement with Neuf [...]
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Digital TV Eastern Europe NEW REPORT by Simon Murray of Digital TV Research. 2012 is a watershed year for Eastern Europe as the number of digital homes for 15 forecast countries will exceed the analogue total for the first time. This electronically-delivered,150-page report comes in three parts, a PDF file and two Excel workbooks. Countries covered include Russia and Ukraine.