Russia has taken a major step on the road to digitalisation. According to a local report, its first deputy PM Dimitry Medvedev has approved a plan from the transition to digital broadcasting between 2008-2015 following almost two years of debates between various ministries and the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network (RTRS). Costing between $6 [...]

The Russian alternative telco Golden Telecom has posted consolidated revenues of $350.4 million (€239.1 million) for Q3, or 53% more than in the same period in 2006, At the same time, its EBITDA rose by 35% year-on-year to $85.1 million. The company has also said it currently has a total of 394,900 broadband subscribers, of [...]

Liberty Global has posted encouraging Q3 results for its UPC Broadband operations in CEE. They show a recovery in its DTH subscriber figures in Hungary (up 3,200 to 162,100) and Slovakia (up 900 to 23,200) in the quarter despite strong competition from the RCS/RDS-owned platform DigiTV in both countries. The DTH subscriber total also grew [...]

Discovery Networks has entered into a partnership with Video International Group, the leading media sales company in Russia. Discovery has been present in the country for almost 10 years and is received in 14.9% of homes.

The UK regulator Ofcom says it licensed a number of TV channels last month serving countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Sci-Fi Channel Europe LLC received a Television Licensable Content Service (TLCS) licence for Universal Channel in Poland and Romania, as did Poland’s Neovision UK Ltd for nTalk and Supreme Master Television Ltd for Supreme [...]

The Polish national commercial broadcaster TVN has posted a consolidated net loss of PLN78.33 million (€21.59 million) for the third quarter, as opposed to one of PLN3.33 million in the corresponding period last year. At the same time, its operational profit amounted to PLN37.73 million (PLN19.43 million) and consolidated income PLN296.55 million (PLN215.41 million). Analysts [...]

The incumbent Hungarian telco Magyar Telekom posted strong growth in its ADSL and cable broadband services in Q3, recording over 680,000 broadband subscribers at the end of September. However, its unit T-Com, which incorporates ADSL and cable broadband services, posted revenues of HUF78.3 billion (€310.2 million) over the quarter, or 3.6% less than in the [...]

The Polish public broadcaster TVP is reported to be taking legal action against the owners of a website named Tvseriale.pl, which shows clips of TV series free of charge. The site until recently also carried programming from TVN, though this no longer appears. Polsat, on the other hand, has yet to decide on a course [...]

Microsoft aims to become the third largest online advertiser in Russia by 2011, according to a local report. However, in providing services through its msn.ru portal, it will face strong competition from several well-established players including Rambler, Mail.ru and Yandex. Although still dwarfed by more conventional media such as TV, the Russian online ad market [...]