Julian Clover looks back on Whitehaven’s switch to digital transmission with the man responsible. One week on and Peter Heslop, DSO programme director at transmission company Arqiva is looking back on the first phase of the UK digital switchover programme with a certain degree of satisfaction. The process has only just begun, not only do [...]
Cable problems, cable solutions
October 19, 2007 09.38 Europe/London By
Chris Dziadul reviews the PIKE conference in Zakopane. Earlier this week I was privileged to moderate one of the most interesting panels at the Polish Chamber of Electronic Communication (PIKE) conference and exhibition in Zakopane. Entitled Cable Europe: the situation of cable operators on incumbent markets, it brought together industry representatives from no fewer than [...]
Switched!
October 19, 2007 07.38 Europe/London By
Digital switchover has finally made it to the UK, and everyone says it was a success, Julian Clover is nervous. Reporting on analogue switch off, or digital switchover, as its protagonists would have it is becoming somewhat routine. Over the past few years we’ve covered the switch in Luxembourg, the Netherlands and this week Sweden. [...]
Gearing up for 2008
October 12, 2007 11.40 Europe/London By
Chris Dziadul foresees an eventful year in Polish cable While it may be too early to start making predictions for next year, 2008 already promises to be something of a humdinger for Poland’s cable industry. This week’s announcement from UPC that it will roll out a digital cable service in the country in Q2 is [...]
HD Ready and steady
October 12, 2007 09.39 Europe/London By
Flat screens mean that HD is for all, but someone has to pay, writes Julian Clover Of the buzz technologies of the moment, and we know that these are mobile TV, IPTV and HD, it is the high definition television format that is emerging as the leader. You can largely disconnect DTT from the list, [...]
Modern Times
October 5, 2007 09.05 Europe/London By
The History and Biography Channels are building audiences through effective use of the EPG and VOD services. Julian Clover reports The use of electronic programme guides is a vital tool for programmers trying to encourage viewers to watch new shows. Titles have to encapsulate what a programme is about and to catch the viewer’s eye [...]
A decade of progress
October 5, 2007 07.32 Europe/London By
Chris Dziadul assesses TVN’s first 10 years This week 10 years ago I was present at the launch party for the Polish national commercial station TVN in Warsaw. Held in a huge marquee that was being pounded by incessant rain, it was hardly the best of starts for a new entrant into what was already [...]
Transitional Tihany
September 28, 2007 10.08 Europe/London By
Chris Dziadul reviews the Hungarian cable conference. The overriding impression at the HCA/HCTA cable conference Tihany earlier this week was one of a market in transition. Hungary, like most other countries in CEE, has been slow to roll out digital cable and to date only one of its leading operators – T-Kábel – offers a [...]
The caring side of CTAM Europe
September 28, 2007 06.13 Europe/London By
Customer Care is the lifeblood of cable operators and CTAM Europe, according to outgoing chairman Dennis Hodges. He spoke to Julian Clover. After two years as chairman of the European arm of cable marketing association CTAM, Dennis Hodges is handing over to his successor Chad Raube, chief commercial officer of Hungary’s FiberNet. For his first [...]
Freesat gets its wings
September 21, 2007 10.12 Europe/London By
FTA platform Freesat has taken satellite capacity to link its channels to a dedicated EPG. Julian Clover reports. One of this week’s more interesting announcements concerns Arqiva’s contract to provide a satellite distribution contract for the free-to-air satellite platform Freesat. In itself Arqiva’s win is not that great a surprise as the company has contracts [...]
