Two unrelated but highly important developments in the Czech TV industry have just demonstrated the timely nature of the upcoming Prague Business Breakfast.
The first, which emerged in a low-key announcement at the end of October, is that the DTH TV service operated by T-Mobile will close on November 30, with its subscribers being given the option of moving over to Skylink.
Given the increasingly prominent role Deutsche Telekom is playing in the delivery of TV services in several Central and East European markets, this was indeed a surprise. What it does is effectively strengthen the position of Skylink, the market in the DTH sector, as well as UPC DTH’s freeSAT. The same can also be said for Digi TV, though its long-term plans for the Czech Republic remain unclear.
Yet T-Mobile is not to leaving the Czech TV market entirely, with the company planning to launch a mobile TV service, initially on a trial basis, this month.
The second important development was contained in the small print of the latest set of results published by Central European Media Enterprises (CME). These showed that TV Nova, the Czech Republic’s leading broadcaster, is finally starting to perform again financially.
Indeed, its OIBDA for the first nine months of this year was in positive territory at $33,107,000, having been a negative $9,222,000 in the same period last year.
TV Nova was very much the jewel in the crown for CME prior to the latter’s much-publicised problems, which are finally being overcome by new and forward-looking management. It is now again a key player in the company’s portfolio and its future looks increasingly promising.
Which brings us on to the upcoming Prague Business Breakfast, which will take place at the Marriott Hotel on Tuesday, November 11. Its speaker line-up includes leading executives from M7 Group (Skylink), UPC DTH, CME, O2 Czech Republic and AMC Networks International.
Focusing on pay-TV and on demand, it will provide interesting insights into a market that is very much on the up.
Entrance to the Business Breakfast is free and just requires registration. Readers wishing to attend should click here.
