Romania’s National Audiovisual Council (CNA) has awarded eight satellite TV channel licences to a company backed by Andrew G Vajna, the owner of the Hungarian national commercial broadcaster TV2.
According to Mediafax, the licences will allow CEE Broadcasting Co to distribute the channels – Chilii TV, Izaura TV, Joy TV, Kiwi TV, Mozi+, Prime, Super TV 2 and Zenebutnik – throughout the EU, as well as Ukraine and Serbia.
All eight channels will broadcast acquired rather than their own productions.
CEE Broadcasting is wholly owned by Hungary’s Magyar Broadcasting Company, which in turn is owned by Super Station and ultimately Av Investments Befektetési, in which Vajna holds a 90% stake and the US company Cinergi Pictures Entertainment the remaining 10%.
Vajna, who took control of TV2 in controversial circumstances, is also a well-known Hollywood producer.
The total investment in the channels will be €7.1 million a year, financed by advertising contracts and distribution, and two or three will launch later this month, with the remainder following by the end of the year.
Uplink and fibre-optic transmission lines will be provided by Antenna Hungaria and Ines respectively.
The channels will be encrypted and distributed by Spacecom’s Amos 3 satellite.
