It’s a busy time for channel launches in Central and Eastern Europe.
Just this week, we learned that Slovak channel named Joj Family had made its debut. Operated by the broadcaster Joj TV, it is aimed specifically at the Czech market and joins a growing list of such services, both Czech and Slovak, targeting their neighbouring country.
Meanwhile, in Poland it was confirmed this week by Scripps Networks Interactive, the owner of TVN, that it will be introducing its lifestyle channel HGTV into the country in January next year.
Poland is proving to be an increasingly lucrative international market for Scripps and it is logical for it to make more of its services available there.
Also in Poland, ZPR Media has signalled its intention to launch a new channel named – appropriately enough – Nowa TV on October 28. A largely info-based service, it will be distributed by the country’s eighth multiplex, as well as by cable and DTH services.
Another launch announced this week was that of the European film channel Eurochannel in Lithuania. It is being offered by Cgates, the country’s second largest provider of TV and internet services and – significantly – in a localised version.
On another note, this week saw the 2016 Economic Forum held in the Polish spa town of Krynica. During it, Jacek Kurksi, the president of the Polish public broadcaster TVP, again raised the idea of the four Visehrad nations – Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia – launching and operating an English language news channel named TV V4.
His suggestion was favourably received, and though specifics have to be worked out it seems quite possible that the channel, which would be modelled on such services as BBC World and Russia Today, could make its debut in the not-too-distant future.
