Data published by the Hungarian Statistical Office (KSH) shows that at the end of 2006 there were 1.292 million Internet subscriptions in the country, or 32.3% more than in the corresponding period in 2005. XDSL connections (597,331) accounted for almost half of the total, followed by cable modems (374,647) and wireless (214,215), the remainder being […]
CME eyes Russia’s Muz-TV
According to an unconfirmed local report, the US investment company CME is engaged in talks to buy the Russian music channel in a deal that could be worth up to $200 million (€152.6 million). Muz-TV is currently owned by Ars Holding and competes directly with MTV Russia. Ars Holding’s interests include the radio station Love-Radio, […]
Telekom Srbija secures Internet licence
A consortium made up of the incumbent Serbian telco Telekom Srbija and the Dutch company Ogalar has been awarded a licence to introduce a wireless Internet service in Montenegro. Its bid of €1.5 million came ahead of several others headed by Broadband Montenegro (BMM), Bulgaria’s Nexcom and T-Mobile. Meanwhile in Croatia, the country’s leading mobile […]
Czech O2 ups the ante
The incumbent Czech telco Telefónica O2 is to launch a new triple play offer. Known as O2 Trio, it will compete directly with one provided by UPC and Mattes, a company based in the town of Frydek-Mistek. The entry-level cost of receiving the O2 Trio basic package will be CZK999 (€35.5) for the first three […]
Comstar opts for Tandberg
The Russian broadband company Comstar-Direct has signed a deal with Tandberg Television to assist in the expansion of its IPTV network. Under it, Sistema-owned Comstar-Direct will be supplied with Tandberg Television’s control and monitoring software nCompass 5.0. Comstar-Direct already employs Tandberg Television’s IPTV head-end solutions for its ADSL broadband offer. Its future plans include the […]
Providence eyes Bulgaria’s BTC
The US investment company Providence Equity Partners has emerged as the frontrunner to buy a majority (65%) stake in the incumbent Bulgarian telco BTC. It is currently owned by the Icelandic entrepreneur Thor Bjorgolfsson’s Novatur Holdings and has attracted interest from several parties including Turkey’s Turk Telekom and Turkcell. Providence Equity Partners are understood to […]
New backer for CTC Media
According to local reports, Baring Vostok has sold a 6.1% stake in Russia’s CTC Media to Access Industries for an undisclosed fee. Access Industries is owned by the US billionaire Leonard Blavatnik and has a growing list of media assets including a stake in AMedia, Russia’s leading independent production company. CTC Media lists Sweden’s Modern […]
Hard times for Romania’s TVR
The Romanian public broadcaster TVR has announced plans for a major restructuring and at the same time denied that it is facing serious financial problems. Its general director Tudor Giurgiu, in particular, has been criticised in the local media for neglecting finances, paying inflated sums for programme acquisitions and movie broadcast rights. TVR’s revenues in […]
More VOD and HD for Poland
The Polish cable operator Multimedia Polska has announced that it will launch VOD and HDTV services in the first half of this year. It will then go on to also offer telecom services, employing the incumbent TPSA’s infrastructure, in the second half of 2007. Multimedia Polska is the country’s third largest MSO after UPC and […]
Chris Dziadul Reports: An uneasy mix
Politics and the media have always been closely intertwined in Central and Eastern Europe, both before and since the end of the Cold War. Recently, however, their relationship has recently taken on a new and disturbing twist in Poland, one of the region’s largest and – many would argue – most progressive markets. Earlier this […]