Italian state broadcaster RAI plans a number of international thematic channels, to be modeled alongside the BBC Worldwide model, according to Italian press reports. The channels will be made available in both Italian and English and should reach both Italians abroad and people interested in Italy and its culture and lifestyle. At first, RAI plans […]
SOCOFE to warrant BeTV
SOCOFE, the investment fund controlled by Walloon municipalities, has decided to excercise warrants that allow it to retain its equity level in BeTV, the former Canal+ Belgium, at 16.9%. The decision follows one by DEFICOM, announced three weeks ago, to exercise its warrants and invest €10 million to extend its participation in BeTV from 15% […]
PT Multimedia out of DTT bidding process
PT Multimedia will be prevented from operating DTT multiplexes in Portugal if it holds onto its cable TV network. Parliamentary affairs minister Augusto Santos Silva has told local media that he will respect the decision of the country’s competition regulator, which has already indicated that PT will not be allowed to make a bid for […]
Digital subsidiary for ERT
ERT, the Greek public broadcaster, is to establish a digital TV subsidiary for digital television in which it will hold 51%. However, opposition parties have expressed concern that the venture will become a “battering ram” that will eventually lead to ERT’s privatization. A draft bill on the licensing process for television in Greece was provision […]
Replacement aerials needed after ASO
Ofcom has published details of the digital services that will be available after analogue switch off in areas served by the 81 transmitters that already carry digital multiplexes. The plan reveals that in many areas replacement aerials will be needed because the digital channels fall outside of the frequency range used by the new services. […]
Growth slows for Boxer
Swedish DTT platform Boxer has announced a modest second quarter increase in subscribers of just 6,000. The second half of the year has recorded a total of 24,000 pay-TV subscriptions on the DTT platform, although many households will be drawn to the available free-TV services including those from the public broadcaster SVT. “A large number […]
UK cable signs for Sky channels
The perception may be that Virgin Media is the UK’s only cable operator – but there are three cablenets of significant size – and BSkyB has just concluded new carriage agreements with them. The three networks are Newtel, Smallworld and Wightcable serving Jersey, the Borders and the Isle of Wight. Each has agreed for the […]
9.59 million digital homes in Germany
According to figures from AGF/GfK Fernsehforschung, Germany now has 9.59 million digital homes. This represents an increase of 600,000 homes since the end of last year, the figure including DTT, cable and digital DTH receivers. The total number of TV homes in the country now stands at 35.02 million. Only digital services are watched by […]
ProSiebenSat.1 buys Austrian Puls TV
The German ProSiebenSat.1 group will buy the regional commercial broadcaster Puls TV in Vienna. The channel broadcasts regional programming 24 hours a day and hopes to extend its transmissions to satellite, as well as acquire a licence to broadcast on DTT. At present Puls TV is only available on cable. The acquisition will be subject […]
Farncombe to manage Tiscali triple play expansion
Farncombe Technology has been appointed to assist Tiscali UK with the rollout of its triple-play rollout project. Tiscali took over the interests of Video Networks’ Homechoice service on March 1 and is looking to extend the IPTV service to 10 million households from the current centres in London and Stevenage. Tiscali UK has appointed Farncombe […]