May 08 in a snapshot
Channels
- Studio Universal will end its transmissions on Sky Italia on May 31.
- QVC has gone HD. So far in US only but SES confirmed it will be adding QVC HD the Astra line up soon.
- Two German regional channels TV Mittelrhein and Westerwald prepare to broadcast from Astra 19 ° E, 12.246 GHz V (SR 27,500, FEC 3/4).
- BBC’s free to air package Freesat has launched on Astra 28°E.
- MGM Networks has signed a deal with Sky Italia introducing MGM Channel to Italy.
- Eurosport confirmed plans to launch HDTV channel on all three digital satellite platforms in Poland
- NBC Universal Global Networks has announced the launch the Universal Channel and Sci Fi channel in Russia.
- Miniweb have confirmed launch of ‘TV Key’ service on the Sky Digital.
- SES Astra has launched a new HD bouquet for Dutch CanalDigitaal and Belgian TV Vlaanderen. The new HDTV package is set to broadcast from 23.5°E.
- Hungarian HD Platform Kft has launched high def platform Hello HD
Hardware
- Great month for Conax, the conditional access manufacturer acquired Secustream Technologies AS (manufacturer of anti pirate solutions for interactive TV) and secured deals to provide encryption for Turksat, upcoming Hellas Sat HD and new Hungarian pay tv platform Hello HD.
- In surprising move Hamburg District Court, following request from Premiere, issued injunction banning so called patchable free-to-air receivers (boxes of decrypting pay TV channels via internet downloadable key files) and prohibited their sale throughout Germany. The court also ordered one of German importers of far eastern equipment to pay damages to the tune of quarter million Euros.
- Humax has licensed S&T's Redkey 2 MHEG middleware engine for its Freesat products in the UK.
Names, ranks and numbers
- Kristina Zimmermann has become director of TPS Star (Canal Plus Group)
- NBC Universal has appointed Marin Irusta as senior vice-president, programming and acquisitions.
- Vilma Marciuleviciute has been named as CEO of Viasat Baltics.
- Intelsat has appointed Kay Sears as president of Intelsat General
- Tom Mockridge, Chief Executive of Sky Italia, has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive, European Television within News Corp.
Money
- Premiere has posted a net loss of EUR28.1m in the first quarter of 2008, and predictably blamed piracy for most of it.
- Spanish satellite operator Hispasat is celebrating its best financial result ever. They made a €35.7 million profit last year, the sum so overwhelming it took them this long to count the money.
- Spanish publishing group Prisa took over paytv group Sogecable.
Author: MRK [Source: OWN]
Posted on Monday 02 June 2008
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