[Satellite TODAY 10-26-09] Austar, the Australian satellite pay-TV operator, had close to 740,000 subscribers at the end of third quarter, according to its financial results, issued Oct. 22.
    The operator added more than 10,000 subscribers in the quarter, and more than 121,000 of its subscribers are using its MyStar personal video recorder service, which represents 20 percent of residential subscribers. 
    “Austar’s performance so far in 2009 has proven the ongoing resilience of subscription television in the face of a tough but improving economy, with our customer churn reaching its lowest levels in two years. Meanwhile, our subscriber growth is increasing in momentum, with more than 10,000 new customers joining the service, our largest growth quarter so far this year,” John Porter, Austar’s CEO, said in a statement.
    Porter said the operator plans to launch HD services in November.