[Satellite TODAY 04-26-10] Satellite operator SES’ 2010 first quarter revenues dipped slightly to 423.4 million euros ($565.6 million), down from 423.9 million euros ($566.3 million) in the same period a year ago due to the launch delay of its Astra 3B satellite and the reduction of revenue from AMC-16, the company announced April 23.
    Despite reporting a 2.4 percent increase in recurring revenues over the prior year period from contributions on the Ciel-2 and NSS-12 satellites, the weaker-than-expected first-quarter results caused SES to cut its forecast for 2010 revenue and core profit growth from about 5 percent recurring revenue growth to a target range between 4 percent to 5 percent.
    The Astra 3B satellite, initially scheduled for launch March 25, was postponed twice by Arianespace due to an anomaly in a component of the rocket during the countdown phase.  Arianespace now is targeting a May launch date. Astra 3B will enter service at 23.5 degrees East to add capacity for Europe and the Middle East. “The delay to the launch is reducing the incremental revenue expected to be generated by this satellite in 2010,” the company said in a statement.
    Reductions in AMC-16 revenues were caused by a solar array circuit failure on the satellite during the recent eclipse period. Some of AMC-16’s transponders were shut down in March to conserve power. SES said the financial impact of the anomaly is not expected to exceed $10 million.
    SES Astra’s operational reach, however, rose to 125 million TV homes, three million more than the year before, with 77 million satellite households and 71 million cable households. SES expects that by 2013 an estimated 55 million households will be equipped with both an HD-ready TV set and a suitable HD receiver, with satellite remaining the largest distribution platform for HD.
    SES World Skies also reported that it now has 55 newly available transponders, with 839 available at the end of the 2010 first quarter, compared to 784 available at the end of the same period last year.

Related Stories-

SES to Launch European 3-D Demo Channel   Satellite Today   April 22, 2010
[Satellite TODAY 04-22-10] SES Astra is set to launch a 3-D demo channel in Europe May 4 following initial testing, the company announced April 21. The new Astra 3-D demo channel will be available free-to-air via Astra’s orbital position 23.5…

SES Leases Three Transponders to South African Broadcaster   Satellite Today   April 20, 2010
[Satellite TODAY 04-20-10] SES Astra signed a capacity agreement with South African pay-TV operator On Digital Media (ODM), the DTH satellite system provider announced April 19. ODM, which is 20 percent owned by SES Astra, will lease three…

Astra 3B, ComsatDw-2 Launch Postponed Again   Satellite Today   April 13, 2010
[Satellite TODAY 04-13-10] Arianespace has postponed the launch of the SES Astra 3B and ComsatBw-2 satellites a second time following the detection of an anomaly in the launch vehicle s pressurization system, SES Astra said in a statement April…