Focus: Broadcasting

[Satellite TODAY 05-11-12] Dish Network is introducing a new capability for its Hopper HD DVR system that aims to give viewers the choice to automatically skip commercials, the company announced May 10.    The new Auto Hop capability for the Hopper allows customers to skip all commercials for most recorded primetime HD programs shown on...

[Satellite News 05-11-12] Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen has reportedly bought up $350 million worth of debt from 4G LTE network operator LightSquared after raising $1.9 billion in cash through bond sales during the last week, several analysts told Satellite News May 11.    LightSquared, which is controlled by Harbinger Capital Hedge Fund Director Philip...

[Satellite News 05-11-12] Increased competition in key markets, partial delays in the rollout of Ka-band professional services and a significant slowdown in multi-usage activity have forced FSS operator Eutelsat to downgrade its 2012 full-year revenue projections from 1.235 billion euros ($1.598 billion) to approximately 1.22 billion euros ($1.57 billion).    The operator’s EBITDA, however, was...

[Satellite TODAY 05-10-12] GlobeCast Americas has appointed Edward Ferraro as the company’s new North American director of sales, the satellite broadcast company announced May 9.    Ferraro will be responsible for overseeing all permanent and contribution sales activities for GlobeCast across North America, specifically with playout and origination, media asset management, content distribution via satellite...

[Satellite News 05-10-12] For the past several years, satellite pay-TV operator DirecTV’s business in the United States had consistently grabbed headlines during quarterly reports season. Subscriber growth was always a given — the company benefited from the domestic success of its exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket offering and other sports packages. DirecTV’s international unit, DirecTV Latin...

[Satellite TODAY 05-08-12] ASC Signal has been selected to provide a significant number of Ka-band antennas to an unnamed group of European major satellite operators to ensure uptime in distributing pay-TV channels to the region’s satellite subscribers, the company announced May 7.    ASC Signal will deliver multiple Ka-band gateway antennas that provide advanced pointing...

[Satellite TODAY 05-08-12] U.S. satellite pay-TV operator Dish Network grew its 2012 first quarter revenues 11 percent year-over-year, reaching $3.58 billion for the quarter while reducing its churn to 1.35 percent, according to the company’s latest financial results issued May 7.    The operator gained approximately 104,000 net subscribers during the quarter compared with approximately...

[Satellite TODAY 05-03-12] After taking on a sizable fiscal penalty to write down assets in weaker business units, Harris Corp. CEO William Brown confirmed May 1 that the parent company will divest its Harris Broadcast Communications business unit in order to focus on key divisions that have come under pressure as the U.S. government cuts...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 05-02-12] Satellite broadcaster Sirius XM Radio’s efforts to integrate new applications with its products and generate excitement in the consumer market have paid off in its 2012 fiscal first quarter, as the company reported a 38 percent increase in earnings at $107.8 million.    According to its latest financial results issued May...

[Satellite TODAY 05-01-12] Berenberg Bank has released a new report April 30 in light of the analog signal on SES’ Astra satellite system being closed down in Germany.    Sarah Simon, a satellite equity analyst at Berenberg said in the research note that the analog switch-off now creates some new challenges for the operator. “As...