Focus: Broadcasting

[Satellite TODAY Insider 08-12-11] EchoStar satellite subsidiary Hughes Communication helped expand its parent company’s U.S. national consumer subscriber base by 2 percent, which offset subscriber losses from EchoStar’s sister company Dish Network.    In its latest financial results issued Aug. 10, EchoStar posted $18.5 million in profit during the second quarter, compared with an overall...

[Satellite TODAY 08-10-11] U.S. satellite-television provider Dish Network reported a loss of 135,000 subscribers in its 2011 second quarter, according to the company’s latest results, issued Aug. 9. Analysts estimated Dish Network would lose 60,000 subscribers, after the operator gained 58,000 customers in the 2011 first quarter. Dish Network’s net income, however, rose to $335...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 08-10-11] Emerging markets will experience stronger TV set shipment growth over the next four years than more developed markets, according to an IMS Research report issued Aug. 8. The report, “Television Shipment Database and Forecast,” indicates that in the next five years, TV set shipments will increase in Latin America, Eastern Europe,...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 08-09-11] Arianespace has successfully launched two direct-to-home (DTH) television satellites for SES Astra and Sky Perfect JSat on an Ariane 5 rocket from the European spaceport in French Guiana, Arianespace announced Aug. 7.    SES’ Astra 1N satellite will be temporarily positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 28.2 degrees East longitude to serve...

[Satellite TODAY 08-09-11] Asian media group Trace has signed a new lease agreement with Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. (AsiaSat) for additional C-band capacity on AsiaSat 5, the companies announced Aug. 8.             Trace will use the capacity to launch its new Trace Sports HD channel in the Asia-Pacific region. The channel will be broadcast in...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 08-08-11] DirecTV reported the company’s lowest quarterly net subscriber gain to date at 26,000 during the second quarter of 2011 — a sign that some analysts say could lead to the U.S. satellite pay-TV industry’s first phase of subscriber decline since the mid-1990s.     Sanford Bernstein Analyst Craig Moffett said the operator’s...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 08-04-11] Cable and satellite company Liberty Global reported a 21 percent increase in its 2011 consolidated revenues at $2.62 billion and reduced net losses of $330.7 million compared with a loss of $674.8 million in the same period last year, the company announced in its latest financial results, issued Aug. 3. Liberty...

[Satellite TODAY 08-04-11] Dish Network renewed its multi-year partnership with U.S. rural communications services provider Frontier and will expand its bundled pay-TV offerings to Frontier’s markets, Dish Network announced Aug.3.    Frontier serves approximately 4 million customers in 27 states. The company offers Custom Value residential and business packages providing access to Dish Network’s HD,...

[Satellite TODAY 08-03-11] Spacecom, the operator of the Amos satellite fleet, has signed an agreement with an unnamed European company to provide satellite services to a new DTH platform that will be marketed to the Ukrainian region.    Spacecom announced Aug. 2 that the multi-year deal holds a potential value of up to $19 million....

[Satellite TODAY 08-03-11] Harmonic has unveiled its new ProMedia product family of software solutions that aim to optimize live and file-based multi-screen video production and processing for content and service providers, the company announced Aug. 2.    Harmonic said the ProMedia family was designed to perform a range of functions, including transcoding, packaging and origination...