Focus: Broadcasting

[Satellite TODAY 02-04-11] The European Union Court proposed a ruling Feb. 3 that would allow U.K. television viewers to bypass U.K. broadcasters and watch cheaper foreign satellite coverage of Premier League football.     The ruling follows a legal opinion issued last year by the European Court of Justice, which advised U.K. judges to back the...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 01-02-11] Dish Network has entered into an agreement to acquire hybrid satellite and terrestrial communications company DBSD North America for approximately $1 billion, Dish Network announced Feb. 1.     DBSD, which filed for chapter 11 protection in May 2009, will receive an $87.5 million debtor-in-possession credit facility from Dish Network in exchange...

[Satellite News 02-02-11] The Indian DTH market is set to see explosive growth over the next two years, with potentially another 20 million subscribers being added by the end of 2013, according to a report issued Feb. 2 by Indian research firm RNCOS.     “Indian DTH Market Forecast to 2012” predicts that the region could...

The Radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), at last count, include nearly 2,200 pages covering more than 40 radio services, such as the FSS. The Radiocommunication Bureau (BR — an acronym based on the French language version) within the ITU employs the full-time officials who administer the Radio Regulations, for instance, by processing...

Satellite radio (specifically Sirius and XM) was created with the idea that such a service could offer more specialized programming than conventional terrestrial radio. A broader range of more specialized content would gain a profitable audience by aggregating demand from a continental landmass. No ordinary radio station could afford to offer the sort of programming...

DirecTV Latin America has become a pay-TV giant in the region with more than 8.2 million subscribers. The operator now is embarking on a new strategy targeting emerging middle classes in the region. CEO Bruce Churchill discusses the 2010 performance, the next phase of growth and why Colombia could be an exciting market for pay-TV....

[Satellite TODAY 02-01-11] Optus ordered conditional access technology from Irdeto to extend customer access to the operator’s satellite digital-only and HDTV channels in Australia, Optus announced Jan. 31.     Irdeto provided Optus with its CAS 3 solution, which uses elliptic curve asymmetric encryption technology, combined with secure silicon set-top boxes that are optimized to protect...

Our discussions on potential Satellite Executive of the Year nominees always include suggestions that pique one’s interest but don’t quite meet the criteria for inclusion. Our first rule for determining potential nominees, is that we focus on accomplishments during the year, and that we identify a mix of innovation and business. For 2010, there were...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 01-31-11] In an effort to diversify its service portfolio, BSkyB has acquired U.K. public Wi-Fi operator The Cloud, BSkyB announced in its half-year results issued Jan. 27.     The acquisition will give BSkyB ownership of more than 5,000 public Wi-Fi locations across the United Kingdom and aims to complement BSkyB’s existing broadband...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 01-26-11] Sky Deutschland has raised approximately 165 million euros ($225.08 million) in financing as part of an effort to kick-start 2011 as a turnaround year, the satellite broadcaster announced Jan 26.     The bond, issued by News Adelaide Holdings, can be converted into 53 million registered shares stemming from contingent capital. With...