Focus: Broadcasting

[Satellite TODAY 08-10-09] Companies under the umbrella of Greek telecom OTE reported strong second quarter results this week, according to company reports.     RomTelecom, based in Romania, reported it had 780,000 DTH subscribers for its Dolce’TV service by the end of June — a 48 percent increase compared to the same period a year ago,...

[Satellite TODAY 08-10-09] DirecTV’s second-quarter profits dropped 11 percent in the second quarter of 2009, as the company spent more money on customer acquisition, which offset revenue growth, according to financial results released Aug. 6.     DirecTV’s revenue improved 9 percent from $4.8 billion to $5.2 billion. However, earnings dropped to $407 million in the...

[Satellite News 08-11-09] GlobeCast Asia is targeting India in its efforts to get on more platforms across the region, CEO Darby Sanchez told Satellite News. “We have big plans for India. The country’s blooming media market is a phenomenal opportunity for us as it has the highest growth in the number of channels launched year-on-year,”...

[Satellite News 08-11-09] China DB Sat is in the middle of a transformation to leverage its position within China, embarking on an aggressive capital expenditure plan for new satellites, Huang Baozhong, executive vice president for China DB Sat told Satellite News.     China DB, a fixed satellite service provider and joint venture of China Satellite...

[Satellite TODAY 08-07-09] Sirius XM Radio’s net loss grew from $83.9 million a year ago to $157 million in the 2009 second quarter, according to financial reports released Aug. 6.     The gains was due to a one-time charges associated with paying off debt, a $24 million write-off for prepayments for future launch services attributable...

[Satellite TODAY 08-07-09] Dutch language channel BVN-TV expanded its contract with RRsat following the launch of services over Asia, Africa and Australia in 2007, RRsat announced Aug. 6.     BVN-TV, a collaboration of Radio Netherlands, Dutch Domestic Public Television and Flemish Radio and Television, will broadcast to Europe and the Middle East over the RRsat...

[Satellite TODAY 08-07-09] Comcast Corp., the largest cable operator in the United States, lost 214,000 basic video subscribers in the first quarter of 2009, sending its total customer base below 24 million, according to the company’s financial reports released Aug. 6.     Comcast said that competition from phone and satellite operators was a primary factor...

[Satellite TODAY 08-06-09] News Corp. increased its stake in the German satellite broadcaster Sky Deutschland from 30.5 percent to 39.96 percent, the company announced Aug. 5.     Sky Deutschland, formerly Premiere until it was acquired by News Corp. and re-branded in July, projects to have 3 million to 3.4 million subscribers by the end of...

[Satellite TODAY 08-05-09] Mohamed Youssif has been appointed CEO of YahLive, a partnership between SES Astra and Yahsat offering satellite capacity for DTH services to the Middle East, North Africa and South West Asia, the companies announced Aug. 4.     Youssif previously served as CCO of Arabsat.     YahLive will own and commercialise 23 BSS-transponders...

[Satellite News 08-05-09] The satellite set-top-box (STB) market saw a 6 percent increase in 2008, with growth predicted to be steady for the next two years, according to a report by analysis firm In-Stat, released Aug. 4. The STB market growth is being forcefully driven by triple-digit growth in the Asia/Pacific region.     The In-Stat...