Focus: Broadcasting

[Satellite Today 02-20-09] Nasdaq has granted Sirius XM Radio’s request to issue new preferred stock without shareholder approval in connection with its agreements with Liberty Media Corp., Sirius XM announced Feb. 19.     While the Nasdaq rules generally require shareholder approval prior to the issuance of securities that are convertible into more than 20 percent...

[Satellite Today 02-20-09] Intorel has rolled out Visionic version 4.2, a monitoring and control solution for the broadcast and satellite industry, the company announced Feb. 19.     The latest version features upgrades such as an augmented alarm system, the ability to rearrange client windows and new device drivers for Advent AUPC 4000 and Multipoint among...

[Satellite Today 02-19-09] GlobeCast is set to launch its new African DTH satellite platform in March, the company announced Feb. 18.      The content management and delivery company said it will be simultaneously rolling out with new global distribution and contribution services for broadcast.      GlobeCast, which recently acquired software content management company Netia in...

[Satellite News 02-17-09] Liberty Media Corp. signed a last-minute agreement to loan Sirius XM Radio the funding it needs to avoid bankruptcy, beating EchoStar to a deal it had been aggressively pushing for as the possible demise of Sirius XM’s moved closer.     EchoStar had been banking on Sirius XM defaulting on loans due Feb....

[Satellite Today 02-17-09] Sirius XM Radio and Liberty Media Corp. have entered into agreements for Liberty to invest $530 million in the form of loans to Sirius XM and its subsidiaries in an attempt to save the satellite radio provider from bankruptcy, the companies announced Feb. 17.     The funding will come in two phases....

[Satellite Today 02-17-09] Premiere posted a net loss 269.4 million euros ($346.6 million) in 2008, the company announced Feb. 16. The German pay-TV operator has seen its losses increase dramatically in 12 months. In 2007, it had net losses of 51.6 million euros ($66.4 million).     The results also showed subscriber falls, revenues falls and...

[Satellite Today 02-16-09] Sirius XM Radio may be forced to file for bankruptcy protection as early as Feb. 17 if talks to refinance $175 million in company bonds fall through, Sirius XM announced Feb. 13.     The satellite-radio provider issued the warning as it announced it exchanged $172.5 million in notes that come due in...

[Satellite News 02-16-09] Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSB) will have very little new capacity to sell, even after it launches its Thor 6 satellite later this year, Cato Halsaa, TSB’s CEO told Satellite News.      “We expect the satellite to be launched later this year [Q3, 2009]," said Halsaa. "We have significant growth capacity on the...

[Satellite Today 02-13-09] SES has signed a contract for a new high-powered satellite to cover Mexico, North America and Central America, the company announced Feb 11.     Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) will build QuetzSat-1 for SES. The satellite will also be used, in part, by Dish Mexico, an EchoStar joint venture, for DTH services in Mexico....

[Satellite Today 02-12-09] DirecTV has seen impressive subscriber take-up in the U.S. and Latin America. These were two of the highlights of its fourth quarter and full year results to the end of December, the company issued Feb. 10. At the end of December, DirecTV U.S. had 17.62 million subscribers, a close to five percent...