Focus: Broadcasting

[8-29-07 –  Satellite News Today] SES Astra’s Entavio digital platform will make its debut Sept. 1, with German pay-TV operator Premiere the first to offer the system, SES Astra announced. Entavio is a technical and service platform that does acquire or bundle channels and is open to all broadcasters. Manufacturers of satellite receivers will be...

GlobeCast recently bought its WorldTV service to Europe, as the content management company is hoping to tap into the demand throughout the continent for more diversified ethnic programming. The service, launched at the end of May via the Intelsat 905 satellite, initially featured a bouquet of seven South Asian channels. The bouquet now features 12...

[8-27-2007 – Satellite Today] Bored consumers at the pump will have a new opportunity to watch news, local weather, advertising and entertainment provided via satellite to 20-inch LCD screens at gas stations around the country. Hughes Network Systems LLC will provide the digital signage satellite network for Gas Station TV (GSTV), the company announced Aug....

[08/27/07 – Satellite News] India’s Org Informatics, which acquired Belgacom’s satellite assets Aug. 22, is in discussion to buy other satellite assets, a company executive said.  “I hope we will make other acquisitions in the satellite sector in the next 12 months,” Ajoy Khanderia, Org Informatics CEO told Satellite News. “We are actually in discussions...

[07/23/08 – Satellite Today] Scopus Video Networks is deploying a fourth transponder system for Digital Cable System (DCS), a Romanian cable and direct-to-home operator, Scopus announced Aug. 23. The system, which will be deployed in DCS’ Bucharest headends, will be used to expand the operator’s Max TV direct-to-home service. The new system is composed of...

Jacques Aymar de Roquefeuil [23/08/07 – Satellite News] Canal+ Cyfrowy, one of the more progressive direct-to-home (DTH) operators in Eastern Europe, had a banner year in 2006 adding nearly 250,000 new subscribers to bring its total to around 950,000 customers in Poland. Jacques Aymar de Roquefeuil, Canal+ Cyfrowy’s COO, said he was “surprised” at the...

[8/21/07 – Satellite Today] The direct-to-home (DTH) market in Portugal saw strong growth in the year that closed in June, according to a report issued Aug. 20 Portuguese communications regulator Anacom. There were around 445,000 households accessing TV services via DTH at the end of the year, an increase of 6.5 percent from the same...

[8/21/07 – Satellite Today] Australian satellite pay-TV operator Austar is returning 300 million Australian dollars ($239.9 million) to shareholders and will reorganize it debt structure as it looks to position itself for growth in the Australian television market, the company announced Aug. 20. The operator is refinancing and increasing its existing senior debt facilities to...

[8/21/07 – Satellite Today] Time Warner Cable has deployed a video-on-demand (VOD) solution for small markets based on technology from Tandberg Television, Tandberg announced Aug. 21. Tandberg’s OpenStream digital services platform allows Time Warner to manage VOD services from its headquarters in Denver and deliver content via satellite distribution to cities throughout the United States....

[8/20/07 – Satellite Today] WildBlue Communications, Inc. named Ed Knudson vice president of sales and marketing, the company announced Aug. 20. Knudson has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, content strategy, sales and licensing and joins WildBlue from OpenTV, where he served as senior vice president of their advanced advertising unit. Knudson also...