Focus: Broadcasting

China Central Television (CCTV), the national broadcaster of the People’s Republic of China, has renewed a multiyear contract with Intelsat for global distribution of programming, Intelsat announced. Intelsat provides program distribution services for CCTV via its PAS-1R, PAS-9 and PAS-10 satellites and also provides CCTV with capacity on Galaxy-3C for offering direct-to- home (DTH) services...

Alcatel-Lucent, a global communications provider of Internet Protocol (IP) TV, broadband access, carrier IP, IMS and next-generation networks, launched operations Dec. 1 after completion of a merger between Alcatel and Lucent Technologies. The new company is incorporated in France, with executive offices in Paris. Alcatel-Lucent trades on Euronext Paris and the New York Stock Exchange...

Echostar Communications Corp. issued a Nov. 30 statement detailing its agreement with Pappas Telecasting Cos. to continue carrying 16 local TV stations owned or operated by Pappas.

Arqiva, which recently reached an agreement to acquire BT‘s satellite broadcast business for 25 million British pounds ($47.9 million), hopes the acquisition will provide a springboard to a stronger position in the U.S. market. BT’s Satellite Broadcast Services business currently provides both full-time and occasional-use satellite services from six teleports — three in the United...

Multichoice Hellas is one of the leading pay-TV operators in Greece and the direct-to-home (DTH) operator is playing a key role in bringing new digital services to Greek customers through its digital satellite platform, Nova. The operator already had over 250,000 digital-TV subscribers and has already brought services such as personal video recorder (PVR) there....

XM Satellite Radio announced Nov. 30 that American Honda Motor Co. will factory-install XM in more than 650,000 of its 2007 model year vehicles. Honda was an original strategic partner in the launch of XM, and introduced its first factory-installed XM vehicles in 2003. Honda produced more than 200,000 vehicles with XM in 2004; more...

The profiles and subscriber numbers of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio are growing as the companies continue to garner attention for their efforts to attract subscribers, which include their battles for exclusive content deals and to make their equipment standard on various car makes and models. As the companies make the transition from...

The communications regulatory framework in Europe is based on the principle that most rules should apply only in the case of market failure. Under this approach, if a particular market is competitive, there is no reason for mandatory access rules, rate regulation or other intrusive remedies. So far, no country has sought to apply such...

As 2006 comes to an end, it cannot be said that John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media Corp., is sitting on the sidelines of the satellite and wireless broadband market. Liberty Media, a holding company that owns interests in a broad range of electronic retailing, media, communications and entertainment businesses, is generating a swirl of...

2006 saw the culmination of the Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) consolidation process begun in 2004, and also brought ferment in the Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) sector with Inmarsat’s and Globalstar’s initial public offerings and plans for ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) service and fleet replacement by Mobile Satellite Ventures, Globalstar, Iridium and ICO. The year also...