Focus: Broadcasting

The commercial geostationary satellite transponder market produced total revenues of $708.5 billion in Latin America in 2005, and that figure will reach more than $1 trillion by 2012, Frost & Sullivan announced Oct. 31. Though the expansion of terrestrial networks such as fiber, wireless and mobile pose a challenge for the satellite market, the demand...

Broadcasters around the globe are covering more live events, sports and spot news in order to respond to the needs of their customers. At the same time, the owners and stockholders of these companies are squeezing the broadcasters for more profits. To balance these competing demands, satellite news gathering (SNG) organizations are seeking help from...

Broadcasters around the globe are covering more live events, sports and spot news in order to respond to the needs of their customers. At the same time, the owners and stockholders of these companies are squeezing the broadcasters for more profits. To balance these competing demands, satellite news gathering (SNG) organizations are seeking help from...

By Peter J. Brown The number of satellite dishes found in the vast region stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Bay of Bengal has exploded throughout the past decade, and rooftops are filling up fast as more dishes are being installed to receive new direct-to-home (DTH) and broadband services. India is a vibrant VSAT...

Telcos are seeking new ways to deliver satellite data directly to customers. A wide variety of information such as GPS coordinates, satellite imagery and maps is making its way to the desktop or to handheld devices. As information sources and platforms converge, which satellite services providers are leading the way in meeting customer demand? In...

XM Satellite Radio and Sea Launch announced the Oct. 30 launch of the XM-4 satellite. Early data indicate the spacecraft is accurately positioned and in excellent condition. XM-4, built by the Boeing Satellite Development Center, carries a high-power S-band digital audio radio service payload provided by Alcatel Alenia Space. The spacecraft will be located at...

The combination of the Kudelski Group and OpenTV should create a much stronger force in the satellite pay-TV and other markets, as Kudelski gained control of OpenTV in a deal valued at $130 million. Kudelski announced Oct. 19 that it signed a stock purchase agreement with OpenTV owner Liberty Media to acquire voting control of...

The U.S. District Court in Miami voided a proposed settlement that Echostar Communications Corp. had reached with several TV stations to allow the satellite-TV company to continue broadcasting local network channels, Echostar announced Oct 23. In August, Echostar announced a deal to pay $100 million to end a nine-year litigation with ABC, NBC, CBS and...

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to conduct investigations into the operations of each Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, the NAB announced. In separate Oct. 23 letters to the FCC, the NAB called for the FCC to investigate the satellite radio companies’ use of terrestrial repeater...

LORL Loral Space & Communications Inc. will sell $300 million of stock to its largest shareholder, MHR Fund Management LLC, Loral announced Oct. 17. The proceeds, combined with existing resources, will be used to pursue internal and external growth opportunities, including transactions or alliances. MHR will purchase $41 million and $259 million of new Loral...