Focus: Broadcasting

WRSP Worldspace Satellite Radio‘s recent financial results and subscriber numbers have been improved, but the company’s stock price has been taken on a short roller coaster ride throughout the past week following the release of several research reports. Worldspace, a provider of subscription-based satellite radio services in Asia, Western Europe, Africa and the Middle East,...

Convergence between satellite broadcasting and telecom service took another step forward as the United Kingdom’s British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSkyB) acquired a nationwide broadband network, Easynet. Recently, the satellite pay-TV operator BSkyBunveiled details of its plans for the telecom market and what customers will gain in the coming year. BSkyB, when it first disclosed its...

When it comes to buying emergency satellite communications before disaster hits, governments have yet to fully embrace purchasing complete systems. "They don’t want to pay for it if they’re not using it," said Kirby Farrell, executive vice president of Segovia. "Emergency managers at the state level, even after the hurricanes that destroyed the Gulf Coast,...

It has been a busy year for the major satellite pay-TV operators across Europe. All seem to have been involved in major initiatives as they bid to keep the pressure on the cable, terrestrial and in some cases the IPTV rivals. Despite the increased competition, satellite pay-TV operators still had a strong 2005, with those...

PA Panamsat Holding Corp. recorded a profit of $72.7 million in 2005, rebounding from a loss of $79 million in 2004, the company announced March 9. The 2004 loss was impacted by pre-tax charges of $155.1 million, a $99.9 million satellite impairment charge and a $29.6 million write-off related to a customer transponder lease termination....

Showtime CEO Peter Einstein has not ruled out the possibility of conducting an initial public offering (IPO) in 2006, as the operator, which is one of the main pay-TV providers in the Middle East, weighs all of its financial options. "As we continue to grow, the financial situation has continued to become more healthy and...

SES Astra has launched a new service it hopes will smooth the digital transition process in Germany, offering an infrastructure for free-TV, pay-TV and additional interactive services as the country moves toward an all digital landscape. The new offer will be open to all broadcasters and is intended to ease the development of digital services...

KVH Industries Inc., which manufactures satellite antennas for boats, cars, and recreational vehicles (RV), continues to expand its efforts in the mobile market, and executives feel confident about the future despite a patent lawsuit filed against the company. During February, KVH surpassed the 100,000 mark for shipments of its mobile antennas, which allows moving vehicles...

By Nick Mitsis Mobile connectivity is nothing new for the satellite communications industry, but its near-term growth with new service offerings is poised to be nothing but monumental. If you are not yet paying attention to on-demand services, you soon may not have a choice. In fact, there is a tremendous growth surge for interactive...

By Gerry Oberst Our previous article pointed to the opportunity costs that Russia was racking up by not adopting satellite regulatory decisions developed by the European Communications Committee (ECC) and its various administrative levels. Now the ECC has embarked on a review of those decisions to confirm which are really necessary for industry and which...