Latest SATELLITE NEWS/TV LISTING SECTION

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Star's home shopping channel to launch on 1 August
Star CJ Network India, the 50:50 JV between Star India and South Korea's CJ O Shopping, is gearing up to launch its home shopping channel Star CJ Alive on 1 August.

The channel launch comes after a 10-month-long pilot phase as a six-hour slot on Star Utsav and is set to expand the market currently occupied by a lone warrior, HomeShop18.

Star CJ comes with a tagline "Ab Super Shopping TV Pe" (now super shopping on TV). The channel boasts of approximately 300 select, premium branded products across the categories of home appliances, electronics, telecommunications, fashion and skincare. It will also showcase lifestyle enhancing products.

Launching Star CJ Alive as a six hour slot a year back worked to our advantage by giving us an opportunity to study the market and its needs along with the consumer behaviour pertaining to the home shopping industry in India. We realised that even though the industry is still in its nascent stage, there lies a huge potential in the years to come, given the increasing discretionary income of Indian consumers," says Star CJ Network India CEO Paritosh Joshi.

For starters, the channel will be available in 40 cities spread across Maharashtra, Delhi NCR, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

Says Star India CEO Uday Shankar, "We have built alliances with an array of entities to augment our business and increase our offerings to our audience. We are very pleased to launch Star CJ Alive, our round-the-clock dedicated premium home shopping channel. Given the popularity Star enjoys and the response that the channel has received since its launch last year as a six-hour slot on Star Utsav, we are confident that Star CJ Alive will soon be living up to its promise of transforming lifestyles for its audience."

While promoting Star CJ Alive across the Star network of channels, the marketing plan will entail taking airtime on Hindi GECs like Zee TV and Sony Entertainment, English and Hindi movie channels such as HBO, Star Gold, UTV Movies, Zee Cinema and English and Hindi news channels. The campaign will be further supported by print, outdoor and radio.

The homeshopping business is still at an evolution stage in India. HomeShop18 posted a revenue of just over Rs 500 million in FY'10 and is targeting Rs 700-800 million this fiscal.

Says HomeShop18 CEO Sundeep Malhotra, "There is a limitation in being a lone player and developing the market. Star CJ's launch will help the market to expand."

[mike566]

Channel [V] launches music awards
MUMBAI: Channel [V] has partnered with Select Media Holdings and have jointly announced the ‘Channel [V] Sound Box Music Awards’, to recognise and honour Bollywood and non-Bollywood Hindi music talent.

Select Media Holding will produce the event while it will be jointly hosted by Channel [V].

Channel [V] GM Prem Kamath said, “So far music has been widely recognised as a category in popular Bollywood awards, but for the first time in India, we are set to recognise and felicitate the contribution of great musicians through an exclusive award function. In terms of scale, scope and bringing the entire music industry, this initiative will be unprecedented.”

Added Select Media Holding’s Rajnish Khanuja, “We are very happy to partner with Channel [V] and host an award that will bring connoisseurs of Indian music together."

Select Media Holding is one of the largest Indian aggregator of film content for television and its publishing arm, Select Publishing company, brings out the weekly film trade magazine ‘Box Office India’. It will shortly be launching ‘Sound Box’, a monthly music magazine.

Commenting on the awards, T-Series MD Bhushan Kumar said, “It gives me immense pleasure that Channel [V] has taken this initiative to recognise the talent that exists in the music industry and this is sure to be a boost to the music industry at large."


Universal Music India MD Rajat Kakar added, “There is a lot of young and budding talent in the music industry and these awards are sure to give an impetus to their talent and will prove to be a robust platform to recognise them.”


The two parties are in process to finalise the details of the event.

[mike566]

Digi TV: TV Nova, CT4, Film+ and Sport1 without Nagravision 2
UPDATED: Shutting down programs on a platform Digi TV at Nagravision 2 for the Czech and Slovak markets continues. Company CCC/RDS, the service provider, turned off the old conditional access system Nagravision 2 for another 4 programs in Czech.

On the old cards Digi TV programs are no longer available CT4, Nova TV, Film and Sport 1+. Turning off the old system of N2 (CAID 1801) at these stations were to block unauthorized reception of popular programs - that is, without receiving proper abonence.

During the afternoon she returned to Nagravision 2 TV Nova and Prima TV, in contrast, the old system of N2 expired.

Nagravision off the old version should not cause problems with receiving proper Digi TV subscribers. In case of technical problems with the customer can contact the hotline operator.

Technical parameters - Film +:
Intelsat 10-02 (1°W), freq 12.643 GHz, pol. V, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, DVB-S/QPSK

Technical Parameters - CT4, TV Nova, Sport1, Prima:
Intelsat 10-02 (1°W), freq 12.643 GHz, pol. V, SR 27500, FEC 3/4, DVB-S/QPSK

Digi TV transition to a newer version of Nagravision 3/4 (Media Access Nagra) imply a need for exchange access cards to all subscribers. The event is more secure programs against illegal income.

[mike566]

UPC Direct: End of test on 11.881 GHz
UPC Direct: End of test on 11.881 GHz

UPC Direct satellite platform, Luxembourg UPC DTH, completed technical tests on one of the transponders of the satellite Thor 6 (0.8°W). Transponder is not currently used for digital broadcasting.

Technical tests conducted on the UPC Direct frequency 11.881 GHz, pol. V, SR 28000, first with the FEC 7/8, then the FEC 5/6. After completion of the tests was to test the contents of multiple disconnected again.

UPC Direct uses the new position, 0.8°W, where satellites are parked Thor Thor 5 and Thor 6 of 10 transponders, which serve the needs of Czech, Slovak, Hungarian and Romanian market. Additional capacity used in conjunction with Scandinavian operator Canal Digital.

[mike566]

Virgin launches online media player
Virgin launches online media player


Virgin Media has launched a beta version of its first online and mobile TV player. The Virgin Media Player embraces the multiscreen concept seen in the US through content from broadcasters including ITV, Living, Disney, Cartoon Network and National Geographic.A new agreement with MTV Networks UK & Ireland adds a slate of MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon shows that include South Park, Jersey Shore, Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob Squarepants and The Hills.

“MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon already offer some hugely popular shows on our TV on demand platform so we’re delighted to be expanding our line-up across all three screens,” said Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media.

The beta trial will be available to Virgin Media’s XL TV customers that also have a broadband connection. It continues the cableco’s policy of placing extra value in its big basic package, for example subscribers also receive ESPN at no extra cost.

It also provides linkage with the fourth plank of Virgin’s quad player offer as mobile customers will be able to view an hour of Virgin Media Player content as free. Special mobile versions of content from MTV and Channel 4’s 4oD portal will be made available.

The service is being run by On Demand Group, which already provides input into Virgin Media’s existing VOD service, and has been pioneering the three-screens concept in Europe. Early advertisers on the service include Cadbury, Kellogg’s and its own FilmFlex.

An online music video and movies on demand service is already available from the cableco

[mike566]

Arris sees short-term slowdown in CMTS
Arris sees short-term slowdown in CMTS

Published: July 29, 2010 Europe

Arris CEO Bob Stanzione says the company sees optimism for broadband delivery products, but has warned of a short-term decline in demand for CTMS units. “We’re seeing more of a product mix than we expected and that’s going to have an impact in the current quarter,” Stanzione told a second quarter investor call.

The company shipped close to 1.4 million DOCSIS 2 and DOCSIS 3 CPE units in Q2, up 18.4% quarter-on-quarter to the highest level of the last six quarters. Stanzione said the highest promotion of customer premises equipment (CPE) sales was for DOCSIS 3 that represented 14% in Q1 and 24% in Q2.

“A few operators who have a DOCSIS 3 infrastructure in place seem to have shifted some of their high speed data capex investments from the network to the home and as a result we now expect a short term slowdown in our CMTS sales along with a sharp increase in DOCSIS 3 CPE sales.” Stanzione said the company was confident the decline was a temporary phenomenon.

International remains a solid growth area with sales up more than 26% year-over-year.

Income at Arris Group edged up in the second quarter, orders from US MSOs Comcast and Time Warner helped the cable technology supplier increase earnings by $1.9 million to $280.4m year-on-year. First half revenues were $547.1m, up from $532m.

[mike566]

Paul Dale is ITV CTO
Paul Dale is ITV CTO


Published: July 29, 2010 Europe

ITV has named Paul Dale as its new chief technology officer. The former CTO of Malaysian pay-TV operator Astro has previously worked for both the BBC and BSkyB and will now lead ITV’s newly formed Technology and Platforms directorate, with responsibility for transmission, broadcast services and platforms.
“ITV has lagged behind its competitors for too long in terms of technology. Paul’s arrival signals a commitment to reshape completely our digital future, said ITV chief executive Adam Crozier. “At Astro, he led the transformation of the company into an innovative 2010 platform. His experience and expertise will be vital as we continue with our plan to transform ITV.” Dale will be the first CTO to sit on ITV’s management board.

“Every technology-dependent business has the ability to grow and remain relevant in a changing world,” said Dale. “With the right technology behind them, broadcasters, content owners and, more importantly, ITV have a wealth of opportunity ahead. As CTO, I will be working with the management team to progress the transformation plan, unlocking ITV’s full potential to create a sustainable business with more ways for viewers to watch and interact with ITV’s great brands and content.”

Lancaster University educated Dale became an apprentice technician for British Nuclear Fuels before gaining his first taste of broadcasting as a founder and director of community radio station Bailrigg FM, where he spent three years. He became a project manager for *** before joining British Interactive Broadcasting as its head of development in 1999, moving through its various iterations as Open and Sky Interactive.

Dale was made the BBC’s first controller of Future Media and Technology in 2007, moving to Kuala Lumpur as CTO of Astro in 2008.

[mike566]

Pressure grows on Israeli platforms



Published: July 29, 2010 Europe

The Israeli platforms HOT and Yes will required to provide their subscribers will low cost packages offering a limited number of channels, according to Moshe Kalon, the country’s communications minister.
Quoted in Haaretz, he added that if they refused, then they would be forced to do so by law.

A section in the new Economic Arrangements bill had included a requirement for operators to carry limited TV packages as well as the current multichannel ones, which cost around NIS200 (€40.37) a month, but was dropped by the Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz. He has since agreed to reinstate it shortly.

In a separate development, MTV Networks International (MTVNI) has announced that Comedy Central Israel will make its debut on January 1 next year. The 10th localised Comedy Central service worldwide, it will be launched in partnership with Ananey Communications and distributed by the cable operator HOT

[mike566]

Telefonica TV back on course
Telefonica TV back on course


Published: July 29, 2010 11.22 Europe

Telefonica’s Spanish TV business bounced back in the first half of 2010 after a net loss in the first six months of 2009. A net 45,000 new subscribers were added in the six months to June 30, 2010, taking the installed base to around 748,000, a market share of 18%.

Across the world Telefonica TV grew by 8% year-on-year as the subscriber base grew to 2.7 million.

The majority of Telefonica’s TV subscribers are to its Spanish IPTV service and cable networks in Latin America. In Europe it has TV operations in Germany and the Czech Republic with 133,000 and 58,200 subscribers respectively.

[mike566]

FilmBox expands in Poland
FilmBox expands in Poland


Published: July 29, 2010 Europe

UPC Polska will shortly add a number of FilmBox channels to its offer. From August 2, it will include FilmBox, FilmBox Extra, FilmBox Family and FilmBox HD.
Commenting on the development, Piotr Reisch, CEO of SPI International Poland, the owner of the family FilmBox channels, said: “Cooperation with UPC, the largest cable network in Poland, cannot be overestimated. We are planning further investment. Soon, our offer will be supplemented with other channels: FightBox HD, FilmBox Action HD and HD FashionBox.”