July 3, 2012 – The annual ‘Space News’ list of satellite operators has tended these past few years to be a simple repeat of the previous year’s rankings. In fact there’s usually more interest in the lower-ranked players where there’s more jockeying for position.

This year, as last, it is Intelsat that’s officially the world’s largest satellite operator with a fleet of 58 craft, another 6 on order, and annual revenues of $2.6 billion. No. 2 to Intelsat, and very much chasing on its tail, is SES. With a fleet of 50 craft, 7 more on order, and revenues of $2.25 billion.

Number 3 is Paris-based Eutelsat, with a fleet of 28 satellites, 6 on order, and revenues of $1.55 billion. No. 4 is Canada’s Telesat, with 13 satellites, and just one on order and revenues of $792 million. Telesat’s income over the past year has fallen by about $30 million.

Read more: http://advanced-television.com/index.php/2012/07/03/intelsat-is-no-1-in-satellite/

July 4, 2012 – Macau Cable TV announced yesterday its intentions to invest MOP 200 million in the local telecom market. The company issued a report yesterday saying that the money was made available through shareholders investments and bank loans.

The company intends to expand the services using the optical fiber network already installed, and states it’s ready to cooperate “with other local companies,” according to Radio Macau. The report considers 2011 as a “positive year” for Macau Cable TV, although there were no changes towards the public antenna companies that illegally relay copyright-protected channels.

Macau Cable says last years’ results allowed the company to recover from the losses it accumulated on previous years, still amounting to more than MOP 180 million.

Read more: http://www.macaudailytimes.com.mo/macau/36942-macau-cable-tv-plans-to-invest-mop-200-million.html

The RTS News Channel of the Year announces Foxtel launch as it continues to grow in reach and popularity across Australia.

Sydney, Australia | 1 July, 2012 – Al Jazeera English, the multi-award winning news and current affairs channel, has today announced its launch on Australia’s leading Pay-TV platform, Foxtel. The channel is now available to Foxtel viewers on number 651.

Al Jazeera English’s launch on Foxtel will enable the channel to reach an additional 1.6 million Australian households, taking its total reach across the country to over 2.3 million households. Globally, Al Jazeera English is available in over 260 million households across 130 different countries.

Al Jazeera has over sixty bureaus across all the continents of the world, giving it wide-ranging global newsgathering reach. The channel’s in-depth approach to international stories has won it a string of awards in the last year, including: News Channel of the Year at the Royal Television Society Awards and a prestigious Peabody Award for the channel’s “thorough, enterprising and brave” coverage of the Arab Awakening.

“I would like to welcome all our new Foxtel viewers to Al Jazeera English,” said Al Anstey, Managing Director of Al Jazeera English. “Al Jazeera English has had a remarkable year – with a series of high profile awards for the quality and integrity of our journalism and storytelling from all corners of the globe. Australians have been some of the keenest visitors to our website over the years, an indication of the appetite there is in the country for compelling international news and programmes.”

With a dedicated team of journalists reporting from the channel’s Sydney bureau, Al Jazeera English has consistently led the way in bringing Australian stories to the global news agenda.

The channel’s weekly current affairs programme 101 East has been recognised for tackling issues that impact on everyday life in Australia and across Asia – with in-depth reports, interviews and debates. Experienced correspondent Andrew Thomas has also extensively covered the nation’s recent major news events, including the devastating floods in Queensland and Victoria.

– End –

Notes for Editors:

About Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English is an international news channel, with over sixty bureaus across all the continents of the world. Since being established in 2006, it has continued to grow in reach and popularity due to its global coverage, especially from underreported regions. The channel currently broadcasts to over 260m households across 130 countries.

Al Jazeera English’s indepth global approach to journalism, allied with a commitment to giving a ‘voice to the voiceless’, has won it numerous awards and plaudits over the years. In the last year alone, Al Jazeera English has picked up the Columbia Journalism Award, a DuPont award, a Peabody, and is the RTS News Channel of the Year.

Al Jazeera English is part of the Al Jazeera Network – one of the world’s leading media corporations, encompassing news, documentary and sport channels. Al Jazeera started out more than fifteen years ago as the first independent news channel in the Arab world dedicated to covering and uncovering stories in the region. It is now media network consisting of over twenty channels – Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Balkans, Al Jazeera Sport, Al Jazeera Mubasher, Al Jazeera Documentary, the Al Jazeera Media Training and Development Center, and the Al Jazeera Center for Studies.

For further information contact:

Al Jazeera English Press Office: http://www.aljazeera.com/aboutus/2008/09/200892517614686544.html

DIVA’s original production debuted with top ratings and increased share of viewers

2 July 2012, Singapore – DIVA Universal’s latest original non-scripted series, Hot Guys Who Cook, sizzled to the top and became the #1 English general entertainment program in its timeslot for Pay TV female viewers 20-44 on 25 June 2012 at 9pm.

Hot Guys Who Cook, a light-hearted lifestyle program featuring 18 hot men cooking up a storm in six episodes for DIVA’s female-skewed audience, also appealed to male viewers. The debut episode featuring model Jason Godfrey, columnist Erwan Heussaff and hunk Josiah Mizukami, was the #1 show among men 15+ in its timeslot on all English Pay TV.

In addition, the show’s average rating for the half-hour episode was 55% more than DIVA Universal’s primetime average among the general viewing audience 4+. Hot Guys Who Cook also became one of the top most-searched topics on Yahoo! Singapore days leading up to its premiere.

Christine Fellowes, Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Universal Networks International says, “Hot Guys Who Cook has hit the mark in meeting the preferences of a younger demographic and is reaching a wide spectrum of audiences. The show has significantly increased the number of young viewers tuning in to DIVA Universal as well. We’re thrilled to see the early successes of our new original format.”

Following the highly watched premiere of Hot Guys Who Cook, the debut of star-studded fashion reality show Fashion Star also brought more viewers tuning in to DIVA. In fact, Fashion Star was the second most-watched show in its timeslot for women 20-44 among all other English entertainment channels.

Source: Kantar Media Research

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About Universal Networks International

Universal Networks International, the international channels division of NBCUniversal, is one of the world’s premier entertainment portfolios, delivering quality content and compelling brands to over 176 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. The brands in the portfolio include Universal Channel, Syfy, 13th Street Universal, Studio Universal, E! Entertainment Television, The Style Network, DIVA Universal and Golf Channel. These unique brands deliver a full range of entertainment experiences to local audiences across the globe. Universal Networks International also operates Movies 24 and has a controlling interest in the KidsCo joint venture.

Universal Networks International is a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.

For press enquiries, please contact
Marlene Ee (marlene.ee@nbcuni.com)
+65 6326 1872

MANILA, Philippines (June 29, 2012) – SkyCable Corp., the country’s largest cable television operator, is keeping its capital expenditure (capex) this year at roughly P1 billion, with the bulk to be spent on digitization efforts.

SkyCable subscriber base now stands at 700,000, said managing director Carlo Katigbak.

“Last month, we purchased the assets of Destiny Cable. This adds to roughly around 180,000 subscribers to SkyCable, which now has 700,000. So right now, on a national basis we control about 45 percent of the cable TV market,” Katigbak said in an interview.

He said the P1-billion programmed capex for SkyCable this year already includes whatever cost to be incurred to maintain, operate and provide digital boxes for Destiny Cable subscribers. “Even with Destiny, our capex won’t change. We are maintaining it at roughly P1 billion which is about the same as last year,” said the SkyCable official, adding that bulk of the amount will be spent for maintenance and purchase of digital boxes which are essential in curbing cable TV piracy.

Read more: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/06/28/12/skycable-focus-digitization-efforts-allots-p1-b-capex