News

Two new music channels launch in September as part of UK satellite TV’s Sky and Freesat platforms. Heart TV and Capital TV are based on the UK terrestrial radio stations, Heart FM and Capital Radio, which are owned by the UK's largest commercial radio operator, Global Radio. The two channels will broadcast free-to-air from ASTRA 28.2°E with a schedule of non-stop pop music videos.

Visit www.thisisglobal.com for more information

By 2017 there will be over 1.3 billion homes worldwide receiving digital TV, according to a survey from Digital TV Research. The survey, which covers 80 countries, says that nearly 650 million digital TV homes will be added between 2011 and 2017, and penetration of digital TV will reach 87% in five years' time. ASTRA satellites currently broadcast digital TV to more than 135 million homes across Europe and beyond from 19.2°E, 28.2°E, 23.5°E, 5°E and 31.5°E.

Amsterdam-based club music channel Dance Trippin now broadcasts free-to-air from ASTRA 4A at 5°E to bring its 24 hours/day diet of DJ sets from top clubs around the world to all of sub-Saharan Africa. Dance Trippin first launched on satellite, on ASTRA 23.5°E, at the beginning of the year.

Visit www.dancetrippin.tv for more information

In France, some 3 million homes, or nearly 11% of all households with a TV, now have a ‘smart’ connected TV set – according to research by Médiamétrie – and a further 1 million households intend to buy a connected TV in the next two years.

Médiamétrie has also found that connected TVs, with access to the Internet for running ‘apps’, accessing catch-up TV, etc, are most popular in households with children, and homes with a connected TV are more likely to own additional TV devices. There are now on average 6.2 TV screens per household in France.

The BBC has called London 2012 the first truly digital Olympics, with its coverage throughout the games available to view online and via live broadcast streams, as well as normal transmissions.

Nearly 52 million viewers in the UK watched BBC broadcasts of the games and the BBC’s interactive video player received 106 million requests for live or catch-up content. 23.7 million people watched the BBC’s 24 live Olympic streams broadcast in standard and high definition on ASTRA 28.2°E, available through the ‘red button’ on Freesat and Sky UK receivers.

Visit www.bbc.co.uk for more information

A survey of more than 4000 viewers in the US, UK, France and Germany by research company Futuresource Consulting has revealed that although internet connectivity has expanded rapidly in recent years, over 25% of connected TV owners do not use their TVs to connect to the internet. The connection rates vary considerably between the countries surveyed – the UK is the lowest with only 56% of connected TV owners using the connection, and France the highest with 71% connected. Nevertheless, the ‘Living with Digital’ survey found that over 44% of connected TV owners cite the Internet connectivity as a key reason for choosing a TV. 

Star Plus HD has become the first high definition Asian channel to broadcast in the UK. The channel provides a diet of Hindi films and series (a simulcast of the existing SD Star Plus service) to the UK’s substantial Asian population as part of the Sky UK platform on the ASTRA 28.2°E satellites.

Research by retail analysts Conlumino, on behalf of eBay, has revealed that connected TVs, now mainly used for watching catch-up TV as well as broadcast programmes, are about to change the way we shop.

News channels, EuroNews and BBC World News have both increased their reach according to a study by EMS Research. Multi-lingual EuroNews has 15% more viewers across Europe than a year ago and is now accessed by 15.2 million people each month. The EMS survey also shows that BBC World News has increased its daily reach by 14% and its weekly reach by 5%.

Both EuroNews and BBC World News are broadcast from ASTRA satellites at 19.2°E, 5°E, and 31.5°E.

Visit www.ems.eu.com for more information

After successful 3D coverage from the Wimbledon tennis championships and the London 2012 Olympic Games ahead, the BBC has announced further original 3D programming for the summer, part of its two-year trial of 3D production and broadcasting.