News

Entertainment and celebrity channel, E! is now available in high definition to viewers in Germany and Austria from the Sky Deutschland pay-TV platform. The female-skewed channel mixes locally produced shows, such as Fulminant, reporting on German events and celebrities, with international shows such as Live from the Red Carpet, Fashion Police, and The Saturdays – The Way Up.

Despite the availability of online TV and on-demand services, nearly a third of German viewers regularly ‘time shift’ broadcast TV – record a show to watch at a later date – according to research from German trade association, Bitkom.

According to the SES`annual market research study "Satellite Monitor" in conjunction with the Establishment Survey and conducted by GfK Ukraine, 22% of all households in the Ukraine now receive satellite TV, with 98% of them watching channels from ASTRA satellites, principally those at the ASTRA 5°E and ASTRA 31.5°E orbital positions, where the Viasat Ukraina and Ukrkosmos platforms broadcast.

Two new channels have joined the Freesat free-to-air DTH satellite platform for the UK. Viva and Travel have both been previously broadcasting from ASTRA 28.2°E free-to-air and as part of the Sky UK platform, and have now joined the Freesat EPG.

English Club TV, the English-language teaching channel, has launched a high definition version of the channel available to viewers in the Ukraine and CIS and Baltic countries. ECTV is aimed at viewers of all ages who want to learn or improve their English. The channel broadcasts from the ASTRA 4A satellite at 5°E and as part of the MagtiSat platform from ASTRA 1G at 31.5°E.

Visit www.english-club.tv for more information

Sky News Arabia, the overseas version of BSkyB’s UK service Sky News aimed at Arab speaking viewers, has launched in the UK. The channel broadcasts from ASTRA 28.2°E as part of the Sky UK platform and is available free-to-air to all viewers of the 28.2°E satellites.

Now seven years old, the Film1 and Sport1 group of channels broadcasting to Dutch residents as part of the Canal Digitaal DTH platform has surpassed half a million subscribers. Since the original two channels’ launch in 2006, the group has grown to four thematic film channels and two Sports channels by satellite from ASTRA 23.5°E.

Visit www.film1.nl and www.sport1.nl for more information

The number of requests for programming from the BBC’s catch-up TV service, iPlayer has rocketed from 11 million in January 2012 to 40 million in January this year.  The age profile of iPlayer users has also changed, with the number of people over 55 using the service up 24% in 2012.

ASTRA 2F, the latest ASTRA satellite and the 52nd from operator SES, is now operational at 28.2°E. ASTRA 2F was launched in September to provide direct-to-home broadcasting across Europe and sub-Saharan Africa – in particular to the UK and Ireland – as well as high speed satellite internet for SES Broadband. ASTRA 2F is the first of a new generation of craft at 28.2°E to replace the existing satellites at this position, which was first used for satellite TV by SES in 1998.

The first French-language channel for fans of fighting sports has launched as part of the CanalSat France satellite pay TV platform. Kombat Sport provides coverage of live events, documentaries and magazine shows on boxing, Muay Thai, kick-boxing, sumo, judo, karate, Capoeira and other martial arts. Kombat Sport broadcasts 24 hours a day in high definition in the CanalSat Panorama basic package, from the ASTRA 19.2°E satellite position.

 Visit www.kombatsport.lu for more information