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Satnews Daily
November 3rd, 2011

SatBroadcasting™... This report includes new information regarding All Mobile Video + Riedel, Arabsat, Infonetics Research, Kudelski


[SatNews] Breaking news items for those who have an interest in the various products that play significant roles within the satellite broadcasting industries....

    All Mobile Video, Inc., a provider of end-to-end video and audio solutions for entertainment, sports, news programming and events, recently installed a flexible Artist digital matrix intercom station from Riedel Communications in their 24 camera HD OB truck, “Epic”. Riedel, known for leading edge real-time network for video, audio and communications delivered this Artist 32 unit. The Epic truck can produce shows in 3D, 3G, HD, and SD in all worldwide broadcast standards and frame rates. It’s recent productions include a Maroon 5 concert in Las Vegas and the “I Heart Radio” Festival.



    The Arab Satellite Communications Organization – Arabsat- has announced the launching of a new dedicated sports news channel, Al Jazeera Sports News, for the first time in the Middle East that coincides with the 15th anniversary of Al Jazeera. The new sports news channel will broadcast hourly news bulletins and 20 sports news programs that will discuss various types of sports on Arabsat. The news program will cover all the major international tournaments and sports events, especially those exclusive to Al Jazeera Sports, such as the Spanish, the Italian, and the French and the European football leagues. The channel will also feature weekly program presenting news about popular sports like basketball, athletics, tennis and motorsports. The new channel will cover all the events and the important global Champion leagues in addition to Aljazeera exclusive Champion leagues. The channel will provide specialized news programs in all different sports.



    Market research firm Infonetics Research has released excerpts from its Pay TV Services and Subscribers report, which forecasts and analyzes the telco Internet protocol television (IPTV), cable video, and satellite video services markets. "In 2008, cable video made up 59 percent of the global pay TV market, satellite video brought in 38 percent and IPTV was just a drop in the bucket. Now cable operators are being challenged not only by attractive pricing and services from IPTV and satellite operators, but by all over-the-top (OTT) video services, such as Netflix and Amazon On-Demand, and by connected-TV devices, which are prompting consumers to cut the cord. Net new cable video subscribers continue to decline in North America and EMEA, and the small increases in Asia and Central and Latin America aren't offsetting those declines. While we don't expect OTT to have a significant impact on pay TV subscribers because operators are responding to OTT with their own enhanced delivery offerings, we do expect cable video's share of pay TV revenue to decline as satellite video increases — nearly catching up to cable by 2015 — while IPTV services grow to 15% of the market," notes Jeff Heynen, directing analyst for broadband access and video at Infonetics Research. Pay TV market highlights include...
    • The global pay TV market, including telco IPTV, cable and satellite video services, totaled $125 billion in the first half of 2011 (1H11) and is forecast by Infonetics Research to grow to $353 billion by 2015
    • Most of the future growth in the payTV market will come from satellite video and telco IPTV services
    • North America remains the highest-value payTV market, benefitting from the highest average revenue per user (ARPU), followed by Asia Pacific, which benefits from a pay TV subscriber base nearly 4 times the size of that of North America
    • DirecTV and Comcast are the global market leaders for payTV service revenue and subscribers in 1H11, respectively, with DirecTV continuing to enjoy the highest ARPU in the industry and Comcast now with 22.5 million subscribers
    • In the first half of 2011 (1H11), the top 20 payTV revenue leaders accounted for 52 percent of the revenue, while the top 20 subscriber leaders represented just 29 percent of the subscribers
    Infonetics' biannual Pay TV Services and Subscribers report provides worldwide and regional market size, service provider revenue and subscriber market share, forecasts, and in-depth analysis for telco IPTV, analog and digital cable video,, and satellite video services. The report includes pay TV revenue and subscriber market share for Airtel, America Movil, AT&T, Bell Canada, BSkyB, Cablevision, Canal Digital, CanalSat, Charter, Comcast, Cox, CTC, Deutsche Telekom, DirecTV, DISHTV, DISH Network, France Telecom, Illiad, Kabel Deutschland, KPN, KT, LG, NetServicos, Oi, SaskTel, SK Telecom, SkyTV, Sky Mexico, SureWest, Tata Sky, Telefonica, Time Warner Cable, UPC Broadband (Liberty Global), Verizon, Virgin Media, and others.



    The Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) hsa announced a major transformation of its business structure. In the universe resulting from the convergence between digital TV and the Internet, special emphasis will be placed on developing new technologies integrating connected networks. Additionally, by creating a Cybersecurity unit, the Kudelski Group addresses the demand for security and data protection in the Internet sphere. As of January 1st, 2012, the Executive Management of the Group will be simplified and reduced to four members in order to better address challenges of the future. The Nagra Audio activity will be taken over by the Kudelski family through a spin-off which will become effective as from the beginning of 2012. As a consequence of the new strategy, the Group will launch a cost reduction program involving a workforce reduction of some 270 positions and targeting net savings of CHF 90 million per year, which will become fully effective from the second half of 2012. The objective of the Group is to be able to face the economic crisis impacting several regions where it operates as well as the strengthening of the Swiss franc, and to address the changing needs of the new television and Internet markets. The Group has initiated this strategic review in the context of a global and sustainable evolution of content distribution technologies and a new balance between developed and emerging economies in the world. As a consequence of the new strategy, the Group has planned measures leading to a net annual cost reduction of CHF 90 million. The initial effects will show in late 2011 and the cost reductions will become fully effective in the course of the second half of 2012. The various entities of the Group will implement the restructuring measures in compliance with local legal and consultation procedures. A workforce reduction of some 270 positions is expected, out of the Group’s current 3,000 employees worldwide, particularly in high-cost locations. Switzerland is expected to account for about a third of the headcount reduction.