In just a month, two Russian companies have announced their intentions to launch new DTH platforms in a country already populated with six such platforms.
At the end of February, New Media Legend, a supplier of uplink services for pay TV platforms and…
In just a month, two Russian companies have announced their intentions to launch new DTH platforms in a country already populated with six such platforms.
At the end of February, New Media Legend, a supplier of uplink services for pay TV platforms and channels, announced it has set up a broadcasting platform, Scene, using two transponders operated by Eutelsat at 36E.
New Media Legend, whose clients include NTV Plus and Tricolor TV platforms, is broadcasting several Russian and international channels via Scene. The Russian company and Eutelsat have been partnering for a few years now, with New Media Legend providing services via Eutelsat W4 and Eutelsat W7 satellites (36E).
New Media Legend explains that, for deploying Eutelsat W7 new satellite capacity in 2009, it constructed two satellite earth stations to uplink the signal onto 20 transponders.
In a statement, Slava Isakovich, CEO of New Media Legend, said: “The contact signifies a new step in our longstanding relationship with Eutelsat. It will provide us with the opportunity to meet the buoyant channel demand for satellite capacity serving Russia and tap into satellite TV homes. Scene will make it possible for the audience of Eutelsat’s W4 and W7 satellites at 36 East to access about 25 new channels.” Founded in 2006, the company has its own teleport, located in Satellite Communications Center Skolkovo near Moscow.
Meanwhile, at the end of January 2010 another Russian TV company, Bridge Media, reportedly said it was looking to launch a DTH platform, broadcasting between 85 and 100 exclusive channels, before the end of the year.
The company did not respond to emails and phone calls before the press deadline.
The service, which is expected to include at least eight HD channels, will be available in the European part of Russia.
According to reports, Bridge Media is already in talks with some satellite capacity providers, including Eutelsat.
Start-up investments for the platform are expected to be around US$20m, and the annual cost of operating the service will be approximately US$15m.
Russia, which has about 142 million inhabitants, is already home to six DTH platforms: Telekarta, launched in September last year; Continent TV; NTV Plus and Tricolor TV, both owned by Gazprom Media; Platforma HD; and Raduga TV.
