Chris Dziadul, October 17, 2024
Suitors line up for TVN Warner Bros. Discovery
Poland’s TVN Warner Bros, Discovery is reportedly attracting interest from three potential buyers. According to Newsweek, they are the Czech Republic’s PPF Group; József Vida, who owns the Hungarian national broadcaster TV2; and unnamed US broadcasters. Vida is known to be close to Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and some reports say that Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) Party may be interested in working with Vida, should be buy TVN Warner Bros. Discovery, to secure control of the broadcaster.
Newsmax Balkans debuts in Serbia
Newsmax has made its first foray outside the US by launching in Serbia in partnership with the incumbent telco Telekom Srbija. Newsmax Balkans is the first news channel in the Balkans that broadcasts in 4K and is expected to expand to other parts of the region. Newsmax was founded and is headed by Christopher Ruddy. It is widely seen as right of centre and a rival to Fox News in the US.
Commercial TV tender in Latvia
The Latvian regulator NEPLP has re-announced a tender for the distribution of a commercial free-to-air (FTA) channel for the next two years. Last month NEPLP, which finances free terrestrial broadcasting in the country, awarded RE Media and 4.vara licences to operate the channels ReTV and TV4 respectively for two years. The public broadcaster’s two channels LTV1 and LTV7, as well as the Ukrainian channel Rada, are currently available as FTA services in Latvia.
A1 rolls out SkyShowtime
A1 Group has entered into a partnership with SkyShowtime that will see the streaming service and two new premium linear channels SkyShowtime 1 and SkyShowtime 2 launch in five of its CEE markets. The first will be Bulgaria, and it will be followed by Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and North Macedonia. SkyShowtime is a joint venture between Comcast and Paramount Global, and A1 Group will be the first operator in the five countries to offer its subscribers the three SkyShowtime services.
TVN Media introduces new addressable TV product
Poland’s TVN Media has launched a new and unique advertising product named Reach Boost which allows for the expansion of linear campaigns. Alongside this, it has created a new organisational unit known as Advanced Advertising. It will be headed by Piotr Wywrot, who will report to Marcin Idzik, VP Ad Sales. The unit will work primarily on Addressable TV.
Cyfrowy Polsat “operating stably”
Poland’s Cyfrowy Polsat has issued a statement saying it is operating stably and that “the situation reported in the media in recent weeks has no impact on the operational and financial activities of the Company and the Group”. Zygmunt Solorz, the founder and majority owner of the Polsat group of companies, recently dismissed his sons Tobias Solorz and Piotr Zak from the supervisory boards of Cyfrowy Polsat and its subsidiaries Netia and Polkomtel. This followed an email the two sons and their sister Aleksandra reportedly sent to managers warning them about Zygmunt Solorz’s wife Justyna Kulka taking over the business.
Telemach expands “fast and reliable” internet
United Group’s Telemach Croatia plans to reach almost 600,000 additional homes with its Giga network. At present, its network reaches 220,000 households in 12 cities across the country through home internet and new generation 5G technology. Telemach Croatia also says it aims to reach 500,000 homes with its 10 Giga network by the end of 2027.
Gazprom-Media promotes Viktoriya Mikhno
Viktoriya Mikhno has been appointed the CEO of Gazprom-Media’s streaming service Premier. She has been working at Premier for four years, joining the company in 2020 as the director of business development and then becoming deputy CEO three months ago. Sergey Stamboltsyan, who she replaces, will focus on the entire business of Gazprom-Media Holding’s Digital Assets in the role of CEO of GPM Projects.
International funding, new managers for Ukraine’s DVL Group
The DVL Group of companies, which includes Datagroup-Volia and lifecell, will receive joint financing totalling $435 million from the IFC, a division of the World Bank Group and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The largest direct foreign investment in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by Russia, it will be supported by the European Commission and French Government in the form of guarantees and used to modernise, expand and improve the quality of telecommunication services in Ukraine. Datagroup-Volia and Volia are leading telcos majority owned by Xavier Niel’s NJJ Holding and were recently merged. Separately, DVL Group has announced the appointments of six new directors. They are Alpa Agkatasha (director of information and communication technologies), Andrii Osipov (director of corporate regulatory and legal relations), Andrii Oksenyuk (financial director), Anna Adom (director of business support), Artem Gagarin (director of procurement and supply) and Vitaliya Sydorenkova (director of corporate security).
Czech Prima expands in Slovakia
The Czech Republic’s Prima Group will launch a new channel in Slovakia named Prima Love SK on November 1. Modelled on Prima Love in the Czech Republic, it will be aimed at a female audience and distributed by most Slovak satellite, cable and IPTV operators, as well as on paid terrestrial TV. Prima Group has officially been present on the Slovak market since 2017, initially with Prima Plus (now Prima SK) and subsequently CNN Prima News in 2020 and most recently Prima Cool SK, which is aimed at male viewers and made its debut in spring this year.
New luxury channel for Poland
Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has reportedly awarded a cable licence to a new luxury lifestyle channel named Dolce Vita TV. The channel is headed by Zbigniew Adamkiewicz and is expected to make its debut by Christmas.
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