OTE to offer first Greek satellite HD programs
It seems that Nova, the only company offering Greek satellite programs, is finally getting some competition. A few days ago, OTE has applied to the Greek National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV) for permission to emit satellite programs.
The new venture will use the existing HellaSat platform, but with a small difference. It will be called HellaSat HD and will offer HD programs, a first for Greece. Permission to start is expected in June, the official launch will possibly come in September with the International Exhibition of Thessaloniki.
Well before the official launch however, OTE has already found a great way to promote its new activity. Via ERT, it is going to transmit the Euro 2008 football games, as well as the Beijing Olympic Games in HD! I am not so sure how this is going to happen so soon -Euro 2007 starts on the 7th of June- but have to admit that the broadcast of these two super events shows spotless timing and expresses OTE’s devotion to the new operation.
After a similar effort to compete with Nova earlier in the decade failed miserably, it has been widely thought that the Greek satellite content market is too small for more than one operator. OTE now overturns this situation. One explanation might be that IPTV and Video On Demand remain elusive for the Greek market. Since fiber optic networks are growing at very slow rates and terrestrial digital TV is nowhere near HD, the satellite option sounds like a good intermediate, and why not, longer term answer.
Link: Kathimerini
[...] The new venture will use the existing HellaSat platform, but with a small difference. It will be called HellaSat HD and will offer HD programs, a first for Greece. Permission to start is expected in June, the official launch will possibly come in September with the International Exhibition of Thessaloniki. (continued) [...]
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:27 am