SAT-ITALY 08.05.1998

from: owner-sat-italy@tags1.dn.net
Date: Fri, 08 May 1998 16:30:47 +0200
SAT-ITALY - EDITION 19/98 - May 8th 1998 -
Italian Satellite and Media news/Notizie della TV via satellite in Italia 
edited by/editore Branislav Pekic 


TWO DIGITAL PLATFORMS FOR ITALY
It now seems that Italy will follow the example of other European countries
in the area of digital television, i.e. there will be two rival platforms
battling it out for potential subscribers. The preliminary agreement signed
recently between RAI and Telecom Italia has put a new light on the talks
going on for months regarding a single Italian digital platform. Canal Plus
in fact still thinks that the memorandum of understanding signed back in
October 1997 by RAI, Telecom Italia, Mediaset and Cecchi Gori
Communications is still valid. The French pay-TV operator which owns a 90%
stake in Telepiu is aware that it will have to seek new partners for the
venture and have recently announced that they will float a 20% of Telepiu
on the stock market. It still remains to be seen which side will choose
Mediaset (which has a 10% stake in Telepiu which runs out in June 1999) and
Cecchi Gori group. The Italian minister for telecommunications, Antonio
Maccanico has made it clear that the choice whether there will be one or
more digital platforms is a business decision and the government does not
plan to interfere.
____________________________________________________________________________
_____
- La TV digitale in Europa appare avviata verso la concorrenza tra due
piattaforme in ciascun mercato. In Italia l'intesa preliminare tra RAI e
Telecom Italia ha smosso le acque della trattativa per la piattaforma
comune nazionale. Canal Plus considera ancora valido il memorandum d'intesa
firmato il 30 ottobre '97 con RAI, Telecom Italia, Mediaset e Cecchi Gori
Communications: in realtà, i vertici del gruppo francese, azionista al 90%
di Telepiù, sanno di dover trovare nuovi partner dopo aver già deciso di
quotare a Piazza Affari il 20% di Telepiù. Devono chiarire le rispettive
strategie sia Mediaset (che ha un'opzione sul 10% di Telepiù fino al giugno
'99) sia il gruppo Cecchi Gori. Il ministro Maccanico ha già detto: ŤSe la
piattaforma deve essere unica o no, deve essere una scelta aziendale, su
cui il Governo non intende intervenireť.


FINANCIAL WORRIES FOR RAI
The Italian public broadcaster RAI is facing the prospect of budget cuts
due to the recent government decision to abolish the radio license fee.
According to RAI president Roberto Zaccaria this will mean the loss of
250-280 million lire a year. But in a last moment move, the Senate has
decided to lend a helping hand to RAI by postponing, by at least one year,
article 5 of the new Broadcasting bill which would have imposed on RAI t
invest 20% of TV license fee revenues (estimated at around 450-500 million
DM) into production of Italian and European programs. Following a
government sponsored ammendment, the above-mentioned article has
dissapeared and this question will be addressed next year during the
signing of the new service contract between RAI and the Italian State.
However, private TV networks such as Mediaset and TMC will still have to
put aside 10% of their resources for new Italian and European productions.
A recent survey by Eurofiction has shown that RAI is still at the bottom of
the production ladder in Euroepe with 397 hours of fiction in 1997 compared
to 1,814 in Germany, 1225 in the United Kingdom and 576 in France.
_____________________________________________________________________________
- E' stato risolto il problema che affliggeva i nuovi vertici RAI dopo la
recente decisione del governo per l'abolizione del canone per l'autoradio,
un ammanco di 250-280 miliardi. In seguito a un emendamento governativo,
l'obbligo previsto dal disegno di legge sull'audiovisivo che vincola la RAI
a investire il 20% del canone (450-500 miliardi) in produzione di fiction
italiana ed europea, viene rinviato al nuovo contratto di servizio
RAI-Stato a partire del prossimo anno. Il vincolo rimane per le TV private
invece - il 10% delle risorse che riguarderà subito Mediaset e TMC, per
esempio. I dati di Eurofiction dimostrano  che la RAI  resta di gran lunga
il fanalino di coda nella produzione di fiction: 397 ore complessive nel
'97 rispetto alle 1,814 della Germania e alle 1,225 della Gran Bretagna o
alle 576 della Francia. 


EUROSPORT 2
According to sources within the broadcast industry, the second Eurosport
channel will be broadcast exclusively in digital mode and will be
scrambled. That is because it will primarily be aimed for inclusion in
digital platforms in Italy (most probably Telepiu), France and Spain.
Eurosport 2 is set to start broadcasting this autumn and will mostly
transmit auto and motor racing (Formula 1, Formula Indy, etc.).
_____________________________________________________________________________
- Il nuovo canale di sport, Eurosport 2 trasmetterà esclusivamente in
versione digitale e sarà codificato, destinato alle pay-TV europee. Il
lancio e previsto per l'autunno prossimo, solo in Italia, Francia e Spagna.
Sarà focalizzato, in prevalenza, sugli avvenimenti motoristici (Formula 1,
Formula Indy, etc.) 


GOOD SALES FIGURES FOR RAI 
Good news for RAI from it's sales department RAI Trade which was created
last year following the merger of RAI's subsidiaries Sacis, Fonit and Nuova
Eri. According to figures from the first three months of this year, RAI
hopes to close 1998 with 100 million DM of revenues and operative profits
of around a million DM. If this result proves to be true, it will mean an
increase of 15% in comparison to previous set objectives. Last year, the
companies that now form RAI Trade reported losses of around 25 million DM.
The reasons behind the success story so far: the drastic reduction of
personnel from 230 to 65 employees as well as a reorganization of
activities. In comparison, BBC Worldwide in 1996 reported revenues of
around 900 million DM, contributing by 15% to the total revenues of the
BBC. RAI Trade for it's part contributes with 2% to RAI's total revenues
and hopes are that in three year revenues can reach 250 million DM.
_____________________________________________________________________________
- Buone notizie per la RAI dal fronte delle vendite all'estero. RAI Trade,
la società creata lo scorso anno per unificare le attività di
commercializzazione effettuate dalle ex consociate Sacis, Fonit, Nuova Eri
prevede di realizzare nel 1998 circa 100 miliardi di fatturato con  un
utile di circa un miliardo; un risultato superiore del 15% agli obiettivi.
Nel '97, le attività ora in RaiTrade hanno perso complessivamente circa 25
miliardi. La "cura" per riportare i conti in attivo? Una drastica riduzione
del personale ma anche una riorganizzazione per funzioni. La BBC Woldwide,
nel 1996, ha realizzato introiti per circa 900 miliardi di lire
contribuendo al 15% delle entrate del gruppo BBC, mentre il contributo
della RAI Trade ai ricavi RAI e valutato di 2%. 


CANAL PLUS TO SELL 20% STAKE IN TELEPIU'
It seems that Canal Plus is negotiating with some German media groups for
the sale of an important stake in Telepiu in which the French pay-TV
operator currently holds a 90% stake. Although the existence of talks has
not been denied by Canal Plus, the stake that is under discussion is not
known. Initially there was talk of a total sellout of the 90% quota, but it
seems that a 25-30% stake is the subject of the negotiations.
_____________________________________________________________________________
- Sarebbero già avviati i contatti con gruppi tedeschi per la cessione di
una consistente quota del pacchetto di Telepiù attualmente in mano alla
francese Canal Plus che detiene la maggioranza della pay tv italiana. In un
primo tempo si parlava della volontà di abbandonare completamente il
mercato italiano, ora le voci più attendibili valutano nel 25 - 30 % la
quota che potrebbe passare in mani tedesche.


TV LICENSES EXTENDED TILL 1999
On April 29th, the Italian Parliament has decided to extend the time period
by which new broadcast licenses for private TV stations have to be issued
to January 31st 1999. In the same "white paper", the government has issued
new guidelines aimed at easing the task of the new Telecommunications
authority which will be in charge of approving the national TV and radio
frequency plan. The "white paper" also contains rules on the amount of
advertising allowed on TV as well as quotas for the amount European
produced programs on TV.
___________________________________________________________________________
- Il Parlamento ha approvato il 29 aprile, il disegno di legge che proroga
al 31 gennaio '99 la possibilità di trasmettere senza concessione per TV e
radio private. Oltre a norme per rendere più rapida l'approvazione del
Piano delle frequenze da parte dell'Authority, il provvedimento contiene
disposizioni sulla collocazione della pubblicità televisiva e sulle quote
di investimento e di programmazione a favore delle opere audiovisive
europee per le reti nazionali. 


STREAM TESTING ON HOT BIRD
The Italian cable and digital TV operator Stream has started experimental
broadcasts of its new digital satellite package via the EUTELSAT HOT BIRD 2
satellite. Three unscrambled channels have been noticed: Digital Shopping
Network (a shopping service), TVL (language courses) and a Promo channel.
Several digital radio stations, which form part of the Multichoice service,
have also been noted recently. Stream is using two transponders - 11,843
GHz and 11,883 GHz/Hor while the symbol rate (27,500) and FEC (2/3) are the
same on both of them. 
___________________________________________________________________________
- Le prime trasmissioni di Stream in digitale hanno cominciato sul
satellite EUTELSAT HOT BIRD 2. In questi giorni è stato possibile
sintonizzare in chiaro Digital Shopping Network, TVL e anche il canale
Promo. Stream utilizza le seguenti frequenze: 11,843 e 11,883 GHz/Ver
(Symbol rate 27500, FEC 2/3).


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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS ON RAI TV CHANNELS FOR WEEK MAY 3-9
(All times Central European)
PRIME-TIME MOVIES
10.05
RAI DUE, 20:50h - An occasional hell (USA-1996), starring: Tom Berenger,
Valeria Golino
11.05
RAI UNO, 20:50h - It takes two (USA-1996), starring: Steve Guttenberg,
Kirstie Alley
12.05
RAI DUE, 20:50h - Kidnapping - la sfida (Italy-1996), starring: Heinz
Hoenig, Michael Degen
RAI DUE, 23:00h - Smoke (USA-1995), starring: Harvey Keitel, William Hurt
13.05
RAI DUE, 20:50h - Der kleine kommissar (Germany-1995), starring: Raphael
Ghobadloo, Wolfgang Bock
14.05
RAI UNO, 20:50h - I love trouble (USA-1994), starring: Nick Nolte, Julia
Roberts
RAI DUE, 20:50h - Jagd nach CM 24 (Germany-1997), starring: William Sage
15.05
RAI TRE, 20:40h - Il mio nome e Nessuno (Italy/France-1974), starring:
Terence Hill, Henry Fonda
16.05
RAI DUE, 20:50h - Soft deceit (USA-1995), starring: Kate Vernon, Patrick
Bergen
RAI UNO, 00:35h - Viaggio clandestino (Italy-1993), starring: Enzo Moscato,
Enzo Vetrano

Note:	All movies transmitted in the prime time slot are subtitled on RAI's
teletext pages 777 (Italian) and 778 (English)

SPORT
10.05
RAI DUE, 14:00h - Formula 1: GP Spain
RAI TRE, 14:25h - Tennis: Italia Open (Rome)
RAI DUE, 19:00h - Basketball: Italian league, playoff semifinal (3rd game)
11.05
RAI TRE, 16:05h - Tennis: Italia Open (Rome)
12.05
RAI TRE, 16:05h - Tennis: Italia Open (Rome)
13.05
RAI TRE, 15:40h - Tennis: Italia Open (Rome)
RAI UNO, 20:40h - Football: Cup Winners Cup final, Chelsea-Stuttgart 
14.05
RAI TRE, 16:00h - Tennis: Italia Open (Rome)
15.05
RAI TRE, 16:05h - Tennis: Italia Open (Rome)
16.05
RAI DUE, 14:05h - Tennis: Italia Open (Rome)
RAI TRE, 00:05h - Boxing: World title fight in the middleweight category,
Silvio Branco-Adrian Dodson


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