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SAT-ITALY 05.06.1998




SAT-ITALY - EDITION 23/98 - June 5th 1998 
Italian Satellite and Media news/Notizie della TV via satellite in Italia 
edited by/editore Branislav Pekic (owner-sat-italy@tags1.dn.net)


MEDIASET FOR SINGLE DIGITAL PLATFORM
At a recent meeting of the shareholders of Mediaset, the director of the
private Italian TV network, Fedele Confalonieri has stressed the importance
of a single Italian digital platform. He 
said the reason behind this decision was a purely economic one because it
would drastically reduce operating costs. However, he added that the recent
Bill Gates affair should be carefully examined because it could be a signal
of a change in way business is done.
________________________________________________________________________
- A margine dell'assemblea Mediaset, il presidente della holding TV, Fedele
Confalonieri, ha ribadito la necessità di una piattaforma digitale unica.
Confalonieri ha infatti sostenuto che "noi auspichiamo una piattaforma
unica, speriamo che lo capiscano tutti perchè ridurrebbe i costi".
Tuttavia, ha aggiunto, "anche la vicenda di Bill Gates va considerata con
attenzione, perchè potrebbe essere un segnale di un cambio di atteggiamento. 


ITALIAN CHURCH SIGNS DEAL WITH TELEPIÙ
The Italian digital TV operator Telepiù has signed a landmark agreement
with the Foundation of the Italian Bishops Conference (CEI) "Communication
and culture" which is the operator of the religious satellite TV channel
Sat 2000. The main aim of this deal is to increase the number of viewers to
the Sat 2000 channel. Under the terms of the agreement, Telepiù will lease
to interested parishes in Italy (who total 26,000) the digital box needed
to receive the channel for around 24 DM a month. Beside being able to
receive the religious channel, parishes will be able to receive the RAI,
Mediaset, TMC channels as well as all the channels in Telepiù's D+ digital
bouquet, including the optional movie channels Cine Classics and Cine
Cinema 1 and 2 as well as any other movie channels that may join the
platform in the future. Among the terms of the agreement, the two sides
have agreed to the possibility of the Sat 2000 channel being also launched
on Canal Plus's pay-TV package for Poland.
________________________________________________________________________
- Sat 2000 attraverso la Fondazione Comunicazione e cultura della
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana (CEI) che la promuove ha recentemente
concluso un accordo con Telepiù. L'accordo è finalizzato a sviluppare «il
numero di spettatori del canale tematico Sat 2000» e prevede che Telepiù
conceda in locazione alle parrocchie che ne faranno richiesta il ricevitore
digitale al costo di 24mila lire al mese. In Italia le parrocchie sono
26mila: Le parrocchie potranno così ricevere oltre a Sat 2000 tutti i
canali diffusi attraverso la piattaforma digitale D+ in chiaro senza
accesso condizionato, oltre al «pacchetto cinema» dell'offerta D+. In
pratica le parrocchie potranno vedere i canali digitali RAI, Mediaset, Tmc,
CineClassics, CineCinema 1 e 2 nonchè qualsiasi canale che in futuro
integri l'offerta cinema. Sono state definite anche le basi della possibile
distribuzione di Sat 2000 sulla piattaforma digitale di Canal Plus Polska
in Polonia.. 


TWO NEWS CHANNELS FOR ITALY
By the beginning of next year, Italy will get not one, but two dedicated 24
hour a day news and information channels. Both channels will be transmitted
via satellite, but while RAI's channel will be free-to-air, the other
channel operated by it's main rival Mediaset will be a subscription-only
service (probably part of Telepiù's digital platform). It seems that RAI
has gone further with it's own project, which is tentatively called RAN
(RAI All News) and is expected to cost around 27 million-DM. On the other
hand, Mediaset's all-news channel will mainly air news items from Italy,
compared to RAN which will have a more international "flavour" to it's news
coverage. RAI also plans to launch a special Web site, which will
complement the TV news service, especially during the nighttime hours. 
________________________________________________________________________
Dal 1999 - ma forse anche prima - Mediaset e RAI partiranno entrambe con le
proprie reti TV "all-news" che trasmetteranno notizie 24 ore su 24.
Entrambe saranno destinate al pubblico del satellite, ma mentre il canale
della RAI sarà visibile in chiaro per Mediaset toccherà pagare (con ogni
probabilità sarà inserito nel pacchetto Telepiù). RAN (Rai All News) avrà
un finanziamento di 27 miliardi di lire e una  forte presenza
internazionale. La rete all-news di Mediaset dovrà differenziarsi dalla
concorrenza con un notiziario più nazionale. Rai All News si collegherà con
Internet mandando in onda gli aggiornamenti dei principali siti
d'informazione del mondo.


TV CHANNEL FOR MEDITERRANEAN
Among major topics under discussion at the summit between 27 countries from
Europe and the Mediterranean being held June 3-4 in Palermo, Italy is also
the question of a TV channel for the Mediterranean area. The TV channel
would be a multi-lingual and multi-cultural service, relying on programming
provided by the single countries and would most probably broadcast via a
EUTELSAT satellite. It is probable that a specific programming quota for
the channel will be decided. At this moment there are no confirmations of
the headquarters of such a channel neither the precise start-up date.
________________________________________________________________________
Al vertice dei 27 paesi dell'euro-mediterraneo in  programma il 3 e 4
giugno a Palermo si è parlato anche del progetto d' una televisione
mediterranea, multi lingue e multi culturale. L'ipotesi e' quella di
costruire un canale via satellite che unisca i contributi provenienti dai
paesi del bacino del Mediterraneo rendendoli disponibili nelle lingue di
ciascun paese. Sarebbe anche prevista una quota di produzione specifica per
il canale. Non si conoscono quali siano le proposte per la scelta della sede.


MEDIASET INCREASES INVESTMENTS IN FICTION
According to a survey conducted by Eurofiction, investments into original
fiction programming by Italian TV channels have increased by 79% in 1997.
However, the 397 hours of fiction produced last year still mean that Italy
is at the bottom of the European league table. Germany holds the top post
with 1,814 hours of own productions, followed by the U.K. (1,225), Spain
(759) and France (576). The leading private TV network in Italy, Mediaset,
has invested around 190 million-DM during 1997 into new productions and
that sum is set to increase to 215 million during this year and 240
million-DM in 1999. 
________________________________________________________________________
- Il 1997 ha visto una crescita del 79% in termini di produzione italiana
di fiction TV, e' questo uno dei dati diffusi da Eurofiction, anche se le
397 ore di programmi ci vedono all'ultimo posto in Europa. In testa la
Germania con ben 1,814 ore prodotte, seguita dalla Gran Bretagna (1,225),
Spagna (759) e Francia (576). In Italia gli investimenti Mediaset nella
produzione di fiction sono stati pari a 190 miliardi di lire nel 1997 ed e'
previsto raggiungano i 215 quest'anno ed i 240 nel 1999. 


ITALY LEADING ADVERTISING MARKET
BNP Equities, a subsidiary of Banque National de Paris has recently
conducted a detailed survey called "European Media Sector" regarding the
advertising perspectives in Europe. The survey has shown that Italy is the
leading market in Europe with a 6,2% annual increase, followed by the
United Kingdom and France (5%) and Germany (4%). Among commercial TV
stations, best performances (and therefore best investment opportunities)
have been reported in South Europe where M6 and Mediaset dominate their
respective markets. On the other side, BNP suggests caution in regards to
developments on the pay-TV front because of the arrival of new competition
(for example France) and the rising cost for program acquisitions
________________________________________________________________________
- La Bnp Equities, filiale della Banque National de Paris ha recentemente
pubblicato lo  studio European Media Sector dedicato agli investimenti
pubblicitari nel settore dei media. L'Italia è il mercato leader degli
investimenti pubblicitari grazie al 6,2% di incremento annuo rispetto al 5%
di Gran Bretagna e Francia e al 4% della Germania. Tra le televisioni
commerciali, ad esempio, vengono consigliate agli investitori quelle del
Sud Europa come M6 e Mediaset. Prudenza, invece, nei confronti delle
imprese attive nella pay tv: per causa dell'arrivo della concorrenza e dei
costi alti per l'acquisizione dei diritti sui contenuti.


BERLUSCONI IN TROUBLE AGAIN
The prosecution at the trial of former Italian prime ministers Silvio
Berlusconi and Bettino Craxi said on June 2nd that they should be jailed
for corruption. Prosecutor Francesco Greco demanded a term of 5 1/2 years
and a 12.15 billion lire fine ($7 million) for Berlusconi, who is accused
along with senior executives of his Fininvest group of having falsified the
company's books. The alleged purpose of the false accounting was to provide
secret funds for Craxi's Italian Socialist Party at the beginning of the
1990s. The court's verdict is not expected for several days and will not be
implemented until all avenues of appeal are exhausted, which could take up
to 10 years.
Meanwhile, Berlusconi, 62, who was prime minister for seven months in 1994
and now heads the right-wing opposition, is facing a string of other
charges in relation to alleged fraud and corruption. 
Also on June 2nd, a Madrid judge, Baltasar Garzon, ordered Berlusconi to
deposit 7.5 billion pesetas ($15 million) as security in a case involving
the Spanish television channel Tele Cinco. The judge is conducting an
investigation into an alleged tax fraud worth 58 million DM in the
management of the channel, in which Fininvest has a 25 percent share.
________________________________________________________________________
- Guai in vista per il proprietario della Fininvest, Silvio Berlusconi. Il
pubblico ministero Francesco Greco ha chiesto la condanna di Silvio
Berlusconi per falso in bilancio e finanziamenti illeciti per i 20
milliardi lire che avrebbe versato nel 1991 a Bettino Craxi.
In Spagna, Il giudice Baltasar Garzon, che indaga su una presunta frode
fiscale da 58 miliardi attraverso Telecinco, proprietà al 25 per cento di
Fininvest-Mediaset, ha imposto ieri a Silvio Berlusconi e agli altri 16
indagati il deposito di una "cauzione di garanzia a titolo di
responsabilità civile". La somma stabilita per il leader di Forza Italia,
che sarà sentito dal giudice nei prossimi giorni, è di circa 86 miliardi di
lire. 


RAI NEWS IN BRIEF
- Bad news for all RAI International fans in Europe (are there any out
there?). After a brief period of broadcasting in the clear, the channel,
which uses the SCPC digital system, is scrambled once again. If you own a
Nokia D-Box (Mediamaster 9500S) here are the tuning details if the channel
once again goes clear: frequency 11,464 GHz/Ver, symbol rate 4327, FEC 7/8,
PID Video 512 (0200) and PID Audio 650 (028A).
- The new Electronic Program Guide has officially been launched on the
RaiSat channels.
- RAI has already activated the transponder on the EUTELSAT HOT BIRD 2
satellite which will carry live World Cup coverage in the 16:9 wide-screen
format. Check out the frequency 11,766 GHz/Ver (Symbol rate 27500 and FEC
2/3) where two test channels called RAI Test and RAI 16:9 have been noticed.


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