Global Radio fails; new joint venture to succeed?
Global Radio, the Luxembourg-based start-up that aimed to provide a satellite-delivered radio
service across Europe, has failed in its attempt to raise second stage funding. Amongst Global
Radio’s investors in the first round funding were U.K.-based NTL and Wit SoundView Group,
an investment banking group focused on the technology sector. Scheduled for a late 2004 launch,
Global Radio intended to broadcast traditional and innovative radio and data services to motorists,
homes and businesses throughout Europe, with a choice of 60 to 70 all-digital channels, originating
regionally and Europe-wide, continuously beaming news, sports and entertainment radio, Internet
access and telematics data throughout the region.
“NTL andWit Soundview bring solid strategic and business acumen to Global Radio,” said Paul
Heinerscheid, Global Radio’s chief executive officer at the time of the investment in March
2001. “We are also very appreciative of the Government of Luxembourg for its readiness to
award Global Radio its concession to operate a satellite system, based onArticle 20 of the media
law dated 27 July 1991.”
“Digital is undoubtedly the way forward for radio, as we have shown by working closely with
the UK digital radio groups,” Peter Douglas, group managing director of NTL Broadcast and
board member of Global Radio, said when the NTL investment was announced. “Having a
Europe-wide satellite platform will benefit the medium enormously, giving radio programmers
another powerful means of delivering their output.”
Now, however, Alcatel in association with WorldSpace is reported to be developing a pan-
European satellite radio service that will target the French, German and Italian markets.
The new consortium will, it is believed, refurbish the third WorldSpace satellite – dubbed
AmeriStar – that has yet to be launched and position this in geostationary orbit. It is understood
that the new systemwill offer a mix of pay-radio and free-to-air radio channels, and will use the
models that have been developed – to some success – in North America by Sirius and XM
Radio. This includes working closely with car manufacturers to line-fit satellite radios to deliver
an instant audience; major car manufacturers in North America already offer XM and Sirius
receivers in their current model line-up.
People
AIB member ND SatCom
has made two new
appointments.
Christopher Morris
will head
up the company’s US subsidiary as its president
and CEO and
Robert Scott
will be vice-president
sales in the North American operation.
Satlynx
, the pan-European two-way
broadband satellite service provider, has
appointed
Paul Heinerscheid
President and
CEO. He replaces founding CEO Yves Elsen.
Heinerscheid pioneered the development of
direct-to-home satellite TV services in the
United States with USSB (United States
Satellite Broadcasting). He was also Founder,
President and CEO of Satellite Network
Systems, Managing Director and CEO of Global
Radio (see story on left), Vice President,
Operations and Business Manager, USTV as
well as Attaché de Direction at CLT-RTL.
Bill Roedy
, President,
MTV Networks
International
, has announced several shifts
in his senior management group, with seven
new roles, all of which are internal
appointments. The new management team
includes
Alex Ferrari
as Chief Operating Officer,
MTVNI. Ferrari comes from MTVN, where he
has been Chief Financial Officer.
Brent Hansen
has taken on an additional role
in the newly created position of President of
Creative, MTVN International. He will remain
President and Chief Executive, MTVN Europe.
Jonathan Patrick
has been promoted to take
on an additional role as Executive Vice
President, Global Marketing Partnerships, a
newly created entity in MTVNI. He will remain
General Sales Director, Advertising Sales
Europe, MTVN Europe.
Alina Vogtner
has taken
on the newly created position of Senior Vice
President, Human Resources, MTVNI. She will
remain Senior Vice President, Human Resources
and Administration, MTVN Latin America.
Michael Day
has taken on the newly created
position of Senior Vice President, Finance,
MTVNI.
Glenna Patton
has taken on an
additional role as Senior Vice President,
Marketing and Communications, MTVNI.
Rebecca Barrs
has taken on an additional role
as Vice President, Marketing and Consumer
Products, International Program Enterprises
(IPE), MTVNI.
MTVNetworks Asia
has appointed
Peter Bullard
as executive vice-president, MTV Networks Asia
and managing director, MTV Southeast Asia,
Alex Kuruvilla
as executive vice-president MTV
Networks Asia and managing director MTV India
and
Steven Tan
as exeutive vice-president and
chief operating officer.
Marc Conneely
, former Head of Pay-Per-View
events at BSkyB, has joined
Gulf DTH
as
Vice President, Advertising Sales and New
Business Development. Gulf DTH owns and
operates the Showtime network, the leading
digital pay-television platform for the Middle
East and North Africa.
Kids channels make it into the black
Fox Kids Europe, the Disney-owned children’s entertainment group, announced a return to the
black, posting net income before taxes of $3.3 million for the six months to March 31, compared
with losses of $700,000 at the same stage a year ago.
Bruce Steinberg, Chief Executive Officer (pirctured right),
said: “I am pleased to announce a strong first half
performance in difficult market conditions. Our core channel
business continues to performwell and maintains its position
as the most widely distributed children’s channel in Europe.
Total revenues in the six months to March 31 were up eight
per cent to $74.8 million, and despite a tough market across
the region, chief executive Bruce Steinberg said group
advertising revenue has bucked the regional slump, ending up
21 per cent to $15.9 million. Fox Kids also revealed that it has
added 2 million subscribers to its network, taking it to 33 million homes across 57 countries. The
group operates 12 local-language feeds as well as branded blocks on local terrestrial networks.
Global broadcasters win journalism awards
Swiss Radio International and Deutsche Welle have been applauded at
the 2003 European Online Journalism Awards. The most coveted
prize, the
Internet Journalist of the Year
, went to
Vincent Landon,
science correspondent of
Swiss Radio International (pictured left,
receiving his award at the event in Barcelona)
for his contribution to
“The Malaria Business”, a remarkable investigation of a largely
neglected story – the devastating impact of malaria on the health of
children in developing countries.
Deutsche Welle
won an award for its reporting on the European Union’s eastward expansion
last year by editors
Andreas Tzortzis, Arne Woll
and
Daryl Lindsey
. The series, “Europe
Goes East,” examined the challenges and opportunities faced by the European Union as it
expands its membership by ten countries in 2004.
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