Dutch comunication company New Skies Satellites has reported that revenues grew to $51.8 million, an increase of $0.6 million over the same period in 2001, for the quarter ended March 31, 2002.
The company, which launched the satellite NSS 7 on 16 April, also signed contracts with New Zealand broadcaster TVNZ for the delivery of television news and sports events around the world; with the International Broadcasting Bureau/Voice of America for digital video links between the US and locations in the Caribbean and with a major Indian ISP data access for internet services during this quarter. New Skies has, during the first quarter, tied up with Arab Digital Distribution for their customer Star TV for video services from Hong Kong to Italy; and with major European telecommunication companies, Telenor and CPR Marconi, for voice and data services over NSS3, a release says.

New Skies Q1 EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) are $ 28.6 million, while net income is put at $ 6.4 million. The EBITDA for the same quarter grew by $ 0.9 million or 3 per cent. The net income for the first quarter of 2002 decreased by $ 1.6 million and the diluted earnings per share for the same period reduced by $ 0.01, compared with the same period in 2001. The decrease in the current quarter primarily relates to the lower interest income, according to the release.

The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) members met in New Delhi today to discuss the implication of the proposed Conditional Access Systems (CAS).

Any propsoal that addresses the two fundamental issues of transparency and breaking up of the existing ground monopolies of the cable TV operators that face the industry is welcomed by the IBF. The reality is that today only 20 per cent of the ground revenue collected from the consumers accross the country comes back to the broadcasters.

The IBF members are of the view that there should be a planned and phased transition to enable the Indian consumers to comprahensively benefit from switching over to the Conditional Acceas Systems. To make CAS a realIty in the current form, the IBF believes that there are many issues concerning technology, funding, avaIlabilIty of set top boxes, regulation and non- discriminatory implementation and there is a need for a detailed analysis.

Further all the issues related with Implementation of CAS need to be looked at and addressed in totality. An amendment to the Cable TV Regulation Act is unlikely to resolve the fundamental issues that face the industry. It may in fact result in exploitation of customers in terms of prices of the services charged by the cable TV operators due to monopolies on ground.

Members of the Industry, Broadcasters, Vendors, Cable operators and the regulators need to work together to arrive at the correct CAS model. In the interim, the bradcasters have decided to come together and focus on the immediate problem of under declaration and demand 100% transparency from the cable TV operators.

The IBF also suggests that the existing parliamentary Select Committee headed by Parliamentarian Somnath Chatterjee looking into the Convergence Bill is ideally positioned to examine all the matters in totality so that the consumer gets the true benefit of the channels and the value added services.