SKY ITALIA

**pedrogarcia** · 11-09-2009 05:34 PM

Murdoch’s News Corp will launch ‘Cielo’ ( ‘Sky’ in Italian), a free-to-view terrestrial network, on Dec 1. The channel will compete directly with Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset cluster of free channels, as well as public broadcaster RAI.
"Cielo will enrich Italy's digital terrestrial offer, bringing more competition in a sector dominated by Mediaset and RAI," said News Corp’s Stations Europe COO Gary Davey in a statement. "We are sure that Cielo will soon prove to be another successful investment for News Corp. in Italy, based on a cost-effective and realistic business plan."
There are no details as to programming, but this new digital channel will see distribution become nationwide over the next 18 months or so as Italy completes its switch from analogue to digital TV.

I wonder whether Murdoch will consider satellite in the US and provide FTA, there is plenty of transponder space available. He is already in Mexico and Brazil and it would be a foothold in the US prior to taking over Dish.

**pro96** · 11-09-2009 05:39 PM

I've read an article about this service coming, and that it has already been compromised by pirates too via Card sharing. Never ending battle worldwide.

**ikki** · 11-09-2009 06:31 PM

This is interesting considering Murdoch is on the warpath against Google and the public about expecting news companies to provide free content online.

He wants the public to pay, so why is he interested in getting into FTA. Something does not makes since here.

murdoch google - Google News

**Raysat67** · 11-09-2009 11:05 PM

It would be nice to see some Italian programming on FTA!

**granadaguy** · 11-10-2009 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Raysat67

It would be nice to see some Italian programming on FTA!

Check either satellite, not sure wich one right now ( I am at work )....there's a couple of channels there....one is news the other one just a regular channel.

**pedrogarcia** · 11-10-2009 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by pro96

I've read an article about this service coming, and that it has already been compromised by pirates too via Card sharing. Never ending battle worldwide.

Murdoch's new service is FTA > he expects to increase his fortune by advertising and he surely will. That way piracy or card sharing has no effect. He is certainly no Mr nice guy, in fact he is positively hated in Europe but he certainly has good business acumen.

**pedrogarcia** · 11-10-2009 04:14 PM

[QUOTE=ikki;2013686]This is interesting considering Murdoch is on the warpath against Google and the public about expecting news companies to provide free content online.

He wants the public to pay, so why is he interested in getting into FTA. Something does not makes since here. [quote

Somewhat of a U turn, Murdoch is seeing the light in Europe now subscribers are cancelling their subs in droves. the obvious way to go is more FTA and get the income from sponsors and commercials. News in Europe is all FTA now.

**Bill_KY** · 11-10-2009 04:37 PM

[quote=pedrogarcia;2014615]

Originally Posted by ikki

This is interesting considering Murdoch is on the warpath against Google and the public about expecting news companies to provide free content online.

He wants the public to pay, so why is he interested in getting into FTA. Something does not makes since here. [quote

Somewhat of a U turn, Murdoch is seeing the light in Europe now subscribers are cancelling their subs in droves. the obvious way to go is more FTA and get the income from sponsors and commercials. News in Europe is all FTA now.

I see a decent opportunity for commercial FTA in the United States. With the down turn in the economy and allure of no monthly fees it could fly here in the U.S. I'm talking major networks and media going after the FTA market directly and cutting out the middlemen like cable and DSS.

If FOX or CNN wanted a jump on the competition, they could start beaming on FTA tomorrow. Or they could even develop special FTA feeds that would be different from their regular feeds so they would not affect their established shows. Maybe like CNN North Americas or FOX North Americas for Canada, The United States and Mexico.

**ikki** · 11-10-2009 05:18 PM

> If FOX or CNN wanted a jump on the competition, they could start beaming on FTA tomorrow. Or they could even develop special FTA feeds that would be different from their regular feeds so they would not affect their established shows. Maybe like CNN North Americas or FOX North Americas for Canada, The United States and Mexico

That would be awesome.

What I do not understand is that Ted Turner figured this out in the 70's and early 80's. So why does Turner Inc. not want to sell directly to the public.

That was one of the reasons WTBS made it big, he would sell it to any one.

The uplinks are all allready in place. All they have to do is turn off the encryption.

**Bill_KY** · 11-10-2009 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by ikki

>
What I do not understand is that Ted Turner figured this out in the 70's and early 80's. So why does Turner Inc. not want to sell directly to the public.

That was one of the reasons WTBS made it big, he would sell it to any one.

The uplinks are all allready in place. All they have to do is turn off the encryption.

Most of these media companies get money from the cable/satellite systems so the systems can legally carry them. So in addition to getting money from the systems the media companies also get money from the advertising.

My idea around this is for the media companies to start their own FTA channel separate from the regular channels.