Biz Briefs
“OpenTV’s momentum continues and is strengthened by the growth of digital interactive television worldwide,” said prexy and CEO Jan Steenkamp.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company’s set-top box software has been shipped with or installed on more than 6.1 million digital set-top boxes worldwide.
-- Marc Graser
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Netcaster Launch Media reported a net loss of $11.8 million for the first quarter of 2000, almost twice the amount the company lost in the same time period a year ago. For the first quarter of 1999, Launch reported a net loss of $6.7 million.
The company’s revenues jumped by 167% to $6.4 million, up from $2.4 million for the first three months of 1999.
Dave Goldberg, CEO of Launch, said the net loss was a result of planned investments in building new products for the Web site and acquiring new users.
-- Ann Donahue
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Every year is a record breaker for leading German channel RTL and 1999 was no exception.
Germany’s most watched broadcaster said Thursday that its pre-tax profits reached a new high at DM368 million ($175 million) last year, compared to $138 million in 1998. That put it ahead of rival web ProSieben for the first time. Next year RTL expects upward of $180 million.
Despite a slow-down in the overall television advertising market, RTL’s gross revenues increased to $1.8 billion, compared to $1.7 billion in 1998.
There was good news on the sports front, too. The station confirmed that it has regained the broadcasting rights to Champion’s League European soccer for this fall.
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No. 2 Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca reported that first quarter revenue increased 17% to $120 million and operating income was up 16% to $40 million.
On a net basis, profits fell 43% to $14 million, which the broadcaster attributed in part to less favorable exchange rates.
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Astral Media, one of Canada’s top specialty TV players, reported flat results for the second quarter of its fiscal year.
Net earnings during the quarter were $2.4 million, exactly the same as the earnings in the second quarter last year. Revenues from operations in the quarter were up slightly to $75 million, compared to $69 million in the second quarter last year.
