Tivù Sat to launch July 31
Italy’s new digital satellite TV platform, Tivù Sat, will launch on July 31, with 19 TV channels provided by the country’s leading broadcasters.
In order to receive the Tivù Sat offer, viewers will need to acquire a satellite dish, pointed at the 13° East orbital position, as well as the Tivù Sat digital box (bundled with the smart card), available from mid-July and costing around E100. Viewers already equipped with a Nagravision satellite receiver can request a dedicated smart card from RAI, paying only postage costs. Furthermore, conditional access modules (CAMs) will be on sale from 2010, which will enable reception on many of the existing digital satellite receivers on the market.
The line-up will include 10 channels from public broadcaster RAI (Rai Uno, Rai Due, Rai Tre, Rai4, Rai Gulp, Rai Gulp +1, Rai Sport +, RaiNews24, Rai Storia and Rai Edu 1); 7 channels from commercial broadcaster Mediaset (Canale 5, Rete 4, Italia 1, Iris, Boing, Boing+1 and Mediashopping); as well as La7 and Sat 2000. A package of HD channels will be added later on.
A decision has yet to be made by the broadcasters whether all or part of the programming (for which the foreign TV rights have not been acquired) will be encrypted. Mediaset has already made known it is likely to scramble its most watched TV channel, Canale 5.
RAI and Mediaset each have 48 per cent in the new venture, while Telecom Italia Media has the remaining 4 per cent.