NewsMan
03-02-2004, 05:37 PM
<snip>
....The figures released yesterday revealed that the level of churn - the
number of subscribers who sign up but don't renew the service - fell to
1.8per cent, from 2.7per cent in 2002. In the fourth quarter churn fell
further to 1.62 per cent.
But at the same time Austar increased its subscriber base 6.1 per cent to
427,296.
While other local corporations are suffering, Porter is getting an extra
boost from the falling Australian dollar, which helped programming costs
decline by $20million to $153million in 2003.
Austar and Foxtel will now attempt to lock in those higher Australian
dollars by renegotiating US dollar-denominated programming. About 70per cent
of Austar's programming costs are denominated in American dollars.
But as Porter admits, the rising Australian dollar will make it even more
unattractive for the Hollywood studios to renegotiate, so a permanent
structural shift there is unlikely.
Other things are starting to go his way, however.
The company will benefit from a crackdown in piracy with new smart cards.
Digital television will also become a growth kicker.
Wilson believes digital television can lift Austar's penetration in regional
markets from 18.8per cent to 19.7per cent within a year and to 22.7per cent
by 2010.......
--
Details:
http://www.afr.com/premium/articles/2004/02/02/1075570358961.html
More news:
http://www.auspaytv.com.au/forums/ipdl.php
***
Seeing a murder on television can help work off one's antagonisms. And if
you haven't any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some.
-- Alfred Hitchcock
....The figures released yesterday revealed that the level of churn - the
number of subscribers who sign up but don't renew the service - fell to
1.8per cent, from 2.7per cent in 2002. In the fourth quarter churn fell
further to 1.62 per cent.
But at the same time Austar increased its subscriber base 6.1 per cent to
427,296.
While other local corporations are suffering, Porter is getting an extra
boost from the falling Australian dollar, which helped programming costs
decline by $20million to $153million in 2003.
Austar and Foxtel will now attempt to lock in those higher Australian
dollars by renegotiating US dollar-denominated programming. About 70per cent
of Austar's programming costs are denominated in American dollars.
But as Porter admits, the rising Australian dollar will make it even more
unattractive for the Hollywood studios to renegotiate, so a permanent
structural shift there is unlikely.
Other things are starting to go his way, however.
The company will benefit from a crackdown in piracy with new smart cards.
Digital television will also become a growth kicker.
Wilson believes digital television can lift Austar's penetration in regional
markets from 18.8per cent to 19.7per cent within a year and to 22.7per cent
by 2010.......
--
Details:
http://www.afr.com/premium/articles/2004/02/02/1075570358961.html
More news:
http://www.auspaytv.com.au/forums/ipdl.php
***
Seeing a murder on television can help work off one's antagonisms. And if
you haven't any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some.
-- Alfred Hitchcock