The largest Estonian cable TV operators STV and Starman switched off the most popular in the country Russian TV channels on January 2, Monday.
Both companies` representatives informed, that 10 channels had been switched off, including First Baltic channel, "RTR planet", TDK, "Mir TV", UTR, "TVC-International ", RTVi, "Nashe Kino" (Our Cinema), "Detsky mir" (Children`s world) and "NTV-World". Other channels transmission started instead.
Indrek Ild, the Starman chief sales manager, reported the "reason of breaking off TV channels transmission consists in inability to come to the agreement with the companies representing Russian TV channels` interests and intending to raise prices for some programs up to 60%". "We are trying to change channels, people got used to, as rare as possible, but present conditions makes us do it, otherwise such a price raise may be realized only at our customers expense", he said.
Besides, the channels representatives are tied up with certain agreements, implying possibilities to change channels packages, but not individual channels. For example, "RTR-Planet" goes with 10 low-rate channels, noted Ild.
Firms-operators intend to conclude agreements with Russian channels directly, without mediators. However, it may take month, considers Starman representatives. In Tallinn, for example, STV and Starman serves about half city population.
sections: Society, World News |