On January 4 Estonian cable TV operator STV followed the example of cable STV company Starman and agreed to return Russian TV channels on the air.
Estonian TV audience has received ORT (in Estonia - First Baltic Channel, FBC), RTVi, TVC-International, TDK, "NTV-Children`s world", "NTV-Our Cinema" and "First Baltic Musical channel".
The return took place right after finishing talks between Starman and STV management and possessors of Russian channels broadcasting rights in Estonia.
However, cable TV companies still are not ready to sign an agreement on two popular in Estonia TV channels "RTR-Planet" and "NTV-World".
On January 2 two largest cable TV operators in Estonia cut off broadcasting 10 russian TV channels, including FBC, "RTR-Planet", TDK, "Mir-TV", UTR, "TVC-International", RTVi, "NTV-Our Cinema", "NTV-Children`s World", "NTV-World".
Instead, the audience was suggested Byelorussian channel "Byelorus-TV", Ukrainian channels "Country of advice", and "Kiev?s Rus", Georgian channel "Adjara", Russian channels "Nostalgia", SGU TV, "Helathy TV", "Hunt and fishing", "Drive", "02" and Estonian cable TV channel "TV 1000 Russian cinema". 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.
sections: Society, World News |