Canal Satellite boosts channel line-up

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Leading French DTH platform Canal Satellite is to introduce nine new channels over the next two months. The aim is to "strengthen our segmentation", says Isabelle Parize, DG of Canal Satellite. She pointed out that 50 per cent of the platform's income is invested in programming (around E400 million a year). Several new sports channels are planned including Extreme Sport (from Extreme Sport and UPC), Sports + (from Canal Plus), and NBA TV (basketball). The children's offering will also be strengthened with MCM Junior (music) - complementing the three MCM music channels already carried - and Ma Planete (documentaries for children), in partnership with Multithematiques and France TelevisionsCanal Satellite is to carry three more international channels, TVE (Spanish), 2M (Morocco) and Beur TV (Arabic immigrants). Finally there will be Live 1, a 'speed dating' channel.

Canal Satellite made sales in 2002 of E790 million, and expects to achieve around E850 million in 2003. The number of Pilotime PVR (Personal Video Recorder) terminals, which Canal Satellite launched in March this year, has reached 40,000 and expects to hit 60,000 by the end of the year.