European Channel Proliferation Continues

STRASBOURG: New data from the European Audiovisual Observatory’s MAVISE database reveals that there are now almost 5,600 channels available in the 29 EU countries, with 200 new additions in 2008 alone.

The 5,587 channels do not include the 412 non-European channels available in markets across the region. DTT has been a driving force, with six markets already having ceased analogue terrestrial transmissions. Meanwhile, France, Italy, Spain and the U.K. have reached very high levels of DTT penetration. New DTT services are slated for this year in Slovenia, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Poland, Greece, and Slovakia. On average, about 23 percent of the channels on DTT platforms are owned by public-service broadcasters, with the balance from privately owned media groups. By genre, general entertainment domintes with 21 percent. Cultural/educational/doc services account for about 13 percent of the channels on DTT platforms. Entertainment, lifestyle and travel services also account for 13 percent. At 12 percent is sports services, while news/business/parlimentary channels account for 9 percent and movie and drama outlets take up 8 percent. Other categories include kids (8 percent), music (5 percent) and adult (1 percent)