Jetix Italy Announces Management Buyout

ROME: The management of Jetix Italy, led by Francesco Nespega, has reached a deal with The Walt Disney Company to take ownership of the channels GXT and K2.

GXT is a pay-TV channel, launched in May 2005, skewed towards young males, reaching 4.7 million homes on SKY Italia. K2 is a free-TV service for kids aged 4 to 14, available on DTT to 8.5 million homes and via satellite to 6.5 million homes. For two hours a day, K2 can also be seen on analogue terrestrial in 17 million homes. 

Francesco Nespega has been managing the Jetix Italy business since 2000. He has acquired 100 percent of the subsidiary and rebranded it as Switchover Media, operating the GXT and K2 channels and developing other services for the Italian market. Switchover will also manage Jetix services in Italy until the Disney XD launch in the fall.