This is the second time that Mediasat reported about this amazing event gathering the world of international broadcasting – the Eutelsat TV Awards. We’d like now to tell you more about the ceremony and its winners.
The development of thematic channels started in the 1990s, at the same time as the Eutelsat TV Awards (originally known as the Hot Bird TV Awards) were created in 1998 to recognize the best TV satellite channels dedicated to sport, news, music and other themes. Since its creation, the event has always been celebrated in Italy. The choice of this country wasn’t a coincidence, as Italy is a key market for Eutelsat, the satellite operator organizing this event.
The ceremony has been held in Rome since last year – a great television, cultural and business center. The event which took place on October 30 in the Cavalieri Hotel this year was glamorous: the mysterious game of lights in the venue made you feel like you were travelling into Space on one of Eutelsat’s satellites. International professionals from the broadcasting industry took part in the event, as well as VIPs such as the astronaut Paolo Nespoli from the European Space Agency, the Italian rugby player Mauro Bergamasco, and many others.
Mediasat managed to talk to Markus Fritz, Eutelsat Director of Commercial Development and Marketing. According to him, the Eutelsat Awards are also an opportunity to meet all partners from all over the world, in particular during the customer seminar taking place prior to the award ceremony.
“We had the opportunity to demonstrate our latest innovations and to explain our customer-orientated strategy, consisting notably in providing our clients with global connectivity and local delivery services, using advanced in-orbit and ground infrastructures. We don’t only sell space in the sky, but connectivity, which is what our customers are looking for.”
The winners of the Eutelsat TV Awards were chosen by a jury composed of high-professional independent TV experts, mainly journalists and media research consultants. The full list of the jury members can be found here. The quality and interest of all thematic channels nominated for the Awards were discussed by the jury two months before the event.
The prize itself is a woman standing on a globe, representing the goddess of Earth – Gaya. The statue was designed by the Italian craftsman Nereo Quagliato. And do you know what? It seems nicer than an Oscar.
Below we propose you a short review of the winners.
11 News/information
Rai News 24 is the most established news channel on Italian TV and number one in terms of viewership. At the forefront of innovation and experimentation, with its pioneering use of multiple screens, it makes use of cutting-edge equipment and features to ensure all-round information and live coverage of breaking news stories.
Rai News 24 broadcasts via EUTELSAT HOT BIRD.
22 Children’s
Slovakia’s duck.tv is 100% original TV channel for the youngest TV viewers (6-36 months old). The channel broadcasts educational content produced under the supervision of a child psychologist. It broadcasts animations that are accompanied with simple musical tunes. duck.tv‘s concept is to educate pre-schoolers through entertainment.
duck.tv broadcasts via EUTELSAT 16A, EUTELSAT 7A, EUTELSAT 9A.
33 Cinema
FilmBox Arthouse is a unique channel showcasing masterpieces of world cinema along with award-winning festival films and debut features by breakthrough filmmakers. The channel gives viewers a rare chance to watch artistic and independent films that are unlikely to get a viewing on commercial TV. FilmBox Arthouse presents the whole spectrum of world cinema – from features of German expressionism to masterpieces by Hitchcock, Kurosawa, Fellini and Visconti, to the astonishing aesthetics of Chinese cinema. The programming strategy is driven by the goal to give a voice to independent and classic cinema.
FilmBox Arthouse broadcasts via EUTELSAT 16A and EUTELSAT HOT BIRD.
44 Sports
Mexico’s PXTV has created a unique platform in sports television as the only Hispanic 24/7 channel covering major extreme sports events around the world. PXTV is a high-energy channel that speaks and broadcasts to the Hispanic market throughout the Americas and plans to expand this year into Africa and the Middle East.
PXTV broadcasts via EUTELSAT 113 West A, EUTELSAT 117 West A.
55 Fiction/General Entertainment
Sky Atlantic HD, a flagship channel in the Sky Italia platform, focuses on exceptional fiction, outstanding stars, great exclusives and High Definition quality. Broadcasting since April 2014, Sky Atlantic HD airs innovative European and American scripted shows that stand out for their high-quality storytelling and ground-breaking fiction produced by Sky.
Sky Atlantic HD broadcasts via EUTELSAT HOT BIRD.
66 Culture/Documentaries
365 Days TV specialises in programmes, documentaries and series on the history of Russia and the world. It seeks to present history in a new light and revisit iconic events and individuals who have shaped the course of history. 365 Days TV takes viewers on an entertaining journey through time to sense the past and seek answers to some of the most intriguing questions.
365 Days TV broadcasts via EUTELSAT 36A.
77 Music
Launched on Eutelsat in 2014, CLASSICA is the premium TV channel for classical music, broadcast in Full HD and Dolby Surround Sound. The channel partners with renowned artists, orchestras, festivals and cultural institutions worldwide and focuses on featuring high-end productions from the most renowned festivals worldwide. CLASSICA partners with the Telekom Austria Group in Central and Eastern Europe.
CLASSICA broadcasts via EUTELSAT 16A.
88 Lifestyle
TRACE Sport Stars is the first global entertainment channel dedicated to the lives of stars in the world of sports. Thanks to its unique behind-the-scenes access to athletes, TRACE Sport Stars offers an intimate and in-depth understanding of champions’ lives 24/7. You will learn everything about your favourite sport stars, their passions, their commitments, the secrets to their motivation and success.
TRACE Sport Stars broadcasts via EUTELSAT 36A/B
99 Best Programme
The show explores one the most tumultuous periods in recent Italian history, when thousands of politicians and public figures were charged with corruption.
Inside IS – War in The Name of Allah (Spiegel TV Wissen), Germany
Based upon secret Islamic State documents, this courageous, frontline report investigates on the rise of the terrorist organization.
1010 People’s Choice
Al Jazeera Balkans, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Al Jazeera Balkans (AJB) is an international news television station headquartered in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed at the media markets of the countries that used to be constituent units of SFR Yugoslavia. It is part of the Al Jazeera Media Network.
Al Jazeera Balkans broadcasts via EUTELSAT 16A
