Abstract :
[en] The European Audiovisual Observatory analysed the annual accounts and balance sheets of
around 550 television companies for the years 1999-2003. There are not yet enough figures
available for 2004 to carry out a similar analysis for that year, although all the indications are
that the financial recovery of this sector continued.
The Observatory divides television companies into six main categories:
- Public radio-television companies (SPTV): this group includes traditional large public
service broadcasters that produce generalist, national or regional channels, as well as
their subsidiaries that broadcast thematic channels. Radio activities are usually
included in the accounts of integrated companies (BBC, RAI, ARD, etc). The accounts
of radio companies (Radio France, Sveriges Radio, etc) were not taken into
consideration;
- Private television companies financed through advertising (ADTV): this category
includes generalist channels, usually broadcast terrestrially;
- Television companies offering film pay-TV channels (PAYTV): this group includes the
Canal+ channels, but not companies which mainly produce packages of channels;
- Programme packagers (PACKTV). These companies may offer packages via satellite
(BSkyB, Canal Satellite, TPS, etc) or on digital terrestrial television (the defunct ITV
Digital and Quiero, Senda i Sverige, etc). However, for various reasons, we were
unable to include cable operators in this analysis;
- Thematic television companies (THTV). These companies publish one or several
thematic channels targeting a single national market or various markets in Europe.
- Home shopping companies (HSTV). These may be actual broadcasting companies
(QVC, HSN, etc) or broadcasters' home shopping subsidiaries.
