Alpha TV

Alpha TV
Launched 27 September 1999
Owned by Dimitris Kontominas
Picture format 16:9 (576i, SDTV)
Audience share 15,5% (6/10/2014 to 12/10/2014, AGB)
Country Greece
Formerly called Skai and A-Sky
Website www.alphatv.gr
Availability
Terrestrial
DVB-T Channel 46, 24
Satellite
NOVA Greece Channel 109
OTE TV Channel 110

Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel. It is one of the three biggest TV stations in Greece, after ANT1 and Mega. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located near Athens. Alpha TV is owned by Alpha Satellite Television S.A. 100% shareholder of which is the Alpha Media Group Ltd., a member of the DEMCO Group of Companies.

When the channel was called Skai TV, was written using Greek letters. It was Latinized and changed to a blue font in 1999, when Kontominas bought it from Ioannis Alafouzos. In September 1999, it became Alpha-Sky before changing to its present name in October of the same year. The logo was retained despite the changes in the channel's name. In 2006, the logo was changed to Alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet, to reflect the channel's popularity, and used a similarity of Swiss font letters. This A (alpha) logo is similar to the Attiki Odos logo. The font letters in 2003 changed and a circle was added over Alpha, but the two As (alphas) remain. In 2005, a new version was introduced and is coloured with red, looking like the modern Adobe Logo and was updated prior to the launch of the 2007-2008 season.

In Cyprus, private broadcaster Sigma TV broadcasts a number of Alpha TV's programmes. In the past, public service broadcaster CyBC used to broadcast Alpha TV programmes.

In September 2008, Dimitris Kontominas sold a majority share (66.6%) of Alpha TV and Alpha Radio to Luxembourg media company RTL Group. Kontominas will continue to be involved with Alpha as he still owns 33.4% and has been named president of the new holding company called Alpha Media Group.

In March 2009, the company made significant changes to the news programming output. The afternoon news show has been cut to 15 minutes in duration and now airs at 13:00. The main evening news has also moved from the highly competitive slot of 20:00 and instead broadcasts at 19:00.

On 5 January 2012, RTL Group announced that they had reached an agreement to sell their share to minority owner Dimitris Kontominas, making him once again full owner of the channel. The deal was finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2012,[1] and in March 2013, Bertelsmann said that they had divested Alpha TV.[2]

History

Programming

Current programing for the 2014-2015 broadcasting season include: (As of October 2014)

News and information

Television Series

Greek

Foreign

Reality/Non-scripted

Sports

Alpha Sat

Alpha Sat is the international service of Alpha TV that broadcasts 'the best of Alpha' to audiences in Asia, Africa, Australia / New Zealand and North America. Alpha Sat launched in Australia in August 2005 and in 2008 in New Zealand and is available via UBI World TV. In June 2012, UBI World TV ceased operations, as a result Alpha Sat was temporarily unavailable to viewers in Australia.

In January 2013, the channel re-launched via TV Plus, an upstart satellite provider.

In North America, Alpha Sat launched in May 2007 in the United States on the DirecTV platform. On 1 January 2011, Alpha Sat moved to rival satellite platform Dish Network.

On 14 May 2013, Alpha Sat was officially added to the CRTC's approved list of foreign services, allowing the channel to expand into Canada. Odyssey Television Network, who sponsored the application to get Alpha Sat on the approved list, is the official Canadian distributor of the channel.[3]

Alpha Sat officially launched in Canada on 30 July 2013, via Rogers Cable and Vidéotron.

Reporters

See also

References

  1. ↑ "RTL Group to exit Greek broadcasting market".
  2. ↑ "Bertelsmann is growing and progressing in reshaping the Group". Bertelsmann. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "Addition of Alpha Sat to the lists of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis".

External links