Satellite operators SES and Eutelsat each announced multi-year capacity contracts with the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation and the Association of Ethiopian Broadcasters, creating overlapping claims that Advanced Television said could end in a breach-of-contract dispute.
An SES Astra communications satellite model (Piotrus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0) [file photo]
Eutelsat said in February 2019 it had signed for video capacity on Eutelsat 8 West B. SES later announced its own multi-year deal with the same Ethiopian partners and stressed a “migration agreement” with the Association of Ethiopian Broadcasters. Statements attributed to AEB chief executive Amman Fissehazion appeared in both announcements.
Eutelsat said its contract remained “active.” Industry observers quoted by Advanced Television doubted Ethiopia needed a near-doubling of capacity and expected the claims to be tested in court or renegotiation. The spat sits beside Ethiopia’s wider shift of domestic TV channels onto foreign satellite platforms.
Sources: Advanced Television