Last Christmas CNN+, the news DTT free channel established by Sogecable and recently acquired by Telecinco, stopped broadcasting. Eastwind, in full Christmas holidays, could not pay the attention this fact deserved. But we want to share here some thoughts on this point now.
Following the integration pacts signed in December 2009 and ratified on 14th April 2010 by Sogecable and Telecinco on one side and by Prisa and Mediaset on the other, Prisa TV transferred its open television broadcasting licence, which includes four DTT multiplex channels. Prisa TV reserved for itself under the agreement an option to rent one of the eight channels, which are now in the hands of Telecinco after the merger, to develop a only broadcasting news service. But, almost finished the merger process, Prisa informed Telecinco that it was not going to execute the mentioned option (renting a channel).
Prisa announced at the same time plans to launch in the future a global channel devoted to broadcast information to be distributed, backed by Prisa brands, through the platform belonging to the Group and other digital networks. The strategical target of this launch, reinforcing the informative presence of the Prisa group in the global broadcasting market in Spanish and Portuguese. The new project is now almost just an idea “nobody knows still anything about it”, as they have told Eastwind authorized official sources from Prisa.
From all that dust comes all this mud. Telecinco fills now the channel, which was used by CNN+ before the merger, to broadcast Gran Hermano (The Big Brother). This fact shows a 360º change, not expected at all and even hard to understand, unless it is considered just under the money TV business point of view.
And The Big Brother is going to keep on being there for a long time, as it was confirmed for Eastwind by the same official source from Telecinco that said our magazine that CNN+ former employees now “are waiting for a destination. Some of them will stay and some will leave the company”.
In times of abundance, the companies, always pushed forward by a legitimate ambition to grow and to gain market share, get indebted, sometimes in excess. Then, when they come times of shortage, it usually happens what it usually happens, for example -and it is not the most serious problem- it happens that one television channel, like CNN+, whcih was conceived to meet the information needs of people, turns to become the channel to broadcast any Big Brother like this. Perhaps, because people do not need to be informed any more, but can’t live without a new reality show?. Who knows, but the shut down of a earnest informative channel is never good news for the good health of our human right for freedom of information.
Image over the headline.- Big Brother brand image. © Telecinco. Composition © Eastwind.
