RCS&RDS gains on rivals, offers free VOD

Romania’s RCS&RDS attracted 27,343 customers from Orange, Vodafone and Telekom Romania in July.

Quoting information supplied by the regulator ANCOM, ZF reports this was the highest figure to date in 2015.

It adds that RCS&RDS has registered the best performance in the industry, though in the case of fixed line telephony the figure was a much lower 2,000.

RCS&RDS’s biggest gains at the expense of its rivals were in the mobile segment.

Separately, RCS&RDS has launched a promotional campaign for new Digi Net and Dig Net Fiberlink customers. It gives those who activate Digi play up until December 31 access to the on demand service free of charge until the end of 2016.

RCS&RDS is the leading cable and DTH operator in Romania.

RCS&RDS set for key appointment

Romania’s RCS&RDS could appoint a successor to its former CEO Alexandru Oprea, who recently left abruptly after 18 years with the company, as soon as the end of this week.

ZF reports that an appointment could take place at the General Assembly of Shareholders, scheduled for April 30.

The likeliest ‘internal’ candidates to succeed Oprea are Sergey Bulgac, who has a financial background and has been with the company since 2003; and Valentin Popoviciu, who has worked for RCS&RDS since 1998 and is currently its director of development.

RCS&RDS is the leading provider of cable and DTH services in Romania. It has gradually reduced its presence in other CEE markets, most recently through the sale of the Digi operation in the Czech Republic.

Major shakeup for RCS&RDS

Romania’s leading cable and DTH operator RCS&RDS will mark an important change today (Tuesday, April 14), when its chairman and CEO Alexandru Oprea leaves after 18 years with the company.

The news was first announced on April 10, an in an official statement Oprea said: “I am honoured that I was able to participate in the development and consolidation of a company which I consider exemplary for the private sector in Romania.

“I am sure that in telecommunications, RCS & RDS will continue to be a household name and remain at least as competitive. I wish also, that like the Digi Sport and Digi 24 projects, documentaries and film channels continue their rise and take the same steps toward civilisation and professional media, for which they were designed.

“I wish that in the future, whenever you hear of RCS&RDS and Digi trust, to be proud that I was part of this remarkable project”.

Oprea’s departure has taken the local industry by surprise, with many wondering as to the future direction of the company.

At one stage a leading player in the TV markets in several CEE countries, it has recently retrenched back to ones it considers core to its business, chiefly Romania and Hungary. More recently, it has also strengthened its position in Romania, including through acquisitions.

ZF notes that RCS&RDS’s turnover has increased 13-fold in the last 10 years and amounted to RON2.15 billion (€487.8 million) in 2014.

It currently has over 3.2 million TV customers and around 1.8 million opting for its fixed internet services, which generate the most income.

While RCS&RDS has in recent years increased its market share in cable, internet (fixed and mobile) and telephony (fixed and mobile), it has lost ground to competitors, such as UPC, Telekom and Orange, in the provision of DTH services.

RCS&RDS secures CME assets

RCS&RDS has officially taken over the radio stations owned by CME in Romania.

HotNews reports that this follows the granting of approval for the deal, first announced late last year, by the country’s National Audiovisual Council (CNA).

The stations in question are Pro FM, Info Pro, Pro Classic FM Music and Dance FM. Pro FM will now remain a music-based service, while Info Pro will be turned into the information service Digi FM.

RCS&RDS is the leading cable and DTH operator in Romania, while CME’s assets include the national commercial broadcaster Pro TV and several thematic channels.

RCS&RDS buys cable company

Romania’s RCS&RDS has taken over a cable operator in the city of Baia Mare.

Quoting a document in the Official Gazette (Monitorul Oficial), ZFreports that TVS&RDS already held a 51% stake in Canal 7 but has now acquired the remaining shares from Majoros Andrei Csaba for an undisclosed fee.

It adds that Canal 7’s customer base and entire infrastructure will be transferred to a new company that will be established by the end of the year.

RCS&RDS is the leading cable and DTH operator in Romania and also has broadcast interests in other CEE markets, chiefly Hungary.

Look TV denies RCS&RDS deal

Romania’s Look TV has issued a strong public denial of the existence of an agreement for RCS&RDS to distribute its channels Look TV and Look Plus.

In a statement published byMediafax, it says there has been a disinformation campaign in the press in recent weeks designed to mislead millions of Romanian football fans and RCS&RDS subscribers about the channels, which will be showing games from Romania’s Liga 1 and League Cup.

Look TV adds that at this stage it has concluded distribution agreements for the channels with over 20 cable operators, including UPC.

RCS&RDS is the leading cable and DTH operator in Romania.