Austrian ATV to launch second channel ATV2


09.22 Europe/London, September 14, 2011 By Robert Briel

Herbert Kloiber’s private Austrian broadcaster ATV will launch a second channel, called ATV2, on December 1, 2011.

ATV2 will be available as an encrypted service on the Astra satellite at 19 degrees East. Reception will be free-to-view and possible with an ORF smart card or a Sky Austria viewing card.

The channel, which is owned by Munich based media entrepeneur Herbert Kloiber, will broadcast movies, series, news and weather forecasts.

ATV is the country’s biggest private broadcaster with a market share of 3.5% last month among Austrian households with cable and satellite TV. This share means the channel is ahead of the other Austrian private channels Puls 4, Red Bull’s ServusTV and Austria 9.

The new channel also has to compete with the Austrian versions of the main German commercial channels from RTL and ProSiebenSat.1.

Meanwhile, public broadcaster ORF has also announced the launch of two more channels, ORF III Kultur und Information and ORF Sport Plus on October 26.