HONIARA (Solomon Star / Pacnews): The competitive campaign to win the minds and the wallets of a pay TV audience in the South-West Pacific is partly going Fiji Television’s way as they ticked the Solomon Islands.
Fiji TV and PBS had been competing for the Pacific market and the size of the battleground is being dictated not by geographical boundaries, but by the almost limitless reach of the satellite signal.
Although the tussle remained confined to Fiji recently, Fiji TV had made a breakthrough into the Solomon Islands’ skies.
A subsidiary of Fiji TV has been awarded a TV licence to broadcast into Solomon Islands.
The licence will be operated by a company to be known as "Media Solomon Islands" owned by Fiji TV, which also operates EMTV in Papua New Guinea.
Ken Clark, general manager of International operations with Fiji TV, was quoted by Radio Australia saying the Solomons service should be fully operational by June next year.
Chairman of Fiji TV Isoa Kaloumaira said Clark, along with his senior management team, had been working with authorities in the Solomons for quite a while now on the project.
Long-term plan
“We are delighted to see that Media Niugini will be making a contribution not only to Papua New Guinea but also to the people of the Solomon Islands.”
The group chief executive officer of Fiji TV, Tarun Patel, said: “This growth and development is consistent with our long-term strategic plans and following approval of the business plans by the board of directors, we expect the new facilities will be operating well within the target six-month period.”
Fiji TV was launched in 1994 as the country's first permanent television network. Its subsidiary, Media Niugini Limited, which it acquired in 2004, operates Papua New Guinea's EMTV network.
PBS has the capacity of 15 channels but is providing seven with an ultimate aim after it consolidates in position in Fiji market, to provide a direct-to-home service in countries in the South West Pacific including the Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Solomon Islanders are already enjoying a number of pay TV channels through a number of companies including Satsol and others.
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