AB Sat - History

History

The company AB Groupe was launched in 1995 as the second satellite package in France (after the launch of CanalSat in 1992), as part of the shift from analogue to digital television. The package creates some big names in media, such as Claude Berda (current president of AB), who hired Christian Dutoit (member of CSA, former head of TF1, the production of Antenne 2, founder of many channels such as La Cinq, LCI and I>Télévision), Ghislain Achard (former head of the France Télévisions group until 2005) and Marc Sillam (former big name in cinema). The society only had a small market share in satellite television compared to CanalSat a few months before the innovation of many points, such as:

• First digital broadcast by satellite on a French package in March 1995 (beating giant Canal+'s broadcast two months later)
• First and only satellite television package offering two choices simultaneously on satellite and cable. This made it possible to put in place digital receivers compatible with access controls (encryption) for all the French packages (AB Sat and CanalSat and/or TPS are available). In 1999, the AB group reviewed the policy, and officially abandoned the sale of these decoders in France. This was reviewed again in 2003, notably with a receiver with an installation disc which permitted the registration functions.
• "Best price" offers for a contract offering one-fifth of the channels (from 49 francs / 7.5 Euros per month) in 1996.
• Launch of 18 digital channels in three months (technical process launched and equipped under technical director Jean-Marc Fonseca).
• Creation of the first themed channels : "life", "animals", "manga", "motors", "FIT TV", etc.
• First encrypted channel reserved for adults to be approved by the CSA (XXL).
• Launch of digital satellite "zapper box" for a very low price in 1996: less than 2 000 francs (around 300 euros).
• In 1999, an agreement was reached allowing the incorporation of AB channels into packages from other companies and allowing the customer to pay for more channels to be incorporated into the basic package, an option still available today.
• Launch in May 2005 of prepaid cards allowing access to contract channels for a period of three to six months (not available with the rental of TPS decoders, but available for other companies).
• In June 2006, AB Sat had 30000 contracts direct to satellite.
• September 2007: the group looks at allowing all satellite customers access to TNT channels via Hot Bird and Atlantic Bird 3 satellites.
• On 22 September 2007 a decision was reached obliging the AB SAT package to provide the public service channels France 2, France 3, France 4 and France 5 as well as Arte, LCP and TV5 Monde. On 24 October 2007, the channels France3 sat, France4, France5, France O and LCP arrived in the Absat package. At the end of November TF1 also arrived.
• Since December 2007, Absat have offered the Bis Télévisions package, allowing all TNT channels in the ABSat package in their basic offer. The price is 4.90 Euros per month, without the Cinérama and Night options at an extra 4.90 Euros.