Modern Times Group - Timeline

Timeline

1987

  • TV3 launches in Sweden on New Year’s Eve becoming the first commercial channel in Scandinavia.

1988

  • TV3 starts broadcasting to Norway and Denmark. The number of viewers increase from 1.2 million at launch to 3.4 million at end of 1988.
  • Strix launches independent TV production.

1989

  • August: Pay TV channel TV1000 launches.
  • TV Shop starts selling products and services on TV3.

1990

  • TV3 achieves 45% penetration in Sweden and commands 90% of TV advertising market.
  • Acquisition of majority shareholding in Svensk Text (SDI Media).
  • September: TV3 Denmark launches, replacing the Pan-Scandinavian version.

1991

  • TV3 reports annual profit.
  • TV3 Norway launches, each Scandinavian country now has its own version of TV3.
  • TV4 granted license as Sweden’s third terrestrial TV station. Kinnevik acquires 30% shareholding in TV4.
  • Launch of Viasat DTH satellite pay-TV platform.
  • TV1000 merges with competitor SF Succé.

1992

  • ZTV's first year as independent channel.
  • Kinnevik’s media companies report annual profit.

1993

  • September: P4 Radio Hele Norge a national commercial radio network in Norway is launched. MTG is one of its founders.
  • First commercial radio licenses obtained in Sweden. TV3 commences Teletext broadcasting.
  • Terrestrial TV channels launched in Estonia and Lithuania.

1994

  • TV4 becomes largest channel in Sweden.
  • TV6 launched.

1995

  • MTG incorporated as Kinnevik subsidiary.
  • Metro launched in Stockholm.
  • Minority holding acquired in Finanstidningen daily business newspaper.

1996

  • Satellite TV distribution platform switched from Astra to NSAB.
  • January: Radio Rix radio network formed through a merger between MTG's P6 and SRU.
  • April: ZTV and TV6 merged to form 3+ in Denmark.

1997

  • Launch of Viasat+, an analogue low-pay satellite package broadcast from the NSAB satellite consisting of MTG's own television channels as well as Nickelodeon, VH1 and Sci-Fi Channel.
  • Shares in MTG distributed to Kinnevik shareholders and listed on Stockholm Börsinformation and Nasdaq National Market in New York. Second Metro edition published in Prague.
  • Strix becomes first company in the world to produce the Survivor reality TV format.

1998

  • February: Metro launches in Gothenburg.
  • March: TV6 in Sweden relaunches as a Pan-Nordic pay channel called "TV6 Nature World" and "TV6 Action World".
  • ZTV moves from Stockholm to London and expands its schedule considerably.
  • MTG acquires the Latvian television channel Channel 31, which is later transformed into TV3 Latvia.
  • Viasat’s satellite TV subscribers exceed 1 million.
  • Commercial radio operations launched in Estonia and Latvia.
  • September: Metro launches in Budapest.

1999

  • Metro launched in Malmö, Helsinki and the Netherlands.
  • Monthly magazine Kapital launched in Sweden.
  • Internet portal Everyday.com introduced.
  • Swedish business channel TV8 acquired.
  • MTG’s shares quoted on Stockholmsbörsen O-list.
  • February: Launch of CDON.COM.
  • March: Launch of sports channel Viasat Sport.

2000

  • March: Launch of television channel Viasat Plus in Norway.
  • Annual General Meeting approves distribution of Metro International S.A. share capital to MTG shareholders.
  • Hans-Holger Albrecht appointed President and CEO of MTG.
  • MTG buys the Hungarian television channel Alfa TV which becomes Viasat3.
  • PIN24 launches on Sky TV’s platform in UK.
  • MTG buys the rest of TV1000 from its parent company.
  • Viasat launched its digital satellite platform.

2001

  • May: Viasat becomes first European satellite TV broadcaster to switch off analog transmission of premium pay-TV channels following successful transition to digital TV.
  • TV3 awarded national terrestrial broadcasting license in Latvia.
  • Digital home-shopping channel PIN24 launched in Denmark.
  • MTG acquires 75% of Russian national commercial TV channel.
  • Options to Strix reality TV formats sold in over 30 countries to date.
  • Viasat launches four new digital pay-TV channels in Nordic region.
  • EUR 120 million convertible subordinated bonds issued to fund further expansion.
  • Number of Viasat digital DTH subscribers increases to over 550,000 by year-end.

2002

  • January: Viasat Sport Denmark and Viasat Explorer launches.
  • January: Acquisition of 37 percent of StoryFirst Communications, Inc., owner of the Russian CTC network.
  • January: Acquisition of Swedish radio stations Lugna Favoriter and WOW 105.5 from RTL Group.
  • New TV3 schedule recovers share of viewing in Scandinavia.
  • Doubling of Eastern European TV revenues.
  • Launch of PIN24 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
  • Launch of Tango TV in Lithuania.
  • Increase in number of digital DTH subscribers to 617,000 and more than doubling of pay-TV operating income.
  • TV1000 and Baltic operations both report first annual profits, and TV-Shop turned around. SEK 423 million increase in operating free cash flow.

2003

  • TV3 Scandinavia recovers share of viewing and advertisement sales.
  • Eastern European operations profitable on a combined basis.
  • Pay-TV record operating income SEK 505 million.
  • Viasat signs agreement with NDS VideoGuard to eliminate piracy.
  • Launch of pay TV channels TV 1000 East and Viasat Explorer in Eastern and Central Europe.

2004

  • MTG reports highest ever operating result.
  • Ferbruary: Launch of Viast Sport 2 and Viasat Sport 3
  • May: Viasat History launches in Eastern Europe.
  • September: Launch of TV1000 Action, TV1000 Classic, TV1000 Family and TV1000 Nordic.
  • Viasat successfully completes implementation of new conditional access system.
  • Highest net subscriber intake since digitalisation of platform in 2000.
  • Viasat’s four channels reach 6.4 million homes in Central and Eastern Europe.
  • MTG acquires remaining minority interests in DTV and increases its shareholding in CTC Media and Radio Hele Norge following sale of SDI Media for US$ 60 million.
  • MTG acquires 19.9% of betting company BET24.
  • MTG also signs agreement with NRJ Group to assume management of 20 radio stations in Sweden (and 5 in Norway), thereby increasing penetration for MTG’s national network to 83%.

2005

  • January: MTG sells its 15,1 percent interest in TV4 AB.
  • March: CTC Media launches the Domashny television network in Russia.
  • October: Launch of Russian language movie channel TV1000 Russian Kino.
  • October: SportN launches in Norway.
  • November: TV1000 Balkan launches.

2006

  • March: MTG became majority shareholder of Bet24, owning 90% of the company.
  • May: TV6 launches in Sweden.
  • September: MTG increases its holding P4 Radio Hele Norge to 90.8 percent, becoming the sole owner in December.
  • November: Viasat Sport East launches.

2007

  • January: Viasat Golf launches in the Nordic countries.
  • March: MTG buys the Balkan Media Group Limited Bulgarian channels: Diema, Diema 2, Diema Family, Diema Extra, MM and M2
  • April: TV6 launches in Latvia.
  • May: M2 in Bulgaria is closed down.
  • September: Viasat 4 launches, replacing ZTV in Norway.

2008

  • January: Viasat launches high-definition television in the Nordic countries.
  • March: TV6 launches in Estonia.
  • April: MTG sells Russian network DTV to CTC Media.
  • April: TV1000 Premium launches in the Baltics.
  • July: MTG buys Nova Television and Nova+ from Antenna Group.
  • September: Tango TV relaunches as TV6 Lithuania.
  • December: Viasat 1 launches in Ghana.
  • December: Nova+ in Bulgaria is closed down.

2009

  • January: Viasat Sport Baltic launches.
  • February: TV1000 Drama launches.
  • March: TV3 Puls launches in Denmark.
  • The Diema Media Group and MM, previously a joint-venture between MTG and Apace Media, are merged whit Nova Television to create the Nova Broadcasting Group.
  • April: Prima Cool launches in the Czech Republic.

2010

  • April: Nova Sport launches in Bulgaria, replacing MM.
  • September: TV10 launches in Sweden.
  • December: Modern African Productions was founded in Ghana.

2011

  • March: Prima love launches in the Czech Republic.
  • August: M.A.P. launches her first production in Ghana.
  • September: Kino Nova launches in Bulgaria, replacing Diema 2.
  • October: TV8 opened in Lithuania.
  • November: CTC opened in Baltic.

2012

  • January: MTG reaches an agreement on acquiring Latvian channels LNT, TV5 and Kanāls 2.
  • February: In Slovenia closed down TV3.
  • March: All TV 1000 channels in Nordic countries renamed as Viasat Film.
  • April: Nova Premier League HD launches in Bulgaria.
  • June: Viasat Motor launches in Baltic.
  • July: Jorgen Madsen appointed President and CEO of MTG.

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