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AB Sat is a package of digital terrestrial television channels (encrypted with Viaccess and Mediaguard) offered by the satellite companies Hot Bird and Astra and marketed in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. The channels are all (or partly) run by the cable operators and certain networks ADSL. ABSAT has a stake on two digital terrestrial television channels (TMC and NT1). The company is chaired by Michele Cotta.
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:
Bis Télévisions FRANCE :
AB Sat Belgique :
AB3, AB4, AB1, RTL9, TMC, NT1, MANGAS, ANIMAUX, AB MOTEURS, XXL (22h30/05h), ESCALES, ENCYCLOPEDIA, FIT-TV, TOUTE L'HISTOIRE, DORCEL TV (24/24h), CINE FX, CINE FIRST, CINE POP, CINE POLAR, ACTION and CHASSE ET PECHE
ABSat Europe et Moyen-Orient :
AB1, RTL9, TMC, NT1, MANGAS, ANIMAUX, AB MOTEURS, XXL (22h30/05h), ESCALES, ENCYCLOPEDIA, FIT-TV, TOUTE L'HISTOIRE, DORCEL TV (24/24h), CINE FX, CINE FIRST, CINE POP, CINE POLAR, ACTION and CHASSE ET PECHE
For a long time, the increase in general channels has not translated to a similar acquisition of programmes, with the arrival of the command of Michèle Cotta in the board of AB Sat (In May 2006, Michèle Cotta rejoined the JLA group, the A in AB) and of the digitalisation of programmes which allowed the growth of the portfolio in programmes, the channels have operated a little with a level of coherence and the presence of the same series, films, and telefilms on all three channels.
The AB Sat package is the first package to theme their cinema channels, an idea copied today by all other French packages. The original five channels offered were : Action, Crime, Cinema Palace, Life and Romance. Action didn't survive, and was replaced by the option of Passions on TPS in 1999, the other channels were also reformatted. In September 2002, AB Sat launched the Ciné Box package with Ciné FX, Ciné Polar, Ciné Comic and Ciné Box. The package was not successful, and two channels disappeared in 2004 : Ciné Comic and Ciné Box. The two other channels, Ciné FX and Ciné Polar were taken in by the cinema package of Canalsat and TPS. The most part of the cinema channels was shared equally on cable in France and Belgium.
TF1 Group is a French media holding company. Its best-known property is the broadcast network TF1.
Télévision Par Satellite was a French company that offered subscription television packages via satellite.
TFX is a French free television network owned by Groupe TF1.
AB1(formally AB Channel 1 until 1995) is a French television channel aimed at young adults.
Audrix is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Television in France was introduced in 1931, when the first experimental broadcasts began. Colour television was introduced in October 1967 on La Deuxième Chaîne.
XXL is a television channel in France that is dedicated to pornography and erotica. Created in March 1996 and transmitted by the AB Sat satellite, it was at the time the first French channel to broadcast pornography every evening. Nowadays, it is available on every cable and satellite distributor as an option channel.
Canal+ Calédonie, originally called Canal Satellite Nouvelle-Calédonie and CanalSat Calédonie, is a satellite provider based in the Overseas French Department of New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna, and with reduced offers in Vanuatu. It was launched in 1999 to distribute satellite television to the region. It offered 48 C=channels, four radio stations and eight international channels. It broadcasts using the Intelsat 701 Satellite at 180 degrees east.
Animaux is a French television channel themed about animals.
Escales was a French television channel in the travelogue and world discovery genre. Currently, the TV station is owned by AB Sat SA and has a budget of 24 million euros, 100% from AB Groupe.
Ciné Pop was a French TV channel owned by AB Groupe shown on satellite which showed exclusive films oriented to families and children.
Ciné FX was a French television channel, owned by AB Groupe.
Ciné Polar was a French television channel owned by AB Groupe.
Automoto la chaîne is a French television channel dedicated to motorsports.
Chasse et Pêche is a French television channel dedicated to hunting and fishing.
RTL9 is a French-language Luxembourgish television channel shown in Luxembourg, France, Monaco, Africa and the French-speaking regions of Switzerland.
Vidéoclick was a commercial television channel shown in the French Community of Belgium.
Ciné Box, broadcast from September 2002 to 24 August 2004, is a former French television channel of AB Groupe devoted to cinema.
