Television broadcasting in Greece began in 1966, preceded in 1951 by statute 1963 permitting television broadcasting.
Canal+ is a French premium television channel launched in 1984. It is 100% owned by the Groupe Canal+, which in turn is owned by Vivendi. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted. Unencrypted programming can be viewed free of charge on Canal+ and on satellite on Canal+ Clair (Clear). The channel does not broadcast advertising, except when broadcasting on free-to-air slots. Almost all foreign films and series are broadcast in their original language with French subtitles on a secondary audio channel and dubbed in French. All programs are subtitled in French for deaf people and those who struggle with hearing. Some programs also have audio description for those who are visually impaired.
Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, but also increasingly via digital terrestrial, and streaming television. In the United States, subscription television began in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the form of encrypted analog over-the-air broadcast television which could be decrypted with special equipment. The concept rapidly expanded through the multi-channel transition and into the post-network era. Other parts of the world beyond the United States, such as France and Latin America have also offered encrypted analog terrestrial signals available for subscription.
Pink TV is Europe's second gay satellite channel, started in France on 25 October 2004, on a subscription basis, mostly funded by TF1 and Canal Plus, terrestrial channels in France. It is now possible to access Pink TV via satellite, cable and DSL providers. Highlights include Queer as Folk, as well as talkshows. There is an X-rated film four times a week after midnight, and the channel broadcasts 24 hours per day, including productions from porn studios including French Twinks. Pink X launched in 2012 a pornographic reward, the PinkX Gay Video Awards.
Red Hot TV was a series of British television channel that showcased pornographic content on a pay-per-view basis.
The Spice Networks are a group of television channels operated on a pay-per-view basis that broadcast adult and pornographic content. The channels are owned by MindGeek, but they were originally launched by Playboy Enterprises in March 1994. They are available via cable, IPTV, and satellite in over 72 countries including the United States and formerly New Zealand.
Groupe Canal+ is a French mass media company. It is owned and controlled by Vivendi and has a film library in excess of 5,000 films. Vivendi has sold some parts of Canal+ to private investors which are still using the name of Canal+. It is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, in the suburbs of Paris.
Television in France was introduced in 1931, when the first experimental broadcasts began. Colour television was introduced in October 1967 on La Deuxième Chaîne.
Television in Belgium was introduced in 1953 and began with one channel each in Dutch and French. The country is heavily cabled, with 93% of households watching television through cable as of 2003.
AB Sat is a package of digital terrestrial television channels offered by the satellite companies Hot Bird and Astra and marketed in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. The channels are all run by the cable operators and certain networks ADSL. ABSAT has a stake on two digital terrestrial television channels. The company is chaired by Michele Cotta.
In the United Kingdom, pornography is regulated by a variety of laws, regulations, judicial processes, and voluntary schemes. Pornographic material generally has to be assessed by regulators or courts to determine its legality.
Sport+ was a French pay television channel on cable and satellite owned by Canal+ and is devoted to live sports broadcasting.
'Zik was a French television channel, owned by AB Groupe.
Toute l'Histoire is a French television channel based on historical documentaries.
Ciné First was a French television channel, part of the AB Groupe which shows exclusive films, oriented towards an adult audience.
RTL9 is a French-language Luxembourgish television channel shown in Luxembourg, France, Monaco, Africa and the French-speaking regions of Switzerland.
Home Video Channel (HVC) was a British cable television service devoted to broadcast low-budget movies (such as horror, action, adventure, science fiction and erotica) from 8.00pm to midnight, and the owners also operated The Adult Channel which started on 31 January 1992.
Eutelsat 5 West A, formerly Atlantic Bird 3 was a communications satellite belonging to the operator Eutelsat. Situated at 5° West, it broadcast satellite television, radio and other digital data. Developed for France Telecom it was transferred soon after its launch to the operator Eutelsat. It entered operational service in early September 2002. Its anticipated working life was 15 years. It was decommissioned in January 2023.
SPI International is an international media company based in the Netherlands. It is owned by Canal+ Group. It operates 42 TV channels, multiple digital products across six continents, and is a major player in content distribution and broadcasting worldwide.
