Pete Smith


TBI Weekly: Key takeaways from NEM

Croatia’s New Europe Market (NEM) received over 800 participants this week, making it the event’s most successful year yet, as TV execs gathered to discuss what’s working for Central and Eastern Europe and what’s not. In case you didn’t get to make it to Dubrovnik’s sunny coastlines, here’s a round-up of the key themes at […]

Greece’s Antenna makes key appointments

Greece’s Antenna Group has restructured two roles in its management team, which it said would help support its goals both in the Greek market and internationally. Tassos Michalakis, formerly Antenna’s general commercial manager, has been named as managing director of Antenna Greence. In this new role, Michalakis will be for the company’s leading free-to-air channel, […]

Antenna Group chairman Kyriakou dies

Minos Kyriakou, the founder and chairman of Greek broadcaster Antenna Group, has passed away aged 75. He died suddenly from a heart attack, according to a statement from the Kyriakou family. Antenna owns European networks such as ANT1, TV PRVA and B92. Kyriakou, a shipping magnate, founded private station Antenna TV in 1989, and formally […]

Antenna recruits content chief

Antenna TV has hired George Pofantis as chief content officer, recruiting the programming exec from rival Greek broadcaster Alpha. Pofantis has started in the new role and Antenna said his hire is part of a wider push to drive digital content and international copros. The new recruit will work across the sourcing, development and commissioning […]

CEE players mull Netflix rival, but face challenges

Regional broadcasters face multiple challenges in launching local SVOD services in CEE, but may have an opportunity to experiment with new on-demand windows for content that is created for free-to-air broadcast, according to a panel of broadcasters at the NEM event in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Pete Smith, managing director of Greece-based pan-regional broadcaster Antenna Group, said […]

Another ex-MTG exec joins Antenna

Former Modern Times Group COO Marc Zagar has joined Greece-based broadcaster Antenna Group as CFO. Zagar joins from telecoms group Millicom, where he was group CFO and head of financial planning. Prior to that he was on Scandinavia-based MTG’s executive committee board, holding various high-level roles. Antenna is gearing up for expansion, having recently hired […]

Antenna Group adds ex-MTG exec as M&A boss

European broadcaster Antenna Group has appointed former Modern Times Group executive Gerd Utecht as head of mergers and acquisitions and investments. Utecht will oversee all deals, investments and partnerships. He joins from MTG where he led a number of major acquisitions and divestitures across the company’s footprint – most recently including its 2015 purchase of […]

Antenna Group adds ex-MTG exec as M&A boss

European broadcaster Antenna Group has appointed former Modern Times Group executive Gerd Utecht as head of mergers and acquisitions and investments. Utecht will oversee all deals, investments and partnerships. He joins from MTG where he led a number of major acquisitions and divestitures across the company’s footprint – most recently including its 2015 purchase of […]

Antenna Group partners with Vice Media

Greece-based Antenna Group has partnered with youth media brand and digital content studio Vice Media, in a deal designed to “dramatically expand” Vice’s presence across Greece and South East Europe. Vice will use media group Antenna’s position in the market to expand its distribution, offering the local audience “new ways to experience Vice content across […]

Antenna makes it Raine with strategic deal

Greece-based broadcaster Antenna Group has entered into a wide-ranging strategic partnership with media-focused merchant bank The Raine Group. The venture will see the pair explore joint initiatives to “pursue growth opportunities in new entertainment formats, emerging technology platforms, content rights and production assets”. Antenna will also become US-based Raine’s strategic partner in Europe. This closely […]