In first half of 2010, private television groups regained pre-recession rates of growth. - According to the most recent report from the European Audiovisual Observatory, the business activities of the main private television groups in Europe in the first half of 2010, grew significantly compared to the first half of 2009, to reach a rate not seen since 2008. The turnover of the 12 main private television groups in Europe effectively obtained a figure of €17.6 billion in the first half of this year (the same figure was obtained in the first half of 2008) as opposed to €16.1 in the first half of 2009. The groups were mainly financed through advertising, which had been severely affected by the 2008 2009 recession but which has subsequently taken a turn for the better. The highest levels of growth were recorded by the Polish TVN group (+18.9%), Mediaset, in Italy and Spain (+16.7%), TF1 in France (+13.7%) and the British ITV group (+8.6%). A variety of disinvestment operations were also carried out in the first half of the year by certain groups in an effort to resist the crisis, explains the Observatory. Pay-TV groups were better at resisting the crisis than groups essentially financed through advertising. Their results in the first half of 2010 are, nonetheless, rather mixed, apart from BSkyB, which achieved growth of +10.2% in the first half of this year. With a turnover of £5.9 billion for the tax year 2009/2010, closing 30 June, BSkyB achieved a growth rate of +11%, with subscriptions increasing by 15%. The results from the other groups, however, did not display the same level of growth: 1) the Spanish Prisa group was still affected by the recession (-12.8% in the first half of 2010). This can be explained, above all, by a fall of -22.7% in the “Digital +” cluster. A fall of -10.6% in turnover was experienced by the Portuguese Media Capital group (TVI channels), whereas the turnover of the advertising financed Cuatro channel increased by +52.4%; 2) in the French Vivendi group, Canal+ saw its turnover in the first half of the year increase by +3,1%. This is modest growth compared to growth experienced by the whole group (+6.1%); 3) in Germany, the turnover of Sky Deutschland only increased by +1.6%. The group was barely able to develop its number of subscriptions and finding itself in a fragile financial situation, sought to reach agreements with a number of cable TV operators; 4) in Italy, the Sky Italia group announced a stable turnover for its tax year closing on 30 June this year. Here are the 12 main private television groups in Europe, according to their revenue in the first half of 2010 (with the rates of growth recorded in comparison to 2009 rates, in brackets): 1) British Sky Broadcasting Ltd (United Kingdom: turnover of €3 721 1 million (+15.2%). 2) RTL Group (Luxembourg): turnover of €2 661 0 million (+2.8%). 3) Vivendi (France): turnover of €2 327 0 million (+3.1%). 4) Gruppo Mediaset (Italy): €2 277 8 million (+16.7%). 5) ProSiebenSat. 1 Media AG (Germany): €1 419 0 million (+7.4%). 6) Groupe TF1 (France): €1 285 million (+13.7%). 7) ITV plc (United Kingdom): €1 208 5 million (+13.5%). 8) Prisa (Spain): €860 1 million (-12.8%). 9) Modem Times Group (Sweden): €776.2 million (+21.3%). 10) Sky Deutschland AG (Germany): €470 9 million (+1.6%). 11) TVN (Poland): €289 7 million (+28.0%). 12) Central European Media Enterprises (Bermuda): €281 5 million (+24.6%). (I.L./transl.fl)