The satellite platform Orange TV, launched by the Telecommunications player Orange last month, launched the international channel Fashion One (www.fashionone.com/Intl) in HD mid-June. Fashion One was launched internationally by Bigfoot Entertainment (www.bigfoot.com) in 2010.

Orange TV launched Turbo Xtra HD, part of Discovery Networks in early July. At the same time Discovery launched Discovery Science HD on Orange TV and iNES IPTV.

AXN Black (www.axn.com/) and AXN White will be launched in Romania, as well as in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Slovakia in October, replacing AXN Sci-Fi and AXN Crime.

Recently the audiovisual council approved a license for general audience channel eSTRADA TV, which will air in the southern part of Romania including Bucharest. It also withdrew the licence of Zeus TV for halting broadcasting for more than 90 days without providing the council with reasons.

Luis Lazarus, the owner of Zeus, told Mediafax press agency that small channels face a difficult situation in Romania because they are rejected by major cable and DTH companies. Zeus started broadcasting in February 2011.