The new channel was originally scheduled to launch in the third quarter of 2009, but the financial crisis forced a change of plans.

Costi Mocanu, General Manager of Pro TV S.A. (www.protv.ro), said the ad market has dropped with 30% in 2009, but it is expected to grow slowly in 2010, due to the rise of the GDP, especially in the second half of the year.

Pro TV, which celebrated its 14th anniversary on December 1, had its best year in 2008, with an EBITDA (operational profit) of $111.7 million and transactions of $274 million. The operational profit dropped 64% and transactions dropped by 40% in 2009, Mocanu said.

However, the company -- which includes Pro TV, Acasă TV (www.acasatv.ro), Pro Cinema (www.procinema.ro), Pro TV Internaţional (www.protvi.ro), Sport.ro and MTV (www.mtv.ro)-- is still a a leader on the local market.