EUX.TV, the European policy news channel, marked its fifth anniversary this week in a setting of continued subscriber growth and with an overall upbeat outlook for online video in the EU policy arena.

“We’ve persevered and we’re still here after five years,“ said Raymond Frenken, the Dutch business journalist who in 2006 left his job as EU Correspondent for CNBC Europe to become an entrepreneur and launch EUX.TV. Over the last 5 years, EUX.TV has positioned itself as a private sector media initiative that reports on key European policy developments with reports, interviews and live updates. The channel also selects relevant news footage from the large volumes of public video made available on a daily basis by the European Union’s institutions.

“The start of EUX.TV was difficult,” Frenken said. “Back in 2006, online video was not yet a mature technology. Many of our potential viewers could not watch our video clips because institutional firewalls were blocking our programs. Managing a webtv platform was extremely labour-intensive. However, this early mover experience has allowed EUX.TV to become a real expert in online video. And thanks to our partnerships with YouTube in 2007 and with EurActiv last year, we’ve managed to turn it into a sustainable business.”

Since May 2010, EUX.TV is a service offered by EurActiv EUX.TV Video SPRL, a Brussels-based joint venture with EurActiv PLC headquartered in the UK. The venture generates revenue from video production services for EurActiv.com, for EUX.TV and for other clients in the private and public sectors. EurActiv EUX.TV Video SPRL has its own studio and production facilities in the EurActiv Network’s Brussels office, housed in the International Press Centre, just behind the European Commission’s Berlaymont headquarters.

"Raymond was an early innovator with EUX.TV. He is one of the best producers in EU circles,” said Christophe Leclercq, Founder and Publisher of EurActiv.com. “His skills deserved a greater platform, which is why EUX.TV joined the EurActiv family and we helped to double its team. We are delighted to provide its editorial videos to our readers and its video production packages to our clients."

EUX.TV has been particularly successful as a YouTube Partner Channel (http://www.youtube.com/euxtv), generating more than 14 million video views since it was created. That’s almost as much as the European Commission’s EUTube channel. EUX.TV is currently adding several hundred new subscribers per month and has attracted more than 8000 subscribers so far. 

EUX.TV’s content mix of reports, interviews, news videos and speeches can also be accessed via the http://eux.tv website, via EurActiv.com and via Dailymotion, a European online video platform.

Media contacts:

Raymond Frenken, +32 (0)472.457.269, Raymond.frenken@eux.tv

Dominique Ostyn, Senior Manager Communication & New Media: +32(0)2.788.36.88, communication@EurActiv.com 

Christophe Leclercq, Publisher, EurActiv.com, +32(0)2.226.58.13, publisher@EurActiv.com

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