Servus TV to close

Servus TV, the Austrian free-to-air channel owned by Red Bull Media House (RBMH), is to shut down.
The channel, which operates in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has become “economically unsustainable,” according to Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz, who founded the station in 2009 following a rebrand.

“We have chosen the diligence of a prudent businessman,” said Mateschitz, adding that the channel would soon cease operation.

Sister magazine Servus in Stadt & Land has not been affected by the move, according to Mateschitz.
The news will comes as a blow to the Austrian production landscape as Servus has been pumping millions of euros into the market, with some production companies relying heavily on commissions from the channel. Only last month, Servus appointed Ferdinand Wegscheider as its new station chief.

Servus TV began life as Salzburg TV in 1995 and was initially only available in the Austrian city.
The station was sold in 2004 before Red Bull bought into the channel in 2007. It was renamed Servus TV in 2009.