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NEWS Monday 1st August to Friday 5th August 2005
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Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
| Tuesday | |||||
French
DTT tops half million
From Sotires Eleftheriou in Paris
Olivier Gerolami, the president of the French Television Numerique pour Tous action group, has said the number of DTT adapters sold has reached the 500,000 point and that 30,000 of them are tuners for use with a PC or mixed ADSL/DTT boxes.
This comes three months after DTT was launched reaching 35 percent of the population at the end of March, meaning that penetration in the area covered is 6 percent. He continued that at this rate the 600,000 point should be reached at the beginning of October and the million mark easily by the end of the year. The operators can also bank on the timetable for the deployment of new DTT transmission sites: 15 more transmitters will be put in service in September, bringing DTT potentially to an additional 3.5 million homes. The launch of a further four free channels (a children's channel, a news channel, a business channel and a music channel) during the autumn will provide added impetus for take-up.
Asked about the
impact of pay DTT on the TV market, both free and pay, Gerolami said that
cable and satellite had nothing to fear from pay DTT, as they are able to
provide a far larger number of channels. But on the other hand it is a formidable
opportunity for Canal+ to migrate its remaining 2.5 million analogue subscribers
to digital. The situation is not so happy for TPS. A major driving force for
TPS subscriptions has been the presence of the main terrestrial channels in
digital form. DTT will fill in many of the poor reception areas as well as
providing digital reception.
Back to top
In the second quarter of the year Telefonica's pay-TV ADSL service Imagenio has doubled its number of subscriptions, reaching more than 55,000 in June. The company plans to end the year with 200,000 subscribers and have 1 million in 2008. Imagenio is presently available in 140 Spanish cities covering 3.5 million homes.
To strengthen its TV offer, Imagenio is increasing the number of its pay-TV channels available. Eight new channels (Factoría de Ficción, Paramount Comedy, Nickelodeon, MTV España, VH1, Intereconomía, Operación Triunfo y Promocional) have just joined its pay-TV ADSL platform that now offers up to 48 TV channels. Imagenio claims to have the first real Video on demand service, called Videoclub, with a catalogue of more than 300 cinema titles.
The company is
also marketing a new set-top-box that is also able to receive DTT channels.
Back to top
The family saga of the News Corp succession continues to occupy the world press. Apparently, Rupert Murdoch's four adult children are considering offering the 74-year-old's two younger children an equal share of the wealth from the family's $6bn stake in News Corp. However, the adult children are resisting changing the trust to allow Murdoch's daughters from his third marriage, to share voting control.
Tension over the inheritance allegedly contributed to the resignation Lachlan, eldest son. James, the younger brother, and chief executive of BSkyB, signalled he had no plans to follow suit. "My hope and intention is to be here for the long term," he told journalists. Lawyers said it was unlikely its structure would be changed to give Murdoch's two toddler daughters with Wendi Deng, his third wife, control over voting shares. However, they said a separate agreement that distributed any proceeds of the trust equally among the six children was being discussed.
Lachlan, who
was deputy chief operating officer and will remain on the board, will receive
a cash pay-out of his 2005 salary and bonus, worth up to $7m. Murdoch and
his adult children control more than 90 per cent of the family's 29.5 per
cent voting stake in News Corp.
Back to top
Denmark's largest telco has upgraded its full-year earnings forecast after it posted a strong gain in second-quarter net income on the back of higher revenues and a substantial influx of new customers.
The Danish company's performance contrasted with that of TeliaSonera, its Swedish-Finnish rival which saw a sharp drop in interim earnings. "We are satisfied that we have been able to maintain the growth in our earnings and at the same time increase our customer base in the strategically important areas of broadband and mobile services," said Henning Dyremose, TDC's chief executive.
For the three
months ended June 30, TDC's net income advanced 42 per cent to DKr1.37bn ($225m)
while net revenues increased 8.5 per cent to DKR11.69bn. Operating income,
or Ebitda, gained 7.3 per cent to DKR3.29bn, due to growth in TDC's mobile
as well as landline divisions.
Back to top
In Demand Network, a provider of video-on-demand programming to cable TV systems, said it had obtained the right to air a video version of popular shock jock Howard Stern's radio broadcasts.
Under the exclusive
three-year deal, In Demand will produce and televise Stern's show, beginning
with his remaining shows while he is still broadcasting on Viacom's Infinity
radio system, and continuing with those filmed once the show moves in January
to Sirius Satellite Radio. Viewers will have to pay a monthly fee to their
cable operator to watch the shows.
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The Commission is about to launch 276 new research projects in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) with E1 billion in EU funding. This is the result of the fourth Information Society Technology Call for Proposals under the EU's Sixth Research Framework Programme. This EU contribution is one of the largest totals awarded as the result of a single Call for Proposals in the history of EU research.
"Investment into research in Information and Communication Technologies is our best-bet contribution to growth and jobs", said Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. "However, Europe continues to under-invest considerably into ICT research for lack of sufficient resources both at EU level and at national level. Today, half the ICT research projects proposed for EU funding have had to be turned down, despite meeting all the requisite quality criteria. If Europe wants to be part of the game of global competition for better ICT services, we need to step up our resources considerably."
Over 1,300 proposals were submitted in response to the 4th Information Society Technology Call for Proposals under the EU's Sixth Research Framework Programme. 462 proposals met the quality criteria, of which 276 were retained.
They include
micro and nano-electronics, mobile communications and broadband technology
for accessing the Internet. In broadband, research funding has been an incentive
for European equipment manufacturers to make, over the past years, Internet
access in Europe faster and cheaper, thanks to optical fibre network technology
and low-cost Advanced Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) access modems.
Back to top
New regulations proposed by the Chinese government would keep additional foreign satellite broadcasters from entering the market and would strengthen restrictions on foreign television programs, books, newspapers and theatre performances, all in an effort to tighten control over the country's culture.
The regulations
were announced by the Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Culture and four
other regulators. They spell out what parts of China's government are responsible
for overseeing what parts of the media and entertainment industry, and they
promise to make it more difficult for foreign companies to bring in books,
the Internet and video games, and performing acts at a time when many multinationals
are turning to China for growth.
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YooMedia the interactive media group, has launched the UK's first mobile phone video dating service in association with 3, the UK's leading third-generation network operator. The service, operated by YooMedia's Dateline subsidiary, will be available to the entire 3 customer base, which is currently 3.2 million subscribers.
The Dateline 3G service enables mobile subscribers to find a prospective partner using the power of video through a simple and intuitive user interface on a mobile handset. The mobile video service is the latest in the Dateline product portfolio, which includes services for Internet, Interactive TV, IVR and mobile SMS and MMS - all tied into a large database of active single people and a sophisticated matching system.
Dateline 3G allows
mobile users to create a sign-up, create a profile and to review prospective
partners through their mobile phone. The service is designed to fit the particular
operability of mobile phones by providing very simple navigation, timely updates,
and content packaged in small clips.
Back to top
Danish TRIAX
has taken over the multimedia companies in the Hirschmann Group.
Hirschmann Multimedia employs 120 persons. After the acquisition Triax will
have approx. 600 employees.
"We are
proud of the cooperation with Hirschman who are known as an international
leader in their core areas, and we have great expectations from the future
partnership" says Jørgen Nederby, managing director of TRIAX.
Back
to top
Murdoch
"in for long term" as Sky delivers record results
From Colin Mann in London
British Sky Broadcasting has reported a sharp increase in profits, up 32 per cent at £425 million (E614 million). Operating profits rose 34 per cent to £805 million in the 12 months to the end of June. Net DTH subscriber growth of 83,000 took the overall DTH subscriber level to almost 7.8 million
Chief executive officer James Murdoch – whose continued role at the helm of the satellite broadcaster has been questioned following the shock resignation of elder brother Lachlan as Deputy COO at News Corp – told analysts and specialist press that while he only had a one-year rolling contract, and did not wish to presume the Board's discretion, said he intended to remain "for the long term. I'm fully committed to the job in hand."
Murdoch said the figures indicated that BSkyB was well on course to reach its aim of eight million subscribers by the end of this year. "I'm delighted with these results in a competitive, dynamic market place. There's a lot of headwind out there," he added.
Confirming BSkyB's
intention to launch a high-definition TV service in early 2006, Murdoch said
he was encouraged by research that indicated up to 10 million flat panel TV
sets would be bought by the end of the decade to replace cathode ray tube
sets. "we'd like to piggy-back on that growth," he admitted.
Back to top
Time Warner and its auditor are to pay $2.5 billion to settle securities fraud litigation. Time Warner (Research) will pay $2.4 billion, while its auditor, Ernst & Young, is to pay $100 million. The money will be paid to shareholders who purchased or acquired shares of America Online or Time Warner between Jan. 27, 1999 and Aug. 27, 2002. TW has increased its reserves related to the litigation by $3 billion.
The company has already announced a separate $300 million settlement of civil charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as a $210 million settlement of a Justice Department probe over charges that AOL improperly inflated its advertising revenue beginning in mid-2000 and inflated its Internet subscriber numbers in 2001.
"Reaching an agreement in principle to settle this securities litigation and reserving for it and all other related matters mark important steps toward putting these matters behind us," Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons said. "By working to resolve these issues now, we're aiming to avoid the costs, risks and distractions of protracted litigation. Even after considering the reserve, our balance sheet remains strong."
The settlement is among the top five securities fraud class-action settlements ever and millions of shareholders will benefit from the settlement, according to the class action plaintiffs attorney.
Meanwhile, earnings
fell at Time Warner as the media conglomerate missed Wall Street forecasts.
The company earned about $850 million, excluding special items including the
increased reserves for litigation. That's down from $882 million it earned
on that basis a year earlier. Taking into account special items -inclduing
the litigation settlement it reported a net loss of $321 million. Revenue
slipped to $10.7 billion compared with $10.9 billion a year earlier.
Back to top
The company says that continued momentum in the retail and automotive OEM distribution channels, and expectations of strong consumer demand for Sirius' exclusive programming - like the second year of NFL football, Martha Stewart Living Radio and the arrival of Howard Stern - are reasons why Sirius has revised its outlook on 2005.
Sirius reported
Q2 revenue of $52.2 million, a 295 percent increase over the $13.2 million
reported for the same quarter last year. Average monthly churn during the
second quarter of 2005 was "astonishingly low" at 1.4 percent. The
company reported subscriber acquisition costs (SAC) per gross subscriber addition
of $160, a 32 percent improvement over 2004 Q2 SAC of $234.
Back to top
Shares in TeliaSonera dropped four per cent as the Nordic region's largest telco reported a slump in interim profits after intense competition depressed prices in its home markets of Finland and Sweden. The company, which earlier this year launched a cost-cutting programme aimed at saving up to SKr6bn a year, said the market situation necessitated the implementation of "additional measures" to make further savings.
Second-quarter
net profit came in at SKr2.42bn ($315m), a 30 per cent decline on the SKr3.47bn
recorded in the corresponding period of 2004. Net sales rose 6.5 per cent
to SKr21.75bn, mainly due to acquisitions and divestments, the company said.
The migration of fixed-line customers to Internet and mobile telephony, combined
with intense competition and lower prices, dragged the overall result lower.
Back to top
The Canal+ Group is celebrating the award by European football governing body UEFA of exclusive pay-TV broadcasting rights for Champions League football action until 2009.
As well as showing
live coverage of one main match on Canal+, the broadcaster will also make
other games available on a pay-per-view basis on its Kiosque service.
Back to top
Broadband surfers
in the USA watch two fewer hours of television per week than do those without
Internet access, while those using a dial-up connection watch 1.5 fewer hours
of TV. The data come from a Forrester Research study that uses what it calls
the longest-running survey of its kind, counting nearly 69,000 people in the
U.S. and Canada as participants.
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Court TV has
a new partnership with mobile video provider SmartVideo.which provides live,
full-motion TV to cellular phones. Viewers will have access to Court TV News'
content live from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Court TV said the deal, which marks its first
foray into the mobile video market, is part of its strategy to attract younger
viewers.
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Mobile phone music downloads could overtake the internet as the most popular medium before the year is out, a global record industry lobby group has predicted. In its 12th annual global report released yesterday, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said 3G technology would drive the growth of digital music downloads to mobiles.
The $500m the
record industry derived from worldwide downloads last year was split evenly
between mobiles and the Internet. As 90% of the population in markets like
the UK have a mobile, compared with 10% who own a digital music player, the
IFPI expects phone downloads to soon outstrip the Internet.
Back to top
Widevine Technologies announced that Jim Veres has joined as the VP of Advanced Engineering.
"With more
than 20 years of engineering management experience, Jim brings immense value
to the Widevine team," said Glenn Morten, CTO and VP of Engineering at
Widevine. "His expertise and knowledge in executing strategic relationships
with chipset manufacturers and influencing open standards bodies will be integral
to expanding Widevine's content security leadership position and securing
devices beyond traditional set top boxes and PVRs." Jim comes from Microsoft
Corp., where he was a DirectX Group Manager in the Windows Operating System
division.
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Entone Technologies, a lprovider of personal video content delivery solutions, announced that Telewest, has selected and deployed its StreamLiner network video recorder (NVR) scheduled playout solution to deliver the Barker Channel for its TV-on-demand service, Teleport.
Scheduled to launch to more than a million digital TV customers nationwide by early 2006, Teleport already offers 26,000 viewers in the Cotswolds a choice of hundreds of popular movies and TV programmes. Using Entone's video server platform, the Barker Channel delivers interactive promotional trailers of available and soon-to-be available films, allowing viewers to make impulse selections of VOD titles for immediate viewing.
The Teleport
Barker Channel is delivered as a single and continuous output from video servers.
The Entone StreamLiner solution supports play-out of any pre-encoded content
preset by the operator.
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Cartoon Network will be the first TV channel to commission new technology that can accurately measure the use of free advertiser-sponsored iTV and eTV applications. Cartoon Network UK, part of Turner Broadcasting, has just launched the innovative technology and is analysing the results.
Turner Broadcasting UK's New Media and Research teams commissioned Two-Way TV to develop the technology in response to feedback from advertisers concerned about the lack of industry standard figures for free interactive games and activities. Paid-for applications will charge the user via a telephone call, resulting in a log of the total user sessions. However the use of free-to-play applications involve no such call, making them notoriously difficult to measure and provide accountability to advertisers.
Cartoon Network
and Two-Way TV resolved this issue through a ‘Toll Application' that
launches seconds before the viewer's chosen application. It calls a free telephone
number, which then logs the interactive session on Two Way TV's Ark system
with data being available to Turner instantaneously via online reporting.
The result is that Turner's channels (Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Toonami,
TCM and CNN) are the only channels in the TV market where free-to-use interactive
content is accurately measured.
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Alcatel and Amdocs announced a deal designed to address the requirements of communications service providers (CSPs) looking to deploy IPTV and other next generation broadband IP services.
Through this arrangement, the two companies will work to deliver a joint end-to-end solution that will allow CSPs to offer "triple play" bundles of voice, data and video services, making deployments faster and easier, and reducing operational costs.
The two companies
are moving forward to integrate the Amdocs IP Convergence Solution for IPTV
with Alcatel's broad suite of IPTV offerings to ensure seamless connectivity
and interoperability between platforms, leveraging each other's functionality
across the solutions. The two companies will also create a joint architectural
map and service offerings, and plan to engage in joint sales and marketing
efforts.
Back to top
Comcast Corporation has reported results for the quarter ended June 30, with revenue Increased 10.5% to $5.6 billion and operating cash flow Increased 13.2% to $2.2 billion
Brian Roberts,
Chairman and CEO of Comcast said, "this is our 20th consecutive quarter
reporting double-digit operating cash flow growth and, at 40.8%, cable_s Operating
Cash Flow margins are the highest in 2 1/2 years. Operating income increased
23.2% to $1.0 billion. We are extending our competitive advantage with industry-leading
products. In video, we are continuing to expand our ON DEMAND, HDTV and DVR
offerings. We also recently announced a 50% increase in the speed of our high-speed
Internet service - now 6 megabits per second - and continue to deliver a growing
array of valuable enhancements and features like security and online gaming.
Our strategy of product innovation and differentiation is working – we
added 1.1 million revenue generating units during the first six months of
this year - more than we did in the first half of last year."
"We believe Comcast Digital Voice will be the next engine for growth and are ramping up the rollout of this service in markets like Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Boston, Hartford, Chicago and Portland. We are track to extend our offering to 15 million homes in 20 markets by year-end. "
Comcast Cable
added 284,000 new digital customers in the second quarter of 2005 and with
more than 9.1 million subscribers, digital cable penetration reached 42.6%
of basic subscribers. Basic subscribers are essentially unchanged from a year
ago at 21.4 million.
Back to top
The shareholders of iesy and Tele Columbus Kabel Holding GmbH have formally agreed to combine their two businesses. Tele Columbus is the largest Network Level 4 operator in Germany and iesy is the largest cable television provider in the German states of Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Parm Sandhu, CEO of iesy and ish, commented: "This combination will enhance our ability to compete in the vibrant markets in which we operate. It brings together two of the most dynamic cable operations and established management teams in German cable. We anticipate significant benefits for our customers and will continue to work closely with all our industry partners to realise the full potential of cable in Germany."
Dr Herbert Leifker, CEO of Tele Columbus, added: "The combination will positively influence the development of our product portfolio we can offer to our customers and enhance the quality of services we provide to our customers. The management team is very excited about the opportunities that this transaction brings to German cable."
The transaction
is subject to regulatory approval.
Back to top
According to the half yearly results of the Iliad group, parent company of ISP Free, the number of its ADSL subscribers reached 1.36 million to 30 June 2005, an increase of 24 percent from the end of 2004. Iliad says that in spite of strong competition from France Telecom’s Wanadoo, Free has consolidated its position with its triple play (broadband, telephony, IPTV) service at E30 per month.
Free has also
continued its unbundling of the local loop. At the end of June 2005, Free
had unbundled 883,000 subscribers, or 67.1 percent of its subscribers. Finally,
1.18 million subscribers are equipped with a Freebox, Free's integrated triple
play modem, as of 30 June. 130,000 of these have taken up a pay TV option
using IPTV.
Turnover in the first six months of this year was E337.8 million. "Value
added services" brought in E27.5 million in the first half of this year,
compared to E13.5 million for the whole of 2004. This refers to the telephone
and pay-TV services and works out to E4.7 per subscriber per month. Earlier
this year Free increased its tariff to calling mobile phones.
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News Corporation is said to be considering an investment in the Ren TV station owned by Severstal, the Russian steelmaker. Any such deal would mark its most significant foray into Russia to date. Ren TV has long been considered as one of the country's most independent TV stations and has a reach of nearly 100 million viewers across Russia.
However, the
channel changed hands last month, raising question marks about its future
direction. Severstal, which became Ren TV's main shareholder after buying
a 70% stake, is run by Alexei Mordashov, an oligarch who is seen as being
loyal to President Putin. The remainder of the TV business is owned by German-owned
media firm RTL.
Back to top
TiVo has agreed a deal to provide DVR equipment and service to customers of the more than 1,100 member companies of the National Cable Television Cooperative.
The NCTC will serve as a middleman between TiVo and the operators. Until now, customers of those operators who wanted TiVo service have had to buy the equipment and service and install it themselves.
"This gives
us the opportunity to work with these cable operators as one single point
of contact and make the TiVo service available to them in a way that was difficult
for us before," said Joe Miller, vice president of sales and distribution
for TiVo.
Back to top
Private Media Group a leading provider of adult entertainment products, announced an agreement with MindMatics AG, one of the global leaders in mobile messaging and data services, to market Private's content to over 220 million mobile phone customers across the European Market.
The deal will initially take Private's content into Germany, Austria, Switzerland,
UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and France, with further territories to follow.
The initiative will offer a standardised service at an international level
that will take Private's premium content to mobile customers and leverage
Private Media Group's huge existing client base and Internet traffic to drive
new mobile customers to the service.
A second phase
of the initiative will see extension into Private Media Group's print and
broadcast media platforms to reach the company's full customer base. The driving
technology will be "mCMS", a Mobile Content Management System developed
by MindMatics, for this range of products. The mCMS ensures, among other things,
that content is displayed on different mobile handsets in the best possible
way, and, furthermore, allows flexible updating, positioning and reporting
of all offers.
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Former presidential candidate Al Gore’s Current TV, has debuted on Channel 103 of Time Warner Cable. The channel is aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 34. It is political he has said, only in the broadest terms. It aims to get young people engaged in the world around them and to democratise television by getting them to submit their own work. Current TV attempts to break new ground.
Instead of programming in conventional 30 minutes or one hour shows, the segments last anywhere from between three minutes and 10 minutes. The programmes are called "pods". The pieces are shown in differing order throughout the day, designed to appeal to channel-surfing youngsters. Some of the pods are produced in-house, some commissioned and some submitted by viewers and shown either uncut or in edited form.
In another instance
of politics intruding, a "trivia" fact appears on screen asking
what industry spends the most on lobbying congress? Answer, the pharmaceutical
industry. The heavy-handed touch of a youth marketing agency has also left
its fingerprints. As well as the brevity of the segments, there are constant
graphics on screen, presenters are shot at oblique angles and their babble
is patronizing: "Watching that makes me realise that we're not that much
different from the young people in Iran," the presenter piped in after
the piece from Tehran.
Back to top
Intelsat said
Hughes Network Systems will use the newly launched IA-8 satellite to support
its DIRECWAY broadband satellite service across North America. HNS will use
multiple Ku-Band transponders on IA-8 to support enterprise, SOHO and consumer
offerings, and will begin serving new customers using IA-8 capacity now that
the satellite is operational, Intelsat said.
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Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer could be forced to pay more than A$1bn damages and disband their Australian pay-television monopoly if they lose a court case mounted by their rival. Kerry Stokes, owner of Seven Network, alleges that they colluded in bids for Australian rules football broadcast rights in a deliberate attempt to destroy his fledgling pay-TV sports channel.
As joint shareholders
in Foxtel, Murdoch and Packer have a vested interest in locking out competition.
Foxtel has a virtual monopoly in pay-TV in Australia after it agreed to share
programming with its rival Optus three years ago. Murdoch and Packer each
own a 25% stake in Foxtel. Telstra, the country's largest telecommunications
firm, owns the remainder.
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Telecoms equipment
makers stand to gain US$9 billion from the infrastructure upgrading taking
place in China’s 3G market from the years 2006 to 2009, as the industry
makes its transition to 3G technology. It is projected that for 2007 alone,
equipment makers stand to gain approximately US$4 billion, according to the
latest report from Pyramid Research, a communications and IT consulting and
research firm.
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Darren Childs,
formerly Senior Vice President, International Networks for Sony Pictures Television
International (SPTI), will lead the further expansion of the international
channels business of BBC Worldwide, the UK's leading player in the global
TV broadcast industry. The channels business has been identified as one of
the key areas for growth by the BBC Worldwide Board.
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to top
ONO and partners secure Auna cable
Spain's Ono and a consortium of private equity partners have agreed to pay E2.5bn for the cable assets of Auna in a deal that will create a fixed-line rival to Telefónica.
The long-expected deal includes private equity groups JPMorgan Partners, Providence, Quadrangle and Thomas H. Lee Partners. It follows the earlier announcement of the E10.6bn purchase by France Telecom of Amena, Auna's mobile business.
Auna, with a
fibre-optic network covering nearly 10,000km in Madrid, Barcelona and much
of Spain's north and south-east, completes the national footprint with Ono's
15,000km of infrastructure in the east and south-west of the country. The
two companies have been courting each other for more than a year. In November
ONO rebuffed a E2.4bn approach from Auna. In the first quarter this year,
Ono reported a 16 per cent year-on-year rise in customers. Together, the companies
have a potential reach of more than 6m Spanish homes, or 40 per cent of the
total.
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Spain's pay-TV
giant Sogecable will launch its commercial TV channel, Cuatro, in the Autumn,
following the Government's approval to the change of the pay-TV Canal Plus
into a free-to-air network. Cuatro will use the same analogue frequency as
Canal Plus.
Cuatro will offer a schedule based on "entertainment, quality and innovation",
according to the company. The new commercial TV channel will have to broadcast
24 hours per day before the end of the year. The Government set other conditions
for its approval including limiting its acquisition of sports and film rights
and obliging the company to migrate Canal Plus' analogue subscribers to digital
without any extra cost.
Private broadcaster Tele 5 and cable operators will challenge Government's
decision to allow the launch of FTA Canal Plus and say they will take the
case to Spanish and internationl Courts.
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The Berlin-based publisher is in talks to take control of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, Germany's largest private broadcaster, say local press reports. The deal would put Springer – publisher of Germany's biggest selling newspaper – toe to toe with Bertelsmann which owns RTL Group and Gruner & Jahr, Europe's biggest magazine publisher.
Springer is said
to be in discussions with the private-equity investors who control ProSiebenSat.1,
led by U.S. billionaire Haim Saban, about raising its stake or buying the
broadcaster.
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Nokia has announced that Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo will take over as chief executive next year when Jorma Ollila steps down. Kallasvuo will first become president and chief operating officer in October of this year, then take over as chief executive in June 2006 from Ollila, who will move to the position of non-executive chairman.
Kallasvuo currently
heads Nokia's Mobile Phones business group and was formerly chief financial
officer.
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PCCW's pay-television service NOW Broadband TV has secured exclusive Hong Kong rights for movie channels HBO, Cinemax and Star Movies. All these channels are currently are aired by rival i-Cable Communications. The company has signed new contracts with content providers Star Group and HBO Asia Pacific.
Beginning in
September, Star will provide 11 movie and entertainment channels under a contract
that runs until 2011. HBO will deliver at least three new movie channels starting
next August in a deal that lasts until 2014. In addition, NOW TV has the option
to pick up additional channels now under development by the two big content
providers. The new channels will eventually bring NOW TV's total offering
to 70. NOW has around 400,000 subscribers while i-Cable has more than 700,000
subscribers.
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Infonetics Research
predicts WiMax equipment sales will grow almost tenfold this year, generating
$124.5m, compared to $16.4m in 2004. Infonetics believes WiMax will start
to make its way onto mobiles and other portable devices from around 2007,
when the standards are signed off and hardware makers start to include WiMax
capabilities on their devices.
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Executives at NBC Universal have in recent weeks been discussing the prospect of acquiring DreamWorks for as much as $1 billion or more. The studio was founded 11 years ago by Hollywood moguls Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen.
DreamWorks was
founded in 1994 as a multimedia entertainment company with plans to produce
new music, movies and television content. But it has since sold off its music
operations and significantly scaled back TV production.
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MTV Networks has partnered with mobile messaging firm mBlox, to offer premium SMS services and mobile marketing campaigns to its US audience. The platform will immediately enable multiple mobile applications and services for MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, CMT, Spike and Logo channels.
The initial services
launching on the new platform include cross-carrier mobile voting, polling,
and sweepstakes. Nicholas Lehman, SVP strategy and operations, digital music
and media at MTV Networks, said: "With our new mobile platform and a
team in place that specializes in mobile marketing, we can manage wireless
campaigns much more efficiently, support our advertisers in this space, and
entertain consumers with the best in mobile content."
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As part of the
agreement, BT will utilise the latest Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS)
technology to provide a high quality transmission network from 31 racecourses
throughout the UK. The bespoke network will enable RaceTech to deliver live
race meetings from as far a field as Ayr in Scotland and Bangor in Wales,
with all the content switched and monitored from the International Media Centre,
BT Tower, London.
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News Corp deputy chief operating officer Lachlan Murdoch has resigned his executive roles with the company. The shock move came in a statement issued by Murdoch's father, News Corporation chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch.
Lachlan had been chairman of News Corp's US television business and of News Limited, the parent company of the group's Australian operations. He also has management responsibility for publisher HarperCollins and for News America Marketing, News Corp's inserts business.
Lachlan Murdoch will remain a director of News Corporation and will advise the company in a number of areas. The statement quoted him as saying that he was excited about his continued involvement, and would return to Australia to his family in the very near future. "I would like especially to thank my father for all he has taught me in business and in life," he said. "It is now time for me to apply those lessons to the next phase of my career."
His departure from an executive role means that only one of Murdoch's three grown-up offspring – James – remains in such a capacity at a News Corp owned or subsidiary company. Elisabeth Murdoch left her role as MD of Sky Networks mid-2000; James took over as CEO of BSkyB in November 2003.
After Elisabeth's
departure, Lachlan and James looked increasingly likely to take key roles
in succession to their father as at the head of News Corp., owner of BSkyB.
Rupert Murdoch had signalled in 1999 that his chosen successor within the
family would be the then 29-year-old Lachlan. Now James looks to have moved
ahead in the succession stakes.
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Spain's Government has approved an important package of measures that will reshape the Spanish TV market in the coming months.
A cabinet meeting has approved a new DTT Technical Plan that paves the way for the launch this Autumn of a free-to-air DTT platform with 21 channels. The new DTT rule sets April 2010 as the deadline for the analogue switch-off (two years earlier than initially expected) and allocate the DTT frequencies.
Until 2010, state
broadcaster RTVE - which will lead the platform, playing a similar role to
the BBC in the UK - will operate six channels; private broadcasters (Antena
3 TV, Tele 5 and Canal Plus), three DTT channels each; digital operators Net
TV and Veo TV and the new analogue channel, two each. When digital migration
is completed, will operate one multiplex (four channels), except for RTVE
with two.
The Government has also decided to open the commercial TV market up to a new
entrant by approving the launch of a new analogue TV channel, with a coverage
of around 70 per cent of Spain. The licence will be awarded through a public
tender before the end of 2005. The new channel will have to be in operation
six months after licence award, broadcasting at least 12 hours per day and
covering 20 per cent of the population.
The cabinet meeting also agreed to allow pay-TV operator Sogecable to turn
its pay-TV channel into a free-to-air service, although it has imposed several
conditions on the acquisition of football and movie rights. The new FTA Canal
Plus will be also obliged to broadcast 24 hours before December 2005.
Finally, the Government has approved legislation - now to be passed by the
Parliament - that will reform public television, establishing a new legal
and financial framework for state-owned RTVE. The aim is to put an end to
the chaotic financial situation of the group and turn it into a politically
independent company.
Accordingly,
the general director of the group will no longer be appointed by the Government,
but by the RTVE's board of directors (10 members named by the Parliament,
the Senate and trade unions). RTVE's management will be carefully controlled
by the Parliament and by a yet-to-be formed Audiovisual Council.
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Poker fans will soon be able to play their favourite game on television as the result of a new partnership between interactive media group YooMedia, and The Poker Channel. From 15 August, YooMedia will provide a red-button link from The Poker Channel to a Poker Channel-branded, interactive television, fixed-odds gaming portal, which will include games such as Backroom Poker, Roulette, Virtual Trackside and Spin to Win.
Poker Channel
viewers in digital satellite homes will now be able to register through The
Poker Channel to play games for fun or for real on a whole host of iTV fixed-odds
games formats. The Poker Channel will be running break-bumpers and promos
in the channel schedule and there will be a 24/7 red-button prompt from the
broadcast stream.
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Nokia and Latvijas
Mobilais Telefons (Latvia Mobile Telephone, LMT) have signed an agreement
for the supply of WCDMA 3G network equipment, continuing Nokia's long-term
role in the development of LMT's mobile network. The initial service has been
launched, paving the way for LMT to offer commercial 3G services such as video
call and video sharing.
Nokia's system is currently providing 3G coverage for the Latvian capital
Riga and will to be expanded to suburban areas and beyond beginning in 2006.
Nokia has already provided equipment the initial deployment, with additional
deliveries underway for further network ramp up.
"The launch of our 3G service demonstrates LMT's commitment to bringing
exciting data services to our market," said Jevgenijs Busarovs, Vice
President for Technologies Latvia Mobile Telephone. "We see 3G as a crucial
step in fulfilling the demand of our customers for the most advanced services
on the market."
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Vivendi Universal has reported sustained recovery, declaring a 9 per cent increase in first-half sales.
The group's mobile unit SFR, France's second-biggest mobile operator behind Orange, recorded an increase in revenues of 22 per cent in the first half to €4.2 billion.
Revenues at Canal+,
its pay-TV and films unit, were "stable" at €1.7 billion in
the first half.
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PRCDirect, Ltd and Tokyo-based D&M Holdings Inc. have signed a licensing and service agreement to deliver interactive TV data and DVR services in China accessed over the Internet. Under terms of the agreement, D&M Holdings will receive a minority equity position in PRCDirect.
PRCDirect provides electronic programme guide (EPG) datafeed and viewer data services to China's Internet, broadcast and communications industries.
The two companies
plan interactive digital television information delivery and device management
services targeting China's 700 million television viewers, 350 million mobile
subscribers and 100 million Internet users. The agreement includes delivery
of similar services to broadcast and communications companies in Hong Kong,
Macau, Singapore, and Taiwan.
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In a deal that
underlines interactive TV specialist Two Way TV's (TWTV) plans to deploy its
Simcast services worldwide, the company's mobile-to-TV Simcast technology
is to be rolled out by international broadcaster and channel distributor Zone
Vision.
Zone Vision will become sales and marketing agents for TWTV and will play
a crucial role in developing its presence in Eastern Europe, Russia and the
former Soviet Republics. TWTV's chief executive Jean de Fougerolles, said
that these territories were very important markets for TWTV.
Zone Vision Networks is a powerful player in the Eastern European markets
and is a subsidiary of chellomedia, owned by Liberty Global Inc Zone Vision
represents over 30 international channels, including MTV, Discovery, CNN and
Hallmark.
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BBTV use NDS's
Synamedia software suite at the head-end and NDS smart cards for use
in subscriber set-top boxes (STB). BBTV will initially be offered across 47
prefectures in
Japan and will give customers IPTV plus more than 5200 video titles on demand.
Ken Miyauchi,
president of BB Cable Corporation said the launch was another step ensuring
SOFTBANK Group's domination of the broadband multi-service mix of broadband
Internet, IP telephony and IPTV."
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SBS Broadcasting reported a strong quarter with a solid revenue gain. Revenue at the Luxembourg-based TV and radio operator was up 30 per cent to €243.6 million, while net income dropped 21 per cent, spurred by a one-time debt-extinguishment cost. "We continue to produce solid operating results and strong cash flow across our asset base," said CEO Markus Tellenbach.
"Our strong
performance during the second quarter was highlighted by the improved operating
results of our television stations in Hungary, Sweden and Norway as we benefited
from new programming initiatives and improving advertising markets. We also
benefited from recent strategic investments, including our C More and Romanian
acquisitions and the launch of our new digital entertainment services."
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Digital home software developer Meedio has unveiled the Meedio TV digital video recorder application which it plans to make available for a one-time fee of only $39.99 (E32.99). Meedio TV allows consumers to watch, pause, rewind, schedule and record live television broadcasts using their PC and remote control.
Meedio TV runs
on Microsoft Windows XP computers and uses a TV tuner to enable users to watch,
pause, rewind, and record live television broadcasts. Meedio TV also includes
a free subscription to an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) which allows users
to browse, search, and schedule upcoming broadcasts up to ten days in advance.
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Independent UK format creator Talent Television is to produce ‘How Euro Are You?', a new, current affairs format for BBC Two. The 90-minute programme will be an interactive polling event, designed to reveal the extent and range of attitudes towards Europe and knowledge of all things European amongst the UK population.
Tony Humphreys,
Talent TV's Managing Director, said the new interactive polling event built
on the skill and expertise the company had built up during the long-running
‘Test the Nation' series. "This commission demonstrates our continued
progress in developing and owning original formats and programming,"
he added. The BBC has shown its commitment to ‘Test the Nation' by commissioning
the interactive event show up to 2006.
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UK digital TV
company enteraction tv has appointed Stephen Davidson as Chairman of its board.
Davidson was formerly Chief Executive of cable operator Telewest Communications.
Chief Executive of enteraction tv Mark Cullen said that Davidson's leadership
and advice would be invaluable as the company worked to capitalise on a number
of significant opportunities. Davidson suggested that the company had "outstanding
growth prospects" and the challenge now was to ensure that that this
position of strength was exploited.
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