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Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
Tuesday
Friday 2nd December 2005
French CNN go ahead
Superbanda: ADSL pay-TV in Spain
FastWeb sale?
Ofcom imposes unbundled charge
Terrestrial mobile debut in Korea
ITV, BBC team for digital promo
US cable prices reflect competition
Broadcom sees big hand held market
QUALCOMM MediaFLO for Verizon
Anting for C More
Jones leaves 3
Mobile TV for cars
Nordic become Sirius
French CNN go ahead
From Sotires Eleftheriou in ParisThe French international news channel, provisionally called CII, has been given the go ahead after three years of discussion. The culture minister announced that the contracts had been signed between the French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and TF1 and France Televisons.
The channel hopes to launch by the end of 2006. The budget from now until the launch is E80 million. This is E15 million less than had been originally planned, because part of it is from the 2005 budget and there is only one month left in this year. From 2007 to 2010 the State contribution will be E 70 million a year. The names of the executives have not yet been disclosed.
The channel will be in four languages (English, Arabic, Spanish and French) and is intended primarily for international distribution, but will also be available in France through satellite, cable and ADSL. It will carry a limited amount of advertising.
The minister emphasized that the news output will be completely autonomous, produced by a staff of 130 journalists, and not merely rehash the news output of its parent groups, although it will use their resources.Finally, the minister stressed that the content of programmes will be independent of the government, answering only to the broadcasting regulator, the CSA. Promoted by President Jacques Chirac, the channel will resemble CNN and BBC World. "France must ... be on the front line in the global battle of TV pictures," a spokesman quoted Chirac as telling the cabinet.
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Superbanda: ADSL pay-TV in Spain
From David Del Valle in MadridTelefónica’s Imagenio ADSL pay-TV service is facing its first direct competitor. Grupalia Internet/Superbanda has launched its ADSL pay-TV service SB3 that offers triple play for a monthly fee of E19.95 (until January, then E34.95).
The SB3 service allows the subscriber to have access to the Internet with a capacity of up to 20 megabytes, flat fee for local, provincial and national calls and up to 20 TV channels. Its initial TV offer includes channels like MGM, CinemaTK, Showtime Extreme, Canal 18, Fox, AXN, National Geographic, Fox News and Eurosport, among others. There are also plans to launch Video on Demand.
Superbanda aims to be an alternative to Telefonica, along with Ya.com, Jazztel and Wanadoo which are also breaking into the market.
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FastWeb sale?FastWeb, the Italian FTTH and VDSL operator is considering options including a sale to VCs. A few weeks ago it hired Deutsche Bank to look at strategy against a backdrop of consolidation in the industry and market rumours that rivals might be preparing a bid. It has a market capitalisation of over E3bn and has grown to be the second-largest in the sector after Telecom Italia.
The FT At this early stage it is private equity firms, many of which have shown tremendous appetite for telecoms assets this year, that are leading the way in informal contacts with the company. However a deal is not expected until well into next year.
FastWeb’s revenues this year are set to be about E1bn and it hopes to break even by the end of next year. The company has about 700,000 customers, up from 500,000 last year.
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Ofcom imposes unbundled charge
UK’s Ofcom has imposed a fully unbundled rental charge ceiling on BT of £81.69 (E116) from 1 January 2006. BT voluntarily reduced the charge in August from £105.09 to £80 per customer.
Ofcom said it still considers it appropriate to set a charge ceiling in order to ensure that BT's charge is both certain and transparent and that BT is not able to increase it to an excessive level.
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Terrestrial mobile debut in Korea
From Shveta Malik in New Delhi
South Korea has started a terrestrial mobile TV service. Four local broadcasting companies, MBC, SBS, KBS and YTN, and two smaller start-ups U1 Media and Korea DMB started providing Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) service from December 1, according to the South Korean Ministry of Information and Communication (MOIC).
Initially, the DMB service is available only in Seoul and its vicinity areas. "The services will be available in Seoul and the surrounding Kyonggi Province next month. We seek to make it a nationwide offering next year," said Kim Hyuk, an official of the Special Committee for Korean Terrestrial DMB.
The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute forecasts the land-based mobile TV service to attract 1.5 million subscribers by next year, and exceed 10 million by 2010, twice its forecast for satellite DMB subscribers.
In May, South Korea launched a satellite-based DMB service for the first time, providing subscribers with more than 37 video and audio channels for around US$12.5 per month. There are now 270,000 subscribers, according to TU Media Corp., which leads the satellite DMB service.
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ITV, BBC team for digital promoITV and the BBC are to run the same advertising campaign for the first time telling viewers about the switchover to digital television. Little Britain star Matt Lucas is to front the campaign for Digital UK, which will prepare the public for the analogue signal to be switched off, region by region, between 2008 and 2012.
The adverts steer viewers towards Digital UK's website, the non-profit organisation funded by the public service broadcasters to inform viewers about switchover. It is keen to highlight the fact that the country will not all switch to digital at the same time.
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US cable prices reflect competitionComcast, the US’s largest cable operator is posting a 6per cent increase for its most popular service. But with pricing under scrutiny from the federal government and new competition emerging from phone companies, price increases at other cable companies are expected to be more subdued. Cablevision is raising the price of its standard package an average of 1.3per cent to $46.73 a month. Cablevision's customers in the New York City region have been targeted by telecommunications giant Verizon Communications Inc., to be among the first to be offered its new television service.
Meantime, Cox Communications in northern Virginia, which is also in Verizon's market has no plans to raise rates next year, reports the WSJ. Last year that system increased the cost of its most popular package of analogue channels by 3.9per cent to $41.99.
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Broadcom sees big hand held marketU.S. chip maker Broadcom expects demand for chips used in portable video players to surge on the back of rising global sales of digital devices. "We see portable video as a fast growing market," said the company. He said Broadcom was working with leading companies in this space that include Apple and Samsung.
Broadcom specialises in combining several features on a single chip to help make products like television set-top boxes, cellphones and broadband devices. The firm designs microchips, but outsources their production to companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
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QUALCOMM MediaFLO for VerizonQUALCOMM and Verizon Wireless, which operates the nation’s most reliable wireless networks announced that QUALCOMM and its subsidiary MediaFLO USA Inc., are working together with Verizon Wireless to bring its customers real-time mobile video over the MediaFLO multicasting network in the United States.
QUALCOMM and Verizon Wireless expect to launch mobile TV services over the network in approximately half of the markets already covered by Verizon Wireless’ CDMA2000 1xEV-DO-based broadband network, enabling Verizon Wireless to offer real-time mobile TV services of unprecedented quality to its subscribers. Verizon Wireless will be the first U.S. wireless service provider to offer MediaFLO when the network is commercially available.
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Anting for C MoreChristian Anting will become CEO of C More Entertainment, operator of the CANAL+ brand in the Nordic region, Anting joins C More from his position as Senior Vice President Digital at SBS Broadcasting, which owns C More Entertainment. He will replace Marc-Antoine d’Halluin, who is leaving the company to pursue other professional opportunities.
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Jones leaves 3Mobile network 3 has announced that Gareth Jones will be stepping down from his role as chief operating officer at the end of 2005. Bob Fuller, 3 UK CEO, said: "We are on target to hit EBITDA break-even by the end of the year and Gareth has helped us to achieve that. I’d like to thank him for all his hard work over the last two and half years."
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Mobile TV for carsFrontier Silicon - the fabless manufacturer of semiconductors for mobile digital television (MDTV) and DAB digital radio products - has launched Roadster T-DMB, a new mobile digital television version of the successful Roadster automotive DAB module. The module will enable the reception of terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasts (T-DMB) in vehicles, so that manufacturers can add mobile TV to the existing Roadster module's already versatile DAB digital radio and infotainment capabilities.
Roadster T-DMB is initially aimed at Korean car manufacturers, where the first commercial mobile TV, radio and multimedia services were launched today by six major broadcasters in the Seoul area. Other key areas of interest for the new module are Germany and the UK, where services are expected to roll out in time for coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2006 via mobile devices.
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Nordic become SiriusA strong expansion and the growth of new geographical markets have led to Swedish Nordic Satellite AB now changing its name to SES SIRIUS "We haven't been a purely Nordic business for a long time," says General Manager Per Norman. "We also play an important role in TV and broadband communication in several countries in Eastern Europe."
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Thursday 1st December 2005
US cable rejects FCC 'a la carte' demands
Eutelsat to try IPO again
Ichan recruits Lazard to TW team
Changhong and China Telecom join for IPTV campaign
TiVo narrows loss
3 not "significant market power"
Radio video podcasts
ISPs and Content must co-operate
BBC Research to move
BBC local pilot
Fremantle plays the X game
ETV appoints two new directors of programmes
US cable rejects FCC 'a la carte' demandsThe US cable industry will defend its practice of selling content bundles to subscribers after the FCC proposed an overhaul that could dramatically alter their revenue model. Freedom of choice for the subscriber would be "economically feasible", Kevin Martin, chairman of the FCC told a Senate hearing, stopping short of saying it should be mandatory. Previously the FCC has accepted a la carte would make pay-TV more expensive.
The hearings are actually into indecency on TV and some say the bundling means family programming often comes along with other more offensive fare. But the National Cable Television Association argued technology that allowed parents to block channels from being viewed in their homes was the best solution to concerns.
The industry fears Martin's proposals, including one option that would force cable and satellite companies to adhere to the same decency standards as network TV and another that would force companies to offer users a "family friendly" bundle, could make the cable companies' revenues unpredictable.
"An attempt by government to mandate how cable companies can sell their products would face vigorous legal opposition by the industry on the grounds that it was a violation of the companies' constitutional right to free speech, Kyle McSlarrow, NCTA president, said.
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Eutelsat to try IPO againEutelsat has confirmed details of its initial public offering after an earlier plan fell through. The firm will try and raise E860m euro in the float, with shares selling at E12, at the low end of its indicative price range.
A month ago, tricky market conditions led it to cancel a flotation attempt. Shares in Eutelsat, third largest operator behind Intelsat and SES, are due to start trading in Paris on 2 December. It owns 23 satellites and transmits 1,700 television channels. After the flotation, Eutelsat will have a stock market value of about E2.5bn.
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Ichan recruits Lazard to TW teamCarl Icahn, who is leading a group of dissident investors in a campaign against the Time Warner board, said he had hired Lazards investment bank to help advance the fight.
Lazards said: "Time Warner has a unique set of valuable assets and our assignment is to help determine how best to realise the full value of these assets. We look forward to working with the Icahn Group to help maximise value for all Time Warner shareholders."
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Changhong and China Telecom join for IPTV campaign
From Shveta Malik in New Delhi
Changhong and China Telecom (CHA) have jointly launched an IPTV-enabled television set sales campaign in 17 cities across China. As per the agreement, a customer buying a new Changhong IPTV set will automatically become a China Telecom IPTV subscriber.
The two parties are launching a series of promotions in cities including Shanghai, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shaanxi.Changhong will set up 1,000 IPTV product stores in 17 cities. The stores will promote Changhong's IPTV products and will have network support provided by China Telecom. According to the company, users can use IPTV services in three ways: by connecting an IPTV set top box to a TV; by using a combination set top box and TV, which Changhong sells; or by purchasing Changhong's recently launched EZ Station compatible home entertainment box Shu Ba.
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TiVo narrows lossTiVo reported a narrower loss for the third quarter and revenue rose nearly 30 per cent as the company reached four million subscriptions. For the three months ended Oct. 31, TiVo lost $14.2 million, compared with a loss of $26.4 million in the year-ago period. Revenue was $49.6 million, up from $38.3 million last year.
For the third quarter, TiVo added 434,000 new subscribers, compared with 419,000 in the year-ago period. A large portion of those new accounts, 379,000, were from DirecTV Group satellite TV subscribers. In the second quarter, the company reported its first ever profit -- albeit a small one of $240,000 -- but the company has forecast future quarterly losses as it plans to increase sales and marketing efforts to boost subscriber numbers. It faces the prospect of DirecTV winding down its marketing and switching to its own device. TiVo cautioned that its fourth-quarter loss will be between $17 million and $22 million.
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3 not "significant market power"The mobile phone operator 3 won an appeal against Ofcom's attempt to cap its prices.
The Competition Appeals Tribunal overturned Ofcom's finding that 3 had "significant market power", which would have allowed it to regulate the mobile group's prices. The tribunal rejected most of 3's case but ruled that Ofcom did not fully consider the facts in reaching one of its conclusions and suggested it reconsider the market power finding.
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Radio video podcastsUsing technology from Maven Networks Inc. Clear Channel plans to experiment with video podcasts of its radio stars, starting with conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh. Fans who belong to the Rush 24/7 club, which costs $7 a month and allows users access to commercial-free podcasts of the show, among other perks, will be able to get a daily 60-second videocast starting next month.
The segment will be a video version of the 60-second daily update Limbaugh makes available to stations that carry his show, so they can tease the day's programme in the morning before the show airs at noon Eastern time. Club members will get the video update the night before, and can run it on their computer or on Apple Inc.'s portable video iPod player.
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ISPs and Content must co-operateUK alternative telco Kingston Communications has warned that ISPs and content owners must work more closely with each other if emerging services such as IPTV and video-on-demand are to succeed, reports NMA.
The company runs several ISP brands in the UK, including Eclipse Internet and Affiniti, and has been at the forefront of VoD services in the UK. Mark Lang, director of broadband and ISP development at Kingston, said that the different players in the Internet industry need to find ways to bundle bandwidth costs with content as part of the overall transaction cost.
In its results for the six months to 30 September Kingston revealed a 46.5 per cent jump in revenues to £223.9m, up from £152.8m in the same period last year. However, profits fell by 65 per cent to £3.1m (E4.5m) CEO Malcolm Fallen vowed to press on with the firm's strategy of building up its range of broadband services and reducing its exposure to basic voice services.
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BBC Research to moveThe BBC's research and development department is to be split up and moved from its current home at Kingswood Warren, the birthplace of breakthroughs including high definition TV, digital radio and Nicam stereo.
BBC chief technology officer, John Varney said it was essential they moved closer to producers and commissioners to reflect the fact that more and more people would be watching programmes on demand, on a wider range of devices. "There is huge explosion of platforms and devices. We've got to think about how the BBC becomes an on-demand organisation."
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BBC local pilotThe BBC's pilot for its new local television news service launches in the West Midlands. The nine month scheme uses the latest technology to create different kinds of local television news in six different areas of the West Midlands.
BBC Local TV will bring news stories, entertainment, travel and weather from each area in ten minute bulletins broadcast every hour on digital satellite and available on demand for broadband users. Via BBCi on digital satellite, viewers can access the service by pressing the red button on their remote control and broadband users can visit bbc.co.uk/localtv.
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Fremantle plays the X gameFremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide (FLW) and mobile content specialist, Player X, announced a licensing deal which will see a raft of Fremantle's classic TV game shows roll out on mobile around the world.
FLW has licensed Player X the worldwide rights (excluding the US) to create and produce original mobile phone games based on some of the world's most beloved game shows including The Price Is Right, Family Feud, Blockbusters, Sale Of The Century and Strike It Lucky. Under the terms of the agreement, Player X has also been granted rights to develop and create branded real tones, wallpapers and active screensavers.
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ETV appoints two new directors of programmesTV company, enteraction tv (etv), has appointed Tim Stott as Director of Programmes, for the new cinema channel it is launching, and Charlotte George as Director of Programmes for Thomas Cook TV. Tim was previously Director of Programmes for Thomas Cook TV and Charlotte, Deputy Director of Programmes for the channel.
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Wednesday 30th November 2005
Telecom Italia set for IPTV launch
Eutelsat re-launches IPO
High hopes for Spain's DTT market
Nat Geo confirmed for BSkyB HD
C4 boosts DTT presence
Shanghai IPTV service launched
Liberty Global reveals IPS Multicanal purchase
Tele2vision selects Teleste IP headend
Absolute Music Sweden goes mobile with Ericsson
KDG ups revenues and subs
Anevia strengthened by E1.5m funding
Turner Classic Movies set for TCM2 launch
3Vision appointment boosts VOD expertise
Telecom Italia set for IPTV launch
Telecom Italia has confirmed that its ‘Alice Home TV’ IPTV service is to launch on December 2, initially in four cities, extending to 21 cities in January, a total of 4 million Italian households. By the end of 2006 the service will be available in over 8 million households in 250 towns, representing an investment of some E350 million in the projectThe commercial deployment follows the successful trial of the service in around a thousand Italian households, Alice Home TV will initially be launched in Rome, Milan, Bologna and Palermo, reaching over 2 million households.
This launch is in line with Telecom Italia’s commitment to research and innovation, leading to the development of new products and services with planned investments of around E10 billion over the three-year period 2005 to 2007, corresponding to 70 per cent of the total investments. As announced to the market in the three-year business plan, investments of E2.1 billion are earmarked for broadband in Italy, including some E350 million for IPTV development.
The service’s basic offer consists of a selection of Movies, Sports, News and Music channels, while the premium package includes live video and on demand content on two main channels dedicated to sport and movies.
Telecom Italia intends to launch ADSL 2 Plus technology Internet access in February 2006, with downstream speeds of up to 20 Megabits per second. This improved bandwidth will optimise TV, Internet and Voice services. All Alice Home TV customers will gradually be upgraded to the 20 Megabit per second service.
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Eutelsat re-launches IPOSatellite operator Eutelsat has decided to re-launch its initial public offering on Euronext Paris, with an indicative price range between E11.75 and E12.75 per share for the international offering to institutional investors and the retail offering in France (offre à prix ouvert).
Up to 73.2 million new shares are to be offered, representing approximately 34 per cent of Eutelsat’s share capital. The retail and institutional offers are expected to close on 1st of December, the institutional offer could be closed earlier. The Group decided to re-launch its IPO to take advantage of improved and more stable market conditions since the end of October.
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High hopes for Spain's DTT market
From David del Valle Fernandez in Madrid
ASIMELEC, the Spanish Electronic Companies' Association, forecasts that by the end of the year, more than 850,000 Spanish homes will have access to DTT, reaching more than 2 million, one year later, by end 2006.
ASIMELEC believes that the migration to digital may be completed before 2010, the analogue's switch-off deadline, as by the end of 2008 more than 72 per cent of all households, around 10 million, will receive DTT.So far, 400,000 set-top-boxes have already been sold in Spain and the industry expects to double it during Christmas. The price ranges between E50 (basic zappers) and E150 (the minimum price for a MHP-based box).
The re-launched DTT platform is available to 80 per cent of the Spanish territory, with plans for 95 per cent coverage in 2010.
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Nat Geo confirmed for BSkyB HDBSkyB has confirmed that a National Geographic channel will be available on its forthcoming High Definition (HD) television service launching in the UK and Ireland in early 2006.
National Geographic HD is the first channel from a third party broadcaster to be added to Sky’s HD channel line-up of six wholly-owned channels. Discussions are continuing with a number of other broadcasters interested in offering HD services and further details will be announced over the coming months.
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C4 boosts DTT presenceUK broadcaster Channel 4 has acquired additional bandwidth on the DTT Freeview service. It intends to use the additional capacity to expand its channel line-up on the platform. The additional capacity was awarded to Channel 4 after a sealed bidding process. The winning bid is understood to be in e region of £12 million.
In the short term, Channel 4 will use the capacity to launch a time-shifted version of its More4 adult entertainment channel, which launched successfully on Freeview and other digital platforms in October. Longer term, Channel 4 is exploring a range of new services to add to its portfolio of channels available on Freeview, which currently encompasses Channel 4, E4, E4 +1, More4 and Quiz Call.Andy Duncan, Channel 4’s Chief Executive, said that the broadcaster’s spin-off services had helped to drive the rapid growth in multi-channel TV viewing during 2005. "Capacity on the DTT platform is a scarce commodity and this deal allows us to accommodate our full current line-up of free channels and to keep our options open for further channel launches in the future. We’re very confident that this investment will pay off with an increasingly strong showing for our channels in digital TV homes," he added.
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Shanghai IPTV service launchedShanghai Media Group and Shanghai Telecom have jointly launched broadband-based TV service in Shanghai. The IPTV network is planned to cover Minhang District and Pudong New Area where millions of people live. The service will charge 60 yuan (E6.28) a month.
The companies are trying to reach 10,000 subscribers within the year and expand the network to cover the whole city in the middle of 2006.
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Liberty Global reveals IPS Multicanal purchaseInternational broadband distribution and content group Liberty Global has become the100 per cent owner of IPS Multicanal, the thematic channel operator in Spain and Portugal. IPS Multicanal’s seven channels reach almost 3.5 million subscribers.
The deal, conducted through its subsidiary chellomedia, completed the acquisition of Walt Disney Television International (WDTV-I) Ventures & Business Development
Group’s 50 per cent stake in IPS Multicanal, taking its ownership to 100 per cent.Shane O’Neill, Chief Strategy Officer of Liberty Global and President of chellomedia, the European content and services division of Liberty Global, said the deal was an important step for chellomedia as it continued to expand its international pay television channel business. "We believe that the Iberian market has tremendous potential and are excited about the opportunities to further develop the business there," he stated.
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Tele2vision selects Teleste IP headendBroadband technology group Teleste has received an order for an undisclosed sum from Swedish Tele2Vision - part of the Tele2 Group. The order is a turn-key solution of a platform for digital (IP) video. Teleste will act as a systems integrator in the project and managing all third party product compatibilities.
Tele2Vision will start offering digital TV services, in addition to their previous offering, and the backbone transport of the services takes place over an IP network. The digital platform is planned to be implemented during 2006.
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Absolute Music Sweden goes mobile with EricssonScandinavian CD compilation company Absolute Music/EVA has selected Ericsson's hosted personalised music service to make its music available for mobile phones.
Absolute Music will offer its customers real tones and full-length songs for the mobile from artists such as Madonna, Coldplay, Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Anastacia and Westlife. The service will be available to 2G and 3G users via Absolute Music's website, mobile portal and SMS.
Ericsson will take overall responsibility for the music service, including Digital Rights Management, content aggregation and platform development. The service will be integrated, hosted and managed by Ericsson.
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KDG ups revenues and subs
From Dieter Brockmeyer in FrankfurtGermany’s largest cabler, Kabel Deutschland, has reported a slight increase in revenues of 2.8 per cent to E528 million. Net earnings were E17.3 million for the first half of its business year starting April 1.
The operator’s network reaches some 9.567 million homes. Kabel Deutschland’s digital pay TV service - launched in November 2004 - gained 93.000 new subscribers in the last six months, reaching now over 317,000 homes. The broadband Internet access and telephony service commercially launched mid-October in two German regions, reaching one million homes, has already attracted 12.000 new customers in its first month.
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Anevia strengthened by E1.5m fundingVideo over IP equipment vendor Anevia SAS has announced a E1.5 million first funding round with CDC Enterprises Innovation. Previously, the company was self-funded and this funding round will enable Anevia to strengthen its European position with the aim of becoming a leading player in the video over ADSL and optical fibre sector.
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Turner Classic Movies set for TCM2 launchTCM (Turner Classic Movies) is set to expand its channel offering with the introduction of a brand new channel, TCM2, in the third quarter of 2006. TCM UK will be the first of the TCM channels outside the US to launch another complementary broadcast outlet in addition to the main channel.
TCM suggests that TCM2 will allow scope to explore further sponsorship opportunities for its bespoke themed seasons and offer advertisers on TCM a far greater variety of options as well as attracting new brands to both of the channels.
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3Vision appointment boosts VOD expertiseContent consultancy provider 3Vision has hired former ntl executive Jack Davison to support VOD and IPTV launches by 3Vision’s clients, as well as expanding relationships with leading programme providers. Davison previously oversaw ntl’s VOD launch.
Toby Russell, CEO at 3Vision commented: "We are on the verge of an explosion in the number of Video on Demand launches throughout Europe by cable TV and IPTV Operators. Jack has a unique understanding of the content and operational factors that make a VOD launch successful, which will prove to be invaluable for our clients."
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Tuesday 29th November 2005
Ads on tap with TiVo
PVRs not the end for advertisers
Archos works with CanalSat
Broadband HH penetration to settle at 60%
Watchdogs question quiz-show methods
China to boost mobile market, says Nokia
RTL increases stake in Grupo Media Capital
3 Italia acquires national digital TV licence
Amino and Intercom licensing agreement
GlobeCast delivers more to DTT/DTH
Pace Micro extends HD reach in Europe
Optimistic adds to Network
Magnet expands Irish broadband service
Ads on tap with TiVoTiVo is to let its users search for adverts about a specific topic. Developed by TiVo along with media-buyers, the application allows users to set up a profile of products in which they are interested and TiVo will then download relevant adverts to its PVRs over the Internet. For those users who don't have broadband, the video will be sent via traditional broadcast signals. The adverts will then appear on-screen in a folder next to the list of television shows TiVo users record.
"If you are in the market for a product, and you have no idea when commercials related to that kind of product are going to appear, it doesn't help you very much," said Tom Rogers, TiVo's President and Chief Executive. Due for launch next spring, the service was developed with Interpublic Media, OMD and Starcom MediaVest – as well as independent Dallas advertising agency Richards Group and Comcast 's Spotlight ad-sales division,
The service works by advertisers determining which key words and categories will be associated with their adverts while users can select categories or type in keywords. TiVo is in discussions with advertising agencies about the best way to price such advertising, but one option is to let advertisers bid on keywords as they do when buying ads on Internet search engines.
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PVRs not the end for advertisersBy 2010 five million homes will have the technology to skip adverts, using personal video recorders such as Sky+, but the impact on the amount of advertising watched will be "negligible", according to a new report.
The study by Opera, the media-negotiating arm of advertising group Omnicom, predicts that by 2010 viewers with PVRs will avoid 64 per cent of commercial breaks, a 6 per cent loss of commercial audience for advertisers. But the economic and media forecast for 2006 and beyond finds that other factors will "negate this supply loss", with the switchover from terrestrial television to digital services, such as Freeview, seeing people watching the BBC less as they are given more viewing choice.
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Archos works with CanalSat
From Sotires Eleftheriou in ParisArchos, a manufacturer of mobile video devices, has launched a version of its AV700 which integrates fully with the Canal Satellite STB, following an agreement with the Canal Plus group. A small interface connects to the CanalSat decoder which then hooks into the Archos AV 700 mobile multimedia player. This effectively converts the Canal Sat box into a fully-fledged PVR, programmed using the remote control via the EPG, with recordings routed through the CanalSat to view on the TV.
Significantly, the AV 700 can also then be removed from its cradle and used as a stand alone mobile player, viewing the recordings independently of the decoder and home TV. Subscribers to Canal Plus or CanalSat can purchase the 40GB version of the AV700 CanalSat for E549, about E60 more than the standard version without the Canal interface.
The AV700 includes an on-board MPEG4 encoder/decoder and the signal is recorded in analogue format, so it can also be used for recording video from other sources, but without the EPG automatic recording facility.
This product will be in head-on competition for the mobile video market. But the 7 inch screen on the Archos is considerably better than a phone for watching TV.
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Broadband HH penetration to settle at 60%Consumer broadband adoption is currently increasing at its fastest rate in many markets across Western Europe, according to research by Datamonitor. But the market analyst’s report – Consumer broadband markets: approaching maturity? – predicts consumer broadband penetration will settle at around 60 per cent in terms of household penetration in advanced markets.
Tim Gower, enterprise communications analyst at Datamonitor and author of the report, said broadband had entered its "growth sweet spot", with the potential for some markets to see broadband household penetration increase 10 per cent in a year. "Service providers must be well positioned to take advantage of the forthcoming penetration acceleration, prior to the inevitable slowdown," he added.
The report highlights the current and future state of consumer broadband markets in Western Europe and North America, focusing on the likely service provider revenues in 16 countries.
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Watchdogs question quiz-show methodsThe methods used by quiz and game channels that encourage viewers to phone in for a chance to win are under investigation, according to the Guardian.
Rather than relying on reaching millions of viewers and attracting advertising, the channels can survive on audiences numbering 300-500, provided most of them are trying to get through to the studio on phone lines that charge up to £1 (E1.45) a time.
Ofcom, the UK industry watchdog, is looking at the extent to which some channels blur the lines between editorial and advertising in pushing premium rate phone lines, while Icstis, the phone line regulator, is considering a new licensing regime following more than 100 complaints. At least 20 channels fall in to the genre, which includes everything from virtual horse racing and roulette to psychic readings and soft porn sex lines, with more likely to follow.
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China to boost mobile market, says NokiaThe global mobile market is likely to reach 780 million units this year and grow faster than expected next year, according to forecasts by Nokia.
The company, which produces one of every three mobile phones sold worldwide, expects a large portion of that growth to come from China, one of its fastest growing markets."We estimate that by 2010 China will have added another 250 million subscribers, strengthening its position as the single largest mobile market in the world," said Chief Executive Jorma Ollila.
China currently has about 380 million mobile subscribers, and in the first nine months of 2005 Nokia sold 23 million handsets in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, a 77 per cent increase on the same period last year.
The company recorded total sales of $3.3 billion (E2.8 billion) in those markets in the January-September period, and exported $2.3 billion of goods out of China from its four manufacturing sites in the mainland over the same period.
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RTL increases stake in Grupo Media CapitalRTL Group has increased its strategic holding in the share capital of Grupo Media Capital to 32.2 per cent.
Measured by both prime-time audience share and net advertising revenue, Grupo Media Capital is the leading television broadcaster in Portugal and, through its positions in television, radio, outdoor and internet and magazine publishing, is a significant player in the Portuguese advertising market.
The acquisition is not subject to any conditions.
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3 Italia acquires national digital TV licence3 Italia has signed an agreement with the Profit Group to acquire Channel 7, which holds a network licence for national digital TV distribution on terrestrial frequencies, making it the first Italian mobile video company able to offer DVB-H services on its own network.
The company will implement a DVB-H network for its 4.8 million customers – with broadcasting expected to begin in second half of 2006 – and develop a Pay-TV and interactive services offer for videophones with the combined UMTS/DVB-H technology.
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Amino and Intercom licensing agreementAmino, the Cambridge based broadband network software and systems company, has signed a major licence agreement with Cyprus based AS Intercom Ltd, an IPTV solutions integrator.
The licence agreement is to last for a minimum of five years, and allows Intercom to manufacture and supply AmiNET MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 IPTV set top boxes within the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine, a market in which telephone subscribers exceed 30 million.
Intercom has agreed to pay a significant licence fee and royalties for Amino's IntAct IPTV software technologies and hardware designs. The commercial terms have not been disclosed, but the royalty rates for both software and hardware are said to be in line with the company's expectations.
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GlobeCast delivers more to DTT/DTHGlobeCast has increased the number of channels it delivers in France to DTH viewers and DTT bouquet operators, adding BFM TV, Europe 2TV, NRJ12 and Gulli to the list.
BFM TV, a financial news channel belonging to the Nextradio group, has launched on GlobeCast’s digital distribution platforms on the Hot Bird and Astra satellites, for insertion into the TPS and CanalSat bouquets. Music channel Europe 2TV, entertainment channel NRJ12 and children’s channel Gulli, have also joined GlobeCast’s satellite platform on Hot Bird, to be carried on TPS. All four of these new channels are being pushed to French DTT.
BFM TV also called on GlobeCast to put together a global contribution and video distribution infrastructure for its launch, linking six sites to an automated mobile contribution network via satellite. The network, which allows uplinks of on-the-ground reports, is comprised of three digital SNG vehicles as well as a fixed satellite reception station.
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Pace Micro extends HD reach in EuropePace Micro Technology has signed a contract with Euro1080, the first HD media company in Europe, to supply the latest in HD set-top box technology.
Pace will be supplying its cutting-edge DS810 HD set-top box to Euro1080 as part of the broadcaster’s roll-out of advanced HD services to both existing and prospective customers across the whole of Europe. Both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 compliant, the DS810 will enable Euro1080’s 200,000 customer base to receive both current and future HD signals.
Calling the deal "a very important milestone" for HD in Europe, Gabriel Fehervari, Chief Executive Officer of Euro1080, said: "The availability on the market of HD set-top boxes, which are MPEG-4 compliant, will boost the roll-out of HD in Europe."
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Optimistic adds to NetworkOptimistic Entertainment is to launch two new channels which, joining existing channel ‘QuizNation’ and the long-term output deal on Life 2, will form ‘The Optimistic Network’. The channels, ‘SportNation’ and ‘Bonanza Bonanza’, will provide further revenue opportunities for Optimistic’s participation TV content, delivering new possibilities for advertising.
SportNation will provide coverage of popular sports, including sailing, while Bonanza Bonanza, the re-launched Action241 channel being managed in a partnership with Canis Media, will deliver entertainment based on classic American shows.
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Magnet expands Irish broadband serviceMagnet Networks has signed an agreement with ESB Telecoms for the rights to use the company’s national fibre optic network for a ten year period. Under the agreement ESBT will provide connectivity between the cities of Galway, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Portlaoise back to Magnet Networks central facility in Dublin.
The service connects together Magnet Networks ADSL2+ network which leverages the Eircom local loop into individual homes to deliver the company’s home entertainment and communications services. It is anticipated that the national element of the network will be complete in the first two months of 2006.
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Monday 28th November 2005
Shareholders sue SA on Cisco deal
French DTT reaches 1m homes
BT entertainment chief sees sound future for IPTV
Spain grants new channel and re-allocates DTT frequencies
Action urged on New Zealand digital
CE spending up 9%
Kazaa must filter copyright
New MTV channels on ASTRA
FT deploys Sagem's MPEG4 STBs
TF1 CEO chooses IPTV over mobile
China's digital TV market set to increase
Shareholders sue SA on Cisco dealSome shareholders in Scientific-Atlanta Inc. are suing its directors over its $6.9 billion (E5.8 billion) agreed sale to Cisco Systems. The complaints accuse the directors of breaching their duties to shareholders by accepting an "inadequate price" for the sale. The company said the claims, filed in Georgia, are "without merit".
Scientific-Atlanta claims its board undertook a "thorough and deliberative process to obtain the best transaction at the highest price available". It said the proxy statement it plans to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will detail the process and the fairness opinions it obtained from three investment banks.
One of the lawsuits filed by shareholder Kalford Fadem stated: "This price... represents nowhere near the true value of the company's shares, particularly in light of the company's current financial condition and future prospects."
Cisco agreed to pay $43 (E36.5) per share for Scientific-Atlanta a 3.7 per cent premium to where the shares closed before the deal was announced and above the sub-$36 per-share level at which they traded before rumours of a deal surfaced.
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French DTT reaches 1m homes
From Sotires Eleftheriou in ParisOver one million homes are now equipped to receive DTT channels, says the Groupement Television Numerique pour Tous, an association to promote DTT in France. It was referring to figures supplied by the market research company GfK.
According to GfK, a total of 1.035 million DTT receivers have been purchased, 890,000 of which were set top boxes, 35,000 integrated digital TV sets and 110,000 computers with integrated DTT or other solutions. In addition Neuf Telecom and Canal Plus have supplied their subscribers with over 150,000 mixed decoders between them. Neuf's ADSL modem includes a fully fledged DTT decoder, hence side-stepping TF1 and M6's refusal to be carried by Neuf's ADSL service for non TPS subscribers. Canal Plus is supplying a combined DTT decoder for some analogue subscribers.
According to Groupement, this brings penetration to 9.5 per cent in the zones covered by DTT transmissions, well ahead of the original expectation for 700,000 decoders during 2005. Moreover, it does not take into account homes receiving DTT channels via other means (ADSL, cable or satellite).
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BT entertainment chief sees sound future for IPTV
From Colin Mann in MontpellierAccording to Andrew Burke, Chief Executive Officer, BT Entertainment, "all the elements exist to create a unique, robust and commercially viable broadband TV proposition in the UK". Burke told delegates at the IDATE content industries and broadband economics conference that with the UK broadband market gaining real momentum, applications and services would be the differentiating factor moving forward.
BT's IPTV service, scheduled for launch in 2006, would be nationwide from Day One, "not like ADSL or cable, which can be exchange by exchange or street by street;" he advised. For Burke, the fact that BT was using Microsoft's TV solution was an important factor. "We can have one feed to multiple devices."
He stressed the importance of telcos needing to understand that they had to deliver the tools to enable the consumer to manage the IPTV service, and suggested that other key challenges for the service provider included not ignoring the basics of security, arriving at common platforms providing formatting, DRM and delivery management services, and obtaining the rights for content on the new platforms.
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Spain grants new channel and re-allocates DTT frequencies
From David Del Valle in MadridSpain has paved the way for the launch next April 2006 of a new commercial TV channel, La Sexta, and for the launch this week of a free-to-air DTT platform with up to 20 nation wide TV channels.
The Government has granted the consortium Gestora de Inversiones Audiovisuales with the new analogue TV licence that, for lack of spectrum, will only have 70 per cent coverage of the Spanish population. The consortium is led by Mexican TV group Televisa, with a 40 per cent stake, and several Spanish production companies with a 60 per cent stake. The successful bidder plans to invest E550 million up to 2010 and reach break even in five years with an audience share of around 7 per cent.
Likewise, the Government has officially re-allocated the DTT frequencies under terms already agreed with the broadcasters. The state-owned group RTVE will operate five channels; Antena 3 TV, Tele and Cuatro, three channels each one; Veo TV, Net TV and the new channel La Sexta, two channels each one. From 2010, the analogue switch-off deadline, all of them will operate a multiplex (up to four channels) except RTVE which will be able to operate two multiplexes (up to 8 to 9 channels).
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Action urged on New Zealand digital
From Rose Major in MelbourneNew Zealand's government must make policy decisions on how and when the country's broadcasters must move to digital, or risk the viability of public broadcasting, according to a report prepared for the broadcasting minister. And local press reports say that it recommends a decision by early 2006.
New Zealand's main public broadcaster, TVNZ, has been trying to launch a digital service for over five years. It has the support of all the free-to-air broadcasters, but key decisions still need to be made by the government, such as whether to subsidise any of the broadcasters' costs.
Satellite pay-TV operator Sky New Zealand has a digital service, but that is the country's only digital TV offering. Reports say the government briefing paper urges action, warning that the country "cannot avoid" engaging with the technology and that government policy will likely determine whether free-to-air TV survives the digital age.
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Holiday spending on consumer electronics is expected to leap nine per cent this year, with digital music players and flat-panel TVs high on many shopping lists, according to research by the Consumer Electronics Association and IBM. "Despite concern about the overall economy, consumers intend to purchase, as well as hope to receive, a plethora of consumer electronics gifts this holiday season," said Sean Wargo, Director of industry analysis at the CEA. It warns, however, that margins will be wafer thin.
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An Australian court has given file-sharing network Kazaa until December 5 to either filter copyrighted music from its system or shut down. The imposition of the deadline follows a ruling in September that Kazaa users were breaching copyright and that the network's owners had to modify the software. Kazaa's operators, Sharman Networks, had appealed the judgement. But according to music industry trade group IFPI, the Australian court said that to avoid complete shutdown Kazaa must, as a first step, put in place a keyword filter system within 10 days.
Sharman Networks had said it could not control the actions of an estimated 100 million users. "It's time for services like Kazaa to move on -- to filter, go legal or make way for others who are trying to build a digital music business the correct and legal way," IFPI Chairman John Kennedy said in a statement.
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SES ASTRA has closed a new long-term agreement with MTV Networks Europe for further capacity on an ASTRA satellite at the orbital position 19.2° East. MTV will use the newly contracted transponder to launch TV channels for different European markets, but primarily France and the Netherlands. MTV and Viacom have now contracted seven transponders in total from SES ASTRA.
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France Telecom is to roll out the world's first IP MPEG4 set-top boxes (STBs) based on a single-chip decoder. Sagem Communication's STBs will use Viaccess conditional access and be available with Buda card, its new generation of smart cards for Pay-TV.
"With MPEG4, we will introduce new services, such as HDTV, and offer ‘MaLigne TV' to more customers", said Patricia Langrand, Viaccess Chairman and Executive VP of France Telecom in charge of the Content Division.
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TF1 CEO chooses IPTV over mobile
Mobile phone-based TV is too expensive and poorly adapted, according to TF1 Chief Executive Officer Patrick Le Lay. Calling IPTV the "winning model" instead, he nevertheless warned telecoms operators about becoming TV broadcasters by buying rights to certain programmes. Money raised in the unregulated broadband market should not be used to compete against TV companies which are forced to comply with many rules, he said.
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China's digital TV market set to increase
The market for digital TV terminals in China could reach RMB 420 billion (E44.2 billion) in 2010, according to Bai Weiming, China Video Industry Association secretary. Sales of digital TVs were predicted to reach 50 million sets in 2008 while sales of STBs would amount to 40 million units within five to six years at a CAGR of 110% per cent.
In 2004, sales of digital TV sets amounted to 6 million sets valued at RMB 30 billion while sales of STBs reached 12 million sets.
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