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Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
Tuesday
Friday 14th October 2005
AOL: more suitors emerge
BSkyB will buy into broadband
Canal+ launches CanalPlay download
Viacom to buy iFilm?
BBC to raise £1bn digital bond?
See Disney on video iPod
Steel for Digital UK
Sky will cut iTV costs
VoIP mobiles for Japan
Liberty ups Telenet stake
MTG launches new sports channel in Norway in co-operation with NRK
AOL: more suitors emergeGoogle and Comcast have teamed up for a possible bid for a major stake in AOL and are reported to be in serious discussions with AOL parent Time Warner Inc. AOL has the second-biggest network of sites, with 112 million visitors in September, trailing Yahoo 's 123 million, according to comScore Media Metrix.
Google and Comcast want to tap AOL's large audience and the content offerings from its’ parent. The talks threaten to derail separate negotiations underway with Microsoft about creating an Internet joint venture with TW.
The structure of the deal is undecided. Under one theory Google and Comcast would join together in a partnership that would own up to 50 per cent of AOL, TW would want to retain control and not lose the ability to consolidate its share of income. Analysts say Google and Comcast are valuing AOL's business at about $10bn (E8.3bn), which implies a valuation of up to $5 billion for a minority stake.
A combination of AOL, Google and Comcast could create a potent challenge to Yahoo, the internet-industry leader in terms of audience size and advertising revenue.
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With BSkyB declaring it will raise up to £1bn (E1.45bn) in a bond it hasn’t taken long for the market to assume it will buy its way into broadband and begin offering triple play in competition with BT and NTL.
Sky also plans to invest a significant amount - estimated at £100m and £200m – taking advantage of local loop un-bundling by installing its own equipment in local telephone exchanges giving it a direct line to customers, bypassing BT. At present Sky's eight million subscribers have to plug their set-top boxes into a phone line in for the fully interactive Sky service.
Sky's potential acquisition targets include HomeChoice, a TV-over-your-phoneline service, and broadband suppliers Easynet and Pipex.
If true, it is difficult to see how Sky’s so-far co-operative relationship with BT would continue as they would be in direct competition and BT would probably look for an alternative pay-TV provider for its BT Entertainment service.
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Canal+ launches CanalPlay download
The Canal+ Group has launched a legal video internet download service – CanalPlay – with more than 1,000 titles available from launch until the end of 2005, including the best of recent cinema, nine months after theatrical release.
Linking technical innovation and editorial know-how, the service has deals in place with content providers such as Pathé, Europa, StudioCanal, Spyglass, Nickelodeon and Jetix, as well as independent French producers grouped under a ‘Best of French cinema’ heading.
A user must register, download free software, with payment being made by ‘Carte Bleue’ via a secure site. There is then the choice of viewing immediately or saving for a viewing within the 30 following days. Once viewing has begun, the programme must be seen within 24 hours.
The service uses Microsoft DRM which ensures only registered licensees can view the material. Downloaded films are automatically deleted at the expiry of their validity and the DRM is coupled with a territorial detection tool.
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Shareholders of privately held iFilm, a VOD web site, are being asked to approve a buyout by Viacom and seeking their approval. The deal is expected to be worth about $50 million.
The proposed deal would give Viacom further exposure to a growing online advertising market. Also, it would provide an online venue to feature video content from its many traditional companies, including MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures.
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BBC to raise £1bn digital bond?
THE BBC is considering issuing a bond of up to £1 billion (E1.45bn) to help it to pay for the one-off costs associated with completing the transition to digital by 2012.
The broadcaster faces a £700 million bill to convert all the BBC’s transmission to digital and £200 million to fund the cost of making consumers aware that the analogue signal will be turned off between 2008 and 2012. It also has to finance a commitment to ensure that elderly and disabled people are given help to upgrade their televisions to digital. That could amount to £500 million.
The BBC has already issued a string of long-dated bonds to help it to fund the development of Broadcasting House in Central London and other facilities around the country.
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To no one’s surprise, Apple has launched the video iPod. As well as recording from the TV users can download a small selection of shows from ABC and Disney, including "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" plus over 2,000 music videos made available on iTunes 6, the new video download service.
The video iPod has a 2.5 inch (5cm) screen, comes with 30 or 60 gigabyte memory and will be priced at $299 and $399. It holds up to 15,000 songs and 25,000 photos, or more than 150 hours of video.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPod along with several other products, including a new iMac computer with a remote control to access music, photos and movies. The computer is designed to serve as an entertainment hub, executives said.
The company has struck a deal with ABC and the Disney Channel to allow users access to five television shows one day after they air on TV, six short films from Pixar animation studios and over 2,000 music videos.
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Digital UK is upping its profile with the appointment of former head of BBC News publicity Jon Steel. Steel will join the organisation that’s pushing through the UK switching over to digital TV as its head of media relations.
Currently commissioning editor responsible for publications and speeches in the BBC's corporate communications team, he has been working on the corporation's charter review campaign.
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Sky is to cut the price it charges advertisers to capture audience data through an iTV campaign by 50% or more, in a move to prompt major FMCG brands to invest in the medium, according to NMA.
Companies had been concerned that the cost of obtaining people's personal details is too high in relation to the price of their products. Broadcasters currently charge around 50p for each lead generated via a red-button commercial, a cost that's passed on by Sky Interactive, which manages the data capture technology on the digital satellite platform.
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Japan is readying a new cell phone network that will introduce mobile Voice over Internet telephony by 2007, officials said. The proposal for the network, which will also transmit large amounts of data such as streaming video on cell phones, is being discussed in a ministry panel of experts and telecommunications officials and is set to reach a decision in December.
Several carriers are expected to apply for licenses to offer mobile VoIP services, which are likely to be cheaper than talking on cell phones today, she said. VoIP mobile phones are expected to relay information at up to 15 megabits per second -- more than a thousand times faster than the fastest third-generation cell phones now available in Japan at 384 kilobits per second.
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Liberty Global announced that in the initial public offering of Telenet Group it has agreed to purchase, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, 7,722,918 shares for an aggregate cash price of approximately E160 million. As a result of the purchases, Liberty Global and Belgian Cable Investors, a partnership majority owned and controlled by Liberty Global, will increase their combined economic ownership in Telenet from 14% to just under 20% but will continue to exercise voting control over a total of 21.3% of the Telenet shares.
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MTG launches new sports channel in Norway in co-operation with NRK
Modern Times Group announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with the Norwegian public service broadcaster NRK to launch a new sports channel - ‘SportN’ - in Norway. It will provide Norwegian viewers with the best in local, national and international sports entertainment, and will be available before the end of the year. The new channel will be included in the Viasat pay-TV package to subscribers via Viasat’s DTH satellite platform, as well as through third party cable and IPTV networks.
SportN will replace Viasat Sport 1 in Norway and feature a mixture of Viasat and NRK sports content.
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Thursday 13th October 2005
ITV and NTL joint bid for soccer?
BskyB's £1bn bond
ITV interactive campaigns
Senate Ready for DTV Legislation
IM merger at Microsoft and Yahoo
MTG acquires rights to qualifying for 2010 World Cup
I-Pod sales fail to boost Apple
Distribution deal for 2 min TV
Globecast carries Planeta Sport
ITV and NTL joint bid for soccer?ITV and NTL have joined up to bid for the next round of Premier League TV rights according to reports. They are apparently willing to offer at least £170m (E246m) a year for half the games made available in the next auction, for the 2007 to 2010 seasons.
The groups are said to have sent a letter sent to the chairmen of the league's 20 clubs expalingng their bid. The proposal assumes the European Commission will force through its that no single broadcaster can win more than 50% of the matches. The dispute between the EC and the league is at a critical juncture, with both sides due to hold meetings in Brussels next week.
ITV and NTL said that a games quota would not destroy the value of a TV franchise that has poured billions of pounds into Premiership football. The groups said they would ensure the minimum amount they paid for a 50% share of the games would represent 50% of their current market value, ensuring that a floor is set on the value of the rights. Under those terms, ITV and NTL would pay £170m a year. BSkyB, the current rights owner, pays about £340m a year as part of a three-year exclusive contract to show 138 games a season. The majority of games would appear on a new subscription channel run by NTL, with the rest appearing on one of ITV's four digital channels.
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BskyB's £1bn bondBSkyB is considering raising up to £1bn (E1.45bn) in debt via a bond issue, prompting speculation about an acquisition or a special dividend to boost its flagging share price. The group said it was considering a bond issue for "general corporate purposes".
Sky was understood to have offered more than £1bn last month for Flextech but that auction has now been shelved as Telewest completes its merger with NTL.
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ITV interactive campaignsITV is planning to launch to a new advertiser initiative that will allow viewers to use their mobile phones to interact with commercials. It has formed a partnership with Mobile Interactive Group (MIG) to extend its existing 'beyond the spot' proposition to include wireless solutions.
ITV is now able to offer its customers a range of 'interactive mobile' services aimed at helping them enhance the effectiveness of their ads across its network of TV channels.
Using MIG's existing production, implementation and reporting system, the broadcaster will allow brands to run text-based competitions, offer product samples and deliver mobile vouchering at a discount.
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Senate Ready for DTV Legislation
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens has scheduled a full committee meeting for next week for his much-anticipated digital TV transition bill. Also slated for examination is the "Truth in Broadcasting Act" and "IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act," which targets emergency capabilities for VoIP services.Last week, Stevens said a DTV bill from his committee would address a hard date for a switch from analogue to digital TV and would explore a subsidy program that would pay for converter boxes for consumers without a DTV set.
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IM merger at Microsoft and YahooMicrosoft and Yahoo are expected to announce that consumers using their free communications services -- including instant messaging and computer-to-computer voice calling -- will be able to communicate directly with each other for the first time.
The alliance represents a breakthrough for the instant messaging market, where people can exchange text and increasingly interact using video, audio, games and other services.
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MTG acquires rights to qualifying for 2010 World CupModern Times Group announced that it has signed an agreement that provides it with the exclusive broadcasting rights to qualifying rounds for the 2008 European Football Championships and the 2010 World Cup. The four year agreement with Europe's leading sports marketing group - Sportfive - gives MTG's Viasat Sport channels the exclusive rights to broadcast the Swedish, Norwegian and Danish national teams away games in the build up to the two championships (against countries represented by Sportfive, which includes England, France and Greece amongst others).
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I-Pod sales fail to boost AppleStrong sales of the iPod portable digital music player and "staggering" demand for the tiny new Nano player helped Apple Computer report much higher fourth quarter sales and profits on Tuesday. However, sales of its iPod were below analysts' expectations, sending shares down sharply. Net income rose to $430m, from $106m, a year earlier and sales at the company increased by 57 per cent to $3.68bn.
Apple's senior executives described the fourth quarter as "the best in Apple's history" and forecast continuing strong growth boosted by sales of digital music players and strong sales of MacIntosh computers, particularly to the education market.
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Distribution deal for 2 min TVThe Mobile Media Company has agreed with Two Minute Television, the creators of, episodic TV shows, to distribute their original made-for-mobile content across Mobile Media's international distribution platform.
"Made-for-mobile TV is one of the biggest drivers in the growth of mobile entertainment," says Steinar Svalesen, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Media North America.
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Globecast carries Planeta SportGlobeCast has signed an agreement to deliver Russian-language channel Planeta Sport to audiences in Europe via the Hot Bird satellite. GlobeCast WorldTV – America's premier international direct-to-home satellite television provider – also announced today that it has added RTR-Planeta and Planeta Sport to its channel line-up in the United States.
Planeta Sport provides premiere coverage of a wide range of international sports including the top Russian teams and athletes. From the Russian Premier League in football, ice hockey, basketball and volleyball, to the National Championships in billiards and rugby to gymnastics, figure skating and bowling, Planeta Sport includes everything for Russian sports enthusiasts.
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Wednesday 12th October 2005
BBC names its price
News Corp denies wrongdoing
Reding "light touch for convergence"
Eutelsat names its price
Spanish broadcasters ask for state funds to promote DTT
Malaysia set for DTV trial in 2006
Forrester: Incumbents will win on VoIP
EchoStar's handheld dish
Microsoft and Real near settlement
Ichan wants new directors at TW
US Cable can win business
Demand for FSTs growing
Irdeto for Shunde
BBC names its priceThe BBC has asked for a new license fee of inflation plus 2.3% which it says reflects the expense of the switch to digital. The government has said it expects the licence fee to cover converting the disadvantaged, but the BBC expects most to pay ‘a modest fee' in addition to the licence, and its new fee claim does not include funding any subsidy.
Asked if the funding of the switchover might end up being separated from the licence fee deal, Chairman Michael Grade replied: "That will be a discussion that will be had over the next three months, if we can't pin the numbers down."
The BBC is effectively asking for an extra £6bn (E8.7bn) between 2007 and 2013 largely funded by the increased license fee. It is currently set at RPI plus 1.5%.
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News Corp denies wrongdoingJohn Thornton, a senior independent director of News Corporation, made a private tour of Australian investors in an attempt to quell anger over the company's controversial decision to extend its poison pill takeover defences. Thornton, a former senior executive at Goldman Sachs, flew to Melbourne to meet the president of the Australian Council of Super Investors. The talks were termed "amicable" and "interesting" but a suit against News Corp is going ahead.
Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch remain unrepentant , telling Reuters: "We said it was currently a policy of the board not to exit it (the poison pill) without going to shareholders, and we expected a quick resolution of issues we had with Liberty, but they proved difficult so we changed our policy, which was totally legal. It was never a bylaw, it was never a promise, it was never a pledge."
Among the investors involved in the lawsuit are London-based Hermes Investment Management, Australia-based UniSuper Ltd. and U.S.-based Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds.
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Reding "light touch for convergence"Viviane Reding,the European Commissioner responsible for the communications industry says the Commission's task is to ensure the right framework for the digital convergence and for investment is in place. "This is Europe's best bet for delivering sustained growth and skilled jobs."
"We must make sure that media services are regulated to the least possible extent, and that self regulation provided it works in fact and is the result of a broad consent -is given preference over regulatory intervention. Politicians must not try to rule on the quality of media content, or restrict access to information!"
Speaking at the IIC's 36th annual conference she said: "The first main regulatory task is the modernisation of the EU rules on audio visual content.
Only three weeks ago, the Commission organised along with the UK presidency a conference on the review of the Television without Frontiers Directive. What we are working on is the regulatory response to the convergence of technology. We want to provide a light, but efficient legal framework for the cross-border provision of audiovisual content services. With convergence. Today audiovisual services receive very different regulatory treatment based solely on their delivery mode. Convergence calls for a new level playing field between the different audiovisual content service providers. A modern framework at Community level should be based on delivery platform neutrality.
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Eutelsat names its priceEutelsat has issued the indicative price range for its IPO, the offer will close on October 25 and is worth some E1.2bn, of which E860m will be a capital increase.The range has been set at E15.25 to E17.75 a share. Of the maximum of 77.9m shares to be offered, something over 55m will be new shares and 21.5m existing shares.
The offer will represent around 38.8 per cent of post-capital increase share capital.The E824m proceeds will be used to reduce the company's debts. For the year ended June 05, Eutelsat's turnover of E750m was made up mainly from E511m of television services and E162m of data and value added services.
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Spanish broadcasters ask for state funds to promote DTT
From David Del Valle in MadridSpanish TV networks have asked the Government for public money to finance the DTT promotion in the country. The General Director of Veo TV, Eduardo Sanchez, claimed that the Administration should play a more active role in the market by contributing "financial resources to carry out advertising campaigns aimed at boosting among viewers the acquisition of decoders".
For Jose Maria Guirado, CEO of Net TV, claims state aid like that in Italy and the UK, would give a real boost to the DTT market. Both digital operators, Veo TV and Net TV will join forces with the analogue broadcasters -TVE, Antena 3 TV, Cuatro and regional channels- and the domestic broadcasting agency Abertis to set up a joint company aimed at fostering the development of the DTT market.
All this comes at a time when the Government plans to allocate the DTT frequencies by the end of October and one and half months before the launch of the planned free-to-air DTT platform, scheduled for November 30, with 18 channels.
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Malaysia set for DTV trial in 2006
From Shveta Malik in New Delhi
Malaysia is planning to initiate digital television (DTV) trials next year. The government has approved US$20 million funding for the trial. Around 2,000 households in the Klang Valley will be provided with set-top boxes for the trial. National broadcaster RTM would be leading the country's DTV project. The government proposed to phase out the analogue television services in 2015, with the gradual shutdown of the services to start in 2008.
"The trial period is for one year and it is hoped that through this trial, studies and recommendations can be made to the government for future implementation of a national DTV service," said deputy information minister Donald Lim.
Currently, two different set top boxes (STBs) are available, one from Astro, the Malaysian satellite TV operator, and another from MITV. "Both boxes are available to the public to subscribe to the respective service providers. With the eventual launching of free-to-air DTV service, there will then be another type of STB. Through the trial, a study will be conducted and proposals will be made for a standardised STB to be introduced for use by the various DTV service providers," said Lim.
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Forrester: Incumbents will win on VoIPForrester Research believes that pure plays have no chance of dethroning proactive European incumbent telcos from their consumer fixed voice market leadership. Forrester thinks that VoIP pure plays will fail to survive as independent companies because they don't offer a truly disruptive and transformational service and they lack key advantages that the incumbents have. "Telcos like British Telecom and France Télécom can continue to dominate future voice markets as long as they maintain their proactive and innovative VoIP response strategies."
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EchoStar's handheld dishEchoStar's DISH Network has announced the rollout of its PocketDISH a new line of portable media companions. The handheld PocketDISH downloads and plays thousands of MP3s, stores and displays photos and is one of the industry's first video players. PocketDISH is available in three models: two portable media recorders and a portable media player.
There's the choice of a 2.2-inch, 4-inch or 7-inch LCD screen. Compatible with most TVs and consumer electronic devices on the market today, the units can download or record content from a PC or Mac, digital cameras, mass storage devices, as well as other video or audio sources such as DVD players, camcorders and VCRs. DISH Network customers will enjoy a special feature of ultra-fast video transfer speeds when attaching PocketDISH to select DISH Network digital video recorders (DVRs) via a USB 2.0 connection. An hour of DISH Network programming can be transferred to the PocketDISH hard drive in about five minutes.
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Microsoft and Real near settlementMicrosoft is nearing a settlement of RealNetworks long-running antitrust suit in a deal valued at about $750 million, the WSJ reported. Under terms of the proposed settlement Microsoft would provide a combination of cash and promotions for RealNetworks music and game services through Microsoft's online services and software, and the two companies would collaborate on technology initiatives in the future, the newspaper said.
Microsoft has paid billions to resolve similar claims, including $750 million to Time Warner in 2003 to end a suit related to Time Warner's Netscape, and $1.95 billion to end a suit by Sun Microsystems that alleged Microsoft competed unfairly against Sun's Java technology.
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Ichan wants new directors at TWCarl Icahn has argued in a letter to shareholders that the media company's board needs new outside directors due to past mistakes. He said the board is not taking enough steps to enhance shareholder value.
"Given the fact that, despite its exceptional assets and a generally favourable operating environment, the company's stock price has under performed significantly since 2002, we believe the time for steps to make the board and management more accountable are long overdue," said the letter. Icahn and a group of other shareholders own about 2.6 percent of Time Warner shares.
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US Cable can win businessKagan Research projects cable operators could reach 60 percent of U.S. businesses by 2009 and total revenue for commercial data and voice services will pass the $10.7 billion mark during that period. It forecasts that 47 percent of U.S. businesses will be passed by cable this year, up slightly from an estimated 44 percent in 2004. That number could grow to 60 percent by 2009, Kagan says.
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Demand for FSTs growingLG Philips said third quarter profit jumped from the previous three month period on more TV shipments and an improvement in margins. Sharp said it was struggling to meet demand for LCDs and that there was a shortage of the screens used in large, thin TVs.
According to LG Philips, the market is picking up again after falling into a trough and it reported a net profit of $218m for the three months to 30 September. Sharp, which competes against Sony in its domestic market, is bullish about the demand for LCDs used in large TVs. The company reckons that supplies are likely to miss demand by between 15-30% this year.
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Irdeto for ShundeIrdeto announced that Shunde Broadcasting in Foshan, Guangdong Province, has selected its Epsilon Card to provide content protection for both its migration to digital TV and its existing pay TV operation. This analogue-to-digital migration project, funded by Shunde Jiancheng Broadcasting & Television Equipment Co, will serve over 380,000 users in the Shunde District.
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Tuesday 11th October 2005
Governance attacks at News Corp and BSkyB
C4 Freeview stake
Star mobisodes
Radio Times on I-mode
Arqiva: First Asian Shopping Channel
City TV for Dublin
UPC and Philips for HD
Crown Castle becomes NGW
Yahoo pod search
Governance attacks at News Corp and BSkyBRupert Murdoch is facing an onslaught on News Corp's corporate governance record for its ‘poison pill' defence to fend off Liberty and share buy back plans at Sky.
Murdoch is in London this week for a BSkyB board meeting, on the agenda will be a proposed share buy-back, which will be put to shareholders in November. Hermes, the major UK fund manager, has written to the group, warning that it will vote against the plans. Hermes is one of the 12 large pension and investment funds suing News Corp for extending its poison pill defence for at least another two years. Last year, News Corp said a poison pill plan adopted without prior shareholder approval would expire after one year. News Corp says the suit was "frivolous and without merit".
Hermes says it can no longer trust News Corp as the leading shareholder of BSkyB. Institutions have been wary of corporate governance issues at BSkyB, and of its relationship with News Corp, which owns 37 per cent of the satellite TV group, a fear exacerbated by the appointment of James Murdoch as CEO.
Hermes told the FT: "We've supported BSkyB's programme of buy-backs in the past on the basis that News Corp wouldn't exercise its voting powers. We've relied on that undertaking, but now we don't really feel that undertaking is worth its while." BSkyB is seeking permission for the buy-back at its annual meeting next month. It is requesting shareholders vote for the exemption from the Takeover Code provision that would force News Corp to bid for BSkyB and says News Corp's voting rights will be capped at 37 per cent.
Hermes said if News Corp put the poison-pill decision to a vote, it would reconsider its position on the buy-back.
BSkyB retorts that it is an independent company and doesn't want to be caught up in News Corp's disputes. "There are no grounds for Sky to be used as a proxy for issues surrounding News Corp."
Pressure over the poison pill issue is mounting in the US. Shareholder proxy firms are urging investors to rebuke the company by withholding votes on the re-election of Peter Chernin, chief operating officer, and Rod Eddington, audit committee chairman, at this month's company meeting. Institutional Shareholder Services, whose recommendations are closely followed by US institutional investors, said that News Corp stockholders should also withhold votes against Chase Carey, chief executive of DirecTV, and Andrew Knight, an independent director. Corporate Governance International, a Sydney proxy firm, is expected to urge similar action.
In October2004 News Corp said it would "establish a policy that, if a stockholder rights plan ‘poison pill' is adopted without prior stockholder approval, it will expire after one year unless ratified by stockholders". But in August 2005 the poison pill preventing Liberty's John Malone from increasing his voting stake beyond the 18 per cent was extended for another two years. Murdoch said merely there had been a change of company policy.
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C4 Freeview stakeAs expected, Channel 4 is to take a stake in Freeview by joining the consortium of Crown Castle, BSkyB, and the BBC that owns the free-to-air digital TV service. The partners are planning to market the Freeview box more aggressively as an alternative to cable and satellite.
Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncan chaired Freeview in his previous job as the BBC's director of marketing and has already moved E4, C4's entertainment channel, on to the platform. It was previously a subscription channel available on Sky and cable. More4, a new digital channel aimed at a slightly older audience will also be available on Freeview.
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Star mobisodes
From Shveta Malik in New Delhi
Star India has launched one-minute video clips, or mobisodes, for mobile phones in India. Star says it has become the first Indian TV network to launch mobisodes. The broadcaster has created mobisodes of Star One's comedy show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge' (TGILF), which will be available to Hutch users. Users will have access to downloadable video clips of the best moments of the programme through HutchWorld on their GPRS enabled Hutch phones.
Viren Popli, senior vice-president, Interactive Services, STAR India said: "With convergence, next generation distribution platforms are evolving, thereby allowing wider viewing choices with flexibility and convenience. This will pave the way for creating new television viewing patterns as well as revolutionise mobile entertainment."
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Radio Times on I-modeTV listings title Radio Times is the latest brand to partner with O2's recently launched mobile Internet service i-mode. A package of tailored content will be available to O2 subscribers: Reviews from TV critics, soap previews and reviews of new cinema releases will feature alongside weekly TV highlights and listings for 30 channels.
RT currently provides TV listings and programme preview content to Orange and Vodafone Live!. The i-mode service will be free until 31 December. After this users will have to pay a monthly subscription fee of £1 (E1.4).
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Arqiva: First Asian Shopping ChannelArqiva, formerly Inmedia, is to launch the UK's first dedicated Asian shopping channel, Apna Bazaar. Arqiva's Satellite Media Solutions division is providing satellite space segment and uplink services for the Bradford-based channel.
"Arqiva's reliable services are essential for reaching maximum viewers who wish to purchase quality Asian goods and textiles from their armchairs," says co-founding director of Apna Bazaar Nadeem Malik.
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City TV for DublinOctober saw the launch of City Channel, Dublin's only local television station, which went live on the NTL digital platform. Broadcasting initially to 110,000 homes, City Channel has a potential audience of 450,000 viewers. The new channel forms part of NTL's digital subscription package for Dublin viewers, future plans are to roll out the service to Galway and Waterford.
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UPC and Philips for HDUPC and Philips have launched partnership to introduce High-Definition TV (HDTV) into firstly the Netherlands and then other European countries. The agreement provides the opportunity for UPC customers in the Netherlands to watch major events such as the 2006 International football tournament and other programmes in full HDTV.
UPC will introduce an interactive HDTV-capable set-top box in 2006. Joint promotion activities will start in the first half of 2006. UPC and Philips believe that 2006 will be the year in which HDTV will take off, spurred by the International football tournament In the Netherlands, UPC has just started a large-scale rollout of digital TV in which it will invest E300 million.
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Crown Castle becomes NGWCrown Castle UK is changing its name to National Grid Wireless. The move follows the acquisition of Crown Castle UK in September last year by National Grid Transco.
Steven Marshall, Chief Executive Officer of National Grid Wireless, commenting on the change of name, said: "We are also continuing the development of the wireless infrastructure needed to meet the growing demand for 3G services and the UK wide rollout of the digital terrestrial television network. The new name emphasises our business and Group-wide commitment to delivering services safely, responsibly, reliably and efficiently."
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Yahoo pod searchYahoo is joining AOL and blinkx with a podcast service that offers access to much of the streaming audio on the Web and features user reviews and other information about the programming.
Searchers can listen to or subscribe to RSS (really simple syndication) feeds for individual shows or episodes of programming or entire series.
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Monday 10th October 2005
Private equity targeting NTL/Telewest deal?
Eutelsat sets IPO
DirecTV major push for DVR
Red button purchase from ads on Sky
Google lobbies in DC
UKTV sports
New MD for Euro cable labs
Media to grow ever faster
TV Today ties up with Dish Network
Eisner leaves Disney
Sat Platform Leads in HD Deployments
Mobile and Broadband delivery pioneered by ITN
Sony web station
Private equity targeting NTL/Telewest deal?The WSJ reports a group of private-equity firms is considering a bid to top $11 billion for both NTL and Telewest, just days after the two companies agreed to merge. If the group proceeds with a bid, it would be one of the biggest and most complex private-equity transactions yet because it would involve buying two companies already planning to combine. NTL said it would purchase Telewest for $6 billion in cash and stock.
The group of private-equity firms has contacted William R Huff, the US financier who is the biggest shareholder in both NTL and Telewest. Huff said he would decline to sell his stake or recommend either company agree to any deal with private-equity firms. "It would be preposterous for this company to transfer value to a financial sponsor," he said. The group hasn't yet approached NTL and Telewest directly, and one person familiar with the group's thinking said there was no guarantee a bid would ultimately emerge.
The line-up of private-equity firms in the group isn't set, but is expected to include Blackstone Group, of New York, and Cinven Group Ltd., BC Partners and Permira Advisors, of London.
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Eutelsat sets IPOEutelsat is expected to float next week with a valuation of up to E3bn (£2bn). Eutelsat filed papers for an IPO last month but the final decision on a flotation will be taken by the French regulator, l'Autorité des marchés financiers, and the firm's private equity owners: Eurazeo, Cinven, Texas Pacific Group and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners.
The company is expected to list on the Euronext exchange in Paris.Eutelsat reported revenues of E750m in the year to June 30 2005, an increase of 0.5% on the previous year, and EBITDA of E578.5m, representing a market-leading ebitda margin of 77%.
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DirecTV major push for DVRDirecTV is introducing a $30 million advertising campaign to promote its digital video recorder. It is DirecTV's first widespread public effort to distance itself from TiVo. Of DirecTV's 14.7 million customers, 2.3 million now subscribe to TiVo. DirecTV, which pays TiVo a monthly fee of $1.13 per TiVo subscriber, hopes those users will switch to its own service.
DirecTV's standard DVR will be introduced in late October, and another model featuring high-definition service will be introduced in mid-2006. The standard DVR will feature up to 100 hours of recordable space, compared with TiVo's 70 hours.
DirecTV will continue to support the TiVo service without marketing it, and both services will be priced at $5.99 a month. The company's current contract with TiVo is set to expire in early 2007. DirecTV has not said if it will continue the contract after that.
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Red button purchase from ads on SkyTV viewers will for the first time be able to use their remote control to purchase the products they see advertised on screen, using a new service about to be launched by BSkyB. The t-commerce initiative has the potential to transform the iTV advertising industry by allowing digital satellite subscribers to buy goods and services direct from 30-second spots.
The new interactive TV technology enables viewers to input their credit or debit card details by pressing red during a commercial for a product they want to purchase.
They will then be taken out of the linear broadcast to a transactional mini-DAL where their financial information can be verified using the Web and their purchase completed.
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Google lobbies in DCGoogle is seeking to extend its influence on public policy and lawmakers by opening an office in the US capital and has begun by warning that network operators could hamper expansion of internet companies into new markets
Andrew McLaughlin, senior policy counsel, said policymaking and regulatory activity in Washington seemed to affect Google and its users more every day. He announced that Alan Davidson, a veteran thinker and advocate on technology issues, had been appointed as the first member of its Washington team.
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UKTV sportsUKTV is set to launch a sports channel according the Guardian. The UKTV Sport channel is being given a "soft launch" on October 15 to test the market with advertisers. A block of programming will appear under the name UKTV Sport on UKTV G2, UKTV Gold and UK People before a full launch. The bulk of the programming is a new sports series made by TWI, also called UKTV Sport.
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New MD for Euro cable labsNiels Hersoug is the new Managing Director of EuroCableLabs. Martin Kull, Chief Technology Officer of Com Hem said: "We are very pleased that Niels
Hersoug brings strong executive management abilities and a technology background to the EuroCableLabs leadership team."Niels-Kristian Hersoug was previously the CEO of Hymite A/S and has a professional background that has included management assignments with GN Nettest, Ericsson and DSC.
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Media to grow ever fasterThe entertainment and media industries will grow faster in the second half of the decade than the first, reaching $1.8 trillion in annual sales by 2009, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report.
The report forecasts that the US would remain the largest media market at $690 billion by 2009, but would grow at the slowest average annual rate, 5.6 per cent.
The Asia-Pacific region, driven by gains in China and India, was seen expanding fastest, at nearly 12 per cent per year, to reach $432 billion in the same period. The fastest-growing media sector worldwide will be video games, with double-digit growth spurred by sales of next-generation consoles, online and wireless Internet access spending and online advertising. It projected that the global video game industry would almost double in size from $25 billion in 2004 to $55 billion in 2009.
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TV Today ties up with Dish Network
From Shveta Malik in New Delhi
India's news broadcaster TV Today Group has tied up with EchoStar Dish Network. TV Today's Hindi news channel Aaj Tak and English news channel Headlines Today are expected to reach out to over 100,000 households in the US through this collaboration.
"There is a large Indian Diaspora in the US. Launching Aaj Tak and Headlines Today on the Dish network will offer these viewers live news and analysis," said G Krishnan, chief executive officer, TV Today Network Ltd.
Tracy Thompson, vice-president, International Programming, Dish Network, said, "We are excited to serve as the exclusive pay-TV provider of Aaj Tak and Headlines Today channels in the US."
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Eisner leaves DisneyMichael Eisner, who gave up his job as Walt Disney's chief executive on September 30, also resigned from the board with immediate effect on the same day. The formal move marked a clean break with the company he had run for 21 years, and came about six months before the next annual meeting and board elections when he had been expected to step down.
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Sat Platform Leads in HD Deployments
IMS Research estimates that by the end of 2005, nearly 14 million households worldwide will be capable of watching HDTV programming. By 2010, this market is forecast to reach over 87 million households. Based on a recent study, The Future of High-definition Television, HDTV is becoming an important offering for cable and satellite TV providers."More operators in competitive digital TV markets are starting to look towards HDTV as a way to attract and retain premium subscribers," commented Anna Hunt, research director at IMS Research. "One of the challenges these operators face will be providing content in HD that is different and not just upconverted from existing SD channels." Availability and pricing of HDTV sets and HD set-top boxes will also play a key role if HDTV is to take off in new markets.
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Mobile and Broadband delivery pioneered by ITN
ITN is currently pioneering a streamed content to mobile service comprising two channels of news and weather for 3G phones and broadband distribution, driven by IBIS ServerPlay.Uniquely, ITN repurposes its news content specifically for mobile phones,
with an entire division - ITN Multimedia - responsible for the production,
editing, captioning and distribution to 3, Vodafone Live! with 3G and O2.Recently ITN Multimedia unveiled the first 24 hour streamed news channel for
mobile on MobiTV (who provide the channels to Orange's 3G offering),
bringing customers world news as it happens, together with showbiz, sport
and financial news, and a weather channel produced from Met Office
graphics.
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Sony web stationTo promote its new videogame 'Shadow of the Colossus', Sony plans a video comedy series featuring scenes from the game to be available shortly on the Web. The video series, 'Dr. Philprah, Colossus Whisperer', is a mocking take on the main character in 'Shadow of the Colossus', a young man on a quest in a mystical land. While the game treats the man seriously, the Web show portrays him as a talk-show host.
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