 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
16,000
industry execs receive our Daily News. |
|
|
|
|
|
Free subscription |
|
|
|
|
NEWS Monday 3rd October to Friday 7th October 2005
Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
| Tuesday | |||||
U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens has said he supports setting 2009 as the year for completing digital transition. U.S. lawmakers have been debating when to require broadcasters to shut off their analogue signals. Currently the deadline is either December 31, 2006 or when 85 percent of the television audience can receive digital, whichever comes later.
Most Americans have yet to buy the new television sets or converters in part because of their high cost, and experts have said the transition could take a decade. "With a 2009 hard date, there would be three Christmas buying seasons during which Americans will buy digital television sets," Stevens said in remarks to the Association of Maximum Service Television conference.
Stevens, a Republican, said his committee would consider a bill later this month to set the date. That bill could contain a subsidised converter programme that attempts to ensure consumers who cannot buy a digital TV will still get signals for their older sets via a set-top box. "We initiated the DTV transition back in 1996. And we expected it to be concluded by the end of next year. We now know that process has dragged on and it's not possible. It will take an act of Congress now to straighten out this situation."
The senator said budget requirements mandate that the committee raise $4.8 billion during the next five years from spectrum auctions. Stevens said he anticipates auction revenues of up to $10 billion, "providing that that hard date is where it should be. That should provide the resources we will need to help consumers with set-top boxes and accomplish a great many other goals."
Back to top
The Premier League and the European Commission are to hold last minute talks next week to try to settle their dispute over broadcasting rights for live games. However with both sides entrenched the prospects of a long and costly legal battle have grown.
A standoff could threaten the league's tight timetable for agreeing with the 20 clubs the 138 games to be broadcast live in the 2007-8 season. The EC said it will soon issue a "statement of objections" to the league's "inadequate" proposals for allowing more than one broadcaster to televise live games.
Back to top
Viacom revealed details of its pending split, saying that investors would receive a half share of each new entity for every Viacom share they hold. The new Viacom, which will consist of the MTV cable networks, Paramount Pictures and other assets, will have $3.2bn in debt, while CBS, which will be built around the broadcast network, the Infinity radio group and the Viacom Outdoor advertising unit, will have $7bn in debt, according to a prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The company did not say when the transaction would be completed, though it has previously stated a target date of early 2006. The proposed entities have been drafted to appeal to different classes of investors. Viacom, which will focus on growth, and is expected to use its shares as a currency for new acquisitions. CBS will be geared toward value investors and will pay at least $450m in dividends each year.
Back to top
The record industry is gunning for satellite radio in a dispute over new portable players that let listeners record and store songs. The major labels believe the recording capability is a clear copyright violation and could take revenue away from paid download music services.
"There are genuine issues here, but it is our continuing hope that we can resolve this on a business to business basis," said an Recording Industry Association spokesman.
The two sides are in talks to resolve the issue but could go to court over the matter.
Meanwhile, the head of the US's largest radio station conglomerate has said satellite radio should abide by stiffer regulations. Mark Mays, CEO of Clear Channel Communications, calimed traditional radio "faces more competitive threats than at any other time in our history. And none of these threats are crippled by the at-times suffocating regulations that stifle free radio." He said that each of the satellite radio companies, Sirius and XM, has more than 120 stations delivered to "every single market in the continental United States." And that the content on satellite radio is not regulated. "In contrast, free radio is limited to just eight stations per market. And both our content and delivery system are highly regulated." Mays said traditional radio should have the flexibility to operate more stations in individual markets. In markets with 60 stations or more, there's room to raise the local ownership cap from eight to 10 stations, he said. In markets with 75 radio stations or more, the limit could be raised from 8 to 12 stations.
Back to top
There is no sign of compromise over next-generation DVD technology as executives from rival camps talked up their formats and vowed to launch products to woo consumers to their side. "It will come down to which camp comes out with products that have merit for consumers. Content will also be key," Kiyoshi Nishitani, senior vice president at Sony Corp told Reuters at an industry conference in Japan. Nishitani had just finished participating in a panel discussion held to push the merits of the Blu-ray disc format for next-generation DVDs. Blu-ray is up against Toshiba's HD DVD.
The HD DVD group held a press conference at which executives from Toshiba and Microsoft Corp. made the case for HD DVD. Nishitani said it was unlikely that this battle would be as drawn out as the decade-long VHS/Beta tussle in which Sony's Beta famously lost to the VHS camp. He said he had good reason to believe Sony would prevail this time. "I'm not really worried, but I can't tell you right now why that is," Nishitani said. "In the end there will be one format." Blu-ray received a vote of confidence earlier this week from news that Paramount, one of Hollywood's top studios that until now has been firmly in the HD DVD corner, would take a neutral stance and release movies in Blu-ray as well. Paramount cited Sony's next-generation PlayStation 3 game console as a key factor behind its decision.
Back to top
MTVN and BET will provide content for Verizon's FiOS TV. Through the agreement, FiOS will carry all MTV Networks and BET program services, including the MTV Networks recently launched services LOGO, MTV Desi, and several other program services in the MTV World group, as well as its recently announced high-definition channel, MHD. MTVN and BET programming will be available to all FiOS TV subscribers.
Verizon will deliver MTV Networks video-on-demand content as part of the FiOS Free-on-Demand VOD platform. The FiOS TV service will also offer music on MTV Networks digital audio radio channels. Verizon will also provide its broadband subscribers with access to content from the MTV and Nickelodeon brands, including MTV.com's MTV Overdrive and Nick.com's TurboNick.
Back to top
Sir David Frost, the only person to have interviewed the last seven Presidents of the United States and the last six Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, has joined the line-up of on-air talent at the new 24-hour English-language news and current affairs channel, Al Jazeera International.
"We are thrilled to have Sir David Frost join Al Jazeera International," said Managing Director Nigel Parsons. "He's a one-man international broadcasting phenomenon and our viewers can look forward to the substance and quality that have marked his distinguished career."
Back to top
Live coverage of The Ashes contributed to a record month of online listening to BBC Radio Five Live and Radio 4 both eclipsed their previous records by more than 300 per cent notching up two million and 250,000 hours of live online listening respectively, contributing to a monthly total of 16.1 million hours of live and on demand listening.
Meanwhile it has been revealed the BBC paid $375,000 to buy the bbc.com web domain from a US firm, Boston Business Computing. The BBC still does not use the domain other than to redirect visitors to its main bbc.co.uk site, but says it is looking into using it as an international portal.
Back to top
ANT plc a provider of embedded HTML browser, content control and user interface software for IPTV and consumer electronics markets, announced that five set-top box developers have integrated the ANT- and Alcatel-certified IP set-top box solution incorporating Alcatel's Open Media Client (OMC) and ANT's Fresco software.
As Alcatel's sole worldwide OMC supplier and client side integration and certification partner, ANT has provided the Alcatel client-side solutions for five STB companies ADB, Kreatel, Pace Micro Technology, Philips and Telsey; with further STBs to be announced shortly. The ANT and Alcatel solution is already in deployment with STB developers Amino and Foxconn.
Back to top
UK's Five has selected interactive TV specialist Tamblin as its technology partner to support the next phase of the Channel's interactive TV strategy, to be launched this winter.
Five has commissioned Tamblin to develop a library of flexible templates that can be used to build almost limitless types of interactive applications, from quizzes, competitions and voting to dynamic ISMs (Interactive Services Menus) and information pages.
Back to top
Culture secretary Tessa Jowell believes new "light touch" regulation should be introduced to govern TV via new media. "We know we need new regulations to reflect the fact that TV services are now being delivered via the net and mobile phones. But we don't want to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, as regulation of these platforms will have an enormous impact on how they develop," Jowell told an industry conference.
She also said that the creative industries need more intellectual rights protection, but less red tape in order to battle piracy and bureaucracy and protect revenues. "A strong and fair intellectual property regime is absolutely fundamental to a thriving, creative economy. In a digital world it's key to our future prosperity".
Back to top
The world's four biggest consumer electronics companies have predicted they will introduce devices in 2006 with anti-piracy software that is based on an open standard that is fully interoperable. Sony, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic), Samsung and Philips announced in January they would start using a common method to protect digital music and video against piracy and illegal copying through the Marlin JDA initiative
"The Marlin JDA anticipates that the first Marlin-based devices and services will enter the market in 2006," the group said in a statement, while announcing that software developers will now have access to the digital rights management (DRM) specifications. Interoperability between anti-piracy softwares does not exist at the moment and companies use their own buy proprietary systems.
Intertrust Technologies, a small United States-based company which owns many of the crucial patents for digital anti-piracy protection, is also part of the Marlin alliance. The technology can be used in all products that get their content via the Internet, broadcast or mobile phone networks. The Marlin-based DRM systems will be offered alongside existing systems, but senior Sony has said in the past they favour interoperability in order to accelerate sales of digital electronics.
Back to top
The film industry must launch online movie download services to avoid the same fate as the piracy-ridden music industry, NBC Universal Chairman and Chief Executive Bob Wright believes. "It's something we have to do, but it has to be done well. These movies are so expensive we have to be careful ... we're pretty close. Hopefully by the end of this year we'll be able to do that."
Wright spoke at the launch of cross-industry anti-piracy and counterfeiting initiative with senior executives from media, software, pharmaceutical and food industries known as "Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy" (BASCAP).
Other participants included top managers from Microsoft, Nestle, Vivendi Universal and EMI. "The problems are spreading and no one is immune," Wright said. "In my business we're just looking over the shoulder of the music industry, which has gone through a very difficult time."
There are already at least two fledgling online movie stores: Movielink, which is a venture of five major Hollywood studios, and CinemaNow, which is jointly owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, Microsoft, Blockbuster and several private equity firms.
Back to top
Britain's new cable giant is planning a bid to undercut Sky by offering Premiership football subscription packages for as little as £10 (E14) a month, according to the Guardian.
The company is planning to offer an estimated £200m a year for Premiership rights if the European Commission rules that no single broadcaster can bid for more than 50% of the games. In 2003 Sky paid £1.02bn for an exclusive three-year deal to televise all live Premiership games. Simon Duffy, the new company's CEO, has said Sky had underpaid for football rights and a fairer auction would generate more cash for clubs and better value for supporters. A bid from NTL depends on the Commission being successful in restructuring the auction's rules. It is preparing legal action against the league for failing to take sufficient steps to stop Sky renewing its monopoly. Sky's rivals support the Commission's view that the new contract for 2007-10 should limit any single broadcaster to 50% of the available matches.
Back to top
Only 10% of UK homes will not have digital TV sets in 2012, the final switch-off date for analogue, according to Ofcom.
The report, commissioned from Scientific Generics, is said to extrapolate the current take-up of digital TV to come up with the figure. According to Digital UK, which is charged with co-ordinating the government's switchover plans, only 9% (or about 2.3 million) of UK homes will not have changed to digital TV by switchover, which is half the number of digital "refuseniks" predicted just two years ago.
Back to top
A 10 year deal to carry the Disney Channel on BSkyB has expired without a long-term agreement over the channel's continued transmission. Disney and Sky are still haggling over a new contract and have agreed to roll over the existing deal to allow talks to continue.
If the talks break down Disney Channel could be forced off Sky, but this is unlikely. The original agreement is thought to be one of the most expensive channel-supply agreements negotiated by Sky. Last year the broadcaster spent £1.63 billion (E2.3bn) on third-party programming, its largest expense. The Disney deal was originally negotiated during 1994, when Sky was in the process of floating on the Stock Exchange and was keen to demonstrate the breadth of its line-up.
Back to top
Sirius subscription radio ended the third quarter with more than 2.17 million subscribers and expects more than three million subscribers by the end of the year. It said it added more than 359,000 new subscribers during the third quarter, almost double the 182,000 net additions in the year-earlier quarter.
On Monday, rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. reported it had 5.03 million subscribers at the end of the third quarter. The company added 617,000 new subscribers in the period.
Back to top
DirecTV has told the Federal Communications Commission it is concerned about the Adelphia takeover by Comcast and Time Warner. It claims both Comcast and Time Warner Cable have arranged to withhold or raise the cost of key regional sports programming networks in a number of markets. DirecTV said that approval of the Adelphia transaction without appropriate conditions "would enable Comcast and Time Warner to pursue similar strategies in many more markets."
Back to top
Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Japan's largest cable TV provider, is in talks with Vodafone and Willcom to start offering mobile phone services next year. "We aim to decide on which operators to offer the service with by the end of the year and start the business early next year,'' said Tomoyuki Moriizumi, chief executive of Jupiter, which is controlled by U.S.-based Liberty Media International Inc. "We plan to offer a voice service to our cable customers, and may eventually tie up with several operators.''
Jupiter also announced it has passed the 500,000 subscriber mark with its digital cable service, J:COM TV Digital, a 30 percent digital penetration rate across the J:COM TV subscriber universe. J:COM has been concentrating on strengthening its digital service content including HDTV programmes, and providing VOD and Pay-Per-View.
Back to top
Broadcasters will be able to integrate viewers' 3G video clips into their programming thanks to new technology developed by Two Way TV. Building on its popular Simcast platform, which enables the seamless integration of Text-to-TV services into live programming, Two Way TV has extended this technology to include 3G video.
This will mean that broadcasters will be able to harness 3G technology to develop new interactive programme formats where viewers will become part of programming. Two Way TV has extended its text moderation tools, which are currently used by broadcasters to moderate Two Way TV's Simcast SMS and MMS chat services, so that the producers can vet time-delayed videos to make sure they are suitable for broadcast.
Back to top
Optical Entertainment Network announced that Amino will supply standard and high definition STBs for FISION's FTTH video service. Amino will deliver the first
generation STBs for FISION, that will receive over 300 video channels
including over 50 channels of HD, VOD and original and speciality programming.
"We are very pleased to add Amino's proven technology and technical
architecture to the FISION Network family. Amino's product line, which
includes SDTV and HDTV set-top box formats made them an easy choice to
supply our consumer premises equipment for our subscribers", said Allen
Easty, Chief Technical Officer of Optical Entertainment Network, the parent
company of the FISION service.
Back to top
Agama Technologies, a provider of products and services for digital distribution of media over IP, and Latens Systems, the software based Content & Revenue Protection systems, announce they have worked together at a joint customer to demonstrate to demonstrate interoperability between Latens IP CAS and the Agama IPTV Monitoring solution.
"By enabling the co-existence of conditional access and monitoring for IPTV operators, we provide operators with the tools necessary for high-quality services," says Andy Mathieson, Director, Latens.
"Providing a TV service with high quality and premium content are competitive necessities in today_s marketplace. Service assurance is needed to achieve confidence in delivered quality," says Mikael Dahlgren, Managing Director at Agama. "By integrating the Latens CAS and the Agama IPTV Monitoring solution, operators benefit from end-to-end monitoring of the complete IPTV service, including encrypted content."
Back to top
MobiTV announced it has secured 8 new content partners for its portfolio of live TV to mobile channels. The new channels go live on the MobiTV platform, a service available throughout the UK on Orange TV.
As part of this new channel line-up, Orange will launch a live cricket channel covering the ICC Super Series. The new channels available on the MobiTV platform are: Live ICC Super Series Cricket, Kerrang, Kiss, Bloomberg UK, Bravo, Maxx Sports, Reality Channel, ITN Weather, Shorts TV.
Back to top
Comcast is to stream live NHL games over the internet. Comcast's more than 7.7 million High-Speed Internet customers will be the first and only broadband users to experience hockey action live on their PCs, during the 2005-2006 season. This exclusive agreement gives Comcast High-Speed Internet customers access to up to two live games daily, for a total of up to 300 throughout the season.
Back to top
The UK Office of Fair Trading will look into the NTL/Telewest merger with telecoms groups such as BT and Cable & Wireless waiting to see whether the regulator will open the door for competitors to launch services on the combined company's platform.
NTL CEO Simon Duffy rejected the idea citing the precedent set by the regulatory inquiry into the merger of NTL and Cable & Wireless networks five years ago, which dismissed rivals calls for access to the platform. "I don't think we will or should be asked to do it. This was gone over by the competition authorities [in 2000] and they reached the conclusion that increasing the scale of a cable company did not change whether it had significant market power. It's only if there is significant market power that the issue of opening access [to the network] arises."
Back to top
Despite NTL's warm comments about Telewest's previously unwanted Flextech content unit, it seems some kind of sale may be proceeding whether NTL like it or not.
The BBC has a change of ownership deal meaning it could now buy the Fextech half of its UKTV JV from NTL. This in itself may encourage NTL to proceed with a sell off to a BBC approved partner. The BBC has announced its intention to meet bilaterally with the bidders – including BskyB, ITV and RTL. Bob Smith, CEO of BBC Worldwide, even declared he'd be perfectly happy to have Sky running the BBC's interests in UKTV. If a deal were to go ahead involving only the UKTV part of Flextech, it is unclear whether other bidders would be interested in the remainder; Bravo, Challenge, Living and Sit Up.
Back to top
More than half of the CDs, DVDs and computer games sold in Europe have no form of copyright protection on them, new research commissioned by Macrovision claimed. The report found that 90% of entertainment companies were also failing to protect their products from illegal online use.
Rather than simply chasing individuals through the courts, entertainment companies should be working harder to guard their offerings in the first place, the report urges. Based on interviews with senior film, games and music executives across France, Germany and the UK, the survey revealed that a staggering 50% of entertainment products, distributed on disks, such as games and DVDs, lack any form of copyright protection. The study also found that companies were protecting less than 10% of their offerings from illegal peer-to-peer downloads.
The report suggests that targeting what it calls "man in the street copiers" with fines and court action is counterproductive. "There are too many consumers downloading too little to warrant the resource," the research says. Instead, it called on the entertainment industry to re-think content protection to make it harder for people to casually copy content and for government to do more to make EU copyright legislation more effective.
Back to top
Verizon Wireless, the No. 2 U.S. cellphone service, plans to start delivering live television to mobile early next year using a network being built by Crown Castle International, according to analysts reports.
Verizon Wirelessand Vodafone Group already sends on-demand news and entertainment video clips to mobile phones as part of its effort to expand its services beyond voice phone calls. Verizon Wireless plans to add to its media line-up by using tower operator Crown Castle's network to send live TV to its phones in the first quarter of 2006. The tower operator plans to cover the top 30 U.S. markets with a live television network and that Verizon Wireless plans to deliver live TV using the network.
Back to top
blinkx has announced the launch of ‘my blinkx.tv' -- a new service available through its video search engine, www.blinkx.tv. Users can upload and store their video blogs free of charge; they can also enter a search and save it as a "channel", which will be automatically and perpetually updated with relevant footage. This personal "channel" can then be viewed as a single, media stream, either online, or when downloaded to their desktops or portable video player.
"There's been a huge amount of noise about IPTV, but we've yet to see any real progress in this area," said blinkx founder Suranga Chandratillake. "At blinkx, we believe that IPTV should combine the interactive, customisable experience of the Internet, with the simple, seamless way we watch TV -- with my blinkx.tv, we're collaborating with our users to experiment with how we think that might look."
Back to top
Digital music downloads tripled in the first half of 2005, almost compensating for the decline in CD and DVD music sales. Worldwide recorded music sales fell slightly to $13.2bn in the six months to June, down from $13.4bn a year ago, according to figures released yesterday by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
While physical music sales fell 6.3% to $12.4bn, digital downloads rose from $220m to $790m. Digital delivery now accounts for 6% of total record sales, almost cancelling out the 6.3% fall in sale of discs. "More and more people in a growing number of countries are turning to the new legal ways of downloading music on the internet or via mobile phones," IFPI chairman John Kennedy said.
Back to top
Microsoft has broken off licensing talks with the four global music companies, raising questions about the software giant's plans to start a subscription-based music service, according to the WSJ.
The paper reported negotiations broke down over what Microsoft considered high royalty rates sought by EMI, Warner Music, Universal Music and Sony BMG. Microsoft has not announced a subscription music service, but it was widely expected to make such an announcement soon.
Back to top
American families are watching more TV today than they were a decade ago, according to Nielsen Media From September 2004 to September 2005 the average American family viewed eight hours and eleven minutes of TV programming a day. That's up 2.7% from September 2003-04, when the figure came in at eight hours and one minute. A decade ago, from September 1994-95, average total viewing was seven hours and 15 minutes.
Back to top
Macquarie Bank Ltd., Australia's biggest investment bank, plans to raise up to A$966 million ($769 million) in an initial public offering of its radio stations to fund media acquisitions.
The war chest could be used for more media acquisitions ``Macquarie Media's investment focus will be on media assets which have stable earnings and cash flow, strong market positions, barriers to entry and the potential for further earnings improvement,'' it said in the share sale document lodged with regulators today.
The fund will initially seek acquisitions in Australia, the U.K., Europe and North America, aiming to buy controlling or blocking stakes in media companies. 'Opportunities may arise'' from asset sales, media industry and technological changes as well as deregulation, Macquarie said.
Back to top
The Baby Channel launches on Sky next week at channel number 285. It will be free to all satellite homes, broadcasting a schedule of programmes aimed at pregnant women, expectant fathers and parents of pre-school children aged 0-5 years old. The channel will also be webcast on the Internet at www.babychanneltv.com.
It claims to be the world's first television channel exclusively for pregnant women and parents of pre-school children. The programmes are for grown-ups not kids, and include topics like pregnancy, child health, early learning, first aid, safety and cooking for children.
The Baby Channel will be on air from 6.00am - 8.00pm with a schedule of original programmes made with the UK's leading medical and parenting organisations including the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the National Childbirth Trust, St John Ambulance, the Maternity Alliance, SureStart and many others.
Back to top
After one of the longest courtships in corporate history, the UK's remaining cable operators are getting together. NTL has agreed to buy smaller rival Telewest for about £3.4bn (E4.92bn).
Nasdaq quoted NTL has announced it is paying $23.93 - $16.25 in cash and 0.115 NTL shares -- for each Telewest share, It is also taking on £1.7 billion of Telewest debt. NTL shareholders will own about 75 per cent of the new company.
Combined, they will have TV, phone and broadband internet customers in about five million UK households compared with eight million for pay TV rival BSkyB. It will also be the second-largest residential telephone company behind BT. The deal creates a service provider with pro forma combined revenues of £3.4 billion. "Underpinned by a national strategy and increased scale and reach, this transaction positions the enlarged company for greater success than either company could have achieved alone," NTL Chairman James Mooney said.
The wrangle over management slots has been settled in NTL's favour: NTL chief Simon Duffy will be CEO of the new company while Telewest's acting CEO Barry Elson – up to £10m richer - will leave the company after the deal closes.
NTL and Telewest said they expect the deal to close in the first quarter of 2006 following approval by regulators and both companies' shareholders. Following restructurings after bankruptcy, the companies share many of the same top investors, including Huff Asset Management - led by William Huff - which owns about 17 percent of Telewest and 10 percent of NTL and has spurred on the merger. NTL and Telewest said they expect the deal to yield £1.5 billion of synergies.
Back to top
The deal includes Telewest's Flextech programming arm, which Telewest had put up for sale earlier this year. Telewest had recently shortlisted bidders including BSkyB, ITV and RTL. The bidding process has convinced a sceptical NTL the unit is worth the value Telewest was putting on it in the merger.
In a distinct change of tone, Simon Duffy, the chief executive of NTL, said getting hold of the channels business was a "key part" of the merger. "What will we do with it? It's too early to say, but you can infer from my comments that we regard it as a key asset. Auctioning it off to the highest bidder is not the obvious thing to do."
"We'll sit down with Telewest - it's still their business," Duffy said as news of the merger was released. "We'll review the options. But it's a strategic asset."
Duffy admitted he had been cynical about "vertical integration" - but pointed to successful examples of the strategy. "Sky use it against us. As I look around the competitive market in the UK, you have Sky using content as a weapon, and with Freeview there's a big issue in the multichannel environment between pay-TV and free-to-air. In that competitive environment, control of a strategic content asset, is clearly a very important lever."
Back to top
TiVo Inc. said that David Courtney, chief financial officer and head of the company's corporate products and services group, will leave TiVo early in 2006.
TiVo said that Courtney will remain at the company "in a transition role" through April 15, 2006, as the company looks to recruit replacements for his roles. In August, TiVo pushed back its target of sustainable profitability, citing rising competition and distribution challenges, driving its stock down almost 9 percent. The company also posted a narrow second-quarter net profit.
254,000 new subscribers were added to its fee-based TV recording service, down from 288,000 in the same quarter a year earlier. Key to that drop was a five percent decline in new customers from DirecTV Inc., which has said it plans to cease marketing TiVo's product.
Back to top
Paramount Home Entertainment has said it will release high-definition movies in the Blu-ray format, backed by a group including Sony Corp. It previously said it would release its movies in the rival format, called HD-DVD, and backed by a group including Toshiba Inc. Paramount's deal with Blu-ray is nonexclusive, meaning that Paramount for now plans to release titles in HD-DVD as well as Blu-ray.
Paramount's move means that a majority of the six major film studios have committed to releasing titles in the Blu-ray format. However, in some ways the switch confuses the picture. Just last week, two technology giants, Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp., made a splashy show of support for HD-DVD.
Back to top
Entone Technologies, a provider of personal video content delivery solutions, announced today that PCCW, operator of the world's largest deployment of IPTV services, has selected Entone to support its deployment of on demand service.
PCCW, has over 441,000 subscribers since its launch approximately two years ago. now Broadband TV provides 24-hour, DVD-quality broadcast of 73 television channels and 15 subscription-based audio channels. PCCW has also launched on demand services. To support its on demand deployment, PCCW has selected Entone's full suite of IPTV solutions for creating, managing, and delivering digital assets.
Back to top
Alcatel is to supply its Metro Ethernet solution to support the roll out of a
triple play network in Taiwan. CHT, a recently privatised incumbent
operator, plans to bring advanced voice, video and higher-speed Internet
services to more than one million Taiwanese subscribers within the next
three years.
Under the contract, CHT will deploy the Alcatel 7450 Ethernet Service
Switch to aggregate triple play services delivered to residential and
enterprise users as part of a fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) project. Phase
one of this FTTB project is targeting the end of 2005 to meet the business
communication needs of enterprises in Taiwan's major cities. This contract
was won in partnership with inTECH (System Integration) and ZyXEL (Layer 2
switches).
Back to top
Arroyo Video Solutions, provider of software infrastructure for operators and service providers to deliver personalised entertainment, today announced the appointment of broadband industry leader Rick DeGabrielle to the position of president and chief executive officer.
DeGabrielle, a 20 year networking veteran joins Arroyo as the company leverages its unique capabilities to introduce new applications in addition to video on demand (VOD), expand its reach, and enter new markets.
Back to top
The day after Swiss Cablecom announced its IPO pricing, Liberty Global Inc. announced that it has reached agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Cablecom Holdings from a group of shareholders led by Apollo Management, TowerBrook Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs affiliates.
Liberty will pay US$2.186 billion (E1.815 billion) cash a price, together with the company's net debt position, represents a multiple of 10.4 times Cablecom's estimate of 2006 operating cash flow. Cablecom's announced an IPO pricing range of US$2.2 to $2.7 billion.
Mike Fries, President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Global, said, "Continued expansion of our footprint in Europe is a core strategic objective. Cablecom is a world class operation with over two million video, voice and data subscribers in one of Europe's most attractive telecommunications markets. With 80 per cent video penetration, limited satellite and data competition, and strong operating cash flow, Cablecom fits perfectly into our long-range growth plans. Upon completion, we will be the largest broadband cable operator in 11 of our 14 European markets, and we'll have approximately 17 million total RGUs worldwide."
The acquisition will be largely debt financed. It had been reported Cablecom originally approached Liberty, but after there was no agreement on price, decided on an IPO.
Back to top
Modern Times Group has acquired 50 per cent of the shares of GES Media Holding a.s. in the Czech Republic from GES Media Europe B.V., for E96 million in cash. GMH owns 100 per cent of FTV Prima, (TV Prima), which is the second largest national television channel in the Czech Republic. GMH's sales in 2004 E48.3 million with EBIT of E9.1 million.
TV Prima was launched in 1993 as the first privately owned commercial TV channel in the Czech Republic. The channel has a nationwide penetration of over 98 per cent of the 4 million TV viewing households, and is broadcast under a national terrestrial licence until 2018. Its' target audience group is ‘15+', and the channel has a particularly strong representation amongst ‘Women 18+' and in the principal Prague region. The channel had an 18.1 per cent TV advertising market share in 2004.
Hans-Holger Albrecht, CEO of MTG, commented: "The Czech TV market has unique characteristics that make it very attractive for MTG. It is dominated by a few key players, with a resulting concentration of TV advertising spend. TV Prima's share of viewing and advertising spend has been largely constant over the past few years, but the channel is now investing significantly in programming to boost both viewing and market shares and change the dynamic structure of the market. The channel will also benefit from the discontinuation of advertising on the two state channels from 2008, which accounted for 12 per cent of annual TV advertising revenues in 2004."
Back to top
News Corp's Star TV is to buy a 20 percent strategic stake in the Indonesian television network ANTV, giving it a firmer foothold in Asia's third most populous country at a time when the Indonesian television advertising market is booming.
Restrictions on foreign investment in Indonesia's media have limited Star to a direct stake of no more than 20 percent.
In an effort to head off potential opposition to the deal – which has regulatory approval - ANTV has promised to improve the quality of news broadcasts and secure their independence. ANTV executives said that control over programming, particularly news content, would remain in Indonesian hands
"This is good for both parties, good for the country," said Anin Bakrie, who heads ANTV and is the eldest son of the economy minister. "Star is bringing in a lot of experience from the international market." But he added that Star was intent on supporting the growth of "local expertise and content."
Back to top
Eight people have been charged by US authorities with the illegal online release of the final Star Wars film. The film was leaked onto the internet the day before the film's worldwide release in May. It is alleged the copy was taken from a post-production facility in California, where one of the defendants worked.
The US attorney in Los Angeles filed a copyright infringement charge against Albert Valente, 28, of Lakewood, California, for taking the Star Wars copy from the post-production house where he worked. He has pleaded guilty to the charge.
Six other people were charged with copyright infringement and other charges for copying and distributing the Star Wars film that Valente took. Another defendant, Marc Hoaglin, 36, of Huntington Beach, California, was charged with putting the film on the internet.
Back to top
The Asia-Pacific telecommunications market grew by 5.7 percent in the last two years, according to a new study released by Frost & Sullivan. The company said "We expect broadband revenues to increase from US$16.8 billion in 2004 to about US$42.1 billion in 2008, a growth of two-and-a-half times over the next four years." It added that broadband penetration would reach 26 percent of households in the region by 2008.
Back to top
Samsung Electronics is to spend $33bn expanding output and building a research and development plant by 2012. The company said it would create 14,000 new jobs and add 5,000 research posts over the next seven years, creating the world's biggest semiconductor factory.
It said the extra output would boost chip sales to $61bn (£35b) in 2012, compared with $16.3bn last year. The company sells two main types of memory chip: DRAM chips for computers and flash memory chips for digital cameras and mobile phones. Despite industry-wide oversupply, Samsung said that building eight production lines at two factories was a key part of plans to boost future profits.
Back to top
The ON Demand Group announced four senior appointments to strengthen the company's Management Team.
Simon McGrath has been appointed to the position of Director, Strategy and Development at ODG and Deputy CEO. McGrath will be responsible for all future business and technical direction and developing the Group's partnerships and services worldwide. Prior to joining the Group, Simon was Chief Sales and Communication Officer of Lysis SA of Switzerland.
Andrew Bolton has been appointed to the position of ODG's Chief Operating Officer and will sit on the Board of Directors. Bolton has been with ODG since 2002 where he has been particularly successful in leading large and complex programmes to deliver VOD and NVOD services to ODG's clients.
Charl de Beer has been appointed to the position of Financial Director at ODG and will sit on the Board of Directors.
Mark Springett joins ODG as Head of Content Services and will also sit on the Board of Directors. As Head of Content Services, Springett will be responsible for the marketing and packaging of the company's highly successful NVOD and VOD services.
Back to top
Private equity firm Permira and the banks HVB Group, BayernLB and Bawag have sold their shares in German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere AG for E23.75 per share, cutting their combined stake from 33.8 per cent to 8.45 per cent.
Back to top
According to UK trade press the producers' alliance Pact is said to be preparing a complaint to Ofcom after failing to agree terms with ITV over online rights. ITV wants to offer shows online up to seven days after broadcast and is offering producers 20 per cent of the revenues.
Back to top
MTV Networks and Sprint, the third- largest wireless carrier in the United States, announced an agreement to bring the top MTV Networks' programming direct to Sprint PCS customers on their multimedia phones, giving them access to comedy, music and much more in the palm of their hand. Starting in October, Sprint expects to offer Sprint PCS customers access to exclusive programming and other short content from some of MTV Networks' leading cable networks, including Comedy Central, VH1, CMT, Nickelodeon and The N.
Back to top
Viacom has taken a 70 per cent stake in Magic Media, an outdoor advertising company in Beijing, as it seeks to tap into the fast-growing Chinese advertising market. The deal includes an option to acquire the remaining 30 per cent of Magic after five years.
In the first half of the year advertising spending in China increased 20 per cent, to more than $17bn. By contrast US ad growth was less than 5 per cent over the same period.
Back to top
Jetix UK is launching an enhanced interactive free-to-play games service on UK cableco Telewest Broadband's digital TV platform.
This new deal, one of the first from a commercial dedicated kids TV channel on the cable company's service, will allow the platform's 1.2 million digital households direct access to gaming content from the red button whilst retaining a TV quarter screen when playing.
The eTV games content includes up to two free games each month with a high score leader board competition and separate weekly multiple choice competition. Users will also be provided with a link through to the channel's existing full screen games service, Jetix i.
Ian Finnegan, Managing Director, Jetix UK said that the partnership with Telewest Broadband "further demonstrates our commitment to providing viewers with an interactive offering beyond TV, thereby enhancing the consumers relationship with our programming and characters."
Back to top
Arqiva is to sign a five-year deal to deliver direct-to-home (DTH) services to CNBC Europe. The Satellite Media Solutions division is to supply backhaul connectivity from CNBC Europe's Fleet Place offices, satellite uplink and space segment.
John Turner, CNBC Europe's director of operations, noted that CNBC Europe already used Arqiva's services for Occasional Distribution to the Sirius satellite and European VSAT networks links and confirmed that he was keen to develop the relationship for as long as possible.
Back to top
For the very latest news go to Home Page ............
