|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Our Latest Issues
Visit our archive to access more than 200 features!  |
Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
Tuesday
Friday 24th August
Spanish soccer war hots up
Ofcom: Internet up, TV down
FCC still backs a la carte
Macquarie after C&M
IBM in second life
BT, Sony video phone on PSP
BSkyB extends deadline for Amstrad
Alcatel Lucent loses top execs
Optimus mobile HD
Spanish soccer war hots up
From David Del Valle in Madrid
The dispute between Sogecable, owner of Cuatro and Digital Plus, and Mediapro, shareholder in TV channel La Sexta, over football TV rights has intensified following the decision of Audiovisual Sport, the Sogecable-controlled company that manages the football rights to suspend providing football broadcasts to Mediapro over nonpayment of fees worth E 58 million.
Audiovisual Sport has also accused Mediapro of failing to comply with other unspecified contractual obligations. "Audiovisual cannot tolerate this situation any longer" the group said adding that it has started legal proceedings against Mediapro. "As soon as Mediapro pays and complies with the rest of its obligations to Audiovisual, this company will resume provision of the signal to Mediapro... and withdraw the legal suit it has been obliged to file," Audiovisual said.
Mediapro responded by threatening to block broadcasts on Sogecable's pay-TV service, Digital+. "The grave and unilateral decision taken by Sogecable and its managers ... without doubt is going to signal a drastic and substantial reduction of matches that will be broadcast by pay-TV," Mediapro said in a statement. Up to now La Sexta has shown one match per weekend on its free-to-air TV station and Sogecable the remainder on pay-TV and pay-per-view.The battle for the soccer rights intensified this summer after Mediapro announced it had signed media rights for 12 clubs in La Liga for 2008-09 season. Mediapro also said in July that it had struck a deal with 39 of the 42 clubs in the first and second divisions to show their games in the 2009-10 season. Sogecable, which has held first and second division rights for a number of seasons, has said Mediapro's agreements with clubs breach contracts already in place and has said it will challenge them in the courts.
Back to top
Uk’s Ofcom has revealed the findings of its latest survey on viewer habits. Its annual Communications Market Report reveals new trends in the UK’s £50bn (E72.4bn) electronic communications sector.
Consumers now spend 50 hours per week on the phone, surfing the internet, watching television or listening to the radio. Average daily internet use in 2006 (36 minutes) was up 158 per cent on 2002 and time spent on the mobile phone (almost four minutes per day) was up 58 per cent. Time spent watching TV was down 4 per cent at three hours and 36 minutes, listening to radio was down 2 per cent at two hours and 50 minutes and time spent on a fixed line phone was down 8 per cent at seven minutes.
While consumers are getting more out of their communications services, the amount they are spending on them continues to fall. In 2006, average household spend on communications services was £92.65 per month, down from £94.03 in 2005.
To read the full synopsis Click Here
Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin isn’t backing down stand for la carte, saying he believed it could benefit, not reduce, diversity. But he did apologized for upsetting civil-rights groups who complained about comments he made last week
Nonethelss he said claims that interest groups weren’t independent came from a Center for Public Integrity study. Martin said: "That study concluded: 'The grassroots opposition to a la carte is actually a highly sophisticated lobby campaign where seemingly disinterested third parties - like nonprofits and legislators - are spreading the anti-a la carte message using minority programming as the key issue. In fact, rather than being disinterested, these third parties have much to gain. The Center has identified hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and other benefits showered by cable companies on some of these nonprofits."
Cable companies and some minority interest groups have said mandatory a la carte will make it more difficult for marginal channels to get carriage.
Back to top
A consortium including Macquarie Bank’s South Korean private equity arm and MBK Partners is set to acquire a 30 per cent stake in the country’s second biggest cable TV group and targeting the remaining shares. Macquarie Korea Fund has signed a preliminary deal to purchase the stake from Goldman Sachs for about $650m (E479m), and agreed to a follow-on deal to jointly hold the stake with MBK.
The sale will net Goldman Sachs a handsome profit of more than $500m, with the US bank having purchased the stake in C&M for Won140bn (E109m) in 2004. C&M is the biggest cable TV operator in the Seoul metropolitan area with 2m subscribers, in a sector expected to thrive following an expected deregulation of the market.
Back to top
IBM in second lifeIBM sales representatives in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia will from Thursday staff the company's virtual Business Centre in Second Life an online world where millions of participants create alter egos called avatars, buy property and interact with one another.
The real reason why we're doing this is because we do feel the beginning of a major transformation on how people are going to interact on the Web - going from a flat to an immersive experience," said Maggie Blayney, director of Global Web Strategy & Innovation for ibm.com.
Back to top
BT Group and Sony have unveiled new software that will allow gamers using portable PlayStations to make video and voice calls and send instant messaging. They said the Go!Messenger wireless software for Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game player was set for commercial launch in January 2008.
In a battle for supremacy against Japanese rival Nintendo's hot-selling DS rival game player, Sony and BT said the software allowed PSP gamers to keep in touch by connecting to any broadband wireless Internet point at home or out and about using VoIP.
Back to top
BSkyB extends deadline for Amstrad
Sky said its £125m (E181m) offer would now close on 4 September, after revealing it had received acceptances for almost 86 per cent of Amstrad's stock.
UK competition watchdogs are now scrutinising the deal to see whether competition in the TV technology market will be affected. The two already have close links, with Amstrad supplying about 30 per cent of Sky's pay-TV set-top boxes last year.
Back to top
Alcatel Lucent loses top execs
The turbulent 10-months at Alcatel Lucent has claimed two senior victims. Mike Quigley, the Australian once tipped to be chief executive of the French group, and Frank D’Amelio, the former Lucent executive who was put in charge of integrating the two companies, had both resigned, the company said.
D’Amelio is leaving to become chief financial officer at Pfizer of the US, the world’s largest drugmaker. Mr Quigley, who moved sideways to become head of science, technology and strategy after the Lucent merger put paid to his chief executive prospects, is returning to his native Australia.`
Back to top
Portuguese mobile operator Optimus has launched a pioneering high definition
TV service for mobile, based on an encoding which is higher than
double that used for standard mobile TV.With three times more pixels, 2.5 times more bandwidth and a minimum of 15 frames per second, Optimus is providing higher quality video and sound to that of traditional TV. To promote the launch, Optimus offers the channel RTP Mobile in HD for free until the end of September, via the Nokia N95. In order to launch Mobile TV
HD, Optimus has signed partnerships with Alcatel-Lucent, RTP and Nokia.
Back to top
Thursday 23rd August
IBM: Now the viewer’s in charge
Google plans ads for YouTube
France: mobile TV model conflict
Mobile phone advanced features underused
TVE International pulls out of Hispasat
Viasat Scandinavia adds Warner Bros
Thomson mobile TV trial in Sydney
Skyline for Telenor
Sky switches online agency
IBM: Now the viewer’s in chargeA new IBM online survey of consumer digital media habits shows audiences are more in control than ever and increasingly filtering marketing messages. The global findings suggest time spent on personal Internet use rivals TV time. Among respondents, 19 per cent stated spending six hours or more per day on personal Internet usage, versus nine per cent of respondents who reported the same levels of TV viewing. 66 per cent reported viewing between one to four hours of TV per day, versus 60 per cent who reported the same levels of personal Internet usage.
To effectively respond to this power shift, IBM sees advertising agencies going beyond traditional creative roles to become brokers of consumer insights; cable companies evolving to home media portals; and broadcasters and publishers racing toward new media formats. Marketers in turn are being forced to experiment and make advertising more compelling.
"Consumers are demonstrating their desire for both wired and wireless access to content: an average of 81 percent of consumers surveyed globally indicated they've watched or want to watch PC video, and an average of 42 per cent indicated they've watched or want to watch mobile video," said Bill Battino, Communications Sector managing partner, IBM Global Business Services. "Given the rising power of individuals and communities, media and entertainment industry players will have to become much better at providing permission-based advertising and related consumer-driven ratings services."
The steady growth of consumer adoption of digital music, video, and other entertainment services, show households are no longer "one size fits all," and content providers and marketers must follow suit. Twenty-three per cent of respondents reported using a portable music service; seven percent reported having a video content subscription for their mobile phones; 11 per cent reported a PC-based music service; and 18 per cent reported an online newspaper subscription.
Saul Berman, IBM Media & Entertainment Strategy and Change practice leader said, "The Internet is becoming consumers' primary entertainment source. The TV is increasingly taking a back seat to the cell phone and the personal computer among consumers age 18 to 34. Just as traditional land lines have been replaced with mobile communications, cable and satellite TV subscriptions risk a similar fate of being replaced as the primary source of content access."
The IBM Institute for Business Value survey of more than 2,400 households in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Australia covered global usage and adoption of new multimedia devices and media and entertainment consumption on PCs, mobile phones, portable media players and more.
Back to top
Google plans ads for YouTubeGoogle, which is trying to figure out how to carry ads on its YouTube service without disaffecting viewers, has unveiled its InVideo advertising programme - a vehicle for potential advertisers to reach YouTube's 130 million viewers. Trial sponsors include 20th Century Fox and Warner Music.
Sponsors and video publishers apply to participate at through YouTube. a A campaign will be designed that will appear on appropriate YouTube clips. The ads appear not as traditional 30-second "pre-rolls" but as "overlays", i.e. a message running along the bottom of the screen using up no more than 20 per cent of screen space. Fifteen seconds into a video, viewers are invited to click on the ad. If they choose to do so, the clip is paused and the ad is shown in the video window.
Back to top
France: mobile TV model conflictFrench media companies, including Lagardere, Bollore, NRJ, and BFM, want to offer free mobile TV channels, while MNOs plan to charge a monthly subscription of E5 to E15, reports Les Echos.
Under the broadcasters' plans, at least some mobile TV channels will be free to air. Using the same model as for DTT, customers would buy equipment that would later allow them to watch channels in unlimited mode, free of charge. Manufacturer Sony is pushing for the freeview model. Most broadcasters want a system with both free and pay channels.
Bollore said it wants a "large proportion" of mobile TV channels to be free. France Televisions "favours a free model in principle", Sony wants it to be predominant. Bouygues Telecom, a sister company of broadcaster TF1, is staunchly in the pay TV camp. Orange warns that anything other than pay mobile TV would jeopardise investment. French media regulator CSA is due to launch a tender in October. The body said that the majority of respondents to a consultation want at least a part pay system.
Back to top
Mobile phone advanced features underusedMobile phone users are spurning advanced features including TV and web browsing, according to a Continental Research survey. The percentage of users accessing the Internet from handsets fell from 14 per cent to 12 per cent over the past 12 months, and radio listening fell from 11 per cent to 9 per cent.
Back to top
TVE International pulls out of Hispasat
From David Del Valle in Madrid
TVE International's transmissions to Europe cannot be watched anymore through Hispasat (30º West) as the channel has controversially decided to pull out of the Spanish satellite.
The satellite had been distributing the channel free-to-air since 2002. TVE International is now available on Eutelsat's Hot Bird (13º East) and Astra 1L (19.2º East) requiring bigger dishes to receive the channel.
TVE International has a presence in the five continents with a potential audience of more than 400 million people. It offers a programming based on Spanish and Latin American cinema, children programmes and old in-house productions.
Back to top
Viasat Scandinavia adds Warner BrosViasat Broadcasting has entered a licensing deal with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group for Warner's feature films to be aired on Viasat OnDemand and CDON on demand services in Scandinavia.
The agreement will enable users of Viasat's and CDON's on demand services to order and view content on a video on demand basis (VOD) via streaming over the open Internet. The agreement covers both current and library titles.
Back to top
Thomson mobile TV trial in SydneyThomson is working to deliver a trial mobile television service across the greater Sydney area in Australia. The service will use the open DVB-H standard and can be received on any DVB-H capable mobile device equipped with decoding technology from Irdeto, with whom Thomson is working to deliver the service.
There are five channels in the trial service at present, with CNN and children’s service Boomerang as well as three national channels ABC, ABC2, and SBS.
Back to top
Skyline for TelenorSkyline Communications, supplier of multi-vendor network management solutions, announces that Telenor Satellite Broadcasting has selected its flagship DataMiner NMS platform as its top level network management system. The DataMiner platform will enable Telenor to create a consolidated overview of its satellite communication and broadcast services, across any vendor and technology boundaries.
"We are very pleased to welcome Telenor to the ever expanding family of high-profile operators that rely on DataMiner for their end-to-end network management needs," commented Glenn D’Haene, DataMiner Sales Manager at Skyline Communications. "Telenor is one of Europe’s top leading satellite operators, and its decision to deploy DataMiner as its umbrella management platform further solidifies our leading position as supplier of multi-vendor network management systems for the HFC broadband, satellite, IPTV and broadcast industry."
Back to top
Sky switches online agencyBSkyB has handed its digital search advertising work, worth up to £10m (E14.5m) a year, to Aegis-owned Diffiniti and Unique in a strategic move to bring in specialist agencies to handle the increasingly important business.
The appointments, which follow a lengthy pitch process, will see the account move from digital agency i-level. Diffiniti will handle search engine optimisation, while Unique will handle the pay-per-click business.
I-level will continue to handle BSkyB's estimated £25m annual media planning and buying and affiliate marketing business.
Wednesday 22nd August
Burch leaves Virgin Media
MTV, Real deal
CNN’s i-Report marks first year
184m ‘DMAs’ in 2012
ESPN buys scrum
Tandberg for TW
Endemol invests in MoMedia
Channel 4+1 goes on air
Burch leaves Virgin MediaSteve Burch is leaving Virgin Media with immediate effect after just over 18 months as chief executive, amid considerable uncertainty over the company’s planned sale process, market progress and competition with Sky. Rumours about Burch’s position have grown amid reports of tension between him and Jim Mooney, chairman. Leading shareholders have also expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s strategy.
The company says the former Comcast exec is returning to the US for "family and personal reasons." His position will be taken by Neil Berkett, Virgin Media’s chief operating officer, while the company conducts a search for a permanent replacement.
The move comes after Virgin’s latest mishap; a dive in debt and equity markets forced Virgin Media to delay a planned auction process, which had been kicked off by an approach by Carlyle Group, worth about $23 billion in debt and equity.
Burch was brought in to oversee the merger of NTL, Telewest and Virgin Mobile which led to the creation of the UK’s first "quad play" company combining pay-TV, landline and mobile telecoms and broadband provision. While he made early improvements in customer service and systems, the last six months were coloured by a public battle with British Sky Broadcasting which contributed to market share losses across Virgin Media’s businesses.
Back to top
MTV, Real dealIn a bid to compete with iTunes, Viacom's MTV Networks is set to announce that it is merging its online digital-music offerings into a joint venture with RealNetworks the company behind the Rhapsody subscription digital-music service.
Verizon Wireless and Vodafone has signed on to supply mobile distribution for the joint venture's content, according to reports. That could provide additional leverage against Apple, which angered many mobile carriers and consumers with the decision to make its iPhone compatible only with AT&T.
The move appears to spell the end of MTV's Urge digital service, launched in partnership with Microsoft Corp. last year. Microsoft has been heavily focused on its own Zune service in recent months, to the apparent detriment of Urge, which had few subscribers. MTV itself no longer invested significant resources in Urge after Zune's debut, according to a person familiar with Urge.
Back to top
CNN’s i-Report marks first year
Twelve months and more than 50,000 submissions later, CNN’s user-generated content service, i-Report, has garnered submissions from 189 countries and territories around the world, says CNN.
"With i-Report, CNN tapped into the needs and desires of its audience to express a deeper connection to the news they get from our networks and services every day," said Susan M. Bunda, executive vice president of content development and strategy for CNN Worldwide. "Our i-Reporters have exceeded our expectations with regard to the sheer number and quality of submissions."
Back to top
184m ‘DMAs’ in 2012The installed base of Digital Media Adapters (DMAs) – the devices that allow users to route audio-visual content to their TVs and stereo systems – is expected to number about 184 million in 2012. But according to a new study from ABI Research, only a little more than 11 per cent of those will be dedicated standalone devices, and fully 85 per cent will be embedded in game consoles.
"Game consoles increasingly include DMA functionality, helping to grow the market," says principal analyst Steve Wilson. "The manufacturers are aiming to make their consoles more like ‘media centre’ devices, rather than being just for gaming. The advantage they have is market share: their products ship in large volumes. The big question is whether gamers will actually make use of this added functionality built into their consoles."
Back to top
ESPN has bought Scrum.com, a leading rugby news Web site, as part of its bid to move beyond American sports and attract fans around the world. ESPN recently acquired Cricinfo.com, the world's largest specialist cricket Web site, and has launched French, German, Spanish and Italian versions of ESPNsoccernet.com.
Back to top
Tandberg for TWTandberg Television announced that Time Warner Cable has deployed the first video-on-demand solution for small markets by leveraging the architectural flexibility of the OpenStream Digital Services Platform. Through a unique configuration of OpenStream, Time Warner Cable can manage VOD services from its headquarters in Denver and deliver content via satellite distribution to cities throughout the U.S. In addition, Time Warner Cable will utilise the Tandberg.
Back to top
Endemol invests in MoMediaTV production company Endemol has purchased a 25 per cent stake in online and mobile content firm MoMedia - the first investment from its £15 million (E21.7m) digital media fund announced last year.
The London-based company aggregates and distributes content from 50 production companies, providing content packages for web portals and mobile operators including Yahoo, MSN, Vodafone, 3 and Orange. MoMedia has rights to more than 700,000 hours of content and also produced five original content channels in the past year.
Back to top
UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 has launched a time-shifted digital version of its flagship channel. Channel 4+1 becomes the first terrestrial channel to have a time-shifted version, offering viewers an exact replica of Channel 4's schedule delayed by one-hour.
The time-shifted channel is available on Freeview, Sky Digital and Virgin Media, and brings the total number of time-shifted channels on digital platforms to more than 40.
Back to top
Tuesday 21st August
Ex-Sony men fund hybrid
TiVo: difficult Oz future?
Aniboom on YouTube
OFT to look at CRR
BBC, O2 tie up
NDS for Anhui
Telia tie up with GMG
Inuk, Accedo partnership
Premier soccer streamed for US
Ex-Sony men fund hybrid
One of the most covert start-ups in Silicon Valley, codenamed Building B, has announced a round of funding. Building B is aiming to bring both television and other media content into your living room in competition with cable, satellite or IPTV services.
Building B announced a $17 million (E12.6m) round of funding by venture capital firms Morgenthaler Ventures, Index Ventures, Omni Capital and private investors. Andy Lack, the chairman of Sony BMG Music Entertainment, is joining its board of directors. The 14 month-old company was started by longtime investor and entrepreneur Buno Pati and Phil Wiser, the former chief technology officer of Sony Corporation of America.The company appears to be developing a hybrid service. It will receive the major channels in high-definition through wireless broadcasts. Since the small firm does not own any spectrum itself, one possibility is that Building B plans to lease digital
spectrum from local television stations. The Building B device will receive less popular content over a broadband Internet connection. "We see ourselves as delivering next generation of television without forcing consumers to walk over to the PC to get access to it" Wiser said.
Back to top
TiVo: difficult Oz future?Pay-TV sales company Multi Channel Network has cast doubt on the future of TiVo, which is backed by the Seven Network, telling advertisers the venture may never get off the ground. Rob Leach, head of MCN's interactive television division and, said TiVo had "bombed" in Britain after proving to be "a difficult product to market" partly due to high set-top box costs.
The comments come after media buyers denied a report last week that 20 advertisers had paid $1 million (E0.7m) to participate in interactive advertising trials on the TiVo platform. "No advertisers have put any money down for TiVo at all; that's what we're told by Seven," said a source at the Mitchell & Partners media buying agency, which is one of Australia's biggest. Leach was seeking to allay concerns about ad-skipping during a digital advertising seminar held by media agency MindShare.
Back to top
Aniboom on YouTubeAniboom, an Internet site for animators to create and share original clips, is launching its own channel on video site YouTube. A small start-up founded in Israel last year, Aniboom offers professional and amateur animators a place to showcase their clips and test their popularity with Web audiences.
The company also provides tools for creating animations and has to date built a community of more than 2500 animators from more than 70 countries who use the site. The next step, says founder and Chief Executive Uri Shinar, is to cultivate animated entertainment that could be the next big hit for audiences on the Web or elsewhere. Aniboom has selected 10 animators to each create a short Web series of up to 8 episodes.
Back to top
OFT to look at CRRThe Office of Fair Trading will make its decision on whether to review contracts rights renewal by the end of summer.
With the start of the TV trading season - which will see advertising deals struck between broadcasters and media agencies for 2008 – starting next month, any decision to review CRR is unlikely to have an impact on ITV until 2009.
"The OFT can confirm ITV has asked for a review of CRR and we are expecting a decision on whether to conduct a review before the end of the summer," said the OFT.
ITV has been lobbying hard for a review or a modification to CRR, which compensates advertisers when ITV1's audience share dips. It means advertisers can demand refunds or further ads if the ratings fall below what they were sold when the advertising deal was done.
Buying agencies, unsurprisingly, are against the end of CRR. If the OFT decided to a review was necessary, it is likely that media regulator Ofcom would become involved in some capacity.
If the OFT goes ahead, it is likely Ofcom will be involved – not necessarily a comfort to ITV, Ed Richards, Ofcom, CEO recently pointed out CRR only works against ITV when it delivers poor programming.
Back to top
BBC Worldwide’s Digital Media division announces a new content partnership with mobile operator O2. Under the deal, BBC Worldwide will provide a range of branded mobile content to be retailed through the O2 Active mobile portal.
The O2 distribution deal with BBC Worldwide follows on from the recent appointment of Peter Mercier as head of mobile in the Digital Media division.
The partnership will initially see BBC Worldwide providing over 300 individual pieces of content, with the range of programmes and formats expected to grow over time.
Back to top
NDS announced that Anhui Radio and Television Information Network Comp has selected NDS VideoGuard conditional access for the launch of digital cable TV services for its subscribers in Anhui. VideoGuard will support AGWL’s business and security requirements, enabling AGWL to benefit from new business models and advanced services on a secure and flexible platform. NDS technology is facilitating the expansion of AGWL’s digital programming package to more than 120 channels from its current offering of 50 analogue channels.
Back to top
Telia has concluded a cooperation agreement with the Gaming Media Group (GMG) for developing computer games for the TV and web format. The first result of the collaboration is the Virtual Grand Prix - a championship in virtual motor sport that will close in the autumn. The finalists will compete in TV4 Plus for a prize of SEK 100 000. The GMG concept is based on established computer and TV games that are being developed further for a number of media platforms such as web communities, TV and events.
Back to top
Inuk Networks announced that it has entered into a partnership with Stockholm based content aggregator and distributor for IPTV and consumer electronics Accedo Broadband. The agreement will result in a new dedicated games service being added to Inuk’s Freewire IPTV service and will be rolled out in two phases. Built on Accedo’s Funspot games platform, the new service will initially offer a number of games to users free of charge. This will be supplemented over a number of months with additional games to provide a broad choice of premium interactive content.
Back to top
Premier soccer streamed for US
Vividas, the video streaming technology company, announces a three year deal with Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) to stream Barclays Premier League football matches in the USA. Over 150 matches will be streamed annually on a pay per view, subscription and advertising supported basis, and an English Premier League archive will enable viewers to watch classic matches.
Back to top
MTV invest $500m in games
Portugal Television to start June 2008
DISH HD DVR
New sport on Kabelkiosk
Bosco for MySpaceTV.
Cavalier in SecureMedia deal
MTV invest $500m in games
MTV Networks plans to invest well over $500 million in video games, seeing them as a major pillar of growth in its goal to reach consumers wherever they spend time. The two-year investment programme is part of a global strategy to incorporate games development at the inception of all new programming plans and not as an afterthought, executives say.
"Games are critical," said MTV Networks President of Global Digital Media Mika Salmi. Salmi joined MTV after parent company Viacom bought Atom Entertainment last year for $200 million.
"As we take our brands narrow and deep to serve our targeted, niche audiences, we're putting well over $500 million behind building our games business across all of the brands in our portfolio," MTV Chairman and Chief Executive Judy McGrath told Reuters. "I'd like to see more game applications on some of our current big brands across the music group," McGrath said, referring to developing games based on the networks' range of shows.
Back to top
Portugal Television to start June 2008
From Branislav Pekic in RomePortugal Channel Television, a project aimed at the international promotion of the Iberian country as a tourist destination, plans to launch regular broadcasts in the first half of 2008.
The channel, which was officially presented at this year’s Lisbon Tourism Market (BTL), is a project of production company Tele 7, which is headed by former RTP journalist Paulo Lavadinho. According to him, broadcasting tests will initiate by the end of the year and broadcasts should start, in phases for each distribution platform, in the first half of 2008.
With a potential of more than 200 million consumers world wide, the channel will be transmitted via five distribution platforms: Internet, Satellite, European IPTV platforms, Mobile TV and Cable.
Most of the programming will be aired in English, as well as in German, French and Spanish. Portugal Channel Television will be free-to-air, as it will be financed by sponsorships.
Back to top
DISH HD DVR
EchoStar took the wraps off of its latest high definition DVR hoping to capitalize on the company's success of its previous digital video recorder model. DISH Network's new ViP722 HD DVR is the advanced version of the company's award-winning ViP622 and is designed to complement the satcaster's growing lineup of high definition programming.Similar to the 622, the ViP722 is a dual-tuner DVR receiver that powers two rooms, one in HD and the other in standard definition. The 722 features a 500 GB hard drive for storage and the option of recording up to 55 hours of high def content in MPEG-4, 350 hours of standard programming, and more than 100 hours of movies and shows from DISH On Demand. The receiver also supports Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and includes an IP call-back feature for PPV-curious subs without a phone line.
The ViP722 is available for free to qualifying new DISH Network customers, and the external hard drive feature has a one-time household activation fee of $39.99.
Back to top
New sport on Kabelkiosk
Super Sports Network the new 24/7 German sports channel has launched as part of the Kabelkiosk package on the Eutelsat Atlantic Bird 2 for distribution on cable networks.
SSN is owned by DS International Sport Management, and is headed by Dieter Schweiger. Programming will include motorsport (Moto X), tennis, badminton, beach volleyball, kayaking, mountain climbing, snowboarding, surfing and BMX. There will be 18 hours of fresh programmes a day, and eight hours of repeats.
Back to top
Bosco for MySpaceTV.
Tom Bosco will oversee sales of video advertising across MySpace. "Tom's proven track record of driving revenue around online-video products gives MySpaceTV an incredible advantage in the marketplace going forward. Video is a huge focus for us from a monetization perspective with virtually limitless opportunities on MySpace. Tom's experience adds to our team one of the industry's leading innovators. We couldn't be more pleased to have him on board," said Michael Barrett, chief revenue officer of FIM.
MySpaceTV is an integrated component of the larger social-networking site, and it is currently in the beta stage. It also acts as a stand-alone site. MySpaceTV aggregates videos from across the Web and, like YouTube, encourages users to submit their own content.
Bosco was head of video sales at AOL.
Back to top
Digital media protection specialist SecureMedia has been acquired by US competitive communications provider Cavalier Telephone and TV. SecureMedia will remain an independent company, servicing current customers while pursuing new worldwide. The company will also provide technology and services to advance Cavalier Telephone and TV's new business developments and long-term strategy.
"When Cavalier first set out to deliver advanced, custom-branded, interactive IPTV services as an affordable alternative to cable or satellite TV, we examined and scrutinised several DRM technologies since media protection is a requirement to license and deliver premium Hollywood content and broadcast pay TV,” said Brad Evans, Cavalier’s executive chairman.
Fred Ellis, CEO of SecureMedia, said the deal not only allowed it to continue providing superior content protection and services to its customers, but also meant it was able to pursue new business opportunities and market segments with products that protect converged media distribution. “With Cavalier at the forefront of the IPTV industry, SecureMedia can dynamically experience and fully understand the IPTV ecosystem needs of the telco marketplace and address those needs with advanced, flexible security solutions," he asserted.
Back to top
