|
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
Our Latest Issues
Visit our archive to access more than 200 features! 
|
Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
Tuesday
Friday 5th June
Canvas not under sail
Kudelski view on OpenTV bid
Portugal: 343,000 triple-play subs
Carey leaves DirecTV for News Corp
Tough trading remains for broadcast technology
TBC stake up for sale
French Open final in 3D
MobiTV surpasses 7m subs
Pace launches global partner programme
ROK streams mobile TV across India with BSNL
PT. MNC Sky Vision selects NDS solutions
Canvas not under sailThe BBC Trust has delayed its decision on the go-ahead of the BBC lead Project Canvas as it calls on more detail from BBC executives and their partners BT and ITV. The Trust, which had decided there was no need for a commercial impact assessment, was due to make a decision in July, however all the submissions it received in its initial consultation process said the Canvas proposal was much too short on detail. Now the Trust will conduct a second phase of consultation for which there is no timetable as yet.
"A common theme that emerged was that more information was needed from the BBC executive about the Canvas proposal," said BBC trustee Diane Coyle."So in the interests of making a robust and independent decision we have asked the [BBC] executive to look at the issues that stakeholders have raised and report back to us."
Specifically the Trust wants more details on:
- The choice of technical standards for Canvas
- The way in which the BBC will work with industry bodies
- Control of the electronic programme guide
- Governance arrangements for the joint venture
- The use of editorial controlsIn its submission BSkyB argued that the Project Canvas proposals were "not sufficiently clear in fundamental respects". Ofcom warned that the venture could run the risk of a competition investigation.
Back to top
Kudelski Group has been talking about its bid for the share in Open TV it doesn’t already own which Open rejected as inadequate. "Based on Kudelski's discussions with [OpenTV's] Special Committee, Kudelski has concluded that continued discussions will not be fruitful and has therefore decided to withdraw its proposal and terminate discussions with the Special Committee."
According to Kudelski, "several key customers and major shareholders" of OpenTV had supported the "full integration" of OpenTV and Kudelski's Nagravision, a supplier of conditional-access systems.
Kudelski said it was committed to remaining OpenTV's controlling shareholder and reiterated its position that OpenTV "faces serious strategic challenges" if it doesn't adapt to meet market demands for integrated, next-generation set-top box technologies.
Kudelski said its concerns about OpenTV have "been met repeatedly with reluctance" and that it "intends to advocate through its board representation that OpenTV substantially increase its investment in next-generation solutions, mainly organically but also potentially through acquisitions... While this strategy is likely to depress OpenTV's financial performance over the next few years, such efforts and investments are required to insure OpenTV's long-term success."
The company added: "Without such investments, Kudelski believes that the long-term viability of OpenTV's business as a standalone entity is seriously in doubt."
Back to top
Portugal: 343,000 triple-play subs
From Branislav Pekic in RomeA total of 343,000 clients subscribed to triple-play services in Portugal during 2008, according to a study published by telecommunications sector regulator Anacom.
This is nearly double the number of subscribers in 2007, when they totalled 179,000. The number of quad-play subscribers (fixed telephony, mobile telephony, Internet and TV) was 9,650 at the end of 2008, while double play subscribers were 744,000.
A total of 10 operators offered packaged services, putting Portugal below the EU average. The Zon Multimedia group is the market leader, with 42.1 per cent, followed by Cabovisão (28.7 per cent), Portugal Telecom (19 per cent), and Sonaecom (7.6 per cent). In terms of subscriber figures, Zon had 313.000, Cabovisão 213,600, Portugal Telecom 141,000 and Sonaecom 56,500.
Portugal had a total of 2.3 million pay-TV subscribers at the end of 2008, of which 223,700 were IPTV, DTH had 586,000, while the remainder were on cable. The Portuguese pay-TV market was worth E578.9 million, with cable TV contributing the lion’s share with E405 million, satellite with E163 million, while IPTV generated E9.8 million.
Back to top
Carey leaves DirecTV for News CorpThe DirecTV Group’s President and CEO Chase Carey is joining News Corp as Peter Chernin’s replacement as COO. DirectTV has recently switched from News Corp to Liberty ownership. The move means James Murdoch will have to wait a little longer for his expected elevation to the top table.
DirecTV named Executive Vice President Larry Hunter as interim CEO while it searches for a permanent CEO.
Back to top
Tough trading remains for broadcast technologyWith two excellent years in 2007 and 2008, the broadcast and media technology industry is enduring a difficult year in 2009 with limited confidence for a rapid recovery. This is the finding of the latest International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers industry trends survey, carried out in association with Ernst & Young.
In this survey, carried out in May 2009, 68 per cent of respondents felt that next quarter will be the same or better than the last quarter, but 43 per cent stated that confidence for next year is diminished or diminished significantly. Looking ahead six months there was a broad spread of opinion: 29 per cent thought things will be improving, 31 per cent that they will be about the same, and 24 per cent saw a continuing deterioration in the situation.
While customer deferrals are seen as the major limiting factor in business growth, cited by 45 per cent of the survey, only 8 per cent put the blame on the availability of finance. The major impact of the credit squeeze is seen in the manufacturers own ability to fulfil orders: a year ago only 9 per cent of manufacturers surveyed quoted finance as a constraint on output; today it has quadrupled to 36 per cent. The need to control costs is also likely to show an impact on future innovation, with 17 per cent of manufacturers reducing R & D investment.
Back to top
TBC stake up for saleAn important stake in one of Taiwan’s leading cable operators has been put up for sale by some of the company’s foreign owners. Taiwan Broadband Communications is owned by a consortium made up of two investment funds linked to Australia’s Macquarie Group and Intermediate Capital Group, a London-based provider of debt finance. According to reports, the consortium has in recent weeks held talks with several global private equity funds that could result in a sale of up to 49 per cent of TBC.
Back to top
French Open final in 3DWith the backing of the French Tennis Federation, Orange and France Télévisions, the Tournament’s official partners, will be offering the French Open men's final live and in 3D on cinema screens in France and Spain.
Orange and France Télévisions will be capturing the final in 3D thanks to five stereoscopic cameras set up around the Philippe Chatrier court. The 3D images from the final will be broadcast by satellite from Roland-Garros to the various cinemas concerned via GlobeCast, the Orange subsidiary.
Back to top
MobiTV surpasses 7m subsMobiTV has revealed that its live mobile television and video-on-demand service now has over 7 million subscibers. Available on more than 350 handsets across 20 carrier networks, including Sprint, AT&T and Alltel in the US, MobiTV has pioneered a new market for wireless entertainment services since its launch in November, 2003.
Back to top
Pace launches global partner programmeThe Networks division of digital TV technologies developer Pace has launched a global Networks Approved Partner programme (NAP) to support the rollout of its MultiDweller distribution platform for high-occupancy buildings. The partner programme will accelerate take-up of Pace’s MultiDweller technology through an approved sales and support network, initially across Europe, opening up the supply market for triple-play delivery to consumers in multi-dwelling buildings.
MultiDweller makes it possible for payTV and other entertainment operators to sell converged triple play services into apartment blocks and hotels that are difficult and expensive to access. In addition to sales and support the Networks Approved Partner programme will provide local systems integration, enabling customers to exploit the flexibility of MultiDweller within wider network systems and services for multi-dwelling buildings.
Back to top
ROK streams mobile TV across India with BSNLROK Entertainment Group, the mobile technologies, applications and services company, has confirmed the launch of TINY TV across India with mobile operator BSNL.
TINY TV is the first nationwide, subscription-based, mobile TV service in India to be streamed over mass-market 2.5G GPRS. Offering a range of live and on-demand mobile TV channels to include local and international news, sports, music and movies, TINY TV is priced at approximately $2.70 per month.
Back to top
PT. MNC Sky Vision selects NDS solutionsNDShas announced that PT. MNC Sky Vision, which operates under the brand names Indovision and Top TV, has extended its long-standing relationship with NDS by selecting an end-to-end NDS solution to protect and enhance its Indovision pay-TV platform. The solution comprises market-leading VideoGuard conditional access (CA), MediaHighway middleware and a customised electronic programme guide (EPG).
PT. MNC Sky Vision has also selected VideoGuard to secure its Top TV platform, enabling both platforms to securely deliver high-quality programme packages and services across the Indonesian archipelago.
Back to top
Thursday 4th June
OpenTV rejects Kudelski buyout
Phorm launches Webwise Discover
TiVo welcomes EchoStar judgement
Mobile advertising bucks downward trend
YouTube XL
BBC radiovision enters second phase
Instant HD movies on Xbox
beeTV acquires $8m funding
OpenTV rejects Kudelski buyoutOpenTV's board of directors has rejected the bid by Kudelski SA to acquire it as "inadequate." Kudelski, which owns a 26.7 per cent stake and holds 74.7 per cent of the voting rights in OpenTV, in February offered to buy the rest of OpenTV's share at $1.35 per share in cash. Stock closed at $1.74 earlier this week.
OpenTV said the offer was "not in the best interests of the company and its stockholders."
Switzerland-based Kudelski owns Nagravision.
Back to top
Phorm launches Webwise Discover
Targeted advertising firm Phorm is launching a service that promises to direct consumers who choose to participate to the most relevant parts of websites they visit, based on their browsing history.
Phorm, which has been controversial for its targeting advertising system, plans to offer its Webwise Discover to the customers of Internet service providers (ISPs) with which it has agreements. It gave an example of a user arriving on a news site, saying that the service could present the person with articles about their favourite sports team or celebrity, or someone who had been browsing for a particular camera would see reviews or auctions of likely interest.
Currently, South Korean ISP KT is conducting a market trial of Phorm's technology, while BT is evaluating the results of a trial it ran last year. Virgin Media and Carphone Warehouse are also exploring the possibilities of working with Phorm.
Back to top
TiVo welcomes EchoStar judgementTiVo says of the decision by the United States District Court, Texas, in the lawsuit against EchoStar Communications Corporation: "We are extremely gratified by the Court's well reasoned and thorough decision, in which it rejected EchoStar's attempted workaround claim regarding the TiVo patent, found EchoStar to be in contempt of court and ordered the permanent injunction fully enforced.
In addition, the Court's award of an additional $103 million plus interest through April 2008 makes this victory all the more important. EchoStar may attempt to further delay this case but we are very pleased the Court has made it clear that there are major ramifications for continued infringement."
Back to top
Mobile advertising bucks downward trendAdvertising budgets for mobile channels are expected to buck the downward trend and exhibit strong growth over the next five years, according to a report from Juniper Research.
The report found that constraints on budgets, imposed in the wake of the global economic downturn, had resulted in an increasing migration of adspend from above the line to below the line channels: the need for engagement with the consumer, and a quantifiable ROI, meant that mobile was increasingly being perceived as a key medium through which to pursue this strategy.
However, the Juniper report stressed that, while this was encouraging, the level of growth had to be put into context -- that mobile advertising still remained very much a nascent medium, and even by 2014 it would only account for up to 1.5 per cent of total global adspend.
The report noted that, while a number of major brands had made relatively large investments in the mobile platform, advertisers have yet to be fully convinced that mobile has sufficient reach to warrant substantive adspend. As report author Dr Windsor Holden pointed out, "These investments still form only a small proportion of a brand's total advertising budget: Regardless of mobile's advantages -- its personal nature, the facility for highly targeted advertising -- advertisers will not commit more budget until they perceive that the audience for their advertisements has reached a critical mass."
Back to top
YouTube XLGoogle has launched a new version of YouTube - YouTube XL – that will make the video site accessible on big TV or computer screens.
It will run on any browser, providing Flash is installed, and has a familiar but interface but strips out the social aspects, such as video comments. It also features a continuous play feature, allowing users to search for a topic then press 'play once' to watch all of the videos on that topic.
Back to top
BBC radiovision enters second phaseThe BBC has commenced the second phase of its "radio visualisation trial", adding webcam streams, images and information feeds to its radio shows. Content will be presented through a pop-up console before being extended, later in the trial, to a mobile phone application. Listeners to the supported shows will be able to watch what’s happening in the studio and read comments from other listeners.
Back to top
Instant HD movies on XboxMicrosoft has announced that Xbox 360 will soon deliver instantly on 1080p movies and TV with 5.1 surround sound - direct to consoles connected to compatible HD TVs through the Xbox LIVE social entertainment network.
Starting in Autumn, a broad selection of movies and TV shows from Zune video on Xbox 360 will be available to start and stream instantly, in the highest video quality and at the push of a button.
In addition, Microsoft announced it will more than double the number of markets where Xbox LIVE offers its TV shows and movies, growing from eight to 18, by adding Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Xbox LIVE members in these markets will have access to instant on 1080p video.
Back to top
beeTV acquires $8m fundingbeeTV, the inventors of the PCC (Personal Content Channel), have announced the completion of a Series B Fund acquisition of $8 million. The funding was led by Innogest, the largest venture capital firm operating in Italy. beeTV targets becoming the default entry system for television viewers into their world of TV entertainment. Additionally, beeTV plans to invest in sales and expand its penetration into the US and Far East markets.
Back to top
Wednesday 3rd June
BBC says BT throttling iPlayer
Downloading needs legislation, international co-operation
ITV channels moving to subscription?
3DTV hampered by fragmented approach
Setanta considers wholesale switch
Cablevision DVR won’t got to Supreme Court
EchoStar and AsiaSat form DTH joint venture
Comedy tops mobile video categories
3 Ireland VoD services
Macrovision licenses IPG to Sony
CTO Watson leaves Virgin
BBC says BT throttling iPlayerBritain's biggest broadband supplier has been accused by the BBC of ‘shaping download speeds’ on its cheapest package without giving users a clear warning.
A customer who has signed on to an up to the 8MB package can have speed cut to below 1Mbps says the public broadcaster. BT confirmed it managed bandwidth "in order to optimise the experience for all customers". The BBC said it was concerned the throttling of download speeds was affecting the viewing experience for some users. BT said: "Where we manage bandwidth, we do so in order to optimise the experience for all customers, whatever they want to do online. We believe there is a real issue that content owners like the BBC need to address and we are currently in discussions with the BBC executive to ensure that our customers get the best possible experience in the future."
The BBC says customers who opt for BT's Option 1 broadband deal will find that the speed at which they can watch streaming video is throttled back to under 1Mbps between 1700 and midnight. The BBC iPlayer works at three different speeds, 500Kbps, 800Kbps, and 1.5Mbps, depending on the speed of a user's connection. There is also a high definition service which requires 3.2Mbps.
The BBC said the effect of BT's policy was to force viewers down on to the 500Kbps service, which can make the viewing experience less satisfactory.
In a statement, the BBC said: "While customers listening to audio and lower quality video streams would be unaffected, we are concerned that at peak times some customers' higher quality video streams may be interrupted by buffering before falling back to a lower-quality version. This would suggest that traffic identified as BBC iPlayer traffic is being throttled back, thereby limiting the bandwidth used up by the service on slower connections."
Back to top
Downloading needs legislation, international co-operation
From Colin Mann in LondonAndy Burnham, the UK media secretary, has suggested that the government may introduce legislation governing the illegal downloading of content from the Internet – but it won’t be three strikes and you’re out.
In the run up to the publication of the ‘Digital Britain’ report later in June, Burnham told members of the Broadcasting Press Guild that it was important to encourage and incentivise behaviour, in a legal context, that was currently outside the law. "We won’t be going down the ‘three-strikes’ route," he revealed, suggesting that it was important to ensure that appropriate business models emerged that enabled people to download material in a legal way. "That will require regulatory and legislative underpinning. We need to ensure that legislation reflects the interests of rights holders, ISPs and the public at large, in establishing what is acceptable. We don’t want to stop young people discovering new music, for instance."
Burnham also expressed a desire for the downloading issue to be addressed at an international level. "I don’t think any solution will work in the future unless it’s got an international consensus." He noted that the inaugural Creativity & Business International Network (c&binet) event in the autumn would present an opportunity to develop an international Memorandum of Understanding on downloading. "Let’s try and develop a consensus internationally about both the importance of cutting illegal downloading, and rewarding creativity, but also some principles about how best to do it. I’m keen to have some kind of government-to-government endorsement around such an understanding with US counterparts."
Back to top
ITV channels moving to subscription?ITV has held talks with BSkyB about switching its advertiser-funded free-to-air digital channels such as ITV2 to subscription, meaning they would no longer be available to Freeview viewers.
The commercial broadcaster has been forced to consider the option in the face of the worst advertising downturn in its history. The move comes despite the free-to-air strategy having made ITV2 the most watched non-sports digital channel in the UK.
ITV has reportedly held talks with BSkyB about switching ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4, to subscription. ITV could then pay a nominal carriage fee to BSkyB for broadcasting the channels and in return receive a guaranteed cut of revenues from channel packages sold to pay-TV subscribers. BSkyB remains ITV's largest shareholder, owning 17.9 per cent of the company, it is still hoping to fight a ruling by competition regulators to reduce its stake to less than 7.5 per cent.
Back to top
3DTV hampered by fragmented approachThe current fragmented approach to 3DTV is harming the progress of the format, according to the Digital TV Group. Members consulted said they feared that proprietary non-open standards would emerge from technology decisions being made by the first providers, most likely pay-TV operators, which would impact on later free-to-air broadcasts.
"Members have expressed their concerns over uncertainties – in particular over standards – and knowledge gaps," said DTG director-general Richard Lindsay-Davies. The organisation said that 78 per cent of the respondents, drawn from broadcasters and platform operators, agreed that 3DTV was an evolutionary next step for high definition TV. There was widespread agreement that 3DTV could command a premium on the current fees currently paid for the enjoyment of the majority of HD services.
The consultation was conducted by Lovelace Consulting.
Back to top
Setanta considers wholesale switchPay TV broadcaster Setanta, currently losing an estimated £100 million (E115m) a year, is considering a radical switch of its business model that would mean ditching its subscribers in order to become a wholesale supplier of programmes, including Premier League football, to broadcasters such as British Sky Broadcasting and BT Vision.
Setanta, with 1.2 million subscribers, is still far from reaching a break-even point that at around 1.9 million.
Meanwhile fears Setanta won’t make it intensified when it emerged it has defaulted on a payment to the Scottish Premier League. Reports said a routine payment to SPL clubs, thought to total about £3 million, did not arrive as scheduled.
Back to top
Cablevision DVR won’t got to Supreme CourtThe US Solicitor General Elena Kagan has sided with Cablevision in the cable operator's long-running dispute with several programme-makers over the roll-out of its network-based video recorder. Kagan denied plaintiffs including News Corp, CBS Corp and Walt Disney Co, their petition for a Supreme Court hearing.
The media companies have argued that Cablevision's proposed service would infringe the copyrights of the movies and television programmes they produce.
Cablevision is already making plans to move ahead with a summer trial of the so-called remote-storage DVRs. The cable company is keen on launching the new service which it believes could eventually save it millions of dollars required to buy and install thousands of physical DVR boxes for customers every year.
Back to top
EchoStar and AsiaSat form DTH joint ventureEchoStar Corporation, provider of end-to-end pay TV delivery systems and equipment for satellite, IPTV, cable, terrestrial and consumer electronics markets, and AsiaSat Asia's leading satellite operator, have formed a joint venture for the delivery of a direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television service to Taiwan and other targeted regions in Asia.
The satellite TV service will broadcast from AsiaSat 4, providing a wide variety of audio and video channels in an all digital format distributed directly to consumer homes via a small satellite antenna and a digital set-top box.
The service is expected to be available to consumers in the second half of 2009. Announcements on programming packages, equipment availability and targeted territories will be made in the coming weeks.
Back to top
Comedy tops mobile video categoriesUS viewers are looking for laughs on their iPhones and Blackberrys, according to a study from the Nielsen. Comedy is the top category in mobile video viewing, says the Mobile Video Report, a quarterly study that measures mobile subscribers who view TV or video clips on their mobile phones, Blackberrys and other mobile devices.
Drawing from a sample of 3,348 viewers, the report finds that after comedy, weather ranked as the second highest video category, with sports, music and news/finance filling out the top five.
NBC took the top spot in the brand ranking (with a 40.1 per cent share of viewers), followed by Fox (38.3 per cent) and MTV Networks (32.9 per cent). YouTube ranked fourth in the brand rankings, but came in at the top of the channel rankings (29.4 per cent), followed by the Weather Channel (28.9 per cent), Fox (27.2 per cent) and Comedy Central (25.8 per cent).
Back to top
3 Ireland VoD services3 Ireland has introduced the country’s first VoD service for mobile handsets that will be fully funded by advertisers. The free service is available to both pre- and post-pay 3 subscribers and is supported by mobile enabler Gorillabox.
It comprises of a range of mobile videos and games funded through advertising in the form of 10-second adverts placed at the beginning and end of the content video stream. The first-time content users will be requested to provide demographic information, allowing 3 and Gorillabox to develop tailored content for consumers and target audiences for potential advertisers.
Back to top
Macrovision licenses IPG to SonySony has licensed interactive programme guide (IPG) technology and patents from Macrovision. The multi-year agreement will allow Sony to continue to use Macrovision’s IPG technology and patents, under the company’s Gemstar patent portfolio, for its products.
Back to top
CTO Watson leaves VirginVirgin Media has confirmed that its chief technology officer Howard Watson has left the company to pursue other business interests.
Watson joined Telewest in 1993. When Telewest merged with NTL to form Virgin Media, he took on responsibility for technical and IT strategy, architecture, development and day-to-day operations of the company’s television and broadband platforms.
Back to top
Tuesday 2nd June
Sky takes Setanta to brink
Spain approves new TV legislation
Sky Italia to reimburse former subscribers
Rivals want Ofcom to challenge Sky’s dominance
Red revealed as the new face of Virgin1
8% of broadband users are "extreme techies"
Global mobile TV subs to hit 100 million
South Korean TV networks battle P2P pirates
Sky takes Setanta to brinkSky has turned down a request from Setanta for a £50 million (E57.3m) advance payment on a deal that would have involved Sky selling Setanta packages directly to its own subscribers.
The advance payment would have bridged a funding gap at Setanta as it talks to rights holders about securing reduced terms on rights deals.
Private equity investors in Setanta, including Doughty Hanson, Balderton Capital and Goldman Sachs will have to inject £50 million into the sports broadcaster, as Setanta explores refinancing opportunities under its new chairman, Sir Robin Miller.
Back to top
Spain approves new TV legislation
From David Del Valle in MadridThe Cabinet has approved a law that will oblige pay TV and commercial TV channels and telco operators to finance the state-owned group RTVE with a great amount of their annual revenues. All those players will have to dedicate 1.5 per cent, 3 per cent and 0.9 per cent of their annual revenues, respectively, to financially support RTVE to compensate its loss of advertising, representing a loss of E478 million for the group.
To complete RTVE’s budget, apart from an annual state subsidy of around E555 million, the Government will dedicate 80 per cent of the tax that operators pay for the use of spectrum, around E250 million.
The Government has also imposed content limits on TVE by limiting its access to sport and cinema content and by increasing from 5 to 6 per cent the amount of money dedicated to national and European films.
The Vice president of the Government, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, said they were hoping for a BBC model: "it will strengthen the economic independence of the corporation, guarantee the budgetary balance and pave the way for a quality and successful public TV model".
At the same time, the Administration hopes to help the TV industry to ride out the recession storm as the broadcasters will be able to take advantage of a larger TV advertising pie (without RTVE) that amounts to E3 billion every year.
The Cabinet also approved to allocate an E52 million budget to complete digital migration, an amount that will be managed by the Spanish Comunidades Autonomas (Spanish Regions).
Back to top
Sky Italia to reimburse former subscribers
From Branislav Pekic in RomeItalian DTH operator Sky Italia will have to reimburse thousands of former subscribers, for applying cancellation costs judged as too high by a Rome Court.
The decision is the result of a court case initiated in February 2009 by consumers association Movimento Consumatori, in which it accused of violating the so-called Bersani Decree on market liberalisation. The case regards some 80,000 former subscribers that left Sky Italia between April 2007 and September 2008.
According to the head of telephony services at the association, Alessandro Mostaccio, until September 2008, Sky Italia made users pay cancel costs of between E270 and E900, depending on the servicestaken. He points out that these were illegal penalties, because according to the Bersani Decree the user has to pay cancel costs that are equal to those sustained by the operator to deactivate the service.
The Rome Court established that the recess costs are E11.40 (VAT included) and former subscribers will have the right for the reimbursement of the difference. Although the sentence dates back to April, news of it has emerged only now as letters have started to arrive to former Sky Italia subscribers involved.
Since the end of 2008, Sky Italia has been applying recess costs that are in line with the Bersani Decree, following a request of the Communications Agency (AgCom).
Back to top
Rivals want Ofcom to challenge Sky’s dominanceBSkyB’s rivals are urging Ofcom to loosen the satellite broadcaster’s grip on top sports events so that Premier League football, Test cricket and first-run Hollywood movies become more widely available.
The broadcasting regulator meets this week to approve a ruling on the UK pay-TV market that BSkyB’s rivals believe will oblige it to sell them so-called premium content at wholesale prices. But the companies fear the details of the ruling could "let Sky off the hook" by allowing the News Corp-controlled company to set its own prices or delay the deal indefinitely.
Channel owners Setanta and Top-Up TV and the distributors BTVision and Virgin Media oppose what they call Sky’s market-dominating position.
Sean Williams, BT Retail’s managing director of strategy, told the FT. "A vicious circle has developed. Sky has the most premium customers so it can always outbid others for the premium content, and because it gets the premium content it can always get and keep the premium customers."
Back to top
Red revealed as the new face of Virgin1Virgin1 has unveiled the identity of its new logo the channel, Red. The character will embody the personality and values of the Virgin1 brand, and will appear on air from 9th June at 9pm. The full reveal of Virgin1’s rebrand follows the channel’s recent announcement that it is extending its hours on Freeview, launching a new +1 channel and celebrating its highest rating month since launch.
Meanwhile in a U-turn Virgin is opening more retail outlets with six new ones to take the total to 27.
Back to top
8% of broadband users are "extreme techies"
Research conducted by The Nielsen Company reveals the "extreme techies" subscriber segment stream significantly more online video content, watching up to 91 minutes (1.5 hours) per week, compared to the mean of 44 minutes for all broadband viewers. Representing eight per cent of the total adult 18 and older broadband population, which equals 4.6 million viewers, this group is the most advanced of all segments in consumption of online video.Furthermore, they are technology innovators, with 38 per cent connecting their computers to their televisions via devices such as a Media Centre PC or direct connection to view TV and movie content.
The study, "Crossing Over: Understanding Viewer Multi-Screen Migration," was commissioned by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) and is based on a complex, multi-dimensional segmentation analysis developed by The Nielsen Company.
The study profiles Extreme Techies as exhibiting the following attitudes and behaviors:
- 63 per cent are male, with a mean age of 31 and an average annual income of $67,000.
- 47 per cent are married and 57 per cent have children in the home under the age of 18.
- 74 per cent report accessing video content over their computers using the Internet.
- 64 per cent (vs. 30 per cent for the total sample) say that watching TV shows online adds to their regular TV viewing.
- 60 per cent (vs. 33 per cent total sample) report they typically know what they want to watch online before they sit down at their computer.
- 55 per cent (vs. 23 per cent total sample) report they have found shows online and watched them on TV.
-Highest ownership of cross-platform devices used to view TV or movie content, with an average of slightly over four devices (compared to average of two for the total sample).
-Highest viewership on devices such as console gaming systems (46 per cent), cell phones (33 per cent), and set top media boxes (17 per cent).
-26 per cent report planning to add to their television service (e.g. additional channels or services) in the next six months.
-They see themselves as ambitious, adventurous, tech-savvy and spontaneous."Looking closely at the behavior of the Extreme Techies sheds new light on how much content is being consumed online and by whom," said Char Beales, CTAM President and CEO. "We now have critical insights that go far deeper than any existing research to explore how these elusive segments may shape the future of content viewing and multi-platform adoption."
Back to top
Global mobile TV subs to hit 100 millionThe number of mobile TV subscribers stood at nearly 70 million at the end of 2008 and is further estimated to reach around 100 million this year, says RNCOS in its study, "Global Mobile TV Forecast to 2013".
The study envisages wide potential for the future growth in global mobile TV subscriber base, owing to the rapid developments in mobile TV landscape worldwide. On a global level, Japan and South Korea continue to be the major technology adopters, collectively accounting for around half of the total mobile TV subscribers in 2008. However, significant growth is expected in other Asia-Pacific countries such as India and China over the forecast period.
Anticipating the market potential, the research forecasts the number of mobile TV subscribers to reach nearly 450 Million by 2013 across the world, growing at a CAGR of more than 46 per cent from now.
Back to top
South Korean TV networks battle P2P piratesSouth Korean TV networks are upping their offensive against peer-to-peer pirates, threatening legal action should file-sharing sites fail to remove illegal videos from their networks.
The Internet units of the country's three national television channels - KBS, MBC and SBS – have jointly issued a warning to 79 peer-to-peer and ``Web hard'' online storage services they accuse of being the most severe copyright violators.
The 79 Internet companies named by the television networks include SK Communications, the operator of Nate, the country's third-most popular search site, and Cyworld, a popular social networking service.
Back to top
Monday 1st June
Sky’s trump bid on Virgin channels
Sky live on Xbox
Illegal downloads £120bn says report
Cabovisão to introduce 100 Mbps offer
TV Guide investment
IP to TV cables
Italian telcos unite for IPTV website
Sony Ericsson Pocket TV
Sky’s trump bid on Virgin channels
Sky has reportedly tabled a £160 million (E183m) bid to buy Virgin Media's seven digital TV channels – this is said to be 60 per cent more than any offer made by rival bidders including Channel 4, RTL, Time Warner and NBC Universal. The seven channels are Living, Living Two, Bravo, Bravo Two, Challenge, Challenge Jackpot and Virgin 1.
BSkyB may have in mind the recent extended wrangle with Virgin over carriage fees and does not want a repeat performance with a new owner.
Back to top
Sky live on XboxSky has teamed up with Microsoft to give British video gamers the option of watching its channels, including live Premier League football, through their Xbox 360 consoles. Using the Xbox's internet connection, the service will also include on-demand movies and other content to help Sky meet its target of 10 million customers by 2010. To be launched in the autumn, the service will also let viewers see what Sky Sports events their friends are watching and sit down with them in a virtual television suite while they watch the game.
It is the first time that Microsoft has pushed live television through its Xbox 360 console, which has sold more than 30 million worldwide, and the company is expected to sign up broadcast partners in other countries. The deal is not exclusive, however, and Microsoft has already been working with BT on a deal that would plug its BT Vision television product into the console. Despite announcing the tie-up over a year ago, nothing has yet come of it.
The Xbox service, however, will allow Sky to extend its reach into households that do not want, or cannot have, a satellite dish, but have an Xbox console and internet connection. Sky also hopes to persuade existing customers to take the Xbox service to increase its number of multi-room households.
The Xbox 360 service but it will offer at least the 18 channels – including Sky News and Sky Sports 1 and 2 – which can be found on the PC based Sky Player. Pricing of the Xbox 360 service is still being decided but is expected to be free for Sky's more lucrative customers, such as those on its Max broadband service. The Xbox service will work through any broadband provider, but Sky is expected to use it to attract more broadband users.
Back to top
Illegal downloads £120bn says reportIllegal downloading levels have hit record levels and are costing the UK economy and media owners £120 billion (E137bn) a year, according to a government advisor group. Its research apparently shows that seven million people in the UK are regularly downloading music and other content from illegal sites, according to The Strategic Advisory Board For Intellectual Property.The report said that higher broadband speeds was contributing to the increased levels and that on one weekday alone during the survey, some 1.3 million people used one file-sharing network to download illegal content.
David Lammy, the intellectual property minister, said: "This is not an issue confined by national boundaries and I am sure that other European Union member states and their copyright industries will find this report of use in the development of policy."
The intellectual property thinktank reckons between 44 and 79 per cent of global internet traffic is file-sharing, with the problem worse in eastern Europe than the USA. The SABIP paper Copycats? warns: "The scale of the problem is huge and growing."
Back to top
Cabovisão to introduce 100 Mbps offer
From Branislav Pekic in RomePortuguese cable operator Cabovisão plans to introduce a 100 Mbps broadband offer soon, enabling it to compete more effectively with other cable operators on the triple-play front.
Speaking during a press conference in Lisbon, company president, Jules Grenier, said that in six months time Cabovisão will be on the same technological level of its rivals, with an identical TV, telephony and internet offer, including High Definition content and video-on-demand.
Currently, Cabovisão has 13,000 kilometers of fibre optic coverage, despite not being present in the center of Lisbon. The operator serves some 276,000 subs, 47 per cent of which have triple-play.
Grenier denied that Cabovisão is up for sale, despite receiving proposals, pointing out that the company’s goal is to continue investing in Portugal. However, he did not reject the possibility of acquiring units of other companies that are up for sale, such as cable operators Bragatel and Pluricanal.
Cabovisâo has announced plans to offer up to expand its HD line-up to 20 channels in order to better match its competition. The HD offerings will include sports, movies, documentaries and music channels. Cabovisâo will also expand its VOD offering, both in HD and SD.
Back to top
TV Guide investmentLionsgate said it will sell a 49 per cent stake in TV Guide Network - which it recently acquired from Macrovision Solutions -- to JPMorgan Chase's private equity arm and TV producer Allen Shapiro for about $123 million in cash.
One Equity Partners, the global private equity investment arm of JPMorgan Chase, will become a 49 per cent equity partner in Lionsgate's TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com. One Equity Partners retains the option of buying another 1 per cent of TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com under certain circumstances.Lionsgate completed the acquisition of TV Guide Network, which reaches approximately 83 million homes, in February for approximately $255 million.
Back to top
IP to TV cablesDigital video and audio cables will soon come with a new capability: connecting those devices to the Internet. Manufacturers say version 1.4 of the HDMI standard, for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, includes a data networking feature.
That means that a set-top box that connects to the Internet could share its connection with other devices in the entertainment centre, for easier access to Web video, e-mail and news, says Steve Venuti, president and CEO of HDMI Licensing.
Back to top
Italian telcos unite for IPTV websiteItalian telcos Fastweb, Telecom italia and Wind have partnered to launch a website providing consumer information on IPTV services, intended to fuel subscriber growth to their respective IPTV services. The site also provides information to Italian consumers in the run up to the digital switchover in 2012.
The site offers information on IPTV platforms, the line-up of free-to-air and pay channels, video-on-demand services, how to obtain a set-top box, region-by-region coverage and the transition of analogue channels to digital platforms.
Back to top
Sony Ericsson’s Pocket TV will be free to download in five weekly 90 second segments to any handset through a dedicated WAP site. It will also be available to watch in longer, three minute segments through a YouTube channel.
Segments will feature irreverent, humorous interviews with artists and bands, live sessions and behind the scenes features. As well as music, Sony Ericsson’s Pocket TV will cover entertainment and youth culture, whether it’s comedy, fashion or film - but with its own unique style. The show, ad-funded by Sony Ericsson, is a fundamental component of the brand’s ‘not as you know it’ concept.
