|
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
Our Latest Issues
Visit our archive to access more than 200 features! 
|
Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
Tuesday
Friday 18th September
News Corp sues Mediaset on antitrust claims
Murdoch and Shields
Virgin, Disney three-screen deal
Indian pay TV platforms look for investors
No flotation of BBC Worldwide
New Virgin CFO
Inverto Digital Labs to support HbbTV
Comcast shows on mobiles
News Corp sues Mediaset on antitrust claimsNews Corp has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Prime Minister Berlusconi’s Mediaset broadcasting group. News Corp’s Sky Italia is suing two units of Mediaset, RTI and Publitalia its sales house, alleging they refused to let it buy advertising time.
"News Corporation believes these companies have violated EC rules governing free competition, as well as Italian media regulation, by refusing to allow Sky Italia to purchase advertising," News Corp said.
There was no comment from Mediaset, whose share price was hit by the news.
Back to top
Elisabeth Murdoch, CEO of TV producer Shine, and former Bebo Chief Executive Joanna Shields, have announced the formation of a new company which will set out to pioneer innovative methods and formats, encourage viewer engagement and monetise original content.
The as yet un-named firm will pursue a strategy of investment, development and cross-discipline partnerships aimed at fusing the traditional genre of television production with the reach, power and engagement of social media. The company will additionally drive the online exploitation of Shine Group content.
Virgin, Disney three-screen dealVirgin Media has made a major agreement with Disney featuring a raft of new kids’ content to be made available across Virgin Media’s three entertainment platforms.
This is the first deal of its kind for Virgin Media, and means customers will soon be able to watch Disney content in their home or on the move. The deal includes the addition of the recently launched Disney XD channel, TV on demand content including HD programming, as well as rights for a wide range of Disney shows to be made available online and via the mobile screen.
As part of this landmark deal, Virgin Media has also secured rights for all three TV channels and on demand content to be to made available online, giving families the chance to enjoy their favourite shows on a PC or laptop. The deal also includes the rights for Virgin Media to bring customers the Disney XD channel and on demand content from Disney XD via the mobile.
Back to top
Indian pay TV platforms look for investorsResearch shows that India’s TV market is expected to experience growth in all sectors until 2013. The Indian economy is weathering the worldwide downturn far better than almost any major country and is forecast to grow 4.3 per cent in 2009 and 6.5 per cent the following year; lower than past rates, but much better than Western Europe and the US. Screen Digest predict that the TV market will see growth too – with the number of TV households rising from 133 million last year to 191 million by 2013, outstripping increases in the population and households in the same period.
Analogue cable TV accounted for 89 per cent of all pay TV homes in 2008 and roughly 60,000 operators. Screen Digest believes it will increase its subscriber base from 80 million to 113 million by 2013. Yet despite its large base the researcher forecasts slow conversion to digital. With its affluent middle class audience, satellite is perhaps the more attractive prospect, not just for operators including Dish TV, Sun Direct TV, Big TV, Airtel Digital TV and Tata Sky, but also for the wider media industry due to its transparency in reporting. At the end of 2008 these players accounted for 10 million all-digital households, up from 750,000 in 2005.
IPTV services are also set to expand as Screen Digest estimates broadband penetration of TV households to increase from 4.2 per cent at present to 13.4 per cent in 2013. At present IPTV is hardly making an impact in the market.
Back to top
No flotation of BBC WorldwideThe BBC Trust ruled out any substantial flotation of the broadcaster’s commercial arm. Chairman Sir Michael Lyons said the BBC Trust "wouldn’t contemplate" a loss of direct control over the sale of programmes and merchandise which had been produced using licence fee money.
His ruling came a few days after reports that the BBC’s strategy could be to float up to 80 per cent of BBC Worldwide.
Back to top
New Virgin CFOVirgin Media has named Tesco UK finance director Eamonn O’Hare as its new CFO. O’Hare will join in November after four years with the UK supermarket chain. He replaces Jerry Elliot who left the company in May. O’Hare was involved in the 2002 debt restructuring of the telecommunications provider Energis and was a part of the management team that took the company to its first operating profit.
Back to top
Inverto Digital Labs to support HbbTV
Inverto Digital Labs has confirmed it is becoming a supporting member of the HbbTV standard and that the HD+ hybrid set-top-box platform Scena 6, planned for the German market in Q1 2010, will support the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) standard.
The hybrid STB platform will incorporate a CE-HTML browser from Pleyo that is working together with Inverto on providing a rich selection of web-based widgets.
Back to top
Comcast shows on mobilesLeading US cable operator Comcast has confirmed plans to offer
subscribers the option to watch the company’s TV shows on mobile devices through its new wireless Internet service. The company is also exploring adding a voice option to the wireless package that would put itComcast recently started rolling out its wireless Internet services in some US cities as part of a joint venture with Clearwire Corp, which uses WiMax technology. It will be bundling the wireless service with its home Internet package and could eventually include its On Demand Online service, which will let subscribers watch cable shows on the Web.
Back to top
Thursday 17th September
Hulu to go part-pay?
CMT for more TV liberalisation and tougher fines
Duncan out as C4 chief
Internet TV sales to rise six-fold by 2013
France approves online piracy bill
Taiwan Mobile to buy Carlyle’s Kbro
$6bn pay-TV revenue in the UK
VOD revenue stays poor
Cablevision launches interactive ads
Freeview want to restrict HD
Optima Telekom launches IPTV
Opera for Thomson
SFR selects Wyplay for HD IP-STB
Discovery appoints Forbes as UK MD
Hulu to go part-pay?Two of the partners in Hulu -- News Corp. and NBC Universal hinted at an investor conference that they are investigating the possibility of further monetizing the online video venture, including charging a subscription for the service.
"Are we looking at it with a view toward adding subscription services and pay per view? Yes we are," Rupert Murdoch said of the Hulu venture. "No decisions have been made yet."
NBC’s Jeff Zucker said of the Hulu venture. "We are ahead of plan and we have more than 200 advertisers at Hulu. We are going to continue to be as innovative as anyone on monetisation of the ad-supported model, that's really where our focus is today. Whether there are other ways to monetise Hulu down the road, it is something that we are open to, something we will explore, but there are no plans at this time."
Back to top
CMT for more TV liberalisation and tougher fines
From David Del Valle in MadridThe Spanish Telecommunications Market Commission (CMT) is proposing to open up the TV market and, at the same time, impose tougher fines to avoid breaking the legislation. In a report on the new Audiovisual Law Bill, the CMT recommends to raise up to E20 million (20 times the current level) the maximum fine to be imposed on those TV channels that do not meet their licences obligations.
Amongst the obligations, "dedicating at least 51 per cent of the broadcasting time to the distribution of European works", half in the different languages of the country. The CMT is also for the obligation of the TV channels of investing 5 per cent of its annual revenues in the European production of feature films, short films, TV movies, TV series, documentaries or animation. The CMT opposes telco operators having the same obligation, arguing that they are only distributors.
The CMT suggests a further liberalisation by reducing the legal limits both on the spectrum and the sale and rent of licences, as well as on the introduction of new technologies. The regulatory body proposes to reduce from 15 to 10 years the duration of the licence and to allow the sale of licences to third parties from the fifth year after award. It also backs the rental to third parties of up to 50 per cent of the awarded spectrum, that is to say two of the four DTT channels each broadcaster will operate from April 2010.
As for advertising, CMT is more restrictive, proposing to include all type of promotions within the 12 minutes per hour.
Back to top
Duncan out as C4 chiefAndy Duncan, the Channel 4 chief executive, will step down from the role by the end of the year, he has confirmed. Duncan said he had ''mutually agreed'' with the broadcaster's board that now was the right time for him to leave. He departs Channel 4 after five years in charge.
"Channel 4 is facing a further period of change, with a fresh regulatory cycle looming and with the cancellation of Big Brother signalling the most significant creative renewal in our history," he said. "We have mutually agreed that this feels like the appropriate moment for me to hand on the baton to someone else and to move on to a fresh challenge after more than five years at the helm."
Back to top
Internet TV sales to rise six-fold by 2013After more than a dozen years of failing to live up to its promise, web access on the television is finally ready for prime time, with retail sales of Internet-Enabled Televisions (IETVs) set to rise by a factor of six by 2013, according to iSuppli.
The research group predicts worldwide sales of IETVs will rise to 87.6 million units by 2013, up from 14.7 million in 2009.
"With the flat-panel television market being driven by declining prices, brands are looking at ways to differentiate their TV lines from the competition,: said Randy Lawson, senior analyst for DTV and display electronics for iSuppli. Beyond the differentiation factor, the addition of Internet capabilities to television sets by leading TV OEMs represents a unique opportunity for these companies to finally have direct access, and thus additional potential revenue channels, to their end customers.
On the consumer side, iSuppli believes that IETV will emerge as one of the key features that consumers will demand in the coming years.
Back to top
France approves online piracy billFrance's lower house of parliament has approved the ‘3 strikes’ bill allowing authorities to cut off Internet access to people who download illegally.
The measure passed in the National Assembly following approval by the Senate in July. It must clear another hurdle to become law, gaining approval from a small committee from both houses of parliament.
Under the bill, pirates who ignore email warnings and a registered letter could see their Internet connections cut for up to a year.
Back to top
Taiwan Mobile to buy Carlyle’s KbroTaiwan Mobile, the country’s second-largest phone carrier, has agreed to buy cable television operator Kbro rom Carlyle Group for $1 billion in stock and cash to become the market leader.
Taiwan Mobile’s plans to use its cable television business, its fastest-growing division, to boost revenue from so-called convergence services that combine phone, Internet and television. The transaction will raise its share of the cable television market from 6.6 per cent to 32 per cent, with almost 1.6 million customers, making it the industry’s largest provider.
Back to top
$6bn Pay-TV revenue in the UK
Pay-TV revenue in the UK will climb from $6.2 billion in 2009 to $8.2 billion by 2014 as IPTV grows at a CAGR of 26 per cent within the forecast period, according to the latest report from Pyramid Research.The UK communications market is one of Europe's largest and most dynamic markets, expected to generate $47.1 million in revenue for 2009. Like most mature European markets, the major sources of growth, in absolute revenue terms, are mobile data and fixed broadband, notes Andrei Tchadliev, analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report.
"However, it is expected that IPTV revenue will grow at a CAGR of 26 per cent from $75 million in 2009 to $237 million in 2014, while triple-play packages surpass double play, both contributing to the overall growth in the pay-TV market.""The pay-TV market remains dominated by satellite provider Sky with close to 9.9 million subscriptions estimated for 2009, while IPTV remains concentrated to a small share of the market with only 4 per cent of total pay-TV households choosing the service," Tchadliev says. The breakup of Sky's market control over exclusive sporting events, notably football and premier entertainment content, will likely result in an increase in the share of cable and IPTV as a per centage of pay-TV households.
Tchadliev adds that growth in pay-TV services will also be boosted by the growing popularity of multiplay packages on account of cost. "We believe that by 2013, triple-play services, namely fixed voice, broadband, and pay-TV, will overtake double play," he says. "It is estimated that in 2009, close to 19.4 million households will have signed up for triple-play services, largely on account of the value the offer over stand-alone Internet, voice, mobile, and pay-TV packages."
Back to top
VOD revenue stays poorEnders Analysis has told the Westminster eForum that online video "is not a revenue stream of any significance for anyone" despite industry hopes it would by now be a major contributor.
Enders predicted VOD will generate only £200 million (E225m) a year in "direct revenue" and another £100 million a year in advertising by 2013. Enders argues there’s a reversion towards linear: the adoption of PVRs and HD TV as the public gear up for the digital switchover in 2012 has brought people back to the main TV screen. For Enders, the companies that will get rewards from VOD are Google and the BBC—both of which either don’t need to make revenue or use their VOD platform to build reach.
Back to top
Cablevision launches interactive adsCablevision Systems is rolling out a service to enable subscribers to interact with commercials via their remote controls. The company is hoping to boost advertising revenue with the premium-priced interactive service that marketers can use to reach cable viewers, who click the 'select' button to receive product samples and brochure information.
The first advertiser to use the new Optimum Select service will be paint brand Benjamin Moore, which will send a coupon for a free two-ounce colour sample if the cable subscriber requests it.
US cable companies have been trying similar requests-for-information services but Cablevision is expanding and updating the service with an ad overlay screen that pops up during a commercial and asks if the viewer wants more information about the product. It does this without leaving the live TV show that the subscriber might be watching.
Back to top
Freeview TV are demanding that set-top box and PVR manufacturers accept new DRM standards to protect HD content. The BBC told Ofcom it should encrypt the DTT HD signal via a "broadcast flag" so that only selected PVRs will be able to record over Freeview.
The actual audio and video won’t be scrambled, but the standard EPG data tables that STBs use—freely available via the Digital TV Group—would be encrypted so that only manufacturers that sign up to a new licence will have access to the right code, which is needed for recording.
Ofcom launched a consultation (pdf) on 3 September and says it is "minded to amend" the Freeview multiplex licence allowing for the "protection of intellectual property rights in HDTV services". In a letter to Ofcom the BBC said: "As broadband speeds are increasing, facilitating the unauthorised redistribution of HD content, HD content rights holders have begun to expect a degree of content management on the Freeview HD platform…Whilst no system provides a complete deterrent to determined hackers, content management applied in the receiver after reception helps to prevent mass piracy."
This would potentially hobble any existing STBs from recording HD but theBBC says "No existing Freeview boxes will be affected by this. We are committed to ensuring that public service content remains free to air, i.e. unencrypted. However, HD content holders have begun to expect a degree of content management on the Freeview HD platform and therefore broadcasters have recognised that a form of copy protection is needed."
Back to top
Optima Telekom , a Croatian provider of fixed telephony services, has launched a digital television service brandeded OptiTV. Available with five different triple-play packages which also include Opti Telefon fixed telephony and OptiDSL or OptiCarnet broadband Internet services, OptiTV includes 70 TV programmes, free access to the Snimalica DVR service for three months, and the ability to view recorded programmes for a period of 15 days.
Back to top
Opera for Thomson
Opera Software has confirmed it will provide web technology to Thomson. The Opera Devices SDK 9.7 Web technology will be integrated in Thomson’s line of STBs, in the STB middleware software "THOMSuite" and the Thomson Service Platform software SmartVision".Opera will serve as one rendering component for the next generation of Thomson platforms, which allows for new Web-based services to be developed for multiple devices. Opera will be pre-integrated on Thomson STBs for the IPTV market as well as the company’s hybrid deployments, and it will be used as one of the rendering engines on Thomson’s middleware.
Back to top
SFR selects Wyplay for HD IP-STBWyplay, expert in developing software products for consumer electronics connected-TVs, has been selected by SFR to collaborate with its technical team to develop the software for its next generation of HD IP-STB.
WYPLAY, expert in developing software products for consumer electronics connected-TVs, has been selected by SFR to collaborate with its technical team to develop the software for its next generation of HD IP-STB. WYPLAY already provides its software to many manufacturers of digital recorders and consumer hard disk drive media products.
Back to top
Discovery appoints Forbes as UK MD
Dee Forbes has been appointed the Managing Director and Executive Vice President of Discovery Networks UK. Forbes will be responsible for Discovery’s UK/Ireland business, which is the single largest market for Discovery outside the US. Forbes takes up the new role in January 2010 and joins from Turner Broadcasting Europe where she is the Senior Vice President and General Manager, Turner Broadcasting System, UK/Ireland.
Back to top
Wednesday 16th September
La Sexta to launch pay TV platform
Italian regulator opens RAI channels probe
CRR will stay at ITV
Joost backers fired Volpi
Veoh not liable for pirated video
OTT revenue to top $5.6bn by 2014
C4 4iP appoints adviser
Buyers circle Telstra’s stake in Foxtel
Roadmap for Europe’s digital dividend
Chile to adopt Japanese DTV standard
TVP DTH launches on Astra
Digiturk goes VOD
ODG for PrimeTel
MultiChoice on Intelsat 20
La Sexta to launch pay TV platform
From David Del Valle in MadridJose Miguel Contreras, CEO of TV channel La Sexta, has announced that the company will launch a pay TV platform with Sports TV channel Gol TV, owned by Mediapro, which is the main shareholder in La Sexta, as the leading premium channel.
The pay-TV platform will be open to other operators and is likely to distribute up to 12 pay TV channels, out of the total 24 DTT channels with a nationwide coverage that will be available once digital migration is completed on April 2010 or even before, in February or March, if the Government finally decides to bring forward the analogue switch-off.
"We aim to have an important role in DTT", said Contreras adding that "people have to be aware that a part of their DTT schedule will be formed by pay TV channels."
Back to top
Italian regulator opens RAI channels probe
From Branislav Pekic in RomeItaly’s Communications Authority has opened its investigation into the satellite distribution of RAI channels, although it has has no objections to the launch of the TivùSat platform, set up jointly with Mediaset and Telecom Italia Media.
According to the Authority, the inquiry "will determine the distribution mode for the smart cards (including for Italians abroad), the criteria for the distribution of TV programmes without foreign TV rights, the possibilty of all users receiving the programming of the public service free of charge on all distribution platforms similarly to other European countries". The move has been made necessary "in order to provide answers to the concerns expressed by consumers and in order to enable the development of competition on the basis of content offered and not based on the devices used". The inquiry will also verify whether RAI is respecting its obligations as a public service provider.
However, the Authority ruled that there are no reasons to launch an inquiry into the setting up of TivùSat "as the smart-cards are not used for the reception for pay-TV programmes and the DTH platform offers its own services to all third parties under equal, transparent and non-discriminatory conditions".
TivùSat, which launched on July 31st, has yet to make an impact on the Italian DTH market, as the 4-5 per cent of the population (1.2-1.3 million households) not covered entirely or partly by DTT have yet to equip themselves with the digital boxes. The excessive cost of the decoders and their scarce distribution has meant that only about 10,000 TivuSat cards have been activated so far.
Back to top
CRR will stay at ITVContract Rights Renewal, the rules which dictate how much ITV1 can charge advertisers, will stay for now says the Competition Commission. In its provisional report into CRR the watchdog has proposed "variations" which, for example, could allow ITV1 to capture more commercial impacts, such as rolling in high-definition and time-shifted channels into the definition of ITV1.
CRR was brought in to protect advertisers when Carlton and Granada merged to make ITV plc and the Commission says that though ITV’s audience has declined significantly its ability to reach a mass audience remains unique and therefore buyers still need protection. CRR protects the number of impacts an advertiser must get for a set price. The inclusion of the other ITV channels means some of these can be achieved off the main channel freeing more time to be sold to other clients.
Back to top
Joost backers fired VolpiJoost removed its high-profile chairman Mike Volpi by shareholder vote, it has emerged and "The company and its Board of Directors is conducting an investigation into Volpi's actions during his tenure as CEO and as Chairman" said a statement.
Volpi, who had been CEO, continued as Joost chairman after joining the venture firm Index Ventures, which was part of a consortium bidding $1.9 billion to eBay for Skype. Skype co-founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis were backers of Joost which failed to gain traction as a web TV portal as broadcasters launched their own. It is re-positioning as a white label supplier of web TV.
Volpi had been a rising star with Cisco before joining Joost.
Back to top
Veoh not liable for pirated videoA federal judge in the US has ruled that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's safe harbour provisions protected Veoh, the video-sharing site, from liability for hosting pirated clips uploaded by users. "The DMCA does not place the burden of ferreting out infringement on the service provider," the judge said.
Universal Music had sued Veoh for copyright infringement in 2007, alleging that the Michael Eisner-backed site was wrongly hosting music videos, Universal alleged that the site was "a massive copyright infringer that has built its business on the back of others' intellectual property."
Veoh argued that it took steps aimed at preventing pirated clips from appearing on the site, including using filtering technology. Veoh also said that it removed clips upon request, as per the DMCA's safe harbour provisions.
Back to top
OTT revenue to top $5.6bn by 2014According to a report from The Diffusion Group, revenue from the delivery of Internet video to the TV will grow nearly six-fold in the next five years, from a meagre $1 billion in 2009 to $5.7 billion in 2014.
TDG says that in 2009, pay-per-view services will account for 96 per cent of global OTT revenue, leaving subscription revenue with only 4 per cent of the revenue mix. By 2014, however, annual OTT subscription revenue will have grown 50-fold and account for 31 per cent of global revenue.
Back to top
C4 4iP appoints adviserChannel 4's £50 million (E56.7m) public service digital media investment fund 4iP has engaged business advisory and investment company Pembridge Partners to advise its key projects.
Pembridge's role will be to provide advice to help the projects that 4iP invests in transform from the launch stage to become commercially sustainable businesses with long-term growth potential.
The fund is meant to support ideas for websites, games and mobile services which help people improve their lives.
Meanwhile C4’s CEO Andy Duncan is expected to leave the channel within days having agreed a severance package.
Back to top
Buyers circle Telstra’s stake in FoxtelRupert Murdoch, James Packer and Kerry Stokes may vie for Australia’s biggest pay-television network after the government said Telstra may have to sell its 50 per cent stake in Foxtel.
Telstra may be barred from buying new wireless licences unless the telco sells the Foxtel stake and separates its retail and network divisions, the government said. News Corp, owner of the Fox broadcast network, owns 25 per cent of Foxtel, as does Packer’s Consolidated Media Holdings. Stokes’s Seven Network owns 20 per cent of Consolidated Media.
Back to top
Roadmap for Europe’s digital dividendThe results of an extensive study titled "Exploiting the digital dividend: a European approach" led by Hogan & Hartson LLP, media consulting firm Analysys Mason, and economics consultancy DotEcon, have been published. The consortium was tasked by the European Commission with ascertaining what coordinated action is needed at the EU level in order to maximise the benefits from the digital dividend spectrum released by the shift from analogue to more efficient digital television in Europe.
The presentation included the results of a substantial socio-economic analysis into the options for coordinated action across Europe and a series of nine recommended actions, which together form a roadmap for the digital dividend in the EU, including:
- requesting that all Member States make the 790–862MHz sub-band (often referred to as the ‘800MHz band’) available for electronic communications services as soon as possible.
- requiring that all DTT receivers sold in the EU adhere to compression standards that are at least as efficient as MPEG-4, and that they also adhere to minimum interference rejection standards.
The digital dividend frequencies are prime digital spectrum that is attracting interest from mobile and fixed telecom operators, pure Internet players, broadcasters, as well as government spectrum users. The frequencies could enable LTE or other "4G" technology that could provide ADSL-like broadband speeds over mobile devices, including in rural areas.
Back to top
Chile to adopt Japanese DTV standardChile will adopt the Japanese digital television standard ISDB-T, which is high-definition capable, joining neighbouring Peru and Argentina. "Following a rigorous study and consulting with several universities, we have decided to adopt the ISDB-T standard," President Michelle Bachelet said.
Santiago's decision came after it had also considered US and European standards. Peru adopted the standard in April and Argentina did so in August. In Brazil, it was been adapted for high definition in 2006.
Back to top
TVP DTH launches on AstraSES has confirmed that the public Polish television Telewizja Polska (TVP) will launch a free-to-air platform on Astra. TVP has therefore extended its satellite capacity contracts for the use of two transponders at Astra’s main orbital position 19.2 degrees East. TVP has been using this capacity since 2005. TVP is the largest public TV broadcaster in Central and Eastern Europe. Based on the new contract, TVP will use a spot beam which is available on Astra 1KR. This will allow TVP to broadcast all its Polish free-to-air channels in an unencrypted form to the Polish market.
Back to top
Digiturk goes VODDigiturk will launch a push and subscription VOD service on its digital-satellite platform, following a collaboration with four of the leading TV technology suppliers – Irdeto, OpenTV, Pace and TeleIDEA.
Using the "highly complex broadcasting solution", subscribers will be able to select, download and store feature films and television shows directly on to their set-top box hard drive. The solution integrates the triple-tuner high definition PVR designed by Pace for Digiturk with Irdeto’s Conditional Access. The offer is powered by OpenTV's PVR-enabled middleware technology, OpenTV Core2/PVR2 and features the TeleIDEA Electronic Program Guide (EPG) feature P/S-VOD.
Back to top
ODG for PrimeTelOn Demand Group announced another VOD customer in southern Europe, PrimeTel PLC in Cyprus. PrimeTel is the third telco to partner with On Demand Group to develop its IPTV on-demand service since it launched its regional expansion strategy
ODG is providing thousands of encoded video-on-demand titles from the major Hollywood studios and a full range of subscription VOD titles including movies, TV series, documentaries, kids programming and music videos. The relationship empowers PrimeTel with the leading competitive package of on-demand content in the Cypriot market, including the latest blockbuster movies and the biggest SVOD selection in Greek and other languages.
Back to top
MultiChoice on Intelsat 20Intelsat, the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services, has confirmed that South African direct-to-home (DTH) television operator, MultiChoice, has signed a long-term, multi-transponder agreement for satellite capacity. The agreement extends and expands MultiChoice’s existing contract on the Intelsat 7 satellite at 68.5º E to the follow-on satellite, Intelsat 20 (IS-20), which is slated to be launched in early 2012.
MultiChoice and Intelsat collaborated on the design of the South African Ku-band payload for IS-20, which will optimise the signal reception power for MultiChoice’s more than 2.6 million DStv customers throughout South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique.
Back to top
Tuesday 15th September
Sogecable and Mediapro reach PPV deal
UK OKs TV product placement
Ofcom consults on VOD
BBC may sell off Worldwide
England on newspaper PPV
UPC greens its STBs
CBS programming venture with Chello
Pace unveils DVB-T2 Freeview HD box
Nagravision brings widgets to pay TV operators
Virgin chooses Bridge monitoring
Sogecable and Mediapro reach PPV deal
From David Del Valle in Madrid
The Spanish Competition authority’s inquiry into pay-TV football rights has forced Mediapro, shareholder in La Sexta and holder of the majority of football TV rights in Spain, to reach a last-minute agreement with Sogecable, owner of Digital Plus and its main rival, to share pay-per-view football TV rights to avoid a possible fine.
With the deal, Sogecable will be able to offer the same ppv football matches of the Spanish League (La Liga) over the next three seasons as other pay TV operators like ONO, Imagenio, Jazztel, R, Telecable or Euskaltel which already signed a similar agreement with Sogecable.
The agreement comes soon after Spanish watchdog the CNC has launched an inquiry into Mediapro and its pay-TV football channel Gol TV over possible anti-trust practices by not reselling its football TV rights to third parties.
ITV has welcomed a Government U turn on product placement. Ben Bradshaw, the culture secretary, is expected to propose this week that commercial broadcasters and TV producers will be able to receive payment to include brands in their programming. The move will bring the UK into line with Europe and the US, where product placement is already allowed.
Bradshaw’s predecessor, Andy Burnham was vehemently opposed to allowing commercial messages within programming in spite of repeated pleas from broadcasters and programme makers, who are suffering the worst advertising recession for decades. The government had reiterated its opposition to product placement as recently as March.
The sudden change in policy reflects the personal convictions of Bradshaw, according to reports, and the dire drop in ad revenues for commercial broadcasters.
Back to top
Ofcom consults on VODOfcom has published its consultation on the future regulation of Video on Demand services. Under revised European law, content on VOD services such as BBC iPlayer, 4OD, ITV Player, SkyPlayer and Demand Five will be regulated from 19th December 2009.
Regulation of these services is a requirement of the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive and covers all VOD services which are, according to the Directive, "TV-like". The Government plans to give the overall duty to regulate these services to Ofcom.
Ofcom is consulting on its proposal that two bodies carry out most aspects of the regulation on its behalf: Ofcom proposes that VOD services are regulated by the industry body, the Association for Television On Demand (ATVOD), and that advertising included in those services, is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
But VOD programming would not be subject to Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code, which broadcast services currently licensed in the UK have to observe.
There a number of criteria for establishing which services will be regulated. For instance the Directive seeks only to regulate ‘TV-like’ services which make programmes available for members of the public to view at a time of their choice. Therefore, electronic versions of newspapers, private websites and unmoderated user generated material (hosted on services such as YouTube) will not be regulated.
Under the proposed co-regulation, Ofcom will have back-stop powers to intervene if the new co-regulatory system does not work effectively and Ofcom will also retain the power to impose sanctions against service providers.
Under the proposals for consultation ATVOD would regulate VOD services and would be required to ensure that programming on VOD services adheres to a number of minimum standards from the Directive which will be set out in UK legislation. Programmes, for example:
- must not contain any incitement to hatred based on race, sex, religion or nationality;
- must not provide material which might seriously impair the physical, mental, or moral development of minors unless it is made available in such a way that ensures that minors will not normally hear or see such content; and
- sponsored programmes and services must comply with applicable sponsorship requirements.
BBC content is jointly regulated by the BBC Trust and Ofcom. Content on the BBC iPlayer will be subject to these new regulations but as with other BBC content will be regulated by the Trust and Ofcom and not under the proposed co-regulatory arrangements. Consultation closes on 26th October 2009.
Back to top
BBC may sell off WorldwideBBC executives are considering the part- privatisation of BBC Worldwide, as part of a wide-ranging review, the director general, Mark Thompson, has told the Guardian.Among the options under consideration is a stockmarket listing of the business, which had annual revenues of about £1 billion (E1.14bn) last year. "One of the things we should look at over this period is whether 100 per cent ownership of Worldwide is essential going forward," Thompson said.
Back to top
England on newspaper PPV
England will be able to watch the next World Cup qualifier against Ukraine on PPV sites of newspapers due to a new partnership between rights holder Kentaro and sports video operator Perform. UK newspaper sites are being asked to market the fixture in return for being able to show the match live on their websites as part of the revenue-sharing deal.Kentaro bought the UK rights to the fixture from the Ukrainian football association in 2007 and signed up Irish sportscaster Setanta as the exclusive live broadcaster. But then Setanta’s UK arm went bust and collapsed in June so Kentaro is tapping Perform for a hasty online solution.
Back to top
UPC Broadband is rolling out a new generation of ‘green’ set-top boxes with its suppliers Cisco, Pace and Thomson. The STBs have been designed to use less than 1W in stand-by mode and consumer an average of 5.5W. This will significantly reduce power consumption with an anticipated annual power consumption of 32KWh for the HD version and 55KWh for the PVR, if used for 4.5 hours a day.
The operator is also planning a system-wide software upgrade, which will apply to all outstanding STBs and introduce an Auto Standby functionality. This will switch off the set-top if there are no interactions for 3.5 hours.
Back to top
CBS programming venture with ChelloCBS Studios has signed a programming deal with Chello Media.
The joint venture, the first of its kind by CBS outside the US, will put thousands of hours of classic television on Chello’s Zone channels, including Star Trek and Dynasty.The terms of the joint venture have not been released, but they will see Chello’s Zone channels renamed. The CBS brand will be included in the new title, but the final details are yet to be decided.
Back to top
Pace unveils DVB-T2 Freeview HD boxPace, developer of digital TV technologies, has unveiled its next generation set-top box based on the DVB-T2 transmission standard. The Pace STB, expected to be one of the industry`s first to market for Freeview HD, will be available through retail distribution enabling UK viewers to take advantage of the HD experience made possible by the DVB-T2 standard as part of a nation-wide enhancement to the DTT platform.
By optimising bandwidth in the network, DVB-T2 allows broadcasters and service providers to bring HD content to the home terrestrially for the first time. Pace has worked closely with UK free-to-air digital TV service provider Freeview and UK broadcasters, including the BBC, to develop the new set-top box and to ensure that it complies fully with the DVB-T2 standard.
Set for market launch in the first half of 2010, Freeview hopes to achieve up to 50 per cent HD coverage across the UK by the time the World Cup begins in June next year, well ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Back to top
Nagravision brings widgets to pay TV operatorsNagravision has debuted its new widget publishing platform. Internet-enabled set-top boxes or set-top-less TVs can run TV-centric widgets on the TV screen that are controlled by the customer's standard remote. The platform allows operators to jointly develop with content partners, advanced widgets services in relation to live or on-demand content for pay TV subscribers. Additionally, operators can gain and maintain full control of revenues from advertisements tied to specific Internet content to complement traditional broadcast media revenues.
Back to top
Virgin chooses Bridge monitoringBridge Technologies, developer of the first complete satellite-to-set-top-box monitoring solution for digital TV operators, has revealed that its VideoBRIDGE system has been selected to provide the monitoring solution for Virgin Media's digital broadcast TV platform.
Virgin Media will roll out an all-IP broadcast installation at its 54 headends and four core IP sites to complement its existing VOD IP infrastructure. Bridge Technologies will provide the VideoBRIDGE IP probes, servers, and software to ensure comprehensive continuous remote monitoring and fault analysis throughout Virgin Media's broadcast TV IP infrastructure.
Back to top
Monday 14th September
iPlayer is for all says BBC
Volpi out as chair at Joost
Virgin goes IPTV
14 set up ratings group
Grass Valley sale ‘soon’
HD to drive Middle East pay-TV
Bloomberg ventures into Indian TV
Kudelski Group acquires Medioh!
Viaccess CI+ support with SMIT
Al Jazeera Sport selects Irdeto
Globecast delivering Champions League in HD
Netgem launches NetgemTV platform
OpenTV new middleware platform
Motorola and Magnet extend IPTV across Ireland
Ateme Titan turnkey solution
iPlayer is for all says BBC
Nearly a year after the BBC first offered its iPlayer to rival UK broadcasters, none of which have joined, now, at IBC, Erik Huggers has declared open door for international TV companies.Huggers told the conference: "It is not a concept of aggregation, but federation. It’s about making sure each of the broadcasters around the world can continue to have a direct relationship with their users."
Mindful of James Murdoch’s recent attack on BBC imperialism, he said the results of BBC investment in iPlayer "are going to be made available to public and private companies so that they don’t have to invent the iPlayer or look at how to deliver free-to-air."
Opening up to foreign broadcasters would require approval of the BBC Trust.
Back to top
Mike Volpi who remained chairman when Joost switched to a white-label tech provider and he left as CEO for Index Ventures, has now stepped down. Index is part of the group bidding to buy Skype from eBay.
Back to top
UK MSO Virgin Media is planning to migrate its legacy digital video delivery infrastructure to an IPTV platform and has selected Cisco Systems as its technology partner for the project. When completely deployed, the new TV platform will be capable of delivering advanced services to more than 12.6 million homes across Virgin Media's footprint in the UK.
Virgin Media will deploy Cisco's Digital Video Headend technology in all of its regional and central headends. Cisco IP core and edge network technologies will provide high-speed distribution between the central and regional headends and support delivery to Virgin Media's high-speed access network.
According to the companies, the IPTV infrastructure will help Virgin Media reduce operating expenses, support the rollout of new conditional-access security and speed up the introduction of new standard- and high-definition services.
"Upgrading our digital TV platform means we can continue bringing innovative new services to our customers," Daniel Hennessy, Virgin Media's director of technical architecture, said in a statement. "With greater resilience and added capacity, we can guarantee an outstanding viewer experience as we add further HD content to our TV platform."
Cisco will manage the project, which will include installation, system integration, the priming of third-party elements and support provided by the Cisco Advanced Video Services Group.
Back to top
14 set up ratings group
Fourteen media companies have formed a research organization to pursue new methods to measure audiences. The Council for Innovative Media Measurement, said they would finance studies and promote innovation in audience measurement.They will seek answers to the question: How should the buyers and sellers of advertising time take into account the consumers who are increasingly watching shows not on TV sets, but on computers and mobile devices?
The members of the council, which is being led by Alan Wurtzel, the president of research for NBC Universal, said that their work was not meant to replace Nielsen Media Research, instead, the council will seek to identify and study new methods of measurement, they said.
"The industry recognizes that the current measurement isn’t good enough," Wurtzel said. "It’s not an indictment against Nielsen, it’s just that no one — no one — is measuring cross-platform the way we need it to be measured."
The council includes the research chiefs of the owners of ABC, CBS, CNN, ESPN, Fox, MTV, and NBC; their counterparts at advertising companies; and representatives for several of the nation’s largest advertisers.
The council said it would start by investigating two issues: the feasibility of compiling ratings from set-top TV boxes and new ways to measure viewership across TV sets, Web sites and mobile devices.
Nielsen is already testing measurement systems on both fronts. "We have always worked closely with our clients on innovation," the company said. "We look forward to working with them, along with other clients, on ways to define the future of media measurement across more screens."
Back to top
Grass Valley sale ‘soon’
From Colin Mann in AmsterdamThe sale of Thomson’s Grass Valley business unit is close to completion, according to Grass Valley Senior Vice President Jeff Rosica.
Rosica confirmed that exclusive negotiations were at "an advanced stage with a single buyer" and could be completed within days. He was unable to reveal any further details on the potential buyer.
Back to top
HD to drive Middle East pay-TV
From Colin Mann in AmsterdamThe demand for high definition TV services will drive the growth of pay-TV in the Middle East, according to Mohamed Youssif, the CEO of YahLive, the partnership between satellite operator SES Astra and Yahsat to offer Direct-to-Home (DTH) television capacity and services to more than two dozen countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South West Asia.
Under the YahLive brand, the company will own and commercialise 23 BSS-transponders on the Yahsat 1A spacecraft to be positioned at the 52.5 degrees East orbital position and operating in the Ku-band frequency.
Youssif said that the free-to-air culture in the Middle East meant that pay-TV had not performed well in the region, but that with spectacular growth in HD channel availability forecast up to 2012, YahLive would activate the market of some 9 million HD-ready TV sets looking for content..
"We will target HD, pay-TV, interactive and video-on demand, working with new content providers and leveraging our parent and sister company capabilities," Youssif said. "There will still be demand on capacity that doesn’t exist today. I’m a firm believer in pay-TV and it can survive in the Middle East if it’s done right."
Back to top
Bloomberg ventures into Indian TVBloomberg, the US-based news provider, has joined a growing number of foreign groups pushing into India’s booming cable television market, by announcing a tie-up with UTV to provide business news.
Bloomberg’s alliance with UTV, a film, television and gaming group founded by Mumbai-based entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, represents the most serious competition yet for CNBC TV18 – the Indian franchisee of the global business channel.
Back to top
Kudelski Group acquires Medioh!The Kudelski Group has confirmed the acquisition of Medioh!, a media technology company aggregating mid-tail content, and providing a widget and content publishing platform for multimedia devices. Medioh! has built a solid media oriented web and server expertise combined with a proven track record of implementing scalable web based media systems. The company benefits from a solid product portfolio which will now be available for pay TV operators and the consumer electronics market.
Back to top
Viaccess CI+ support with SMIT
Viaccess and SMIT, the well-known supplier of Viaccess CAMs, have announced the support for Common Interface+ (CI+) on Conditional Access Modules (CAMs). The founders of the CI+ forum and CAM manufacturers are driving market development of the new CI+ standard that implements both a sophisticated protection mechanism between the CAM and the digital television receiver as well as advanced interactive capabilities. CI+ adds essential user experience and significantly enhanced security means to the DVB-CI standard, being richer user interface controlled by the operator, strong copy-protection for HDTV, and numerous tools to maintain a vertical control on devices accesses.
Back to top
Al Jazeera Sport selects IrdetoIrdeto, expert in content and business model protection solutions and services, has signed an expanded relationship with Al Jazeera Sport, part of the Al Jazeera Network and a leading provider of sports TV services in the Middle East and North Africa. Irdeto will now protect Al Jazeera Sport’s premium content across its entire digital TV network and as part of the agreement, will source more than 500,000 Irdeto Smart Cards
The expanded agreement between Al Jazeera Sport and Irdeto aligns with an aggressive, industry-wide drive in the Gulf to protect content and curb prolific sales of illegal TV set-top boxes that decrypt pay-TV channels.
Back to top
Globecast delivering Champions League in HD
GlobeCast has renewed and significantly expanded its contract with UEFA in a deal to provide HD coverage of the Champions League and HD and SD coverage of the Europa League to non-European rights holders. As a result, GlobeCast has made a significant investment of more than E2million in HD upgrades for its two UK sites, making it one of the most HD capable ad hoc service providers in the world.
Back to top
Netgem launches NetgemTV platformIPTV set-top box manufacturer and software developer, Netgem, has launched NetgemTV, the company’s next generation software platform that features a highly visual and intuitive user interface, combined with media centre functionality.
NetgemTV not only opens up the world of Internet content for operators developing next generation TV services, it also allows audiences to control, integrate and watch content stored on other devices on their home network.
Back to top
OpenTV new middleware platformOpenTV, a software and technology provider of advanced digital television solutions, has announced the OpenTV Core3, a pioneering approach to the delivery of advanced television services. Engineered to enable technology choice by operators, OpenTV Core3 combines a top-to-bottom open architecture with a unique design that simplifies the integration and deployment of everything from complex user interfaces to consumer services and application widgets.
Back to top
Motorola and Magnet extend IPTV across IrelandMotorola has confirmed that Magnet has deployed Motorola Home & Networks Mobility's VIP1900 series IPTV set-tops, enabling the delivery of high quality IP Video services to customers of its Magnet Entertainment service across Ireland. The roll-out marks the introduction of Motorola set-tops to the Irish market and further strengthens the relationship between the two companies.
Back to top
Ateme Titan turnkey solutionAteme, an expert in H.264 video compression solutions, is launching ‘Titan’ - its turnkey solution for large scale transcoding throughput and faster-than-real-time processing, to meet the industry’s demand for multi-screen delivery.
Leveraged from ATEME’s widely deployed KFE 2 encoding system, Titan is a complete file-based processing solution. From any SD/HD mezzanine file, Titan can produce, faster than real time, a number of pristine video quality versions simultaneously for delivery of content to television, mobile and Internet devices - representing a step-change in the mass content delivery workflow. For example, a two hour-long HD movie can be encoded in just 10 minutes.
Back to top
