Andy Burnham UK culture minister said he would not rule out top-slicing the licence fee to boost Channel 4’s future funding. The broadcaster estimates that it will face a £150m annual funding shortfall once it loses the subsidy of terrestrial TV spectrum, when the analogue TV signal is switched off by 2012. However, he said […]
TiVo is offering advertisers a new way to reach TiVo subscribers, who are prone to fast-forwarding through standard 30-second spots as they consume time-shifted programming. "Pause Menu," allows clickable, promotional graphics to be placed on the TV screen when a TiVo user pauses a live or time-shifted programme. The first advertisers to use Pause Menu […]
UEFA has announced deals with two leading Spanish broadcasters – Telecinco and Canal Satelite Digital (Digital+) – for the 2009-12 UEFA Europa League media rights. Free-to-air commercial broadcaster Telecinco has secured a package of rights which include the exclusive broadcast of the first-choice live match (including the final and the UEFA Super Cup) every matchweek, […]
GlobeCast has been chosen by Italian public broadcaster Rai to provide fibre connectivity, teleport facilities and satellite capacity to deliver Rai signals to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) transmitters throughout the country in the process of the switchover from analogue to Digital TV. GlobeCast has signed a three year deal to manage the switch to DTT […]
The BBC is reportedly considering offering Channel 4 and ITV the free and open use of its iPlayer online video technology. The offer will form part of its response to the public service broadcasting review being conducted by Ofcom. The idea is being considered as the BBC works out its proposal for partnerships with other […]
Liberty Global's Swiss subsidiary Cablecom has said it plans to lay off up to 150 staff as part of its organizational streamlining, citing 'increasingly fierce competition.' Cablecom, Switzerland’s largest cable operator also said that Managing Director Rudolf Fischer will resign. He will remain in his post until a successor has been found, the company said. […]
Rai and Sky Italia have been awarded major UEFA Champions League media rights packages in Italy for the period between 2009 and 2012. Italian public broadcaster Rai has won a package of rights which include the exclusive free-to-air broadcast of the first choice live match on a Wednesday (including the final and the UEFA Super […]
The European Commission is to set a high-level expert group to advise it on the detail of the revised Conditional Access Directive, with members drawn from all twenty-seven member states. The announcement was made by Jean Bergevin, head of electronic services in DG3 part of the Information and Society Directorate, speaking at the Aepoc board […]
From Branislav Pekic in Rome Croatia's second fixed-line operator, Optima Telekom, has announced plans to launch an IPTV service by the end of the first quarter of 2009. Optima has signed a contract with Croatian company OdaÅ¡iljaÄi i Veze (OiV) for the provision of the transmission infrastructure and the digital signal compression system for the […]
Motorola has been selected to provide the satellite transmission equipment, including compression systems and multiplexors, to enable Fox to transition all its satellite programme distribution to 100 percent HD delivery. The move which will enable Fox viewers to benefit from the clarity of HD content on the company's broadcast network, national cable channels, regional sports […]