Fox Entertainment Group has purchased Beliefnet, a Web site on spirituality and faith, as part of its Internet expansion. Founded in 1999, Beliefnet, which offers everything from message boards, news and blogs to e-mail newsletters and social networks, attracts more than 3.1 million unique monthly visitors and 7.6 million subscribers, according to its Web site. […]
The BBC iPlayer will become fully available to consumers on Christmas Day. The internet-based catch-up TV service has been in beta operation. Downloads will be available for PC and streaming for Macs. Downloading for Macs is expected early in 2008.
Nokia believes up to a quarter of the entertainment consumed by people in five years time will have been created, edited and shared within their peer circle rather than coming out of traditional media groups. This phenomenon, dubbed ‘Circular Entertainment’, has been identified by Nokia as a result of a global study into the future […]
NBC, as promised, removed all its content and that of its affiliates from the iTunes Store after its contract with Apple expired. Meanwhile News Corp was reportedly “actively negotiating” with Apple to put new releases and catalogue titles on iTunes beginning in early 2008 amid speculation Apple will relent on fixed pricing. NBC has switched […]
Comcast and Time Warner Cable have bowed out of an auction for US airwaves. The auction is seen as the last opportunity for a new player to enter the wireless market. Shares in Comcast and Time Warner Cable rose on news they would not bid in the auction – alleviating analyst fears of an expensive […]
From Branislav Pekic in Rome Digital terrestrial television has become Europe's second digital TV distribution platform, according to Italian consultancy e-Media Institute. According to data from June 2007, DTT was received in 25 million households in Western Europe, compared to 37 million satellite TV households. Digital cable and IPTV had respectively 13 million and 4 […]
The US Federal Communications Commission is being investigated by the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight, prompted by criticisms of the FCC’s processes and what one official described as a “breakdown in proper procedure.” The committee informed FCC chairman Kevin Martin and the other commissioners of concerns saying that it wanted the chairman to […]
From David Del Valle in Madrid Spain’s largest cable company ONO leads the pay-TV audience ratings with an average share of 7.11 per centin November, well ahead of the digital DTH platform Digital Plus, with 3.95 per cent, Telefonica’s Imagenio and other cable operators, with 5.64 per cent, according to TNS Sofres. The most widely […]
Microsoft will allow UK gamers to purchase films through its Xbox 360 console from next week, as the console moves to compete with online download stores. The Xbox Live Marketplace Video Store will initially offer 40 popular film titles in standard and high definition. Users will pay between £2 (E2.9) and £4.50 for each film […]
Bertelsmann is considering taking full control of RTL Group, Europe's largest broadcaster. Bertelsmann confirmed a WSJ report that it was possible it would make an offer for the 10.2 per cent of RTL it does not already own, but cautioned that this had yet to be approved by its supervisory and management boards. Buying the […]