Advanced Television

Articles

Spain: Sogecable and Mediapro in a blazing row

From David Del Valle in Madrid With TV football broadcasts in the air, Sogecable and Mediapro are intensifying their respective attacks. Sogecable has accused Mediapro of pirating the TV signal to offer football matches with no legal TV rights to them. Mediapro has soon reacted by offering for free the commercial channel La Sexta, in […]

August 27, 2007

EC looks to boost satellite services

A new mobile service for telephone, television and internet via satellite could be operational within a few years under a proposal made by the European Union’s executive arm. The plan would make the European Commission (EC) the clearinghouse for satellite companies seeking permission to offer the service in Europe, avoiding the need for approval from […]

August 27, 2007

Burch frozen out in June

Virgin Media chief executive Steve Burch was frozen out of the company’s sale process for two and a half months before his exit this week, according to a company filing with the SEC. “Since June 7, 2007, Burch has not communicated with any adverse party,” the company said in a filing with the US regulator […]

August 27, 2007

Spanish soccer war hots up

From David Del Valle in Madrid The dispute between Sogecable, owner of Cuatro and Digital Plus, and Mediapro, shareholder in TV channel La Sexta, over football TV rights has intensified following the decision of Audiovisual Sport, the Sogecable-controlled company that manages the football rights to suspend providing football broadcasts to Mediapro over nonpayment of fees […]

August 26, 2007

FCC still backs a la carte

Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin isn't backing down stand for la carte, saying he believed it could benefit, not reduce, diversity. But he did apologised for upsetting civil-rights groups who complained about comments he made last week Nonethelss he said claims that interest groups weren't independent came from a Center for Public Integrity study. […]

August 26, 2007

Macquarie after C&M

A consortium including Macquarie Bank's South Korean private equity arm and MBK Partners is set to acquire a 30 per cent stake in the country's second biggest cable TV group and targeting the remaining shares. Macquarie Korea Fund has signed a preliminary deal to purchase the stake from Goldman Sachs for about $650m (E479m), and […]

August 26, 2007

IBM in second life

IBM sales representatives in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia will from Thursday staff the company’s virtual Business Centre in Second Life an online world where millions of participants create alter egos called avatars, buy property and interact with one another. The real reason why we’re doing this is because we do feel the beginning of a […]

August 26, 2007

BT, Sony video phone on PSP

BT Group and Sony have unveiled new software that will allow gamers using portable PlayStations to make video and voice calls and send instant messaging. They said the Go!Messenger wireless software for Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game player was set for commercial launch in January 2008. In a battle for supremacy against Japanese rival […]

August 26, 2007

BSkyB extends deadline for Amstrad

Sky said its £125 million (E181m) offer would now close on 4 September, after revealing it had received acceptances for almost 86 per cent of Amstrad’s stock. UK competition watchdogs are now scrutinising the deal to see whether competition in the TV technology market will be affected. The two already have close links, with Amstrad […]

August 26, 2007

Alcatel Lucent loses top execs

The turbulent 10-months at Alcatel Lucent has claimed two senior victims. Mike Quigley, the Australian once tipped to be chief executive of the French group, and Frank D'Amelio, the former Lucent executive who was put in charge of integrating the two companies, had both resigned, the company said. D'Amelio is leaving to become chief financial […]

August 26, 2007