For some European pay-TV broadcasters their growth patterns are slowing as subscriber numbers reach maturity levels. A new report from investment bankers Morgan Stanley says this is not a major worry for the likes of BSkyB, given that their recent financial numbers show that there’s plenty of cash still to be extracted from the viewers’ […]

IBC saw much discussion on the likely prospects for 4K transmission, how the technology might be implemented, possible costs for broadcasters, timetable of likely events that might trigger early adoption and how low prices of 4K flat panels might need to fall to gain consumer acceptance. In other words, the assorted Plus and Minus points […]

Dr Abe Peled, former president and CEO at NDS, insists he is now an ordinary member of Cisco Systems’ 72,000 employees and as such he needed to go through the new staff ‘onboard’ induction system. Now, six weeks into his new job as Cisco’s SVP/Strategy Video & Collaboration Group, was in good humour at his […]

The top men at News Corporation have had their ‘qualitative bonuses’ cut by half because of the phone hacking scandal in the UK. The quantitative element remained intact, though, as the share price has risen 23 per cent. The businesses have certainly done well but, clearly, the main spur to the stock boost was the […]

NileSat and Arabsat have removed the state-backed Syrian TV channels from its satellites. Instructions were given to the two Arab satellite operators by the Arab States foreign ministries. However, the action received immediate condemnation from Damascus. BBC Monitoring reports that the Syria’s Information Ministry the ban “contradicts principles of media work in an unacceptable and […]

The broadcasting industry is gearing up for the ‘next big thing’, and well beyond today’s 3D, ‘smart’ TVs and HDTV. With the giant IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin now underway, and just days away from IBC, the professional end of the broadcasting industry, the talk is all about Ultra-HDTV. We expect the first announcements […]

Back on August 7th, a Russian rocket failed to deliver two satellites into orbit. Various boards of inquiry were set up, but the approval to resume launches has not yet been given which is a major worry for Mexico’s Satmex satellite operator. The exact same type of rocket is due to launch Satmex-8 later this […]

Here’s a conundrum: Pay-radio operator Sirius-XM is making very useful operating profits in its US division (and minority stakes in its Canadian operation also help out). Last week, Sirius-XM paid off $681 million of debt almost a year ahead of time, such is its sound financial position. John Malone shrewdly bailed the business out from […]

In the latest issue of IP Television International (available at IBC) we take a broad look at the Smart TV market.  A report from TDG, quoted in the article, chastises TV makers for failing to make the most of their pivotal position in the fast growing Smart TV segment, though it does allow they have […]

For the past three weeks, Jordanian TV channel JoSat has been dark, unavailable because of actions by an unnamed – but senior – figure. In a statement, reported by BBC Monitoring, the channel said it had worked hard at finding out who was responsible for ordering the Amman-based uplink centre to take the channel down, […]