Some readers might remember VOOM, an all-HDTV broadcasting system that was something of a pioneer in backing high-definition TV. It launched initially with 21 channels in 2003 on its own satellite (Rainbow-1). VOOM was backed by Charles ‘Chuck’ Dolan, but a split in the Cablevision boardroom and a row between various members of the Dolan […]
BSkyB has a cheeky habit of under-promising and over-delivering on its results. It isn’t such a bad habit, but often catches out the analysts. Sky’s half-year numbers, revealed on January 31st, declared 6 per cent revenue growth to £3.4 billion, EBITA growth up 16 per cent and Earnings per Share up 20 per cent. Hard […]
And so it comes to pass: Sky on the Internet and available to all UK broadband subscribers. Dishes have been in Sky’s DNA from day one and they will be around for a long time, but making Sky open to all is a major evolutionary moment for Sky, for pay-TV and for broadcasting as a […]
BSkyB unveils its Q2 numbers on January 31st, and most observers see continued progress for the broadcaster, although with net TV subscriber additions being somewhat less than this same time last year. Investment banker Morgan Stanley forecasts net TV subs growing by 69,000 (140,000 this time last year). This slower growth might also affect HD […]
The EBU has called on delegates at the World Radiocommunication Conference at the ITU in Geneva to draft a treaty to tackle the issue of ‘Satellite uplink jamming’ – basically when states block transmissions to prevent messages getting out, or unwelcome signals coming in. Satellite uplink jamming contravenes Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of […]
Ofcom, the UK media regulator, says that the 2012 London Olympic Games will be the largest media event ever held on the plant. They expect the games to host around 26,000 print and broadcasting journalists and their technical teams. Indeed, Ofcom suggests that handling the demands of 26,000 journalists presents the organisers with a “unique […]
A line in America’s national anthem claims the country as ‘the home of the free.’ Not for the first time, some Americans are claiming there must be a certain irony in the phrase. These are citizens who believe any restriction on the Internet is an enemy of innovation and, more importantly, their First Amendment rights […]
BSkyB will unveil its mid-year results (to December 31st) on January 31st. Another investment bank analyst has forecast that the pay-TV operator’s subs growth will stumble for its second quarter (to December 31st). Bank of America Merrill Lynch, in a note to clients, says it expects BSkyB to show a net subs growth of 55,000 […]
Mediaset’s vice chairman, Pier Silvio Berlusconi, says Italy’s planned auction of six new digital terrestrial frequencies is “wrong and unfair”. Berlusconi, son of Italy’s former Prime Minister, said similar DTT frequencies in the rest of Europe had been awarded without fees. He told Italian news daily La Stampa: “An auction would not only be wrong […]
US pay-TV broadcaster DirecTV was upgraded by investment analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on January 11th. Recently, analysts at Wunderlich reiterated their “buy” rating on shares of DirecTV in a research note to investors on Wednesday, December 14th. They now have a $60.00 price target […]