Advanced Television

Digital Radio

BBC launches full voice service for smart speakers

The BBC has launched its first full voice app for voice-controlled smart speakers, an Amazon Alexa skill for Echo devices, with other smart speakers coming in future. It brings the BBC’s full range of live radio stations – including all local, national and international radio – to Echo and Alexa users for the first time, […]

December 11, 2017

YouTube launching subscription music service

YouTube will launch a new subscription music streaming service in March 2018, according to reports. Record label Warner Music Group has already signed on while Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Merlin, a consortium of independent labels, are said to be in talks with the online video portal. The service, tentatively branded as ‘Remix’, […]

December 8, 2017

Arqiva completes BBC National DAB Phase 4 roll out

Arqiva, the UK communications infrastructure company, has announcd that phase 4 of the BBC National DAB roll out has now completed, with the switching on of a new transmitter at Fakenham in North Norfolk. Phase 4 has seen an additional 163 sites deployed across the UK to deliver the BBC’s national radio services, including those […]

December 8, 2017

Consumer media usage at 50hrs weekly in 2017

Global consumer media usage & exposure, including all digital and traditional media combined, is on pace to grow an estimated 1.9 per cent to an average of 50 hours per week (HPW) in 2017, according to research from PQ Media. Consumer time spent with media worldwide is projected to increase another 2.5 per cent in 2018, […]

December 6, 2017

Immedia launches DreamStream X radio platform

Immedia Group has announced its DreamStream X radio platform which allow brands to combine live audio and visual streaming through its own in-house entertainment platform direct to customer’s mobile phones. DreamStream X works by streaming live broadcasts from Immedia’s own studios onto an app integrated within a brand’s platform and delivered to people’s mobile phones. […]

December 4, 2017

SpaceX raises an extra $100m

Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket company has raised $100 million in fresh funding, according to a regulatory filing made on November 27th. An earlier cash-raising exercise this summer for the privately-held company raised $350 million. The amended (to include the new $100 million) Series H financing round includes 25 unnamed investors and values SpaceX at $21.5 […]

November 29, 2017By Chris Forrester

SiriusXM ups prices

On the heels of price hikes from Netflix, US pay-radio operator SiriusXM is upping some of its prices, typically by about $1 a month. SiriusXM’s pricing structure is somewhat complex, with a total of almost 30 packages (including special military bundles) plus add-ons. Generally, prices have risen by 5 per cent (its ‘All Access’ comprehensive […]

November 22, 2017By Chris Forrester

Canada: Digital platforms increasingly popular

Canadians are increasingly turning to platforms and devices connected to the Internet for their video and audio content, according to the 2017 Communications Monitoring Report from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Canadians aged 18-34 years old are leading the trend with 23 per cent watching TV exclusively online. Nationally, 13 per cent of […]

November 9, 2017

Deezer on Roku

Online music streaming service has launched a channel on Roku players and Roku TVs, giving subscribers access to its premium streaming music service on the big screen. With Deezer, users can stream any song, anytime. After a 3-month free trial, Deezer Premium+ is $9.99/month, and givess access to all the music tracks in high quality […]

November 7, 2017

Pandora share price tumble

Music streaming giant Pandora Media suffered a thumping fall in its share price November 3rd, by a worrying 27 per cent, following an earnings statement where Q3 revenues disappointed the market and ad-income was flat. The shares hit an all-time low of $5.37. Pandora is backed by pay-radio operator SiriusXM, which paid a total of […]

November 6, 2017By Chris Forrester