The BBC will launch BBC Two HD on March 26th. BBC Two HD will be available on Sky HD (169), Freeview HD/YouView (102), Virgin Media (187), Freesat HD (109) and BT Vision (852). The announcement follows the successful launch of BBC One HD on November 3rd 2010. BBC Two HD will replace the existing BBC […]
New figures revealed by Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, show that TV viewing in the UK is continuing to expand as people watch additional TV on-demand via TV sets, tablets, smartphones and laptops. In total, the average UK viewer watched 4 hours, 4 minutes of TV a day in 2012 […]
Telecom Italia-owned network channel La7 is likely to be bought by Italian investment fund Clessidra Capital Partners. Italian newspaper La Repubblica is reporting that Telecom Italia’s board made the decision at its latest meeting, and declined the bid from media conglomerate Cairo Communications. It is not yet known what price has been achieved for La7, […]
Following the French pay-TV operator’s successful acquisition of the exclusive live rights to Formula 1, Canal+ Group director of sports Cyril Linette has suggested the broadcaster would be putting “considerable resources” in providing quality coverage of Grands Prix for its subscribers. In an initiative mirroring UK pay-TV service Sky’s approach, Canal + will broadcast the […]
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone has reached an agreement with Canal+ for the broadcast of Grand Prix racing in France for the next three years. The race broadcasts will be shown on pay-TV, but the agreement includes the airing of a free-to-air magazine programme. Canal+ will also show free-practice and qualifying sessions. The deal is […]
UK subscription-free satellite TV service Freesat has revealed that it has sold its 3 millionth product, taking gross retail sales to well over £1 billion, four years after the service first launched in 2008. It also confirmed that YouTube will soon be available on the platform, claimed as a first for free British TV. Freesat […]
Motive Television, the London-based television software and services company, has entered into an agreement with Siyaya Free To Air TV of Johannesburg, South Africa. Motive will provide advisory services to Siyaya in conjunction with Siyaya’s application to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) for a broadcasting services licence. This agreement follows the Memorandum […]
UK broadcast and communications regulator Ofcom has awarded the licence to run the local TV service in London on digital terrestrial TV to ESTV’s London Live channel. The London channel is expected to cover around 4 million homes, the largest reach of all the new local TV services. ESTV beat four other applicants to the […]
UK comms regulator Ofcom has awarded the licence to operate the new local TV multiplex on digital terrestrial TV (DTT) to local infrastructure co-operative Comux. The multiplex operator will be responsible for building and maintaining the technical infrastructure required to broadcast the 19 local TV services currently being licensed by Ofcom. The award follows legislation […]
The UK’s Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey, speaking at the Oxford Media Convention, said that BSkyB should stop charging the UK’s public broadcasters for access to Sky’s viewers. BSkyB charges the BBC, commercial broadcaster ITV, and Channel’s 4 and Five, a ‘technical fee’ for access to its set-top boxes, and use of Red Button interactive technology. […]