Network Electronics has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Video Products Group, a provider of professional video/audio transport systems for local and wide area networks. Major carriers around the world rely on VPG for video transport and broadcast services. The new combined product offering will be unique in its functionality, features and breadth, enabling telcos […]
Macrovision is buying television listings provider Gemstar-TV Guide International for $2.8 billion in cash and stock. They say the combined company will allow consumers to pull up a guide on their TV and receive personalised content and information regarding favourite TV shows, read movie reviews before purchasing or renting a film, view personal photos, or […]
UK regulator Ofcom is taking over premium-rate phone regulator PhonepayPlus (formerly Icstis) to take a tighter rein on the call-TV industry after a year of scandals. It's one measure to emerge following Ofcom's review of the premium-rate sector after all the main broadcasters were embroiled in instances of charging callers to competition lines despite not […]
Bertelsmann is considering taking full control of RTL Group, Europe's largest broadcaster. Bertelsmann confirmed a WSJ report that it was possible it would make an offer for the 10.2 per cent of RTL it does not already own, but cautioned that this had yet to be approved by its supervisory and management boards. Buying the […]
Irdeto announced it has acquired 100 per cent of Cloakware, a privately held software company based in Virginia, USA and Ottawa, Canada. Graham Kill, CEO of Irdeto said: “This acquisition strengthens our existing content security offering, broadens Irdeto's reach across the entire content lifecycle and vertically expands our offering into new markets.” Cloakware's technology, which […]
Channel 4 is buying a 10 per cent stake in mobile ad tech firm Mobile IQ to boost its mobile advertising efforts. The two companies have been working together since February 2006, during which time Mobile IQ has deployed both Channel 4's direct-to-consumer mobile services and its mobile content portals on Vodafone and O2. Channel […]
Harris Corporation has acquired Zandar Technologies, a privately held developer and provider of high-quality multi-image display processors for television broadcast and professional video markets.
Wall Street rumours about a potential takeover of the second-biggest US satellite operator have abounded, peaking this week with TheStreet.com saying AT&T was preparing a takeover bid worth as much as $26 billion (E17.5m) and that both companies have been in talks. The reports sent Echostar's share price, depressed by recent disappointing quarterly results, soaring. […]
ROK Entertainment Group, the UK-based mobile technologies company, has acquired a 51 per cent controlling interest in Los Angeles-based Fun Little Movies (FLM) for a combination of cash and shares in the company. Under the terms of the agreement, ROK and FLM will jointly offer made-for-mobile content, such as comedy short films, to network operators […]
UK buyout firm Candover has agreed to sell Norwegian cable television company GET for 5.8 billion crowns (E0.7bn)) to a group of buyers led by rivals Quadrangle and GS Capital Partners. The private equity firm bought the business, which provides its services to 370,000 households in Oslo and Southern Norway, for 3.6 billion crowns in […]