Inverto Digital Labs has confirmed it is becoming a supporting member of the HbbTV standard and that the HD+ hybrid set-top-box platform Scena 6, planned for the German market in Q1 2010, will support the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) standard. The hybrid STB platform will incorporate a CE-HTML browser from Pleyo that is working […]

Contract Rights Renewal, the rules which dictate how much ITV1 can charge advertisers, will stay for now says the Competition Commission. In its provisional report into CRR the watchdog has proposed “variations” which, for example, could allow ITV1 to capture more commercial impacts, such as rolling in high-definition and time-shifted channels into the definition of […]

Joost removed its high-profile chairman Mike Volpi by shareholder vote, it has emerged and "The company and its Board of Directors is conducting an investigation into Mr. Volpi’s actions during his tenure as CEO and as Chairman" said a statement. Volpi, who had been CEO, continued as Joost chairman after joinning the venture firm Index […]

A federal judge in the US has ruled that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s safe harbour provisions protected Veoh, the video-sharing site – from liability for hosting pirated clips uploaded by users. “The DMCA does not place the burden of ferreting out infringement on the service provider,” the judge said. Universal Music had sued Veoh […]

Rupert Murdoch, James Packer and Kerry Stokes may vie for Australia's biggest pay-television network after the government said Telstra may have to sell its 50 per cent stake in Foxtel. Telstra may be barred from buying new wireless licences unless the telco sells the Foxtel stake and separates its retail and network divisions, the government […]

The results of an extensive study titled "Exploiting the digital dividend: a European approach" led by Hogan & Hartson LLP, media consulting firm Analysys Mason, and economics consultancy DotEcon, have been published. The consortium was tasked by the European Commission with ascertaining what coordinated action is needed at the EU level in order to maximise […]

From David Del Valle in Madrid The Spanish Telecommunications Market Commission (CMT) is proposing to open up the TV market and, at the same time, impose tougher fines to avoid breaking the legislation. In a report on the new Audiovisual Law Bill, the CMT recommends to raise up to E20 million (20 times the current […]

Andy Duncan, the Channel 4 chief executive, will step down from the role by the end of the year, he has confirmed. Duncan said he had ”mutually agreed” with the broadcaster’s board that now was the right time for him to leave. He departs Channel 4 after five years in charge. “Channel 4 is facing […]

France’s lower house of parliament has approved the '3 strikes' bill allowing authorities to cut off Internet access to people who download illegally. The measure passed in the National Assembly following approval by the Senate in July. It must clear another hurdle to become law, gaining approval from a small committee from both houses of […]

Taiwan Mobile, the country's second-largest phone carrier, has agreed to buy cable television operator Kbro rom Carlyle Group for $1 billion in stock and cash to become the market leader. Taiwan Mobile's plans to use its cable television business, its fastest-growing division, to boost revenue from so-called convergence services that combine phone, Internet and television. […]