Entertainment brands creator and producer FremantleMedia has taken a 60 per cent share in @radical.media, a global transmedia business that creates advertising and branded entertainment content. The deal represents FremantleMedia’s first large scale move into the branded entertainment market, allowing the company to further diversify its revenue sources and to develop new business models. @radical.media’s […]
Kabel Deutschland (KDG), Europe’s largest cable company, is set to cut debt faster than markets expected and would like to absorb two smaller domestic rivals, according to Adrian von Hammerstein, chief executive. Rapidly improving sales of superfast broadband on top of basic cable television have given KDG sufficient cash flow growth to consider shareholder returns, […]
The Walt Disney Company has split up its underperforming Internet and gaming division bringing in two outsiders to lead the businesses. James A. Pitaro, vice president of Yahoo Media, and John Pleasants, chief executive of Playdom, the social gaming company that Disney bought in July, were named co-presidents of the Disney Interactive Media Group. Pitaro, […]
As anticipated the European Commission has ruled that the TV taxes levied by the French and Spanish governments on telcos to support their respective public national broadcasters and compensate for the removal of advertising, are incompatible with EU law. The EC has ruled taxes levied on telco operators must be directly linked to covering the […]
Online access to public services could be put at risk by a purely market-driven approach to net neutrality, claims the Communications Consumer Panel in its response to consultations from Ofcom and the European Commission. If content providers have to pay ISPs for guaranteed bandwidth “This would improve the quality of service for consumers who want […]
Phorm, the behaviourally targeted online advertising firm, has posted a loss before tax of $15.6 million in the six months to the end of June – and continues to burn through its cash reserves at $1.8 million a month. The company, which has refocused its strategy to Latin America, failed to report any revenue for […]
AEPOC, the European Association for the Protection of Encrypted Works and Services, has revealed the first steps in a new action plan designed to build the ground for a broader anti-piracy stance for the Association. The initiative sees the creation of standing committees targeted at specifically helping AEPOC members in the fight against audio-visual piracy, […]
The chief executive of RTL, the European broadcaster that sold Five to Richard Desmond, has told the RTS he was put off investing in the channel by the prospect of Channel 4 being “rescued.” Gerhard Zeiler said: “Imagine Five being successful and passing C4 in market share and advertising revenues – it could be that […]
Walt Disney’s ABC, CBS and other broadcasters have sued Ivi, an online subscription service, for streaming television programmes over the Web without authorisation. The companies, also including Fox, NBC and the Public Broadcasting Service, have accused Ivi and its founder Todd Weaver of copyright infringement in a federal court complaint in New York. Ivi, based […]
The French telecommunications and broadcasting regulator has issued a warning to Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat over ‘adult’ programming that it is carrying. The Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA) has already warned Eutelsat twice over ‘slideshow’ unencrypted erotic material. Letters went to Eutelsat on February 3rd and again on March 4 warning that the transmissions must […]