Microsoft has beaten off competition from Google to pay $240 million for a 1.6 per cent stake in Facebook that values the popular social networking site at $15 billion. Microsoft will also sell internet ads for Facebook outside the United States as part of the deal that took several weeks of negotiating. Microsoft already provides […]
The European Commission has decided that plans to finance part of the fees commercial broadcasters pay for the transmission of their programmes on the DVB-T network in North Rhine-Westphalia are not compatible with the EC state aid rules. The Commission said it fully supported the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, however, the proposed measures […]
The UK ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) has banned a Sky advert following complaints over the claim that new and existing customers get equally good deals with the company. The advert claimed that Virgin Media’s policy was to give better deals to new customers, stated: “At Sky we think it’s wrong to advertise attractive sounding prices […]
The US has led calls to allocate a significant chunk of the radio frequency spectrum for use by digital television. On the opening day the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), US delegation leader Richard Russell said it was important that countries identify sections or ‘bands’ of wavelengths to be used exclusively for advanced wireless services. The […]
Eutelsat Communications said sales jumped 6.2 per cent to E211.9 million in its first quarter to September from E199.5 million a year earlier thanks to “the continuing good performance of our markets.” For the year to June 2008, Eutelsat reiterated targets of sales of E840-850 million and an EBITDA margin of more than 77.5 per […]
Digiturk, Turkey’s largest digital television broadcaster, plans to raise as much as $550 million (E386m) in an IPO of 25 per cent of its business. The company is controlled by Istanbul conglomerate Cukurova and Providence Equity Partners. The pair are selling down their holding from 100 to 75 per cent. The Turkish media sector is […]
Viacom has stated that it will not drop its $1 billion lawsuit against YouTube parent Google. Philippe Dauman, Viacom’s chief executive, said that Google had not done enough to prevent content from being illegally uploaded to YouTube. Viacom, owners of MTV and Nickelodeon, claims that Google allowed more than 160,000 clips of its programming to […]
The first closure of a major UK-based pay-TV pirate site was accompanied by raids and an arrest, the anti-piracy group Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) has reported. Kieron Sharp, FACT Director General, said: “We at FACT have stated very clearly that we intended to pursue those who are openly exploiting and facilitating the distribution of […]
Gilat the Israeli satellite network group, is evaluating interest from several strategic and private equity buyers in buying the company. The company, which is listed on Nasdaq in the US and in Israel, could fetch more than $500m in a sale. Bids are due at the end of this week. Participating in the auction are […]
Ofcom has warned that all adult channels face being encrypted following a spate of complaints over explicit content including allegations of on-air masturbation and the promotion of premium-rate services. The media regulator has upheld complaints against five free-to-air unencrypted outlets known as “babe” channels, in which scantily clad women invite viewers to contact them via […]