As IPTV services emerge, telecom companies face a fairly saturated pay-TV market in the U.S, as 82 per cent of all US households reported having a pay-TV subscription in 2006. According to a recent survey by Gartner, this is forecast to increase to 84 per cent by the end of 2011. While there are a […]
RawFlow, peer-to-peer technology provider and the company behind the user-generated broadcast platform Selfcast, has revealed that former CEO and co-founder of Babelgum, Erik Lumer, has been appointed Chief Executive. Lumer will lead the company into a new phase of development with the launch of Selfcast as a disruptive free Web TV platform that lets anybody […]
BBC Worldwide has bought a majority stake in travel guide company Lonely Planet. The corporation’s commercial arm has acquired a 75 per cent stake in the privately owned company. The Lonely Planet operation will boost BBC Worldwide’s travel output, which includes over 500 hours of travel programming such as Michael Palin’s New Europe and Planet […]
Germany’s Deutsche Telekom has concluded a deal to buy Dutch mobile phone and broadband Internet operator Orange Netherlands from France Telecom for E1.3 billion. Deutsche Telekom said it expects the combination to result in savings of about E1 billion over the next few years. About half of those savings would be generated in the first […]
The Motion Picture Assn. of America has filed suit against two Web sites that it claims are allowing Internet users to view pirated films, many of which are still in theatres. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the major studios, seeks to shut cinematube.net and ssupload.com from further infringing on the copyrights of the MPAA […]
Greg Maffei, CEO and president of Liberty Media, said his company’s deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. to gain control of DirecTV will give real market leverage to the Liberty’s media distribution holdings – but it’s unlikely the Government would let Liberty merge DirecTV with EchoStar. Analysts have speculated that such a merger could succeed […]
Peter Bazalgette is stepping down at Endemol as Chief Creative Officer. Marco Bassetti will become COO. Bazalgette will continue as an advisor to the Endemol board.
Existing broadband networks would be unable to cope with future bandwidth-hungry applications such as high-definition television, Ofcom has warned, as it unveiled proposals to encourage investment in ultra-fast networks. Ed Richards, CEO, said that it was possible that companies other than BT, the former state fixed-line phone monopoly, and Virgin Media, the cable TV group, […]
EchoStar Communications has agreed to acquire Sling Media in a deal that values the maker of the Slingbox device at $380 million (E279m). The price is payable in cash and EchoStar options. Slingbox devices allow users to watch their home TV signals on any Internet-connected computer.”As an early investor in Sling Media, EchoStar has been […]
Icstis, the UK's premium-rate phone regulator, has issued a record £250,000 (E360,050) fine over fraudulent phone-in competitions on ITV show GMTV that 18 million callers entered but had no chance of winning. Icstis imposed the maximum penalty on phone company Opera Telecom, after it found the revenue generated by callers who could not have won […]