The Pakistani government has lifted a national ban on visiting YouTube. Late last week, the country ordered Pakistani ISPs to block the video-sharing website because of content deemed offensive to Islam. But now the restrictions have been lifted after a national outcry. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority has told ISPs to allow access to the site; […]

Scaberia, an Oslo based International Technology Consultancy and Secustream Technologies, a new player in software based content protection systems over IP, have signed a long term business contract. Scaberia will assist Secustream in Strategy, Content, Sales, Marketing and Business Development related issued. “Secustream is a new challenger in the market with an exciting concept of […]

DISH Network said it added about 85,000 net new subscribers in the quarter, giving the company about 13.78 million subscribers at the close of December. In fourth quarter 2006, the company reported about 350,000 net new subscribers. CEO Charlie Ergen called fourth quarter results for the DBS service “disappointing,” blaming sluggish economic conditions and intense […]

Sirius Satellite Radio says a surge in subs helped it narrow losses in Q4 to $166m down from $245m a year ago. It ended the quarter with 8.3m subs, up 2.3m on a year ago. This pushed revenue higher to $249.8m. The company is still waiting for a regulatory ruling on its bid to buy […]

The Federal Communications Commission is set to finally OK Liberty Media’s purchase of a controlling stake in DirecTV. The Justice Department is also reviewing the deal. The deal, which was announced in December of 2006, has Liberty taking a majority stake in the satellite TV provider through a $12 billion asset swap with News Corp. […]

Pakistan’s government has banned access to the video-clip website YouTube because of anti-Islamic movies posted on the site. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority told the country’s 70 Internet service providers that the popular website would be blocked until further notice. The banning temporarily brought the site down in some other areas. Pakistan is not the only […]

Software services firm Goldstone has launched Internet protocol IPTV services in Thailand in partnership with Synap Media. The company has also signed IPTV distribution agreements for France, Belgium, Spain, Morocco and Malaysia. It offers IPTV services in India with state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. “The focus for the IPTV services in Thailand would be on […]

The UK government is to consult on legislation to punish Internet service providers if they fail to take action against the illegal downloading of music, films and TV programmes. The culture secretary, Andy Burnham, made the proposal as part of a strategy paper designed to support the UK’s creative industries The government has already said […]

News Corp has increased its stake in German pay television operator Premiere to nearly 20 per cent. The company acquired an initial stake of 14.6 per cent in January from German cable operator Unity Media for $422.5 million in cash. Premiere has more than 4 million subscribers in Germany and Austria.

BSkyB has confirmed it is to launch a legal challenge against key conclusions of the Competition Commission’s report on its investment in ITV plc and the Secretary of State’s consequent decision that it should dispose of the majority of its 17.9 per cent shareholding. Sky will lodge its application with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) […]