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MPs: ‘Government has no options on licence fee’

The Government’s failure to enable a viable and alternative form of funding for the BBC means it will be forced to rely on the TV licence fee for the term of the next Charter, according to a cross-party group of MPs. In a wide-ranging Report, The future of public service broadcasting, the House of Commons […]

March 25, 2021By Colin Mann

UK spectrum auction at negotiation stage

UK comms regulator Ofcom has confirmed that the spectrum auction for the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz bands aimed at releasing more airwaves to improve mobile services and support 5G will now move to the negotiation period. Ofcom announced the results of the principal stage of the auction on March 17th. This set out how […]

March 25, 2021By Colin Mann

MPs: “Streamers should share ratings data”

MPs say streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video should be obliged to provide viewing data on British-made shows to UK broadcasters and Ofcom. The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS), has said that UK broadcasters have a right to know how shows that they commissioned are performing on streaming platforms. The comments […]

March 25, 2021

Openreach hits 4.5m full fibre premises target

UK digital infrastructure provider Openreach has hit its first target of making Full Fibre broadband technology available to 4.5 million premises across the UK by the end of March 2021, meaning millions of families, businesses and public sector organisations can now order ultrafast, ultra-reliable connectivity from a host of competing Communications Providers. Despite the huge […]

March 25, 2021By Colin Mann

Report: IP key to economic recovery, defeating pandemic

The ninth annual International IP Index, Recovery Through Ingenuity, from the US Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC), which champions innovation and creativity through intellectual property standards, has highlighted the extraordinary role of intellectual property (IP) rights in delivering pandemic-ending solutions. The report evaluates IP rights in 53 global economies — from patent […]

March 25, 2021By Colin Mann

ITV invests in what3words

Following the announcement of ITV AdVentures Invest, a Media for Equity initiative, ITV has now concluded its first investment in what3words Limited. what3words is a uniquely accessible location service, which has divided the world into a grid of 3 metre squares, giving each its own three-word identifier: a what3words address.  For example, the front door […]

March 25, 2021

CuriosityStream hits 15m subs

CuriosityStream, the global factual entertainment streaming company, has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31st 2020. “We had a strong 2020, ending the year with more than double our 2019 revenue with approximately 15 million subscribers,” said Clint Stinchcomb, President & CEO. “More recently, we raised approximately $100 […]

March 24, 2021

PRS for Music claims anti-piracy success

Music industry rights licensing body PRS for Music has revealed what it describes as “encouraging” figures demonstrating the continued success of its Member Anti-Piracy System (MAPS) in the battle against digital music piracy, five years on from its launch. Since 2016, the bespoke automated notice and takedown tool, which tracks PRS for Music repertoire on […]

March 24, 2021By Colin Mann

MDA prepares for IPO

Canada’s MDA, the satellite builder formerly known as MacDonald, Dettwiler & Assoc – but perhaps better known as the builders of the Space Shuttle’s sophisticated ‘Canadarm’ robotic crane and still used on the International Space Station – is mounting an IPO. MDA, founded in 1969 (by Dr John MacDonald and Vern Dettwiler) also helped build […]

March 24, 2021By Chris Forrester

4th Gen ASiD solution from Friend MTS

Content protection services provider Friend MTS has launched 4th Generation ASiD, an enhanced and extended set of subscriber-level watermarking solutions designed to address a wide range of content protection scenarios to secure high-value content and revenue across all types of broadcast and OTT devices, clients and apps. With an increasing need for content owners, broadcasters […]

March 24, 2021By Colin Mann