Advanced Television

Policy

Further Internet industry opposition to SOPA

Another US Internet industry grouping has declared its opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), currently stalled in ‘mark-up’ stage in the House. The Save Hosting Coalition, a consortium of businesses in the web hosting and Internet infrastructure industries, has delivered a letter from 300 leading industry executives expressing their opposition to the legislation. […]

December 22, 2011By Colin Mann

Ofcom: Atvod can’t regulate publisher videos

UK tabloid The Sun has won an appeal to stop the video section of its website being monitored by regulators, a ruling that also clears services offered by all other newspaper publishers. Ofcom has upheld an appeal by News Group Newspapers, the parent company of the Sun, not to allow the video section of the […]

December 21, 2011

SOPA bill mark-up postponed

The US House Judiciary Committee has confirmed that it will delay continuing debate on online anti-piracy measure the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) until after Congress returns from its winter recess. Committee spokeswoman Kim Smith said that the hearing is expected to be scheduled for “early next year.” After two days of debate last week, […]

December 21, 2011By Colin Mann

Wyden introduces alternative anti-piracy bill

Senator Ron Wyden has now introduced the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade (OPEN) Act which is proposed as an alternative to tougher anti-piracy bills, such as the Senate’s Protect IP Act and the House’s Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Senators Jerry Moran and Maria Cantwell have signed on as co-sponsors. “The OPEN act […]

December 20, 2011By Colin Mann

SARFT may reduce pay TV channels

Tao Shiming, head of the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film and Television’s (SARFT) Department of Media Organisation and Online Programming Supervision, revealed at the 4th Annual 2011 China Media Trend Forum currently underway in Beijing that SARFT is exploring the development potential of paid programming, with the possibility of reducing the number of premium […]

December 20, 2011

£130,000 fines for UK adult TV

UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom has hit another adult broadcaster with fines totalling £130,000 for breaches of its broadcasting code. In November Playboy TV was hit with fines totalling £110,000 for breaches of Ofcom’s ‘adult chat’ code. These latest penalties were levied on Satellite Entertainment Ltd (SEL), which telecasts Sport XXX Girls, Essex Babes and Northern […]

December 20, 2011By Chris Forrester

Italy confirms DTT auction, bid boycott looms

In a reversal of the current ‘beauty parade’ licensing plan, Italy has confirmed it will now auction off to the highest bidder its six remaining digital terrestrial frequencies – as first reported here on December 12th. Italy’s technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti has decided to support an opposition parliamentary move to hold an auction. The […]

December 19, 2011By Chris Forrester

Mexico probes TV-phone deals

Mexico’s antitrust agency has started an investigation into agreements between phone carriers and TV programming providers, a sign that Grupo Televisa SAB’s bid to enter the wireless industry is facing more scrutiny. Deals between fixed-line phone, wireless, Internet, broadcast and pay-TV providers could represent prohibited concentrations of market power, the antitrust agency said in the […]

December 16, 2011

Net giants back ‘rogue sites’ Act

A coalition of nine of the largest Internet companies is backing the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade (OPEN) Act, the anti-piracy measure proposed last week by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif). “We write today to express our support for the legislation you are developing,” states an open letter to […]

December 15, 2011By Colin Mann

Techs ads attack US anti-piracy bills

Following the launch earlier in December of an ad campaign in support of support of the Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT IP Act  from Creative America, the grass-roots coalition uniting those who value American creativity and innovation in the fight against content theft, a collection of technology industry luminaries is planning a campaign […]

December 14, 2011By Colin Mann