Sky News is to launch an Arabic-language version. Backed 50/50 by the wealthy Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corp, the new operation will be based alongside CNN’s new Abu Dhabi news bureau at twofour54, the fast-growing facility company. However, while CNN’s bureau has just a handful of local staff Sky News’ Arabic service will have some […]
On both sides of the Atlantic the rule makers are readying Net Neutrality legislation and seem likely to head in different directions. The FCC in Washington has been trying to bring broadband provision under the mush stricter telecom carrier regime and, in horse-trading to avoid this fate, service providers have backed-off their opposition to Neutrality […]
BSkyB’s independent directors have written to Ofcom, warning the regulator that it risks generating a “perverse outcome” if Ofcom found in its investigation of a potential bid by News Corp that a deal would curtail diversity for British viewers. The directors reminded Ofcom that Sky News, the focus of some allegations of media domination in […]
ITV’s revenues and profits are resurgent, proving again that it has the world’s simplest business model and that you are just unlucky if you end up running it (or any other FTA commercial channel) in an advertising down turn. But the new management team says it doesn’t want to ride its luck and has set […]
Mediaset’s Tele 5 and Telefonica have been cleared to take a 22 per cent stake each in the digital DTH platform Digital Plus but with limited voting rights in the management of the company. Media group Prisa will retain a 56 per cent stake. Spain’s competition watchdog the CNC has shelved the legal proceedings, giving […]
Vince Cable, the UK Business Secretary, has issued an intervention notice on News Corp’s bid to acquire the 61 per cent of BSkyB shares that it does not already own. The notice requires that Ofcom investigates the public interest consideration of media plurality and submits a report by December 31st. The European Commission will investigate […]
Transition, disruption, opportunity, threat; all descriptions that can be applied to most digital media developments. Which one you choose will depend on where you, or your company, sit in the current ecosystem and, therefore, your perspective. Recently we held a video roundtable on OTT Services (available on the site now); a classic major development […]
Seems a weird thing to wonder when Apple recently became the second biggest company on the Dow by stock value, but could this be the high water mark? Apple has out powered all contenders by repeating its trick of game-changing UI’s (remember the Apple Mac GUI that started the whole thing) and allying it with […]
Here in the UK a band of rival media owners have written to the Business Secretary, the Lib Dem Vince Cable, urging him to intervene to stop News Corp taking full control of BSkyB should it proceed with its bid. The letter says News Corp ownership of Sky alongside its existing ownership of The […]
Freeview says it has now sold 60 million units in the UK and that Freeview HD is expected to reach 250,000 homes this month. About 420,000 Freeview HD-enabled devices, including both STBs and television sets with the technology built in, have been sold. Freeview estimates that of these, 230,000 are being used to receive the […]